tire ballest again

would antifreez from a junkyard work I think they consider it hazardous might do me and them a favor by taking it

sure it would.

So if it's hazardous waste, why would you want to potentially dump it at your place? I am not the greenest guy around, I'm sure but if it was mine and with my luck I'd pop a giant hole in it right by the well. Maybe scope out some of the enviro friendly stuff? However cheap/free is hard to beat. Fred

If it's regular ethylene glycol, you sure wouldn't want a leak if any animals are around. I saw a show one time that said a tablespoon could kill a dog and animals like the sweet taste of it. At least use something non toxic. Dave

It is not hazardous according to the EPA.Salvage yards here sell it.

No one could run fast enough to make me take liquid ballast.

The reasons why:

1. If you stob the tire you lose the liquid.

2. If you want to replace it you have to find or purchase more liquid.

3.It cost more to have a tire repaired with liquid. You have to do something with the remaining liquid until you get the tire fixed.

4. It makes the tractor ride rough.

5. It has less traction than a properly inflated tire with equivalent of metal ballast because the tire can distort and maintain it's footprint under heavy load with wheel weights. It cannot distort under heavy load with liquid ballast.

If you make the one time investment of wheel weights you will not only save money in the long run, you will also have a more funtional tractor.

If you ever decide to sell the wheel weights they have residual value. The liquid has NONE and may cost you to rid yourself of it.

I hear guys say that they can find wheel weights for their tractor.... Unless you have a Silver King or an Empire they are out there. It may take you a couple weeks to locate them and they may not be in your backyard, but they can be found and you will thank yourself for doing the leg work after the first flat.

What tractor are you wanting to load the tires on? (I was just wondering).

It works just fine as long as you have NO animals but if you do then DO NOT use it. If you get a leak and it is where the animals are then you will have dead animals very soon. Stick with the CACL or WWF ot beet juice

Do you have any idea on how may wheel weights it takes to equal the weight of Cal. loaded tire ?? and do you know how far out they will be past the tire . And i do not know where you get you info but it sure ain't all true . I happen to live with in 14 miles of the Firestone Ag tire test center and have been there and seen testing of farm tires with and with out fluid and with weights and ya can not hang enough iron to get the same traction as fluid . we have tractors with and WITH OUT fluid in the tires and the rough ride thing is BULL SHUT as we do a LOT of road travel with all the tractors , the onlything that you will see is tire ware with loaded tires moreso then no weight , BUT you will see the same ware if ya had the iron on them. Now to equal the weight of a loaded 18.4X34 you would have to hang 10 150 wheel weights on each side and think of how far out they would stick past the tire . And even with loaded tires there are times that we still have to add four sets of Donuts for a bit of extra weight. Yes if they leak it will rust the rim BUT it will not eat it out in a couple days or a couple years . Your SUPPOSE TO FIX a leaky tire . Yes it costs a few bucks to get one fixed and i am CHEEP but i do not get my rocks off fixen tires i can do it but why should i when i can get someone else to come and pump it out break it down patch the tire and tube and refill it for a buck and a half ($150) while i do something that makes money . It is only money , ya can't eat it ya can sleep with it and is only a way of keeping score .

Do you have any idea on how may wheel weights it takes to equal the weight of Cal. loaded tire ?? and do you know how far out they will be past the tire . And i do not know where you get you info but it sure ain't all true . I happen to live with in 14 miles of the Firestone Ag tire test center and have been there and seen testing of farm tires with and with out fluid and with weights and ya can not hang enough iron to get the same traction as fluid . we have tractors with and WITH OUT fluid in the tires and the rough ride thing is BULL SHUT as we do a LOT of road travel with all the tractors , the onlything that you will see is tire ware with loaded tires moreso then no weight , BUT you will see the same ware if ya had the iron on them. Now to equal the weight of a loaded 18.4X34 you would have to hang 10 150 wheel weights on each side and think of how far out they would stick past the tire . And even with loaded tires there are times that we still have to add four sets of Donuts for a bit of extra weight. Yes if they leak it will rust the rim BUT it will not eat it out in a couple days or a couple years . Your SUPPOSE TO FIX a leaky tire . Yes it costs a few bucks to get one fixed and i am CHEEP but i do not get my rocks off fixen tires i can do it but why should i when i can get someone else to come and pump it out break it down patch the tire and tube and refill it for a buck and a half ($150) while i do something that makes money . It is only money , ya can't eat it ya can sleep with it and is only a way of keeping score .

To wilamayb. I don't know where you come up with those ideas. You are badly misinformed. Tractor Vet is right.

Glycol will not be as heavy as either calcium chloride or sugar (Rimguard).

All things equal. A tire with a 1000lb of external cast ballast will pull more and ride smoother. Than the same tire carrying 1000lb of fluid. That's been proven on tire test tracks too many times to count.
The ONLY advantage of liquid ballast over cast ballast n the upfront cost TODAY.
As for why salt water which weighs another 25-225lb more per tire than dilute washer fluid. On a tractor weighing 3500 to 10,000lb. Tell me how you are going to notice the difference in weight?

If you are in need of that much weight there are weights to put on the inside of your wheel centers. Unless you have a loader there is no need for that much ballast anyway. Too much ballast equals lost efficiency. Deere offers a 1600# weights for the inside of their RC cast centers.


The ride thing is totally true. I"ve had it both ways. I made such a believer out of my dad that he removed the methanol out of his loader tractor and replaced with wheel weights. He has noted more than once it was a good idea. He reminds me every time he has a flat fixed. The charge is much less for a non liquid filled tire.

If tires are not more efficient with metal ballast why do tractor manufactures supply cast iron ballast for drawbar pull at Nebraska test? Answer: Because they pull more that way! This is not rocket science.

To each his own, but I do not like liquid ballast. I"ve had both kinds. The only place I see for liquid is in an application in which weights are not available.

As stated before... if for no other reason the wheel weights can be sold for what you paid for them. Liquid is worth virtually nothing. Weights add value to a tractor. If not then take them off and sell them separately. Liquid adds nothing to the value of the tractor. Are you gonna pay to have it pumped out before you sell the tractor? LOL

Agreed. Money is money but why waste it when there are better options.

I have liquid in 3 of my tractors. Ford 7700 (all 4 tires), Ford 980, and NH 1720.

I wouldn't run those tractors, or be able to farm as well as I do, without the fluid.

To each their own, but I can't imagine finding wheel weights for that Ford 7700. I couldn't use the 3pt as well, nor pull 600bu of grain, nor round bale the road ditches, without the weight on all 4 corners. Stacking that much weight on the wheels would stick out, make it less manuverable for me.

To each their own, if iron works for you then by all means, but it sure doesn't fit my needs. My IHC H loader tractor has 400lbs of concrete bolted in the rear wheels, and another 300lbs when needed on a platform on the rear hitch, so I understand using solid weights in the right place as well. Not a bad solution if it meets the needs.

I'm considering what to do with the Ford 5200 I got, traction is sure an issue with it, but for planting I hate to make it too heavy. It's got a bunch of 1/4 rear wheel weights underslung on the front axle, which are in my way for spraying rowcrops the 2nd time - hurt the corn or beans. But - I don't know how well it will pick up round bales if I remove that. So - thinking over my options.

When I want weight, I want weight. Antifreeze or windshiled washer fluid doesn't cut it, need to use the salt or sugar. Some of us actually use our tractors, and need them balanced properly. Can't use off-the-wall hack solutions that don't actually add weight.

I know this topic is a pet peeve of mine on this forum, so again - to each their own, if these things work for you that's great - I just don't get it myself. Wrong tool for the job imho.

--->Paul