loaded tires - worth keeping loaded?

[RobertN]

I got this used NH TC40. The back tires are loaded. The book says that should be about 600lbs/tire.

I used my smaller Kubota for 11 years without loaded tires. This tractor is just bigger, faster, bigger mower ect.

What is the value of loading the tires? I do not disc, plow ect.

 

[bp fick]

Do you have flat land? Do you use a Front End Loader? Do you plow snow?

 

[TripleR]

With flat land and no FEL, I would empty them; FEL, keep them loaded or put a LOT of weight on the back for ballast.

We have an older model 2WD Case on one of our farms that we use solely for bush hogging and we unloaded the tires on it. It doesn't have a FEL and it will spin pulling a tricycle out of a ditch, but it works great for its intended use.

 

[RobertN]

We're kinda hilly. Parents place, that I take care of, is flat. I have and use the loader. That was part of upgrading the tractor, for the full 1/2yard bucket. That and ability to run 6' rotary mower.

I have only needed to plow snow once; my tractor was 45 miles away... Helping a close friend after the loss of thier Mom.

 

[bp fick]

We're kinda hilly. Parents place, that I take care of, is flat. I have and use the loader. That was part of upgrading the tractor, for the full 1/2yard bucket. That and ability to run 6' rotary mower.

I have only needed to plow snow once; my tractor was 45 miles away... Helping a close friend after the loss of thier Mom.

Then, it may really be best to keep them loaded. Having the weight of the lowered center of gravity gives a more stable feeling and having and using the loader adds to the "keep 'em filled" direction. Now, if your concerns are more about yard ruts, then that is another issue to deal with.

 

[Reg]

We're kinda hilly. Parents place, that I take care of, is flat. I have and use the loader. That was part of upgrading the tractor, for the full 1/2yard bucket. That and ability to run 6' rotary mower.

I have only needed to plow snow once; my tractor was 45 miles away... Helping a close friend after the loss of thier Mom.

IIRC that loader has about 2400~2500 lb lift capacity - is that close ?
With a BIG bucket you just might be tempted to use all of that.
YEAH, abso_friggin_lutely KEEP IT !!! (-:
600 lbs would probably be RimGuard in 17.5L24 R4s

 

[teach]

RobertN,
It depends what the tires are loaded with. If they have calcium in them, empty them before you have replace the rims (when the rust out prematurely). If they have beat juice, keep it, it may be handy to have the extra weight sometime in the future and why dump it if its already paid for?
Good luck!
Teach

 

[brandoro]

With a fairly large capacity FEL I would for sure leave them loaded for at least long enough to find out how it performs with a full bucket. You might find it is none too heavy on the rears even with the tires loaded when you have a full bucket. Be a shame to unload them then find out it was a bad idea.

 

[wampum]

I moved up from a 35 HP tractor to a 50 HP tractor. The smaller tractor was 122 inches long and weighed 3000 pounds, with a loader about 3500 pounds. I had no traction problems at all and my tires were not loaded. The new tractor is 135 inches long and weighs 4266 with out a loader. I am well over 5000 pounds with the loader. Because of most of the weight up front with the front drive,engine,loader,and anything I put in the loader,the back end is light. I loaded the back tires with Rimguard and it helped quit a bit. But at times I have to use the FWD. Having a bigger tractor does not automatically mean better traction. Personally the extra weight was put in for a reason and cost the old owner 3 or 4 hundred dollars. I would leave it in,unless like another poster said it has calcium in them,then I would think about removing that to avoid corrosion down the road. It is a lot safer with the added weight.

 

[Reg]

If you jack up a rear tire and rotate the valve to 12 o'clock.....
Nahh, don't bother with that; Just take a valve cap off and use a finger nail to press the schrader valve in for a split second.
If you get a brown spray on the end of your finger you have RimGuard, probably ~$300/350 worth, it is very soluble in water and will rinse off your finger easily.
If it is WHITE you have calcium, decide whether to keep or dump and replace.
If it is clear - could be water, according to local climate it MIGHT have anti freeze or windshield washer fluid as well.
Taste test at your own risk, etc.

Whatever it is I think I would keep it.
Probably not worth the expense and hassle of removing calcium and "cleansing" the rims, they're likely good for 30 years with calcium anyway - I'd worry about THAT issue 20 years from now, or leave it as a puzzle for the next generation to solve (-:

 

[sellercreek]

Keep the tires loaded and also be sure the rear tires are set with a wide track. You can look at the tires and rims and see the different adjustment possibilities, including swapping the sets from side to side.

 

[Reg]

Keep the tires loaded and also be sure the rear tires are set with a wide track. You can look at the tires and rims and see the different adjustment possibilities, including swapping the sets from side to side.

I have to add that handling loaded rear tires of this size can be DANGEROUS.
{I'm trying to NOT be a safety freak here}
Figure they probably weigh 900 or so pounds a piece and taking them off to turn their centers involves balancing them on edge while working on them with tools that might require considerable torque to the bolts and force to get the centers out.

OK, enough lead-in; PLEASE use an engine crane or something similar.
The centers are fairly heavy just on their own, so if you have any lower back issues....
just do the right thing (-:

Not saying don't do it, just reminding that they are a LOT heavier than car/truck tires that you may be used to handling and with liquid ballast a WAY LOT MORE MUCH HEAVIER (plus some more superlatives).

Swapping side to side ? I wouldn't expect to roll one of these around from one side of the tractor to the other.
Rolling the other one back... I think my luck for the day would be SPENT (-:

 

[Stonehaller]

I have a case DX45 which is essentially same tractor as your TC40, just 45HP ver. 40HP. I have loaded R4s with a FEL and would not want to use the tractor without the loaded tires. A full load of sand in the FEL bucket will still make the back end light even with the loaded tires. The tractor is much more stable on hills and gets much better traction in the snow. The only draw back is that if you have to run the tractor across a lawn you will leave ruts unless the ground is very dry and hard.

 

[arrow]

RobertN,
It depends what the tires are loaded with. If they have calcium in them, empty them before you have replace the rims (when the rust out prematurely). If they have beat juice, keep it, it may be handy to have the extra weight sometime in the future and why dump it if its already paid for?
Good luck!
Teach

This factor of rim deterioration is mitigated with tubes. I have had calcium in my tires for 25 years with tubes. I would not want to load tires with calcium chloride unless it was going to be put in with tubes. (I do not know if they would load tires with this stuff w/out tubes?)

 

[teach]

Arrow,
I recently sold someone in Mass my complete set of tires/rims for a Bota B7500 because his rears both had rusted holes from the inside out, completely through the rims. (less than 10 years old) from calcium (no tubes apparently).
Teach

 

[arrow]

Arrow,
I recently sold someone in Mass my complete set of tires/rims for a Bota B7500 because his rears both had rusted holes from the inside out, completely through the rims. (less than 10 years old) from calcium (no tubes apparently).
Teach

Lets hope he learns for the next time and loads with tubes or chooses beet juice. Calcium is like a slow acting acid on steel. I once broke a valve stem while logging and some of the calcium leaked into the rim area while the rest went everywhere else. It created some pretty good rust spots within two days. After I dismantled the tire, I sanded the inside part of the rim down to bear metal and painted the inside part with the same paint they use for bridges around here. The guy who loaded my tires originally just knew to include tubes and would not sell me the calcium unless I bought the tubes to insert within the rim.

 

[mostly_gas]

Robert, I have a 1700 Ford w/ 770 loader 4WD and unloaded Ag tires. Ruts are an issue even with unloaded tires. I do have wheel weights that I add along with rear ballast. My property is nothing but hill, there are areas that I don't mow with the tractor. If ruts are not a problem I would leave the tires loaded unless you find calcium chloride as the loading agent.

 

[Red Beast]

rear ballast will add better balance than loaded tyres if you had to choose between the two, bear in mind that the pivot point with the loader attached is probably at the rear tyres, so rear ballast will have more of a counter balance effect.

 

[Sam V]

If you live in an area where thorns, thistles, cactus, etc. are a problem you may want to dump the fluid in the tires for a small amount of SLIME to prevent flats. Use a box blade or other three point attachment for rear ballast.