Glad there was washer fluid ballast in the tires

buickanddeere

Well-known Member
The eldest boy tore a valve stem off in some brush a few years ago and ballast was spraying. Fortunately a spare valve stem threaded in and held .
Youngest boy tore a valve stem off while doeking around with a chain trying to get unstuck. Glad a 2nd time on that tractor there was no calcium chloride in it .
Come to think of it the other tractor would have had the paint ruined and everything corroded when a tire was punctured . Was working at the neighbours and there was about 8” of broken off steel post sticking up out of the ground and hidden in the grass .
Washer fluid only around here . Ethylene Glycol Antifreeze will kill the dogs if they find a leak.
 
If you have good paint or a garden hose it would still look great with calcium in the tires. You guys that are paranoid about Calcium in tires obviously
don't use your tractors as real tractors. Washer fluid is less then 8 pounds per gallon, antifreeze is somewhere around 8, a good mix of calcium is bump
13 pounds per gallon. Out of all the tractors I have been around, only 2 of them needed new rims because of Calcium, and if you look at the rest of the
tractor, they needed some serious loving too.
 
I use my tractors on my farm about as much as anyone as 'real tractors' and I despise CaCl in the tires.I use mostly no fluid with wheel weights but if I need the extra weight I
use methanol mixed with water in the tires.When a tire with Calcium in it springs a bad leak that stuff will get in nooks and crannies that can't be washed out.Also I've seen tubes start leaking away from the valve stem and the first sign of a problem is when the rim has a rusted hole in it.
 

b&d
Due to the number of times you've spoken out against having liquid ballast in tractor tires it amazes me you have liquid ballast in your tractor tires. :roll: :wink: :)
 
Pretty much anyone in this area loading tires are using methanol /water mix. I know I checked with 6 new tractor dealers and two tire shops and that is all that was being used. No one wanted to talk about Calcium Chloride. (Middle Tennessee)
 
Interesting, plenty of "real" tractors around here. None of them have liquid ballast. Plenty of cast iron though. Some with close to 10 ton of wheel weights. Radial tires and any sort of liquid ballast is a no no these days.
 
Local New Holland dealer uses Rim Guard (sugar beet juice), but it's very pricey.

I purchased mounted rear tires from Miller Tire in Ohio. They claimed Rim Guard had damaged some of their equipment and said they only use washer fluid now. The washer fluid ballast was reasonably priced. Sure, it's not as heavy as either CaCl or Rim Guard, but it seems to be good enough.
 

Jim if you notice , I prefix hat by saying “ in an ideal world” liquid ballast would not be used .
With a 2WD loader tractor , the need is there for every bit of ballast possible when moving snow .
 
Chloride in farm tractor tires has always been standard operating procedure here. Makes a huge difference in traction. I've got 60 year old
tractors here with the original rims still looking good. I've seen surface rust on some if you let the valve core housings leak.
On an old collector tractor I will take the chloride out but if I want to do any serious work with the tractor it needs that extra weight.
 
If you want to do serious work you need cast iron, tires grip better air filled than liquid filled
 
(quoted from post at 10:33:58 01/09/18)
Jim if you notice , I prefix hat by saying “ in an ideal world” liquid ballast would not be used .
With a 2WD loader tractor , the need is there for every bit of ballast possible when moving snow .

HUM I don't remember you stating "in an ideal world” in some of your previous rants about "liquid ballast". If you need more traction just add more cast iron($$$$$$) weights instead of that old nasty liquid ballast
 
That probably won't work Stuart. Some years ago he was complaining about the way one of his boy's cut the grass. He couldn't convince the boy to reverse direction after making several rounds so the grass discharge would blow on the cut portion as opposed to the uncut portion of the lawn.
 

Worse yet the youngest knew it was going to happen, mumbled something then took a few steps back and watched . Clearly and distinctly informed the boy afterwards that when something is going to get broken or somebody hurt . You open your mouth and make certain that you are understood .
 
I think that is a very debatable statement and coffee table talk here it is accepted that fluid tires grip better, of course part of that is the added weight.
 
That stuff is what? 1/2 the weight of calcium? I believe I'll stick with the original stuff. Rims been on
dads WD 45 since 1956 and still look good, always had Calcium in them
 
I have Rimguard in a couple tires too. The only problem I see is if it leaks out and I have to replace it. Terribly expensive.
 
Old guy who works at the local Ampride told me long ago that liquid fill was the best way to go. Adding cast, other than rim weights, puts added stress on the bearings causing premature failure. Since this guy had about 40 years experience at the time, I figured he might know something.
 

I have not tested the freezing point I use this in the shop...

Google "Aqua Charge Windshield Washer Ultra Concentrate, 1 quart makes 55 gallons finished product"

Its $20 amazon...

I run used antifreeze in my tractor tires I no longer have any pets if you do keep them away from my place and by all means a Walmart parking lot... It may also pay you to park your vehicles were your pets can not pea on yer tars Your vehicles are loaded with used antifreeze... Water pumps, radiator leaks, coolant hose leaks are more so to happen than a tractor tire leaking...
 
no offence, but that sure sounds like the advice of a person who doesn't have kids. You can teach kids, guide kids, lead kids, and hope that they always make good decisions, but ultimately they will make their own decisions.
 

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