DIY Water ballast?

[etpm]

My 1939 Ford 9N, which I'm selling now that I have my 2310, has water in the tires. Today I got stuck several times using my new to me 2310 because of a light rear end. Not mine, it's plenty big. The tractor has a Bulldog 285 FEL on it which may be biasing weight to the front. I put the box blade on and it made a big difference in traction. So, like my 9N, I think water with calcium chloride is necessary for good traction. Anybody here done it for themselves? I live on an island and the only local tire place is a Les Schwab. They are less than competent when it comes to any type of farm or construction tires . I welcome any advice,
Thanks,Eric

 

[Gee Ray]

Where are you located? Do you need to worry about freezing temps? There are now better products to add weight to your tractor. Rim Guard, RV antifreeze or plain water. This is a very easy DIY. Just look up some videos on YouTube.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Before I would add any kind of fluid to any tractor tire I would seriously concider building a ballast box or a three point hitch weight of some sort. I remove my front end loader all the time and thoroughly enjoy the fact that by removing the fel and the rear weights on the three point hitch I can have a heavy or light tractor depending on what I want to do. 90% of the front end loader work I do is without even a rear weight installed as I'm not lifting enough with the fel to need the additional rear weight.

 

[i7win7]

I think water with calcium chloride is necessary for good traction.

2nd vote for rim guard - calcium chloride is a very corrosive salt

 

[Smokeonthewater]

I wouldn't use cacl, but if your 8n has beet juice (rim gaurd) in it, transfer it from one tractor to the other n it'll be free....

 

[jeff9366]

Is your YM2310 2-WD or 4-WD?

YouTube VIDEOS demonstrating tractor rear tire fills:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=loading+tractor+rear+tires

 

[bmaverick]

The RV/Marine antifreeze is a good solution too. Both the Rim Guard (beet juice) and the RV/Marine would actually help to PREVENT leaks, keep the bead clean and sealed, the valve steam would not corrode and fall apart, and best of all NO FREEZING when you need to plow snow out in the cold.

You can use the PEAK - Sierra Propylene Glycol antifreeze concentrate and RO or very filtered water to fill the rims on the low cost solution. Cost would be under $50 for both rear wheels.

Prestone has their version called LowTox (same stuff and pet safe)

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/prestone/chemicals---fluids/antifreeze/antifreeze/e59e98316193/prestone-1-gallon-green-concentrate-coolant-antifreeze/afz2/lowtox?pos=12

Amsoil has their version too.
Propylene Glycol Antifreeze and Engine Coolant

Nearly all Marine stores near a big lake or harbor carry it too.

Propylene Glycol is FDA food grade approved for gummy bears, salad dressings, Swedish Fish, Little Debbie snacks, etc. It's a lubricant an sealing for food processing equipment.

CaCl was the OLD way of tire ballast. Should it leak, the place where the leak happens will not grow grass there for nearly a decade.

 

[oosik]

My first tractor had CaCl in the rear tires. I would go WITHOUT rather than going to CaCl again. My current tractor has Rim Guard - 1550# of it in the rear tires. Installed by the dealer when I bought the new tractor. No leaks, drips or other associated problems in the twelve years I've had this tractor.

The last 3 or 4 years with my first tractor - the CaCl solution gave me fits. I was replacing valve cores on both rear tires 2X per year.

I would guess - JMHO - that RV antifreeze or windshield washer fluid would be an easier DIY project than Rim Guard. RG is thick, syrupy and could be difficult to pump.

 

[shooterdon]

I did my old JD855 with WW fluid three years ago and it was easy and cheap. $1.25/gal at the time. RimGuard in the LS but that must be done by a dealer.

 

[CoyPatton]

One point to always consider with filled tires is you always have that weight present.
It may not be an issue, for your circumstances, but needs to be thought through. Just as the choice of fluid needs to be thought through. CaCl would be a no go in my opinion. It is very hard on the environment when (not If) a tire is damaged as well as very hard on any iron based metal it contacts. Most rusted out rims you will find are due to CaCl.

 

[etpm]

Where are you located? Do you need to worry about freezing temps? There are now better products to add weight to your tractor. Rim Guard, RV antifreeze or plain water. This is a very easy DIY. Just look up some videos on YouTube.

I am about 30 miles north of Seattle and it does freeze here for promo vee periods several times a year.

 

[etpm]

Thanks everyone for the great replies. I did not know that calcium chloride was so corrosive and must be used in an innertube. Since I don't know if the tires are tubeless, and since there might be a reason to not want the weight all the time, I think the best solution is for me to fab up some wheel weights. When I mount the box blade, which I think weighs about 300 pounds, the tractor gets much better traction. And since it is only a 2 wheel drive the extra rear traction is most important. I have about 300 pounds of lead so I will figure out some good method of mounting a 150 pounds to each wheel.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[Smokeonthewater]

I would suggest that you strongly consider adding the liquid ballast.... I can't think of any time I wouldn't want weight in the back of a 2wd tractor

 

[Gee Ray]

So that leaves you 2 things to use which are DIY. The RV antifreeze or the winter weight windshield washer fluid will help. And as stated above weight is your friend for almost everything.

The fact that it is a 2 wheel drive with a FEL requires the weight in order for you to be safe. Going down hill with a light rear end means you have little or no braking to speak of. DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER!

The wheel weights are needed also. The 300 pound box blade might need some extra weight to help transfer the weight to the rear axle.

 

[Smokeonthewater]

Keep in mind, you already HAD a 2wd tractor w loaded back tires and you say you didn't know there were situations where weight would be undesirable....

Kind of proof for you there...

Load the tires, add the lead, mount the scraper, and find another 400 lbs to put on top of it....