pin hole rear wheel on BX 2370

[vettman]

Walked out to the barn yesterday morning to find the floor covered with a disgusting brownish liguid. A little troubleshooting revealed the brown liquid was the ballast from the left rear tire on my BX 2370. Close examination of the wheel revealed a pinhole that had allowed ballast to squirt out as the pressure in the tire pushed it out. The ballast was beet juice installed by the Kubota dealer when I purchased the tractor in 2016.

A couple of questions: Is it a common occurence for ballasted wheels to develope pinhole leaks? Should I have the pinhole repaired by brazing/welding, or go ahead and purchase a new wheel? Are the replacement wheels on Ebay or Amazon satisfactory replacements? My closest Kubota dealer is 50 miles away.

Thanks

 

[armylifer]

I would replace the wheel if it were mine. If it developed a pinhole in one place, it likely will develop another pinhole someplace else in the near future. Also, if it were mine, I would replace both rear wheels and try a different ballast solution. I use -20 degree windshield washer fluid in mine. If you do buy new wheels, you may want to consider buying the wheels and tires through your Kubota dealer's sales department, not the parts department. The difference in cost through the parts department is almost double, at least at my Kubota dealer.