buickanddeere old

Do you use washer fluid concentrate that you mix with water yourself or the premix stuff that you can buy at about any store? I've seen the concentrate at truck stops and it got my interest up. I'm going to be in the business of adding some weight to the tractor soon and was just wondering which way works the best for you guys.

My local coop buys the washer fluid in bulk, I went with what they had. You might want to check with them. The mixture depends on your climate.

I have calcium chloride in mine (since 1972) in these "New" tires and NO signs of any leaks or rust...
Hard to believe they have been on this long..!!
Original rims and they came on the tractor New in 1955..
Have 3 tractors with Loaded tires--Calcium..and am very happy with them..
I have heard that Beet Juice is good and is used a lot...Safe for animals if a spill would occur ...

Ron..

I have 3 rims that have rusted because of chloride, and am fixing them one at a time. I would guess one is 30 years old and the other 2 are 20.

I am not going to risk it again.

The full strength washer fluid is good to -30, I am OK with that.

Local auto stores sell -40F and -50F ready to use washer fluid in "gallon" jugs.
I dilute the stuff 10 to 1 and it still doesn't freeze at 0F.
TSC valve stem to garden hose adapter, a drill pump and good to go.
Ran over a steel post this past summer and ruined a tire. Everything soaked with ballast fluid. Tractor paint job and anything that moves was still fine afterwards.
The stuff isn't nasty to the skin either.

I really wanted to stay out of these debates.. But..





Does that rim look like it's been "loaded"?? (By the way, that rim was not cleaned up.. that is just how it looked when I removed the tire/tube)

Anyone care to guess what it was loaded with??

The tire that came off that rim can be seen in the background, laying on the ground.. I'm willing to bet original, as well as the tube was also.. (had old style stem still).. I didn't remove it because I had a leak, I took it off because the tube was poking out the sidewall of the tire.

I bought the tractor from the nephew of a gentleman who had owned it since 1968.. He passed in the early 80's, tractor did not see much use from his passing till I purchased it in 2005. I was told to the best of the nephew's knowledge, it has ALWAYS been loaded.

I'm sure there are "better" things than cacl, but it can work.. Tire guys around here will in fact still install it..

I took out 90 gallons from that tire.. at the going price of washer fluid around here, it'd cost me about $200 to reload that tire.. Could I get it bulk cheaper? Perhaps I could.. But I too have seen it freeze in the jug.. Rare occasion, but it can happen.

To I think I have "dodged disaster" as I believe B&D stated in another post? No.. I could still have problems, and I'm aware of that, and willing to take that risk.. Do I feel "heroic"? Nope.. Just showing that it CAN work without ill effects.

As for putting CaCl on the roads.. They still do it in Monroe County, Michigan. I believe Toledo, Ohio has been experimenting with putting it on the interstates in the winter as well.

Brad

Brad, I have never used calcium, though I can't imagine it to be more cost effective than basic antifreeze. I'm open to better ways. Is calcium cheaper or what advantages does it have?

Calcium is a fair bit heavier than anything else. That's why it's been used for eon's. Use new tubes and in most cases it will last for decades. Use something else only if you have had problems with flat tires in the past.

Bob,

For me it was far cheaper, as I didn't have to buy anything (aside a tire and tube).. I salvaged my CaCl from the tire I was replacing. I planned on reusing the tube as well, but the guy I hired to re mount the tire advised to get a new tube, so I did.

I don't know exactly what you mix lbs. of CaCl to how many gallons of water, but the last 50# bag of DowFlake (brand name of the calcium) I bought (for dust control) was about $15.00.. That was 3 years ago though..

I won't tell you it's better.. Everyone just jumps on the "how bad chloride is bandwagon" and I just like to point out if it's kept up after it's no worse than having just air in the tires..

I have 2 tractors that are loaded with it.. both sets of rims are holding up well (both tractors from the 60's) but I have noticed some rust starting on my D-17 rims, so, this winter, they will be broken down, cleaned up, and repainted.. Sure, it's a little bit of work, but after 43 years I think it could use some paint anyhow.

I have seriously considered Rim-Guard, the issue is, currently we have no one locally who installs it.. One tire shop did for a spell, but he no longer does. I've never added a link before, but I tried,here and it compares most things that can be used to ballast a tire.. http://www.rimguard.biz/Products.html

CaCl is the closest to what they offer, shy of the corrosion resistance.. In my case, I feel I need the extra weight over the weight of the washer fluid (we'll say calcium is 2.5 pounds/gal heavier, per rim guard's website).. so 2.5 x 90 gallons x 2 tires= 450 pounds.. or 3 cast iron weights (at 150# each)..

Brad

Washer fluid is a bit lighter than water, a calcium chloride solution is much heavier than water. So the difference in weight is significant. Which explains the popularity of Rim Guard, which is sugar beet juice: its specific gravity is comparable to CaCl.

Wish I could get that good of washer fluid. Here all that I can get is for -20 and at 0 if you try to use the washers they freeze up and windshield is covered with a sollid layer of ice, as long as not used will stay a liquid but start using it instant ice. This is in Ohio.

bob, i run calcium chloride in 7 of my tractors. it is about the least expensive to get the most ballast in a tire. i mix 5 lbs per gallon, and use a 12volt sprayer pump to fill the tires. put new tubes in the tires before you load them, and i paint the inside of the rims with por 15 rust conversion primer. never had a problem. if you get a leak, fix it right away. here is a tire ballast loading chart, it will show gallons to mix and total weight added.
poke here

Lots of areas have thorns and therefore lots of flats.. So cacl is a nogo in those areas. I cant tell you how many tractors come through with bad rims and they start splitting at the valve stim. Some of those rims are all but impossible to find and the tractors have to be junked or at least parked till a rim can be found. Most end up sold off for salvage.

For all the difference in weight between calcium
and diluted washer fluid. Is less than the
difference between an empty and full full fuel tank.
Different operators can vary 100lbs or more too.
How cold was it and what temp was the washer fluid
rated for?

I'm just thinking how rusty and crusty the paint
and every moving part on the 435 would be right now.
If it had been sprayed with calcium instead of
washer fluid.
My hands are not cracked and sore from working
around strong salt solutions either.

I just went through this with my tractor.

I found one local place doing rim guard it was ALOT more money. Most of the tire shops that did use it don't now because of not being able to pump it in the cold.

I had a guy come put washer fluid in as I just didn't want to deal with calcium. I never had washer fluid before. I hope it's ok ? I have seen it corrode up auto parts before and the stuff the dealership bought in concentrate was really hard on the hand pumps.