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What to fill tractor tires with

J

JohnV2000

Member
What’s the most cost effective way to fill tires on a farm tractor? Roughly 12.4x38 size or similar.

I’ve read about calcium chloride, but that can rust rims. What are my options?
 
Haha. Maybe I should’ve explained better (to avoid the jests): what liquid to fill the tires with to make them weighted?
 
RimGuard Is good (essentially beet juice) the sugar keeps it from freezing. Windshield washer fluid is also good. Calcium Chloride is not my idea of good practice. I hav had the rims rust to nothing with it, Jim
 
I use winter grade wiper fluid. If you watch or talk to the right people you can something get it for around a buck or so a gallon. I also fill my own by using a simple drill pump and the adaptor for the valve stem. But a tire that size will cost you more then $50 to fill
 
What are you planning on pulling with your tractor? If you have a mower on the back or something that will already give you weight, no
added weight is required.
 
Also need to know what part of the country you are in. Beet juice does not pump below zero. While in the
farm tire business I saw 60 year old tractors that had calcium in them when bought new that still had the
original rims on them. Some guys use washer fluid, its about 1/2 weight of calcium. If your anywhere
north of southern Florida I would not use water. An 18.4X30 frozen solid takes 3 full days to thaw out in
a 70 degree room. Speaking from experience. The 1955 AC that dad bought new still has the original rims
on it and there is very little rust on them.
 
I live near Pittsburgh PA (just north of it actually). Primarily, I want the heavier tires for hauling logs and dragging things.
 
Besides those already mention (calicum choride,sugar beets,washer fluid) used anti-freeze is another option.
John, are you on the YT map?
JimB
 
Our 1958 Farmall 230 still has the original rims and the original Calcium . Solution was pumped out when the new tires were installed and pumped back in the same day. In the 60 years we've had it I'm sure I replaced a valve core or three and washed
off the rims with water. Maybe I shouldn't brag, same rims and calcium for 60 years and probably three sets of tires, but happy. It'a a 230 with a Super C hood and rock shafts.
cvphoto8769.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 21:34:24 01/07/19) Besides those already mention (calicum choride,sugar beets,washer fluid) used anti-freeze is another option.
John, are you on the YT map?
JimB
Click to expand...

What is the YT Map and how do I get on it?
 
the most cost effective is calcium chloride. you can get up to 30 percent more weight than a gallon of water or washer fluid. it has been used for ages and ages . has to be done properly and nothing to worry about. the rim cannot rust if you have no leak. all it takes is to keep an eye on the valve stem. they are only about 3 dollars to replace them. seen many rims 50 years old and nothing wrong with them. its all in the maintenance. tires are usually filled 3/4 full. your tractor your money.
 
Some folks use nitrogen.

It's heavier than air.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Dean
 
I bought 100 gallons of windshield fluid on sale for $1.25 / gal. on sale. Beet juice is expensive, CaCl is highly corrosive, used antifreeze is toxic and
difficult to dispose of.
 
Tractor is a 44 model and had calcium put in back in 46 and just the last few years did I have to replace the rims so almost 70 years and with them leaking part of the time I don't think that is too bad, That is the only thing I would use. And some places that work on tractor tires will not work on them if they have anything except calcium in them and if they are set up for rimguard they have a different setup for that and will not use the tools on anything but the calcium or the ringuard so not to cominate their tools.. Use ant of the anti-freeze, windshiled or radior and you are going to have to learn tire repair as the stores will not touch them with any of that in them.
 
Depending if there is a tractor salvage yard anywhere nearby, cast wheel weights are not that ridiculously priced. The cost is higher up front, but if you
ever need a repair, it?s a whole lot simpler.
 
A couple sets of cast weights and you won?t ever
have to worry about leaking ruining rims tubes valve
stems or anything else . Also a lot easier to work on
the tire when you have to
 
The whole time we had the 41 H it had fluid and 2 sets of weights, to have added enough to equal the fluid weight the cast weights would have been sticking out past the wheel and the end of the axle so you would have been catchinh them on everything. Would have had to add 5 sets of weights to equal the fluid. Not prectical.
 
Have used used Rim Guard, windshield washer fluid, and wheel weights. No calcium chloride in anything. Recently refilled the rear tire on this CUT with
-20 windshield washer fluid, easy to do using a small sprayer pump.


cvphoto8795.jpg
 

Calcium chloride is the most cost effective, unless you have either a lot of thorns or nails lying around, or you plan to just park the tractor for months if you get a flat. Contrary to the opinions of many, calcium chloride will not rust rims without a lot of help. In fact, it has been common practice for thirty years to put it into new tractor tires without tubes!!! There is a problem only if there is a leak so that air is lost and then the tire is aired back up. Now this needs to be done many many times in order for there to be enough oxygen for long enough for significant rusting to take place. In order for at rim to rust out the owner or operator has to give a lot of help. Now if a tractor with a leak is parked on the fence row, and the tire goes flat, part of the rim will be exposed to both CaCL and air for many moths, causing considerable damage. Many people are not involved with modern working tractors but are instead involved mainly with fence row fugitive tractors.
 
Bingo.

I do not use liquid ballast of any kind, partially because I change/repair my own tires.

I do use cast iron.

Dean
 
I did not read all the posts here so it may have been mentioned. My bother just filled his JD 4320 Compact tractor with RV Fluid. I don't know what makes it different than other choices. He usually really checks things for best cost so I wanted to mention it.

Paul
 
He has only 2/3rds of the weight of calcium and with that size tire he was just wasting his time, not enough weight to have paid.
 
I do not use it, but CaCl is by far the easiest and cheapest ballast you can add.

If it leaks, it will rust rims.
 
Chloride is the only real deal for weight unless you make it look like and over grown galoot putting weights on it. We have several tractors with original rims holding chloride in the tubes. H is a 53 with 3rd set of tires and original rims. Chloride since new. 574 with loader with chloride with same rims from new. Washer fliud aclcohol and the rest will not get you the weight chloride will per gallon.
If you want iron weights then find some 500 or 750 pound weights and drill them for the holes on your tractor and slide them on the inside of casting then will not stick out.
 
I cant even get a tire guy to come out and pump cal out and take it . I would wait and see if you need weight first . then buy weights if you need it .when I buy tractors first thing is get that crap out of my tires .
 
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