methylene alcohol

[cowbridge]

I'm signing the papers on my new Kioti ck2610 today. My dealer is going to fill the rears for me. He says they use methylene alcohol and water. Does anybody have any info or suggestions about that? Everything I have read recommends tire guard- beet juice.

Thanks

 

[CincyFlyer]

Methanol is the anti-freeze ingredient in windshield washer fluid. I used to live near a manufacturer of such fluid, which was convenient, as I was running an "alky" burning supercharged drag bike at the time. That stuff should work fine, you can get the proper ratio to mix for your location to prevent freezing.

 

[fried1765]

I'm signing the papers on my new Kioti ck2610 today. My dealer is going to fill the rears for me. He says they use methylene alcohol and water. Does anybody have any info or suggestions about that? Everything I have read recommends tire guard- beet juice.

Thanks

Methanol with water, is MUCH cheaper (for the dealer) than RimGuard.
Tell your dealer you want RimGuard, and ONLY RimGuard.
RimGuard is MUCH better, and has no safety issue (methanol by itself is highly flammable).
RimGuard is 30% heavier than a methanol water mix !

 

[fried1765]

Gonna guess that a pound of RimGuard weighs exactly the same as a pound of methanol/water mix. The density of beet juice is substantially higher, however: just over eight pounds per gallon for the meth/water, and nearly eleven pounds per gallon for the beet juice. Methanol is cheaper, RimGuard gets you more weight, you decide which is better for you. I've toyed with dumping bags of lead shot into tires, but removing that would require demounting the tires from the rims.

If the selling dealer is going to provide the ballast material as a condition of the sale, why would a buyer care about which fluid is cheaper?
The cost difference is a DEALER issue!
I do not have RimGuard (I have WWF), but if I were buying a new tractor, I would definitely specify RimGuard.

 

[k0ua]

I'm signing the papers on my new Kioti ck2610 today. My dealer is going to fill the rears for me. He says they use methylene alcohol and water. Does anybody have any info or suggestions about that? Everything I have read recommends tire guard- beet juice.

Thanks

A methanol and water mix are what my tires are filled with. I haven't had any problems is several years. The Rim Guard (beet "juice", byproduct) is heavier per gallon, also more expensive. Methanol is toxic to ingest, Beet juice stinks. If spilled Methanol breaks down rather quickly. Beet juice makes a mess, but is not toxic. Of course it is a mix of water and methanol, so it is about as dangerous as a bottle of windshield washer fluid, which if it is the proper seasonal mix, can be used straight in the tire as it is the same thing.

 

[Dave M7040]

In my area tires are filled with Windshield washer fluid.
Not as heavy as R0imguard but cheaper and many do it themselves

Dave M7040

 

[oosik]

My first tractor was loaded with salt solution. Worked fine for about twenty years and then for reason totally UKN - it began dissolving valve cores - what a TOTAL DAM mess. The last couple years I was replacing cores about every 6 to 8 months.

So when I got the new Kubota I had it loaded with Rimguard. No problems, except the first time I checked tire pressure and forgot to blow what was in the valve & stem back into the tire. I can vouch that Rimguard is sticky, sweet and doesn't smell all that good.

 

[cowbridge]

Thanks guys.

My local southern states will fill my tires up with Rim Guard for $210. He says they'll take about 30 gallons each and add around 620 lbs at 75% full.
I'm waiting to get a price on the methanol mix.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks guys.

My local southern states will fill my tires up with Rim Guard for $210. He says they'll take about 30 gallons each and add around 620 lbs at 75% full.
I'm waiting to get a price on the methanol mix.

It should be considerably less. But it add less weight also.

 

[bigdeano]

I hate beets. Filling tires is a good use for them.

 

[fried1765]

It should be considerably less. But it add less weight also.

A methanol/water mix will weigh about 8 pounds per gal. (plain water weighs 8.33 lbs. per gal.)
Rim Guard (beet juice) weighs approximately 10.7 - 11 lbs. per gal.
Thus, Rim Guard is approximately 35%+ heavier per gallon.
That is a significant weight difference, but the price difference is significant also.

 

[k0ua]

I hate beets. Filling tires is a good use for them.

Yeah, but beets are good for you.!

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Thanks guys.

My local southern states will fill my tires up with Rim Guard for $210. He says they'll take about 30 gallons each and add around 620 lbs at 75% full.
I'm waiting to get a price on the methanol mix.

How much weight do you need? Are you gonna use ground engaging attachments; or just to keep the butt end on the ground when using the FEL? Either way, for that amount of $$ you can buy 60 gals of windshield washer fluid and the needed small sump pump/tire attachment thingy to pump it yourself. Also if you ever need to do another one...you already have the pump and connections..either way, I can't live without weighted rear tires...I do it myself now...BobG in VA

 

[fried1765]

How much weight do you need? Are you gonna use ground engaging attachments; or just to keep the butt end on the ground when using the FEL? Either way, for that amount of $$ you can buy 60 gals of windshield washer fluid and the needed small sump pump/tire attachment thingy to pump it yourself. Also if you ever need to do another one...you already have the pump and connections..either way, I can't live without weighted rear tires...I do it myself now...BobG in VA

I watched for a deal last year, and bought (80 gal.) WWF @ $1.20 per gal.
WWF ......60 gal. @ $1.20 = 240 lbs/ tire = $72 for both tires
Rim Guard ...... 60 gal. = 310 lbs./ tire = $210 (per BobG_in_VA) for both tires.
Rim Guard is $138 more, but only 70 lbs./ tire additional weight.
$1 per pound for those extra 138 lbs.???
Mighty pricey me thinks!

 

[IH3444]

My dealer filled my 18.4 x 24 rear R4's with WWF for free. Didn't even mention it until they had delivered the tractor. Mentioned it in passing while going over the tractor. He stated it was a safety issue. No weight in rear means possible liability when using FEL. He wants healthy, happy, uninjured customers....

 

[rayikeo2]

How much weight do you need? Are you gonna use ground engaging attachments; or just to keep the butt end on the ground when using the FEL? Either way, for that amount of $$ you can buy 60 gals of windshield washer fluid and the needed small sump pump/tire attachment thingy to pump it yourself. Also if you ever need to do another one...you already have the pump and connections..either way, I can't live without weighted rear tires...I do it myself now...BobG in VA

I have the old corrosive fluid and my valve core leaks. How do you change the valve core without losing the fluid? Where did you get the pump and how easy is it to fill/refill a rear tire? Do you take the tire off the tractor?

 

[Dave M7040]

I have the old corrosive fluid and my valve core leaks. How do you change the valve core without losing the fluid? Where did you get the pump and how easy is it to fill/refill a rear tire? Do you take the tire off the tractor?

To change the valve core, place the valve at the top of the tire.

Use a jack to take any weight off the tire.

Now there are no forces which will expel the calcium chloride out of the tube.

If I was switching to Windshield washer fluid, I would want to know how badly corroded my rims were and would at least want to break the bead and have a good look at the inside of the rim.

I would also invest in a new tubes.

The wheel does not have to be taken off the tractor to even change a tire and even easier to change a tube.

Any small utility pump will pump in the WW fluid. Again, the valve at the top. Tractor jacked up one side at a time. Pump in fluid for a while. Remove hose and let built up air escape and start filling again.

You only want to fill the tire wheel assembly to the top of the rim so there is a cushion of air remaining inside.

Any utility pump will do the job such as this one for about $30 from amazon.

TruePower 12V DC Utility Transfer Pump, 447�RPM @ 5� PSI, 12� Watt - - Amazon.com

If you put your antifreeze on a table, the process will go much faster as your pump is not having to lift the WW fluid to the height of the rim.

Dave M7040

 

[oosik]

Somebody has been feeding Cowbridge a load of crap. Standard R-1 tires for his tractor are - 11.2 x 24. At 75% filled - each tire will hold 24 gallons of 30% methanol/water mix. 30% methanol/water mix will weigh 7.8 pound per gallon. This provides freeze protection down to around -30F.

24 x 7.8 = 188 pounds of ballast per tire OR 376 pounds in total. CERTAINLY NOT anywhere close to 620 pounds the dealer stated.

Water weighs 8.35 pounds per gallon methanol weighs 6.6 pounds per gallon So even if it were filled with 100% water - each tire would only gain 200 pounds each. A 30% methanol/water mixture reduces the weight per gallon to 7.8 pounds.