TL 90 tire ballast

[mcfarmall]

My local ag tire store does not carry "Rim Guard" brand product but they DO offer an equivalent product called TL 90. It's made by Road Solutions, Inc. out of Charlevoix, MI but a search of Road Solutions website reveals nothing but de-icing products for road applications. It is a non-corrosive/non-toxic beet juice based product that weighs 10.5 lbs/gal and they quoted me $1.85/gal. They say my 10-36 (11.2-36) tires will require 24 gallons each but the Rim Guard tire fill chart says 35 gallons each @ 75% fill level.

Has anyone here used TL 90 or even heard of it for that matter? Facts and experiences welcome!!

 

[mcfarmall]

Picked up my tires from the tire store and those bad boys are HEAVY! They put 44 gallons in each tire...about 90% full @ 10.5 lbs per gallon for $1.75/gal. Charged me $45 for "pump charges"...I guess it's the hourly rate for using the pump.

Kind of cool being the first and only user of TL 90 on TBN! I talked to a buddy of mine that works at a gravel pit and he said they use TL 90 in all their wheel loaders. I'll search for this thread in a year or two and post a review.

As of today I'm a happy customer.

 

[oosik]

I would guess you very well might be the first to use that product. I heard of quite a few products used but not TL 90.

 

[mcfarmall]

Well boys and girls, as I promised above, I have an update on the TL-90 tire ballast product that I recently paid my local ag tire store to put in my tires. I was told that the product was "the same as Rim-Guard" and that it was "beet juice based" before I had the work done. I even asked a second or third time as the day grew closer and was told the same thing.

After reading the recent thread "Calcium in tires, no longer a fan" and seeing the post about the "Ballast Star" product that one member had installed in his tires, it got me to wondering about the TL-90 stuff. Today I called the manufacturer and asked for a pdf copy of the TL-90 MSDS and guess what? Yep, it's a solution of 90% calcium chloride and 10% corn steep. This brew supposedly has the corrosiveness of plain water as the corn steep is a corrosion inhibiter that allegedly makes the CaCl chemically non-corrosive. Needless to say, I feel that I was misled by the tire store perhaps by their own lack of knowledge of the product.

I'm not the kind of person who feels that everyone is lying to me all the time or has some motivation to do me harm or screw me over every chance they get so I'm not terribly upset at the tire dealer. The take-away from this whole experience is that I should have contacted the manufacturer prior to having the tires filled.

There are tubes in the tires so at least the solution is not in direct contact with the metal rim and as long as I'm vigilant about inspecting for leaks around the valve hole and core, I should be ok albeit disappointed.

Will certainly keep updating this thread should problems arise.

 

[mcfarmall]

Update on the update. Apparently the MSDS sent to me on 3.29.2017 was not for TL-90 but for a product called CM-90. CM-90 is a road de-icing solution which is 90% CaCl and 10% "corn steep liquor, brewers solubles, fermented grain extractives." I went back to the tire dealer to talk to them about this issue and they were unaware of the composition of the TL-90 and offered to obtain a MSDS from their corporate office. Today I received the new data sheet for TL-90 and it states the composition as 10%-90% corn steep liquor, brewers solubles, fermented grain extractives and 25%-35% calcium magnesium chloride solution. The new data sheet states non toxic, non corrosive and non reactive.

Bottom line is that I did indeed get the TL-90 product in my tires, it does contain a percentage of calcium magnesium chloride solution but the main ingredient is vegetable based.

The Rim Guard MSDS does not list any chemical names at all. The color and odor is the same as TL-90. The pH of TL-90 is 2.7 and Rim Guard is pH 10.

 

[shooterdon]

My local Kubota dealer (Ginop) told me they fill with TL90. Any other reports from others who have used this product? I am concerned about using this product as there seems to be little information from users here on TBN...or maybe my search abilities are poor....

 

[Dfixit1]

Here you go, Biofill.....
the dealers are implying its a similar product to Rimguard, but looks like a waste product to me?
https://cpiroadsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BIOFILLSDS030619.pdf
https://cpiroadsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BIOFILLPDS030719-002.pdf

Here is the Rimguard Soultions, they claim its a beet juice byproduct.
https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AUG-2015-MSDS.pdf
Why It's Better - Rim Guard

 

[Jmsvickers]

I dont mean to hijack the thread, but I have no experience with tire ballast and am trying to get as much info as possible. I will soon have an L2501 and some on here recommended I fill my tires. My planned usage is mostly moving dead fall, and moving dirt and other debris, plowing some snow in the winter, and dragging our stone driveway. The tractor comes with R1's as was recommended by a few good friends with much larger and smaller tractors than mine. I dont know if the smaller tractor has filled tires ( I dont think it does) and the larger may have filled tires but he doesn't drive across his grass like I will have to.

I guess my primary concern will be tearing up my organized weeds in the yard with filled tires. My secondary concern is longevity of the tires and wheels with the fills that may be available to me around here.

How does the TL-90 filled tires do on yards if you know.

 

[Dfixit1]

I dont mean to hijack the thread, but I have no experience with tire ballast and am trying to get as much info as possible. I will soon have an L2501 and some on here recommended I fill my tires. My planned usage is mostly moving dead fall, and moving dirt and other debris, plowing some snow in the winter, and dragging our stone driveway. The tractor comes with R1's as was recommended by a few good friends with much larger and smaller tractors than mine. I dont know if the smaller tractor has filled tires ( I dont think it does) and the larger may have filled tires but he doesn't drive across his grass like I will have to.

I guess my primary concern will be tearing up my organized weeds in the yard with filled tires. My secondary concern is longevity of the tires and wheels with the fills that may be available to me around here.

How does the TL-90 filled tires do on yards if you know.

Ballast adds weight to the rear of the tractor for stability, especially with a loader. Some prefer weight added to the 3 point hitch because it’s better weight distribution on the front axle. The front axle is a concern with a loader.
It comes down to personal preference, some like black while others prefer white.
I ran weight on the 3 point and for convenience I think loaded tires can’t be beat.
Personal preference, I think I like the Rimguard, beet juice.

As far as tires go, R1s will tear up your lawn.
R3s Large lug are best in snow but not all dealers carry them.
R4s would be a compromise between the two. I had them and over the lawn it took repetitive driving over the same path to tear up the grass and they worked good in snow but not great on ice. The loaded tires are a benefit in snow & ice but will affect grass.
A friend has R3s Large lug and he loves them on grass, snow and ice.

 

[Jmsvickers]

I may just forgoe filling the tires and just make a ballast box for now. I can always fill them later correct?