Weight ???

1legonutt · Apr 11, 2013

Wanting opinions on weight wheel weights vs liquid tire ballast sound off pros and cons thanks

G1355 · Apr 11, 2013

Fluid, will make rims rusty, but its cheaper, and I think it gives more traction than wheel weights, easy to put in.

Wheel weights, always be able to resell, not any fun to put on, makes tractor wider, doesn't work the best if it hangs out on say a snowblower, not a big deal, they look cool

old · Apr 11, 2013

Fluid does in fact work better because it puts the weight on the tread of the tire with out air holding it. Wheel weight put the weight on air which means the weight does not sit on the ground so they do not work as well as fluid but they can be added or removed easier then fluid and depending on the fluid it can cause rim problems

Mowdigger · Apr 11, 2013

There are new products out that aren't supposed to rust out the rims. I believe one is a beet juice base. It is supposed to work very good.

Tony in Mass. · Apr 11, 2013

Like the guys already said, wheel weights are rare and expensive compare to fluids... and I got to admit, fluids do work better for traction, low center of balance, installation a lot easier....but please don't use calcium chloride, it is heavier than real ocean sea water, but 3 times as tough on metal. I hear lot of good things about beet juice? And I suppose if you find half a pallet of windshield washer fluid cheap enough, that would be great too- just not calcium chloride in my book. A few months ago someone on another forum spent nearly a grand on a 38 inch farmall tire and rim that was ruined beyond repair- by CC...and he kept the worthless, harmful, rotten old calcium in buckets- and wants ideas to carefully pump it all back in. I wanted to throw up...

Ellis Kinney · Apr 11, 2013

I recently loaded the tires on my SMTA. I went with windshield washer fluid. I checked on rimguard (beat juice) and got a quote of $3.50/gallon plus a $100.00 service run. Each tire required 57 gallons. I did not want calcium with my new rims. I was able to purchase washer fluid for $100.00/ 55 gal drum plus 4 extra gallons. The service run to pump it was $50.00. Washer fluid of course is not quite as heavy as calcium or beat juice. I was told by my tire guy that a drum of washer fluid weighs 400 lbs. I also have one wheel weight per wheel. Hope this helps. Ellis

teddy52food · Apr 11, 2013

Only time it will make a rim rusty is after it has a leak. I have a 41 Farmall B that has had calcium in the rears for most of its life & the rims are just fine.

Ultradog MN · Apr 11, 2013

Wheel weights are harder to find but I like them better than fluid.
I can put them on and take them off as needed - like winter vs summer. Weights are like money in the bank as they sell readily. Try to sell your old fluid. You wont.

Don-Wi · Apr 11, 2013

If the fluid completely submerses the rim, it can't rust because of a lack of oxygen.

Here's some picutures of our 1755's rim. It was a dead tractor that while sitting along the fence the tire sprung a leak, so the CaCl was right against the rim. The only real rust is on the top, where the air was able to get at it. The surface rust appeared after dismounting the tires to have them mounted on our Massey 285. Still filled with CaCl.

I jacked it up and put the tractor on some cribbing on that side right away when it sprung a leak so the tire wouldn't be junk. Last summer we sold it for parts.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Dean · Apr 11, 2013

I use cast iron weights on all of my tractors and never use liquid.

Cast iron is easy to add/remove as per conditions and creates no issues for one such as I who does all of his own tire repair.

Dean

Dean · Apr 11, 2013

Rim Guard is non corrosive, does not freeze at tractor usage temperatures and is supposedly slightly heavier that H2O/CaCl but it is quite expensive and makes a mess if you have a puncture.

Dean

VicS · Apr 11, 2013

Come on guys fluid does not make tires pull better! It might lower the center of gravity a little. If you want to get beat just show up at a tractor pull with fluid in your tires!. Plowing 200 lb of weight on your left tire will out run the same tractor with 400 lb of fluid on the left. Because the tire will not contour itself to the ground. Vic

sd pete · Apr 11, 2013

I did something wrong. I used Calcium chloride for 35 years and never had a rim go bad. On a real farm.

showcrop · Apr 12, 2013

CaCl doesn't make rims rust, procrastination does. If you are airing up a loaded tire every few days you are giving the CaCL fresh oxygen to use in attacking the rims.

Texasmark1 · Apr 12, 2013

I use antifreeze and water in my newer tractor and CaCl in the old one. No problems with either but I didn't want to take the chance of rusting out the new ones.

Mark

wilamayb · Apr 12, 2013

Anyone who thinks fluid filled tires are more efficient than an air filled tire with the same amount of iron ballast is confused. Fluid prevents the tire from conforming to the ground and reduces tractive effort. If fluid ballast was superior dont you think tractor manufacturers would choose it for Nebraska tests over cast iron ballast? There is a reason they dont choose liquid.....

Ride quality is greatly deminished as a direct function of how much fluid is added to the tire as well. Cast iron weights always have residual value. Liquid ballast has little to none. (you'd have to pay me to take the stuff)...

Weight ???

1legonutt

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G1355

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old

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Mowdigger

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Tony in Mass.

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Ellis Kinney

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teddy52food

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Ultradog MN

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Don-Wi

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Dean

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Dean

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VicS

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sd pete

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showcrop

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Texasmark1

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wilamayb

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