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How to tell if tires have ballast?

C

ChrisinMO

Member
Assuming the tires are on the tractor and I don't have a scale with which to weigh the tractor, how can I determine if a tire has ballast in it?

Thanks.

Christopher
 
Roll it up to where the air stem is up, give the valve a little push, taste what comes out...flush off.
 
Chris:

You may wish to have another valve core suitable for use with CaCl at hand when you depress the existing core to check for liquid.

If the tire has CaCl in it and the PO did not use use a so-called water valve core, the spring will have corroded away and the core will not reseat after testing.

Having another and a suitable removal/installation tool at hand when you test can prevent loosing most of of the liquid ballast.

Dean
 
Leave it out in the cold and bring it into a warm shop. Should see a sweatline on the tire.

Or just roll it over and depress the valve stem while its on the bottom.
 
Chris, I usually just "thump" them with a pair of pliers. You can usually hear the difference when you hit the sidewall. You don't have to hit very hard, either. Mike
 
Maybe you can jack a tire up and listen for fluid when you turn it or rock it back and forth? Playing with the valve stem could be a problem if there is fluid in it. Dave
 
Mike's got the right answer. DON'T push in the valve stem, or it will probably not quit leaking. You can thump the tire with your pliers from the bottom and go up towards the top, or the other way around. You will be able to hear/feel the difference when you get to where there is no fluid, if it has any in it. It is a solid thump where the Calcium is, and a hollow thump where there is none.
 
Thank you all for your help. Thank you especially Mike Aylward.

I bought the tractor in question from a dealer. There was an issue with the brakes that they agreed to fix as part of the sale. I asked the salesman to have the service dept check to see if the tires were loaded while they were working on it. When I came back to test drive it again and pay, the salesman assured me that the tires weren't loaded.

I once took a loaded tire off a tractor, not knowing that it was loaded. Rather surprising! No one got hurt when that happened. This tractor is my loader tractor. I've been using it to feed hay this winter and I noticed that when I had a heavy bale of hay on it, it acted like the rear tires were loaded.

This afternoon when I was near the tractor, I got a set of channelocks out of the toolbox on the tractor and tried the tap test. I could tell pretty much where the fluid level was. At least I know.

Perhaps I should have a word with the dealership?

Anyway, thanks again.

Christopher
 
On the other hand, if you have a loader you will probably need to have the weight, unless you install wheel weights. There is nothing wrong with having the tires loaded, if it is a "using" tractor. Maybe unless you have to haul it a lot, but otherwise, I would want the ballast. Just my 2 cents.
 
Oh don't get me wrong. I intend to keep them loaded. I just don't like getting fouled up info.

Christopher
 
Use an electronic stud finder Set it low on the tire and scan up. it will trip at the point of the fluid level!!! They cost ~15$ at The box lumber stores. (Mine is a Zircon brand) JimN
 
Surprisingly, my 1600 without fluid in the tires pulls the plow surprisingly well. It is a semi-mounted though so it does put some weight on the back tires.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
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