Loaded tires filled with....antifreeze?

[MF243RedTop]

Yeah, once you destroy a rim or two, antifreeze will make more sense to you.

I actually use “old“ antifreeze from a local shop that keeps it separate from oil and transmission fluid because they can’t get them picked up if there is antifreeze mixed with them.

Antifreeze is used commonly down here in the south where we don't have the harsh winters folks up north have...if anything is used at all ..

 

[Smokeydog]

Don’t need as high concentration of ethylene glycol as in engine for tires. Works but is expensive. Old tractors had calcium chloride. Newer have methanol.

Have to use care with any chemical. Mechanics and people are exposed to ethylene glycol without much risk. Pets can be saved if treated promptly. Body breaks it down into methanol and high enough concentration causes cell death in kidneys. Flushing with IV fluids and ethyl alcohol to reduce concentration so it can eliminate it at lower than cell death concentration.

Ethylene glycol is one of the more expensive ingredients in paint. Best killer of rot in wood.

 

[Diesel5000]

Thanks guys. I am familiar with the two types of glycol because of my 30 years working in HVAC. I am also hoping it is P glycol and not E glycol. My worry is that they are using this as a way to dispose of old antifreeze (E type) that they have drained out of tractors during service work.

You know people wouldn’t do that now just for money would they?!

 

[mikennh]

All of my tractors have RimGuard. Earlier I had calcium chloride which over time destroyed my rims

My first tires were filled with calcium chloride.. WHAT were they thinking filling a steel rim with salt water? My tires are now filled with Flat Proof Foam Filled Tires | Polyurethane Tire Fill Never have a flat tire again, and it actually weighs more than rimguard

 

[EdGooding]

My first tires were filled with calcium chloride.. WHAT were they thinking filling a steel rim with salt water? My tires are now filled with Flat Proof Foam Filled Tires | Polyurethane Tire Fill Never have a flat tire again, and it actually weighs more than rimguard

You only filled tubed tires with CaCL, never a tubeless tire. You still have to monitor it around the valve stem - that's where you will typically find a small leak and if you do, you have to deal with it immediately.

 

[wsc9tt]

Wow. 3 pages and I didn't see the real answer. Why do people use saturated salt water in tires? It is cheap, it doesn't freeze, and it is 20% heavier than water/antifreeze/beets.

The whole point here is ballast; the saltwater approach does that job better because it is heavy. But like everything there are trade-offs. It will do damage when (not if) it leaks.

Most places push beet juice because the rimguard company makes it easy and pushes hard. The antifreeze approach would work as well, but use Propylene glycol (windshield fuild/RV antifreeze) and not Ethylene glycol (engine antifreeze).

 

[oosik]

I live in an area where it gets COLD. What I have in my rear tires, for ballast, is important. If I found a dealer using old antifreeze - I'd leave him and his business PRONTO.

My first tractor had salt water in the rear tires. I fought it for 27 years. With my new tractor - I said HELL NO. I have RimGuard in the rear tires.

I would NEVER have any type of vehicle with salt water for ballast - ever again. There are just too many alternatives and they are ALL superior products.

 

[tjandrews]

Our IH 424 had CaCl in it when we bought it, but eventually it messed up the rims. We put windshield washer fluid in them, and have never looked back. Up here you have to be sure to use mid-winter fluid, as it has a lower freezing point, but it's easy to find.
I did the job myself, bought the adapter to go from garden hose to tube, repurposed a 12V pump from a garden tractor sprayer. Bought the fluid at Lowes in the spring, marked down for clearance. Should have seen the look we got from the store minion when we asked if they had 80 gallons of the stuff. (2 13x28 tires, 40 gallons each)
Not a job for the impatient, but the labor was cheap.
The advantage came later when we punctured one tire. We pumped the fluid back out and into a plastic barrel, repaired the tire, and pumped it back in. Lost maybe a quart. Only cost was for the new tube.

 

[joea99]

Thanks guys. I am familiar with the two types of glycol because of my 30 years working in HVAC. I am also hoping it is P glycol and not E glycol. My worry is that they are using this as a way to dispose of old antifreeze (E type) that they have drained out of tractors during service work.

Ask them, see what they say.

You can always ask/tell them to drain it out, You can always replace it, or not, with your own mixture.

 

[Fields_mj]

The 2 local places for me use either windshield washer fluid (water and ethanol) or beat juice. When I got my (used) ag wheels, I had them shipped to the place that used washer fluid. One of those tires finally wore out and when I had a new one mounted, I took it to the other place that installed beat juice. Cost was within $10. I'd go with rim guard/beat juice and be done with it.