Tire Ballast Weight

So I have a couple things that I think could benefit from weight in the tires (snowblower, lawn tractor, and the Farmall).

I've read and watched YouTube where people use everything from windshield washer fluid to sugar beet juice. I live in the mid Wisconsin area so it can get cold.

What are you using? How cold does it get to? and How toxic is it to metal and living things when it leaks?

Also can you fill tubeless or should I tubes if I have one like that?
 
I will start with this, yo cannot get a tire fully drained, not possible without dismounting and if tube puting a hole in to drain out the hold. I personaly use calciume and it has been in use here for since the late 40's. Same stuff they use on roads for ice. Beat juice and calcium are I think about same weight per gallon, windshield washer about half the weight and not toxic, antifreez someware in between and is poison. Only thing a tire store here would work with is the calcium or beet juice, washer fluid or antifreeze they would not touch a tire if they knew it had that in. And rims from 1944 only had to replace just a couple of uears ago and that was because they had some leaks and did not get washed down as should have.
 
Was a fella asking just a few weeks ago, can he take his tractor rears off, lay flat, and start a fire inside the rim to melt the water in his tires, he
parked the tractor with water in, forgot, and now needed to use the tractor....

So unless you are in Hawaii or tip of Florida, I don't think just water works well.

I really dislike the antifreeze solutions so many try to use. Real antifreeze is toxic to animals and wells when it leaks, the RV type is spendy
enough, and in a northern climate you need a lot to work. More so tho, antifreeze is lighter than water, if I need weight I want heavier than
water....

The beet solution is good if you can afford it, find it.

I've used calcium chloride for decades, it adds real weight and works fine if you use your tractor and maintain it.

Calcium chloride needs oxygen to make the rust, so it actually works in a tubeless rim, but in general folks use a tube most all the time, it is
easier to get back out from a tube.
 
I use winter grade wiper fluid here in Missouri and it can got down around 0 or lower most winters.
 
Another alternative to consider is wheel weights. There should be weights available for all applications if one looks long and hard enough. If
the weight is needed for a front end loader application my preference would be rear wheel weights AND a barrel on the three point that one can
fill with ballast of your choice, ranging all the way from steel to filled with concrete. The filled counter-weight barrel is much more effective
from a weight transfer as the weight is behind the rear axle. That is simply a matter of physics and leverage. If you use a counter weight
barrel on the three point put your draw bar that goes through the lower link balls through the front 1/4 to 1/3 of the barrel. In my case it
allows the standard draw bar of the tractor to remain in the full out position. Plus that extra distance further back gives more leverage as it
is farther back from the rear axle. If I knew how to attach pictures I would attach one of my tractor with loader, 3 sets of rear wheel weights,
no fluid in the rear tires, and a concrete barrel weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds.
 
As far as the snowblower goes mine works just fine with just chains, never considered ballast as the weight of the machine seems to
be good enough, would be useless without tire chains.
 
(quoted from post at 14:31:58 02/14/18) As far as the snowblower goes mine works just fine with just chains, never considered ballast as the weight of the machine seems to
be good enough, would be useless without tire chains.

That might work. I figured my issue was weight as the new blower is much much lighter than my 40+ year old blower was.
 
(quoted from post at 13:37:31 02/14/18) Was a fella asking just a few weeks ago, can he take his tractor rears off, lay flat, and start a fire inside the rim to melt the water in his tires, he
parked the tractor with water in, forgot, and now needed to use the tractor....


So I have to ask. What actually happens when the ballast liquid freezes?
 
Local big box store had windshield washer fluid (good for -20 deg) on sale 4 gal for $5, I bought 100 gal, kinda blew the store managers mind. Gonna load the rear tires of my loader tractor.
 
That had to be a sight.

I was considering the windshield fluid for the lawn tractor. I don't want to overload it but I was hoping that it would be enough to give it traction and not always spin the tires cutting up the lawn.

If I recall correctly the tires on the H could hold more ballast weight than bolt on weight but as I think about it I know I can't be remembering that correctly. For some reason I feel like dad said they could hold 100 gallons but they aren't that big are they? I think they're 12-38's...

Though in the tire is still a lower weight center.
 

My Craftsman rear tine tiller struggled with traction. I hung window sash weights on it, everywhere I could find a place to hang them. Didn't totally solve the problem, but it helped.
 
Our new tire shop only uses beat juice. I was told it is easier on the rear end to use fluid and wheel weights than a heavy counter weight. I have fluid and wheel weights but still need a counter weight for heavy loader work.
Dave
 
Calcium wont cause a problem if the leaks are fixedIMEDIATLY and the rim is cleaned. Wiper fluid,not sure if it is toxic or not.NONtoxic RV antifreeze is the way to go if you go that route.'RimGard'/beet juice is safe,a bit heavier than calcium.But more expencive.Plain water freezes,leaves a tire 'flat' on one side. Never heard of a tire bursting,but I suppose it could happen. Me,I'd just go with the old tried and true calcium.Have 4 tractors with the stuff in.Some for YEARS. The rims are still rust free.
 
(quoted from post at 16:06:42 02/14/18) Calcium wont cause a problem if the leaks are fixedIMEDIATLY and the rim is cleaned. Wiper fluid,not sure if it is toxic or not.NONtoxic RV antifreeze is the way to go if you go that route.'RimGard'/beet juice is safe,a bit heavier than calcium.But more expencive.Plain water freezes,leaves a tire 'flat' on one side. Never heard of a tire bursting,but I suppose it could happen. Me,I'd just go with the old tried and true calcium.Have 4 tractors with the stuff in.Some for YEARS. The rims are still rust free.

My larger tractors can sit for months without being seen. I can always replace a rim but I've heard of the calcium leaving ground bare for years when it leakes out. Reminds me of that movie where they think plants want electrolytes. lol
 
I would see if R-1 lugged tractor tires are available for your lawn tractor. I have them on two of my
garden tractors, when I mow with them I have NO traction issues.

A 12.4x38 tire does hold 50 gallons of fluid. The beet juice is about the same weight per gallon as
calcium chloride solution, around 11 pounds per gallon. CALCIUM Chloride does corrode rims bad! My Super
H had a patch inside the tire against the rim and it leaked, never leaked outside the tire, really rusted
up the inside of the rim. I sand blasted and primed and repainted it but I expect it to rust again.
Windshield washer solution weighs about 7.6 pounds per gallon. I took ALL my fluid out about 5 years ago
and just use cast iron weights now.

You get a puncture in a tire with fluid you lose some if not all the fluid, get a flat with wheel weights
you still have them, plus the flat is much easier to fix.
 
You can't drive the machine. Will be like those old time cartoons
where things are bouncing up and down. Gets very violent very quickly.
 
Fair point. I've got my eye out for some weights but no luck yet. I guess worst case I just get two centers and hang em on the axle as an improvised weight. Allways see parts tractors on Craigslist.
 
I sure would have liked to found that big box deal on washer fluid.
You want to fill your mower tires like my picture to the top of the
rims. Not full, you need the tire to flex. Makes the center of gravity
much lower on the machine and far less tippy. Well worth the effort.
They make enough difference that on an embankment your caboose will be
sliding out of the seat and the mower will still be going.
a256967.jpg
 
That's neat looking must be condensation where the fluid is.

That reminds me of something I didn't ask. When the tire has fluid in it you don't put in as much air right? What's a safe starting point for setting the pressure? Half of recommended PSI?
 
You put the same amount of air pressure in a tire with or without fluid. If you have a flat at 0 or below
with beet juice it is almost impossible to pump out and put it back in. Calcium does not create that problem.
I have fixed quite a few tires with calcium in them at -30. It would have been impossible with beet juice.
 
Really? I remember being told liquid doesn't compress the same as air. I believe they were saying full recommended PSI plus liquid ballast results in over pressure that could blow the sidewall when you hit a bump hard enough.
 
(quoted from post at 16:05:43 02/14/18) Really? I remember being told liquid doesn't compress the same as air. I believe they were saying full recommended PSI plus liquid ballast results in over pressure that could blow the sidewall when you hit a bump hard enough.

Pressure is pressure. It is true that liquids will not compress, but making the air volume capacity smaller by putting liquid in the tires does not cause the pressure to increase. As you inflate the tire after adding the fluid the pressure still increases according only to how much air you put in.


I have had the tire company come out to repair a loaded tire in the field a few times. They always spill some CaCl. It always kills some grass, it always comes back in two years. No big deal.
 
I generally fill my tractor tires with Johnnie
Walker - black label.
It adds a lot of weight, doesn't freeze and if
you break down out in the field it gives you
something to sip on till help arrives.
 
(quoted from post at 19:41:58 02/14/18) I generally fill my tractor tires with Johnnie
Walker - black label.
It adds a lot of weight, doesn't freeze and if
you break down out in the field it gives you
something to sip on till help arrives.

I'll second that idea but change it to a whiskey.

Re: pressure - When I think about that I believe your right. I wonder why that guy was telling me to do less pressure. I've never done it before. I just used what grandad had already setup.
 
who ever told you that must be right because when you fill an engine cyl. with water the dam thing wont turn over. but they are not right on the full recommended pres., standard pressure for rear fluid filled tires is 12-16 lbs. depending on the tractor load. so if they are staying within spec's wont hurt a thing.... unless they have rotten tires.
 
Liquids do not compress, period.

You obviously have less air in a tire 3/4 full of fluid, but you run the same air pressure.

Paul
 
(quoted from post at 18:07:29 02/14/18)
(quoted from post at 19:54:21 02/14/18) All the tractor tire places around my area have gone to methanol mixed with water.

That's a mixuture I haven't heard of before.

With a little blue food coloring, they call it windshield washer fluid.

IMHO it's not worth the effort on smaller tires. If you truly need the weight, get wheel weights, or make a box and fill it with rocks. Wheel weights are everywhere. You can buy new at any lawn and garden, box store, farm store. They're on Craigslist, at auctions, at garage sales... Wheel weights are going to give you more pounds than fluid in a lawn mower tire.

What are you doing with your Farmall? Windshield washer fluid may give you enough weight without the "stigma" of CaCl solution or the expense of beet juice.
 
Honestly didn't consider looking for weights for the mower. Didn't think they made them for traction. Seen them to balance bagging units.

The Farmall does tillage for a food plot right now. Hoping to change that to 40+ acres over the next 5-15 years. Something to keep me active when I retire. Also hoping to have an SMTA by then too. :)
 
I have a Meyer snowplow mounted to a frame below tractor, plus a loader. Use salt water in the tires, plus rear wheel weights and
a couple hundred pounds of sand on 3-point. AC 5040 tractor. Still can spin if pushing heavy snow. South central Wisconsin.
 
(quoted from post at 14:38:20 02/15/18) I have a Meyer snowplow mounted to a frame below tractor, plus a loader. Use salt water in the tires, plus rear wheel weights and
a couple hundred pounds of sand on 3-point. AC 5040 tractor. Still can spin if pushing heavy snow. South central Wisconsin.

The thing about heavy snow is that it is sticky and readily compresses into ice under your tires.
 

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