concern about tires on pavement

[Ed755]

I have a 1987 JD 755, equipped with original issue turf tires, Goodyear Terra-Tire Softrac 33-12.50-15NHS, filled with calcium chloride solution, with rear wheels spread wide for greater stability, and it carries a model 52 FEL and a 60" mid-mount mower. The tractor has sat outside, salt marsh environment (Coastal Maine), year-round, for over 28 years now, with about 1500 hours on it. It is getting a bit long in the tooth, has never seen much dealer service (too expensive), and I am having to baby it some now. I am 76, on fixed income, and must make it last at least as long as me. I do volunteer work for the town, keep some open field trails mowed on a nearby preserve, and occasionally help load gravel and crushed rock for maintenance work on a more rugged multi-use trail network. I am about to be asked to help on some workdays on a section of that trail which is about 4 miles away. There is no transport trailer, and I would have to drive on the paved road to get there, to load material into wheelbarrows for other volunteers to use on the trail. I am concerned about that long a drive on pavement; I would put it in high range and two wheel drive, but even so, with a few hundred pounds of calcium chloride solution sloshing around, and surface cracks along the center line of the rear tires, I think it sounds abusive. I am inclined to say 'no'. Am I being too fussy? I suspect I have answered my own question, but if I am worrying overtime, I would appreciate hearing it from disinterested parties.
thanks, Ed

 

[4570Man]

I have driven a tractor farther than that, but the tires were new with no cracks. On my tractor at about 15 mph the fluid in the tires starts rolling around giving you a rough ride. I would be more concerned with the wear on the tires. Tractor tires are not made to drive on pavement and wear out quickly doing so.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

It really shouldn't be a problem. If the tires aren't weeping already or leaking air I wouldn't worry to much about it. My neighbor has a JD 750 from around the same era and the turf tires are original and still hold air even though they have check marks all over the tread and sidewalls. Id be more concerned about the possible bouncing if you haven't driven at top speed in awhile, if nothing else just putt along in high gear at a moderate rpm. I wouldn't even be worried about the tire wear on turf tires, it wouldn't even be noticeable. Ag tires, yeah I wouldn't make a habit of it.

 

[Zebrafive]

I would use the tractor. 4 miles of road is nothing. Drive at what ever speed you are comfortable driving. Enjoy the ride. You see so much more from a tractor going down a road at lower speed.

 

[dieselknudt]

Another way to look at it is:
If it were 1 mile away and you had to go there on 4 different occasions you probably would not think twice about it.
We put a lot more miles on our tractors that we realize! You should be fine.

 

[Rock knocker]

Volunteering is great. But the other volunteers show up with wheelbarrow, gloves and shovels, while you show up with a machine with a replacement cost of thousands of dollars.

These are good machines, but parts are becoming a little scarce and repair costs are not cheap. Have you approached the organization(s) about recouping some fair costs? Fifteen to thirty bucks an operated hour would be a start, you wouldn't be making money, but you also would not be putting the machines future in danger of being financially unrepairable.

Other will scream and cry, and claim that you are making money, but this is simply untrue. I itemized our costs of operating and maintaining the '83 950 we have owned since 1986, and we are very conservatively at $14/hr, and any trip to the shop can jump this another annuitized dollar or two.

Helping out is fun, and running the machine is fun, but you got to make sure that it's not more than you can afford.

Make sure that you speak with an attorney, one may even do this for free, that any funds are costs only and not real income. This is for tax and liability reasons.

 

[dusty3030]

Or lay out you'd be happy to help but you and your tractor need a ride so they can volunteer to come with appropriate transport or you can't help.
If you charge some yahoo will treat you as hired and make your good intentions a bad thing.

 

[yanmars]

I would not be concerned about that short of trip as long as other vehicles see you. That can be scary. It would take more time to load and unload the tractor on and off the trailer than you could drive there.

 

[TripleR]

We routinely run our tractors various tread types on longer distances more frequently, but they are pretty new and accept tire replacement is going to be just one of those things as I grew up farming. Given your age, age of the tractor, finances and amount of work you do already, I would decline unless as mentioned someone will volunteer to trailer your machine.

You are to be commended for doing as much as you are now doing.

 

[crashz]

If your tires don't leak, I think you'll be fine.

Just a word of caution. I have a similar vintage 770 with turfs. I replaced the back tires after a crack finally let go. Tread was perfect, just the sidewalls were checked, and finally gave up. The side walls were also very thin. I bought some nice "blemished" Titans for it for about $900 mounted on my original rims. Rims were a little crusty but not bad.

 

[BTDT2]

Given the age of your tires,their replacement costs, and your budget, I would seek help from the volunteer organizers to ask a local business, or the city you do volunteer work, for help with tractor transport.

 

[Ed755]

Thanks for all the advice. One item of info, I asked my dealer about servicing/replacing my tires, and they want nothing to do with it, they will not handle tires filled with calcium chloride solution. (And they are the ones who originally filled the tires.) I can only assume there is some kind of environmental issue/possible liability associated with it. Anyway, I can't afford new tires, and given some of the steep slopes I deal with, I don't want to give up the weight anyway. I have already replaced the front tires with tubed models, the originals were tubeless and did not last.
Another note, the traffic on one of the connecting roads is fast paced, and I have to cross a long bridge with no breakdown lane. In other words, the comfort level is not high.
So I think I will decline. If they get a few more years of trail mowing out of me, they will be doing well. I have never even asked for fuel reimbursement, but I am going to try taking it off on my income tax return this year, if my preparer will let me.

 

[4570Man]

Volunteering is great. But the other volunteers show up with wheelbarrow, gloves and shovels, while you show up with a machine with a replacement cost of thousands of dollars. These are good machines, but parts are becoming a little scarce and repair costs are not cheap. Have you approached the organization(s) about recouping some fair costs? Fifteen to thirty bucks an operated hour would be a start, you wouldn't be making money, but you also would not be putting the machines future in danger of being financially unrepairable. Other will scream and cry, and claim that you are making money, but this is simply untrue. I itemized our costs of operating and maintaining the '83 950 we have owned since 1986, and we are very conservatively at $14/hr, and any trip to the shop can jump this another annuitized dollar or two. Helping out is fun, and running the machine is fun, but you got to make sure that it's not more than you can afford. Make sure that you speak with an attorney, one may even do this for free, that any funds are costs only and not real income. This is for tax and liability reasons.

What about the wear on yourself shoveling gravel? I would rather show up with a tractor and pay whatever it cost to operate VS show up and shovel the gravel. Moving a few buckets of gravel won't put significant wear on a tractor. I don't like driving a tractor on the road, so I might try to get it a ride.

 

[square1]

...Another note, the traffic on one of the connecting roads is fast paced, and I have to cross a long bridge with no breakdown lane. In other words, the comfort level is not high.
So I think I will decline. If they get a few more years of trail mowing out of me, they will be doing well. I have never even asked for fuel reimbursement, but I am going to try taking it off on my income tax return this year, if my preparer will let me.

Sounds like the right call for you in this situation.

 

[BTDT2]

Thanks for all the advice. One item of info, I asked my dealer about servicing/replacing my tires, and they want nothing to do with it, they will not handle tires filled with calcium chloride solution. (And they are the ones who originally filled the tires.) I can only assume there is some kind of environmental issue/possible liability associated with it. Anyway, I can't afford new tires, and given some of the steep slopes I deal with, I don't want to give up the weight anyway. I have already replaced the front tires with tubed models, the originals were tubeless and did not last.
Another note, the traffic on one of the connecting roads is fast paced, and I have to cross a long bridge with no breakdown lane. In other words, the comfort level is not high.
So I think I will decline. If they get a few more years of trail mowing out of me, they will be doing well. I have never even asked for fuel reimbursement, but I am going to try taking it off on my income tax return this year, if my preparer will let me.

Is the organization you volunteer for tax exempt? Perhaps the tractor dealer can transport your tractor to the site and write it off as a business expense, not to mention good community relations?