Question about antifreeze

I can't seem to find any wheel weights for my tractor so I'm thinking about loading the tires with used automotive antifreeze.
I think they sell it at the auto dismanteling yard for a buck a gallon. Might give me a better rate if I brought my own barrel.
I doubt I will be driving the tractor if it's 30 below zero. I think letting the fluid turn to slush at minus 30, maybe even slush at minus 10 would be fine.
What kind of protection do I need?.
What ratio?
25AF/75water? 30/70? More antifreeze?
Thanks to any and all.

Here are some drawbacks.
1. Antifreeze is very toxic if consumed by humans or animals especially cats and dogs.
2. If you need a tire fixed in the future, will your tire dealer deal with it, most won't.
3.When you want to get rid of it it is considered toxic waste.

It's fine. I set mine at 25a/75w. If you look around you will find antifreeze a lot cheaper than what you quoted. Garages have to haul the stuff off. Around here, you can dispose of it down any storm sewer. The problem is most has a layer of oil on it. The trick is to get a kero pump (cheap plastic) and decant the good stuff out from under the oil. Don't get greedy cause if you get into the oil, it gets messy. I brought the oil in in 55 gal drums and decanted into a clean plastic barrel. My plastic barrel had 3/4 npt pipe thread for the small plug and pre tapped threads in the big plug. I went to gemplers and bought the self venting tire adapter with some cheap valves and clear tubing set up a line to go from the barrel to the tire. I then used two cheap air pressure regulators in line to pressurize the barrel with my compressor. With the barrel layer on its side, I set the pressure to 5 psi and blew the antifreeze into the tire. I used two regulators because one would not control low enough. I set the first to 40 and the second to 5 to get the proper result.

A neighbor currently has my setup and has filled several tires himself with no problems. and I know where it is when I need it!

Aaron

Methanol at $3.85 gal mixed with water will give you the same as windshield washer fluid. 25% will keep it from freezing.

since your planning on buying already mixed used antifreeze i would suggest using an antifreeze tester to see what temp you are good for.

Where you located Aaron?
Do you get -10 degrees?
What I've done before is use the water pump from my wet saw. I did CaCl a couple of times that way.
It took a while but I just let it pump for an hour or so and went and did something else. Came back and burped it a couple of times.
I'll have to check some local garages to see if I can get it cheaper.
Yes the stuff is toxic but dogs and cats aren't likely to drink it. My little dog had thousands of opportunities to drink it and never did. One of those old wives tales that the stuff is sweet so they will drink it.
I do all my own tire work here.

They're 24's right? I'll look, but I think all my weights are for 28's.
The only set I have that might fit would be the interior weights.
I haven't used AF in mine, but I've got one to tear down tomorrow
due to the CaCl leaking. Can't let it eat the rim. Grrr.

It is not a wives tale ethyiene glyco is toxic. It has no odor or real taste but is sweet.The major cause of toxicty is not the ethyiene glyco it self but its metabolics mainly glycolic acid & oxalic acid. It will kill hunans and animals.

I am puttting an artical together about this very question. I did my Garden tractors this way and so far they are fantastic! I will try to get it done in a couple of days. My neighbor works at his uncle's wrecking yard I got almost 30 gallons of anti freeze for free. I used the plastic jugs that Canolla oil comes in. Wash them out with hot water and some dish soap. The stuff he gave me tested out at -45* below. Skim off any oil you can see on the surface. I put a bottle of NAPA 1330 anti freeze boost-water pump lube and anti rust booster for about $3.oo a bottle in each tire. DO NOT fill them to the top!!!! You want to fill them to the top of the rim and that is enough. Full tires ride like they are made out of cement! The air pocket at the top allows the tire to still flex and ride well. Use no more than 10 or 12 pounds air pressure. Your dial type tire pressure gauge will not be harmed by anti freeze getting in to it. Just measure a couple of air only tires and the liquid will clear itself. I would not use a stick gauge! I will try to get my story on in a few days. need some pictures. Jeffcat

I bought a new tractor and wanted some rear tire ballast. Easiest way to get it was to load the tires with fluid. I called my full service tire dealer and he sent his service truck out with 2ea 55 gallon drums.

He poured in 6 gallons of AF per drum and filled with water. One drum per tire. Tires are 16.9x34 and it filled them about half way. So I got about 7# x50 or 350# per tire and that worked out just fine.

He said not to worry about it. The inside of the tire is slick and the tire is flexible and any slush in there wouldn't hurt anything.

Since you are up there you surely would want a higher ratio than I need down here. But I doubt you would need to go as far as the ratio you put in your vehicles.

On comments about sloshing, the only way I know they are fluid filled is if I slam on the brakes. In doing so there is a slight rocking of the tractor, not enough to make it roll on soil for a minute or two but you know you have fluid filled tires. Otherwise you don't know it's in there.

Mark

Thanks.
I didn't mean it's a wive's tale that it's toxic.
Some years ago there was a nurse - I think it was in Ohio - who was convicted of murder for killing her husband.
She put a little AF in her husbands beer every night till he croaked.
"Honey will you fetch me another beer?"
"Yes Dear. (Heh, heh.)"
I guess even small amounts build up in your system.
My point though is cats and dogs are not apt to drink the stuff and loading my tires with it wont cause a wave of deaths like ebola is doing.

The old wives' tale is that animals will drink it.

In my experience, they won't.

Desperately trying to get rid of a psychopathic cannibal woodchuck living under one of my sheds. Lead poisoning was not an option.

Nothing else worked, so I put out a bowl of tasty yummy sweet green glycol antifreeze. Nothing touched it. It sat there for weeks until it eventually evaporated.

A good friend of mine has a set of 24" pie weights and no tractors with 24" rims. If memory serves there might be one or two segments missing.

I expect that he would sell them.

Dean

I"ve never sensed any sloshing in tires that are filled to the normal (3/4) level.....I suspect you do cuz they"re only half full.

One more drawback. It is no where as heave as CLCH. That is the reason people used salt water.

Beet juice I have heard works as a great replacement.

Royce, Dean,
Thanks.
This is a 4400 so the bolt pattern for the centers is 8 on 8" - not 8 on 6" like the pie weights are made for.

Glad to help if I can. I have a set of interior weights that I
was thinking of but I just went and checked, they're for 28's.