Filling tires with ballast at home.

[hayden]

I would have at least considered all iron weights if it were possible to reach the required weight with them. But on my tractor it's not possible. I can fit 400 lbs or iron on each wheel, but need 1000 lbs. Different wheels can accept larger weights, and possibly reach the desired 1000 lbs, but not the wheels I happened to end up with. Also, iron is considerably more expensive at about $2/lb vs less than $0.50/lb for the various liquids.

 

[paulsharvey]

I dont know how to do the math, but I used 1 gal of -40 degrees anti freeze, with about 12 gallons of water. I likely didnt even need to add the anti freeze, but it was cheap.

Main thing I was worried about was breaking the beed on the tire, so I did jack it up somewhat, so that the rim wasnt on the ground, but also not too high, like where the tire was smashed about 1/3rd down; and no issue.


Edit: I tried to run that question through Deepseek, and its still arguing with its self, in circles, about different things; but eventually spit out 26 degrees F as the likely freeze point. Plenty of protection, considering no matter how cold it gets, the ground doesn't freeze, and the rubber also insulalates the mix, and although we get pretty dang cold, we never get 24 hours straight below 32

 

[WinterDeere]

I would have at least considered all iron weights if it were possible to reach the required weight with them. But on my tractor it's not possible. I can fit 400 lbs or iron on each wheel, but need 1000 lbs. Different wheels can accept larger weights, and possibly reach the desired 1000 lbs, but not the wheels I happened to end up with. Also, iron is considerably more expensive at about $2/lb vs less than $0.50/lb for the various liquids.

This is going to be the case on almost any CUT running turf or R4 tires. Only R1's have wheel sizes large enough to carry weights approaching parity with beet juice or calcium chloride, at the scale of most CUT's.

 

[Hay Dude]

I agree, and that's what drove me to use RV antifreeze. I had a valve stem busted off my a branch when I had calcium chloride in my tires, and that was a big mess. I was pretty far into the woods and drove out as fast as I could while the stuff sprayed out in a big circle and the tire became flatter and flatter.

That must have been quite a sight.

Thankfully I got to forest road where I could then get it on a trailer.

Repair and/or replacing tires requires pumping all the stuff out, the filling back up again, so a bunch of extra work and expense as well.

Similar situation happened to me with beet juice never again for me. Mine broke near customers house and their dogs came out and started licking up the gross liquid, owner freaking out that her dogs were going to die, etc. (even though it was beet juice)


Never again.

 

[sandman2234]

I have a JD2555 4x4 with loader that I bought used in SW TN. I didn't want to go after it, and finally worked out a deal with the seller for him to bring it halfway. The reason was the rear tires on it were seriously heavy. If they had been filled with liquid, I could have drained them, but they were foam filled so that was wasn't an option. The seller said they were 3500 pounds each. I don't know if that is correct or not, but I do know that I have been able to use the FEL for everything that I have needed to so far with no implement or counterweight on the rear. I also have not had any rear flat tires!
David from jax

 

[BnRidge]

Filling tires with ballast must be as old as rubber tires. The fitting used to fill the Deere 1939A sits along with other tools of the trade.

 

[bigtiller]

Edit: I tried to run that question through Deepseek, and its still arguing with its self, in circles, about different things; but eventually spit out 26 degrees F as the likely freeze point. Plenty of protection, considering no matter how cold it gets, the ground doesn't freeze, and the rubber also insulalates the mix, and although we get pretty dang cold, we never get 24 hours straight below 32

Thanks.
That gave me my first chuckle of the day...stay warm and have fun.

 

[JRH02]

Thanks.
That gave me my first chuckle of the day...stay warm and have fun.

Yup. I regularly experience folk with no knowledge on a subject that rely on AI responses. And then they ask for an opinion. Why? Just go, do, and learn. Just like AI does. The difference is you have opposing thumbs and a brain - something AI will never have because it scrapes someone else's experience that is supposed to fit your situation. Many/sometimes it doesn't. But then they go right back to AI asking why or what went wrong.

Ya can't make this stuff up.

 

[paulsharvey]

Yup. I regularly experience folk with no knowledge on a subject that rely on AI responses. And then they ask for an opinion. Why? Just go, do, and learn. Just like AI does. The difference is you have opposing thumbs and a brain - something AI will never have because it scrapes someone else's experience that is supposed to fit your situation. Many/sometimes it doesn't. But then they go right back to AI asking why or what went wrong.

Ya can't make this stuff up.

Oh, I know my weather, but no, i can't figure 1 gal at -40, mixed with 12 gal of tap water, and figure out the number of hours at what temp im rated for. Most people run straight water, but I figured for $5/tire why not add some freeze and corrosion resistance.

Yeah im sure there is a formula I could find, but, nope, dont care that much. We arent building space ships, we are filling tires

 

[DutchInNZ]

Start with jacking up the tire free from the ground, tyre valve at the highest point and take the inner part of the valve out. Then take a very thin tube, thin enough to pass freely through the valve, and put one end tight-fitting through the cap of a 1.5 litre Coke bottle. Cut the bottom out of the bottle, hang it upside down over the tyre and stick the other hose end into the valve. Fill the bottle with the liquid and go and do something meaningful. Come back after a few hours, refill, again go do and repeat until the valve overflows. Close valve, blow air and let the jack down. In the US, take a one gallon milk container; saves you checking ever so often. Takes quite some time but very cheap and I have a national reputation to keep up, don't I?

 

[paulsharvey]

Start with jacking up the tire free from the ground, tyre valve at the highest point and take the inner part of the valve out. Then take a very thin tube, thin enough to pass freely through the valve, and put one end tight-fitting through the cap of a 1.5 litre Coke bottle. Cut the bottom out of the bottle, hang it upside down over the tyre and stick the other hose end into the valve. Fill the bottle with the liquid and go and do something meaningful. Come back after a few hours, refill, again go do and repeat until the valve overflows. Close valve, blow air and let the jack down. In the US, take a one gallon milk container; saves you checking ever so often. Takes quite some time but very cheap and I have a national reputation to keep up, don't I?

Only correction, or clarification, you want the tire partial jacked, but Not off the ground, or the weight can pull the bead down. Basically, jack enough that the airless tire is about half or quarter squished. If that makes sense

 

[DutchInNZ]

Only correction, or clarification, you want the tire partial jacked, but Not off the ground, or the weight can pull the bead down. Basically, jack enough that the airless tire is about half or quarter squished. If that makes sense

It surely does. I guess it went well here because the beads are stuck like glue plus me having the luck of the true amateur. I lifted the tyres just so that they were less than 1/8th off, so their flexibility may have taken most of the strain.

 

[Wagtail]

Following.

 

[George2615]

I filled the rears on my LS with windshield washer fluid. I think I used 37 gallons in each tire.

 

[Crank Shaft]

I also used WW fluid in my B2320 but it never occurred to me that the weight of the fluid might break the bead if the tire is off the ground. Ooops, but no harm done. I filled both of my tires while they were raised off the ground but the bead was not harmed.

I found my notes of the details of the fill that might be useful to anyone with same tires. I filled my rear turf tires that are 33 x 12.5 - 15.

I did not fill to 75% because I don't like to accidentally inject any kind of liquid into my tire pressure gauges when checking air pressure. What I did was fill to where I had to rotate the tire to about the 2 o'clock position before the WW fluid started to come out the valve stem.

To each tire I added exactly 64 litres of WW fluid which equals 142 pounds. With my setup using a cheap drill-driven pump and a burp valve, I was able to fill each tire in 50 minutes and that includes burp time.

Of course the lads and Canadian Tire store thought I was nuts buying so much WW fluid.

 

[TMGT]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[Crank Shaft]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

It sure has gone up. When I did mine, a gallon cost $2 USD, and now it is $3.50 USD. What are the cheaper alternatives... if any?

The way I look at it, I want something non-corrosive and it is really a one-time purchase so not a huge cost. My total cost was $64 but my tires are pretty small compared to the larger tractors many of you guys own.

 

[hayden]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

That's what I found too. Really, Washer fluid, RV antifreeze, and Rim Guard are all right around $4/ gal from what I saw. Rim Guard is more weight per gal, but has to be dealer installed which is inconvenient and an added expense. And in my opinion, a bigger mess to clean up when/if it leaks. With any large quantity of fluid, shipping is also a big factor, so anything that can be picked up locally is a big advantage. And of course stuff is occasionally on sale. 55 gal drums on sale at NAPA, and picked up locally with no shipping worked out the best in my case, and a DIY installation was the most convenient and least time consuming. But the formula will work out differently in different situations.

 

[LouNY]

The last i knew Bio-Ballast a competitor to Rim Guard would ship direct to individuals.

 

[Midniteoyl]

It sure has gone up. When I did mine, a gallon cost $2 USD, and now it is $3.50 USD. What are the cheaper alternatives... if any?

The way I look at it, I want something non-corrosive and it is really a one-time purchase so not a huge cost. My total cost was $64 but my tires are pretty small compared to the larger tractors many of you guys own.

Sitting at $2.50 US around here at the moment for the -20F, but towards Spring, that'll go half off and then I get a pallet or 2.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/automotive/automotive-maintenance/automotive-fluids-chemicals/splash-reg-20-deg-f-windshield-washer-fluid-1-gallon/234526-35/p-1444443335772-c-10098.htm

-35F stuff is $3 https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...id-1-gallon/93506/p-1444443336003-c-10098.htm