Why ballast your tyres?

What is it with ballasting tyres in America? I can understand why if the tractor has no 3 point and is pulling a trailed plough, but why is it needed on a tractor with a 3 point hitch? Is it something to do with pushing snow?
Why I ask is that in the UK we hardly ever fluid fill a tyre, we never have to, and we use similar tractors but have to cope with heavy wet sticky ground, in fact we want rid of weight at times to keep our tractors on top of the ground. We will occassionally add wheel weights or a 3 point mounted rear counter-weight on a loader tractor but hardly ever will anyone fill tyres......
Just wondering?.......Sam

I have two tractors, both have loaded tires. The Massey 35 has a loader off a 202 on it and needs the weight to have any traction at all. The Farmall 300 has loaded 14.9/38s which are a little big for it but they were what I could find. I have found that the fluid boosts traction when I am skidding logs. It is also supposed to help with stability on side hills. When it is really wet and muddy here in northern NY I don't use the tractors except to move things around the yard or by the sawmill. I don't skid logs except when the ground is relatively dry or frozen, and of course I make hay while the sun shines.
Zach

Sam, the reason for the ballast, is of course Traction, Fluid in the tires lowers the center of gravity, and helps with pulling. I move heavy buildings on skids, quite a bit, and have been known to have another tractor chained on to get moving. don't always have another driver available, to help, If I had 4x4, or front assist, then I wouldn't need the ballast.

Sam,

Having moved from the UK to the Canadian prairies 15 years ago,and running euro style equipment (MF3670 and a CaseIH 5140 both 4x4), i have ended up adding fluid to both tractors rear tires... The Massey pulls a 30ft airseeder, and while it could manage it with no fluid/weights on the rear tires having a half filled tire has made for more traction - better weight balance front to rear. I don't need it the rest of the year, and i am seriously thinking about pulling the airseeder from the lower lift arms and using the draft control to transfer weight to the tractor.

The 5140 has a loader on, and in the winter when using the 3 point hitch to carry a bale, everything is ok, but one the bale is gone, and the loader is still being used then it's a very different beast.

I am running radial tires (pirelli's), i think tires do have something to do with it, but not everything. Surprisingly, tractors that i used in the Uk with a good reputation there have a poor reputation here, and vica versa... i can only think it is something to do with the type of work they do in the different countries/climates/workloads.

Many folks fluid fill rear tires as a measure to keep the rear tires on the ground while lifting heavy loads with their frontend loader.

I have two tractors that are simaler in size, 930 Case 85hp and a 1030 Case 100hp. The 1030 tires are air filled only, and you can really notice the difference in both traction for pulling, as well as braking. The extra weight makes a big improvment. The 930 can pull loads that will leave the 1030, a bigger tractor, sitting and spinning. Bruce

Rear ballast is needed in certain situations, particularily when using a FEL.

That said, I change my own tires and NEVER use liquid ballast of any type. Rather I use cast iron. I am seriously considering buying a three point counterweight for use on my loader tractor.

Dean

Dean

oj, I have noticed the same whilst travelling through Canada and USA, Tractors that we think are the best don't get a good press at all and like you say vice versa....Older John Deeres and Internationals just are on the no,no list here, especially the nashers, yet there are more of them than Deeres? Masseys and Fords rule over here.
I think we understand and use our three point more, probably something to do with being reared with 3 point AND implements designed for it. As I said, we will fit the weight on the 3 point for the loader not in the tyres and our ploughs and cultivators are all 3 point mounted....even hauling logs,although we don't maybe do it as often as over your way....We will still use the 3 point and some sort of tongs or frame to transfer the weight to the tractor. We find in our hilly country here that fluid does not help braking in fact it is the opposite, the fluid just wants to keep rolling!
Sam

You can NOT hang enough iron on the rear wheel to equal the weight of fluid .Ne9ighbor to us will not put fluid in his tires on his 1066 and has take to hanging wheel weights , he now has eight weights on each side and all that he has accomplish is breaking off some fence post while trying to get close to the fence while plowing . we have a 1066 and the same tires but we have fluid in ours . He can not pull his plow with out spinning but put our 1066 on his plow you just go down the field and never spin a lick . He will not use duals because his dad say ya don't need duals he can not pull our disc where we can even with out duals because we are heavier . Ya want to put your pony power to the ground then ya need the weight , if you want to use a loader then ya had best load the tire and hang iron . I use to handle lots of IRON in the form of plows , disc. planters balers , haybine and DOA tractors with a 706 with a 2000 loader with a six foot boom pole and more then once i had the back of the 706 off the ground with loaded 18.4x34's six sets of donuts and 20 100 lb ft weights hanging on a fast hitch set up and could have used another ton on the back , Learned that a 15 foot Brillion Cultamulcher was just a tad more then i wanted .

I use ballast and cast iron on loader tractor.

I had to swap the 3pt plow from one Ford N to a different one
this spring because the one without loaded tires would spin.

Not that I'm doing anything big here obviously, but the weight
made all the difference between getting the job done or not.

I have loaded tires AND a big counter weight hung on the 3pt
of my Jubilee with a loader. That combo seems to work well.
Other than making a nimble little Ford feel like a water filled rowboat.

You could say that it starts with the owners manual. There are extensive instructions on measuring wheel slip and amount of ballast to stop it so that you get the whole days work done without going back for fuel. maybe we have further to go to get to the job sometimes. Anyway we hate paying for anymore fuel than we can help.

Now, do they have rimguard in the UK?

I know I'm not going to change anybody's mind. But it takes about twice as much weight in fluid to pull the same load as wheel weights. Except as counter-weight for a loader I do have fluid in one old WD45 AC with a trip-bucket loader. It is helpless without it. On our newer tractors we have wheel weights. One thing they ride better. I can't imagine going over 25 mph with fluid in the tires. I don't think hardly anybody over here on their big tractors with radials have fluid in them. Vic

I read all the replies so far and did not see it so here goes.

Adding weight to a tractor should be done with iron that bolts in the tire rim or adding fluid in the tires. This adds weight to the tractor for better traction without adding weight to the suspension.

Adding weight to the 3 point such as drums of concrete or adding iron to the front axle; while adding needed weight for traction also adds weight to the suspension. You may pay for this choice in greater wheel bearing wear or even broken axles/spindles.

Agreed, but I do not need such weight with FWA tractor and occasional FEL use.

No tillage.

Dean

My main tractor at work is a Deere 8320, There is no possible way to mount a 32 foot field finisher on the 3 point. or the field cultivator, or the disc, or even the earthmaster disc ripper. I do however mount a five shank Blu Jet inline ripper on the three point. Point being we have very little primary tillage equipment that is three point mounted. Liquid ballast is a cheap and easy way to ballast a tractor. While I may need 10,000 lbs of ballast for one operation, I may not need or want any for another operation to limit soil compaction. Ever try to remove the 1500 lb cast weight from the inside dual on a big Deere, Its an all day job for 2 and a big forklift. Attaching the pump to the valve core and draining off ballast is much easier.

From the operators Man.
Calculating Ballast for Optimum Performance

Tractor weight and ballasting requirements vary depending on tractor equipment, tire inflation, and operating conditions.
Follow these instructions to determine ballasting requirements

Step 1 Determine recommended total working weight and weight split for application ballast.
Total tractor weight requirement is found by multiplying the tractor horsepower times the appropriate pound per horsepower. Pounds per horsepower requirements vary according to soil and load operating conditions.

Soil Type: Light Medium Heavy
lb/hp 120 130 145

The total tractor weight necessary to maintain the recommended wheel slip range is influenced by soil type and travel speed. The ballast levels are based upon the following speeds (km/h).

Soil Type: Light Medium Heavy
Travel Speed: 8.7 km/h 7.7 km/h 7.2 km/h

If different travel speeds are to be utilized, more or less weight will be needed. Higher speeds will not require as much weight.

In most cases, 130 lb/PTO horsepower will be enough weight to pull heavy loads. Example using an 8320 tractor:

Model 8120 8220 8320 8420 8520
PTO hp 170 190 215 235 255

PTO hp 215 x 130 = 27950 lb (12676 kg)

27950 lb (12676 kg) is the total tractor working weight that would be needed at 130 lb/horsepower.
Next, determine how much of the 27950 lb (12676 kg) weight needs to go on the front and how much on the rear of the tractor. Factory recommended weight splits are:

MFWD/Independent Link Suspension Towed Semi-Integral Integral
(Front and Rear) 35/65 35/65 35/65 *

* Front weight requirements are determined by the weight of the hitch-mounted implement. Enough front weight needs to be added to maintain steering control.

In this example, the 8320 MFWD tractor will be pulling a towed implement. The recommended 35 percent of the total weight should be on the front and 65 percent should be on the rear of the tractor.

Total Front Weight Total Rear Weight
27950 lb (12676 kg) 27950 lb (12676 kg)
x 0.35 = 9782 lb (4436 kg) x 0.65 = 18168 lb (8240 kg)

To determine how much weight needs to be added to the front and rear, go to Steps 2 and 3.

Step 2 Determine current tractor weight by using the "Tractor Weight Guide" charts by using a scale. Find the chart with the correct tractor model and tire size.

The 8320 with standard MFWD in the example is equipped with 620/70R42 rear tires and has no front weights. The weight guide lists:

Total Front Weight Total Rear Weight
9075 lb (4116 kg) 12175 lb (5523 kg)


RX15494,00000EE -19-18NOV04-1/2

Step 3 Subtract current tractor weight (determined in Step 2) from the recommended total weight and weight split (determined in Step 1) and add ballast as required.
Front Rear
9782 lb (4436 kg) 18168 lb (8240 kg)
-9075 lb (4116 kg) -12175 lb (5523 kg)
707 lb (320 kg) 5993 lb (2717 kg)

IMPORTANT: There is a weight transfer effect when adding front weights. This weight transfer effect is 143 to 151% depending on configuration. For every 100 lb (45 kg) weight added to front axle, approximately 151 lb (68 KG) is added to the front axle and approximately 51 (23 KG) is reduced from the rear axle. (See Installing Quik-Tatch Weights in this section.) Rear weight is added directly to the axle with no transfer effect.

Step 4 Adjust tire inflation pressures for optimum performance. (See Tire Inflation Pressure Guidelines in the Wheels, Tires, and Treads Section.) To get optimum performance from the tractor, inflation pressures must be correctly adjusted to gain maximum traction and minimum soil compaction. Ground pressure "soil compaction" is equal to 1 to 2 psi higher than tire inflation pressure.

Step 5 The final determining factor of correct ballast is a wheel slip measurement in the field. Under normal conditions wheel slip should be 8 to 12%.

Radar is needed to calculate average wheel slip. When tractor is equipped with radar, wheel slip will be displayed in the vehicle monitor window. Checking wheel slip manually is possible but will only show slip in one area of the field. (See Measuring Wheel Slip-Manually in this section.) Field conditions vary from one area to another. Maintain the correct average wheel slip to maintain optimum traction performance.

Step 6 Add more weight to drive wheels if slip is excessive. If there is less then minimum slip, weight should be removed.

NOTE: To extend drivetrain life, never add ballast that results in continuous full power loads below (6.6 km/h (4.1 mph).

plain and simple it is used for traction, no wieghts will equal fluid in tires. seen and done it at tractor pulls.

I bought a 7610 Ford with radials, Belshina's. Good tires, pulled great, never even realized with didnt have fluid in the tires until I tried to stop with a load of hay behind it on frozen ground. Tractor started sliding almost immediately. Rode it to the bottom of the hill.

As to 3pth, I use it in the winter to feed hay. Only even have 1 other 3pth impliment and dont use it unless I have to.

Weight is weight. The tire on the ground doesn't know the difference between fluid or cast weight. My tractor goes about 22 MPH and the fluid doesn't affect how it drives at all.

Ballast in tires puts the weight low, where it is more effective against rollover. Out on the plains rollover is not such an issue, but you would have a hard time adding enough wheel weights to equal the ballast in one of the huge tires used on wheatland tractors.

Three point hitch or not, more weight equals less slippage equals greater efficiency. Even if an unballasted tractor can pull an implement, it will burn much less fuel pull that same implement once it is properly ballasted.

It sounds like you have to deal with wetter fields in the UK than are typically tilled in North America. You also have smaller implements. Over here, the solution to wet fields is to mount dual wheels and weight them. I suspect it would be very difficult to operate a large US tractor with mounted duals on UK roads and farms.

have to disagree with you on this one. It may have been true with bias tires, but modern radials need to flex properly to work, fluid limits the amount of flex especially if the tire is full of fluid.

That's why you don't fill them all the way. We always ran on the theory that a tire was PROPERLY filled when the valve stem is at the 12 o'clock position and is not in fluid.

Fluid in the bottom still increases rolling resistance, and makes for a rougher ride. That might be OK for loader work, but for field work, not so much.

Samm,That was what I was saying maybe a month ago about your Ferguson type farming.It was never accepted over here as a way to farm and what caused many MHF dealers to fail back in the late 50s and 60s because they DIDN'T have a tractor to sell that people wanted or needed leading MF to have to buy tractors from Oliver and MM to try to stay alive.(non 3 point)Other then a rear blade or semi mount plow,99% of the time 3 point hitchs are never used on tractors over 50-60 HP.

If you check the numbers in Nebraska Test Lab reports you will quickly see the advantage of adding ballast for the pulling of heavy objects. In fact, I couldn't find a Massey Ferguson tractor that was tested without ballast. Cheapskates that they are and knowing full well their tractors will pull better with ballast, so why pay for the extra tests? John Deere, on the other hand, seems to go out of their way to include as many test configurations as possible. For example: If you check Nebraska OECD Test #1952-summary #634, for a John Deere7330 PQ Plus, you will see that in the "Drawbar Performance Unballasted-Front Drive Engaged-1750 RPM, the tractor pulled a maximum of 12645lbs. Same test only this time ballasted resulted in a maximum pull of 15707lbs. A significant improvement. Not only for such things as plowing but handling big grain carts as well.

TRADITIONALLY, American farmers put fluid in the tires because they need it for traction, plain and simple. With 2WD tractors, the only way to get the power to the ground is WEIGHT. Duals were practically unheard of prior to the 1960's, and really only came into wide use in the 1970's.

The whole deal with 3pt and draft just doesn't work all that well on American ground for some reason.

You can't get much more "European" than a Ford N-series with a 2-bottom 3pt hitch plow. Sure they work fine in some ground, but most places, an unballasted N-series will just sit on top and spin its wheels the moment you drop the plow in the ground.

Maybe European ground is mellower, and/or more consistent? Here you go from cobblestones to clay to sandy loam all in the length of the tractor sometimes. If you depend on the plow draft for traction, you sit on top and spin your wheels.

That's changing, though. You can't hardly get a tractor these days without 4WD. Now we're getting those wide European style tires too, and if not those, the tractors are dualed all the way around.

A lot of the "need" for ballasting on modern tractors in America these days is due to people clinging to old ideas. Just like going from horse farming to tractor farming, or going from archaic tractors to modern tractors, this will require a jump to the next generation of farmers to be widely accepted.

Not true. Lab tests by Firestone, Goodyear/Titan and Michelin all show improved ride, more traction and reduced rolling resistance. With the same weight of external cast weights vs. liquid ballast.
Liquid ballast is the first choice just because it's cheapest.

As previously stated. Europeans tend to run 4WD , radial tires with R1W tread and smaller/lower draft mounted implements at higher ground speeds.
North America to some extent thinks wider/higher draft is better and tow drawbar tillage implements ar a slow draft horse speed.

(quoted from post at 11:37:52 11/20/13) As previously stated. Europeans tend to run 4WD , radial tires with R1W tread and smaller/lower draft mounted implements at higher ground speeds.
North America to some extent thinks wider/higher draft is better and tow drawbar tillage implements ar a slow draft horse speed.

Click to expand...

b&d
Do you qualify as a North American??????? :lol:

Are you capable of providing a copy of these tests/reports that you allure to of the advantages of iron weight over liquid????

Cheapskate? Cheapskate? did you read that one Sam??? Or should we do the noble thing? Like the immortal words of Garfield the Cat... 'I resemble that remark'....
I have to admit, my fergies hold their ground better with a bit of weight, even a few gallons of what's left of a not quite drained tube... sloshing around in there the way it does..does help.
The comments about soil can't be ruled out at all. Your fields worked up since possibly before Roman times, got to factor in. My dysfunctional gang of peasants curse me because of roots masses... the ground has only been worked again lately since maybe colonial times, it was an orchard from whenever till a hurricane flattened it, oaks came in- so there are recent fine haired roots, old rotten roots... musket balls and gin bottles... on and on.. I must remind my gang of barbarians that Asian soils have been worked every 4 months the last 5000 years, so of course there are no roots there..
Like 333 mentioned, most big Masseys hitched up with the same clevi pin from the wipple tree the horses used. Speed might be a factor? But not in my experience, ya either roll or ya spin... I am always in first low anyway...
My old AC's were geared so high, and weighed so little for their horsepower, loaded tubes was a must for many jobs, even pulling a baler up an incline. Loaded tubes just have a different... feel? You can sense the difference with the seat of your pants...Yeah, the loaded fergies... just act like they took their flintstones' viamins that morning. Not always needed, but a noticeable boost...
Possibly post war UK farmers couldn't afford the tax on nationalized homemade seawater...

What's the issue?

Many thousands of hour were put on our tractors with that setup.

Your response about not being able to have a 32' finisher on the 3 point hitch reminded me of what Massey Ferguson did long ago. They increased traction by hooking a chain from the 3 point hitch to the drawbar of the trailing implement and lifted on the implement. Never saw that in use other than pictures.

You might well be on to something here... i never
even thought of type of soil issue... many
european fields are relatively small and often are
based on soil type/natural features, and so tend
to be uniform. Also most european fields have been
tilled for at least 1000 years, and often more,
several hundred years of ploughing must have some
effect on things.

As i stated below, i'm going to try pulling my
airseeder from a hitch using the lower links to
get weight transfer via the draft control system
on the tractors, i see that some of the large
european subsoilers are already pulled this way,
probably because it is the only was you can get
close to 350hp down to the ground with a tractor
weighing 22000lbs...

This topic reminds me of what my cust do to achieve enough front axle weight for the GPS steering to be useable.

This is a friend of mines 8320 JD hauling a 6 row spudnik hiller with an AccuaTrak and full ripper\prop kit.

Front tires are loaded, duals loaded, and it still isn't enough to pull the load. IVT set at 12 mph in order to achieve 4.5 mph gground speed at wide open throttle.

I can't believe the difference radial tires make I'm pulling the same load on singles now with no water as I was before with duals filled with water and using less fule to .