Stuck a cow bone into a rear tire on my tractor. By the time it was noticed, tire was flat, bead broken...no chance on loading the tractor onto trailer. Most of the water had leaked out. Took the tire off, took it to a repair shop for tube replacement and repair. We agreed to not add water till it's home (and with water, weighs about 500 lbs...)

I'll go buy the water hose adapter for adding water back in, but how is the best way to also add the antifreeze? Gravity feed via a funnel?

fill the hose with antifreeze, attach to tire valve, turn water on?

*don't drink out of hose ever again, or fill dogs water bowl. Cat bowl is okay because they are evil

I've long been curious about the practice of filing tractor tires with water or other compounds. We always filled them with air and used wheel weights instead.

The first time I heard of the practice was at a tractor safety seminar. The instructor described how another safety instructor was moving a tractor with the tires filled with water into a shop. When he engaged the clutch, instead of going forward, the wheels stayed in position and the tractor came up and over, crushing him to death.

The instructor was using that to argue that the practice was unsafe, but it seems to me that it shouldn't make that much difference between wheel weights and water in the tires. I'd think it could happen either way.

i think that just shows the need for weights in the front to balance things out

By the way, about as often as not, when we had a flat we would jack the tractor up in the field, pull the tire off of the rim, fix whatever we needed, and put the tube and tire back onto the rim still in the field.

The major exception was if it had duals in back. As long as one was intact, we could drive it to the shop and fix it. Besides, if it was the inside dual, then we had to pull it all off, anyway.

quote:

---

i think that just shows the need for weights in the front to balance things out

---

We always had plenty of weights on the front and added more if needed.

The worst was the four bottom reversible moldboard. Without additional weights, the front wheels would never touch the ground at all.

I didn't even know this was a thing until a couple weekends ago when I added air to my in-laws' tractor tires and water was coming out of the rear tire valve stems when I checked pressure. I guessed the reason for it but was blissfully unaware of the practice until then.

The HP-to-weight ratio on modern tractors (especially those under 50-60HP) calls for the extra weight the water can give you, if you want any chance on turning that HP into traction...

We always just used water.

We don't live where it freezes either.

I quit using water because the PITA of flats and rusted rims wasn't worth it. That, and the MFWD.

What about foam, combined with weights? Good idea?

Tubeless tires? We got 40 year old tractors without rust inside the rim, but everything is contained in the tube.

quote:

---

Tubeless tires? We got 40 year old tractors without rust inside the rim, but everything is contained in the tube.

---

Tubed. In the old days, they used calcium chloride. Didn't take much of a leak or sitting on a flat very long for that to wreak havoc. Probably don't have that same problem with methanol.

Interesting. Love learning about the old ways compared to the new ways.

Yeah, I'm an old fart. I remember when dad took delivery of the first 4020 power shift between Amarillo and Big Spring. People used to stop at the end of the field and ask to drive.

Even more vividly remember him getting one of the first two 4430 (WITH A BODY, NOT A CAB!) to be delivered to Plainview. It was the middle of December, and we put the first hours on it pulling a sled around town after a snowstorm.

Check out the back wheels on this 1947 D. Yea calcium chloride! Photo is from a web site we made a couple of years ago for the sale of dad's antique collection. Link below.



http://www.troystractors.com/

quote:

---

What about foam, combined with weights? Good idea?

---

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/2009/01/comparing-types-of-liquid-tire-ballast/

quote:

---

Yeah, I'm an old fart. I remember when dad took delivery of the first 4020 power shift between Amarillo and Big Spring. People used to stop at the end of the field and ask to drive.

Even more vividly remember him getting one of the first two 4430 (WITH A BODY, NOT A CAB!) to be delivered to Plainview. It was the middle of December, and we put the first hours on it pulling a sled around town after a snowstorm.

---

Spent many hours on a 4020. One of JDs best.

I run water in all 4 inside duals. In 2wd tractors it's not a big deal, where you get in trouble is in 4wd tractors. They are designed to slip a little. Too much weight and something is going to give.

We have a tank where we mix water and 0 degree washer fluid. 5 parts water to 1 part windshield washer solution. We typically put 25 gallons water and 5 gallons of windhsield washer solution. The windshield washer solution is supposed to be better for the rims.

I'll assume you already have this. tire fitting

Anyway, first thing to do is let air out of tire by removing valve stem. We always put the tractor on a jack so it doesnt go all the way to the ground. Once solution is mixed we hook water hoses up to both sides of this pump Drill pump (bought on amazon) (powered by a hand drill or cordless but electric works faster). Then start pumping solution into the tire. Every 5-10 gallons stop pumping and let the pressure out of the tire. AS you're putting solution in, the air pressure is building in the tire. You can do that by pushing the button on top of fitting attached to tire.

I know it's wordy, but I hope it helps. Not hard to do.

Not a clue about the tractor bit, but for coolant at work, we run propylene glycol with corrosion inhibitors.

It's food safe, and solves quite a bit of corrosion issues - in theory it can be diluted, by quite a bit, but we run it straight

quote:

---

We have a tank where we mix water and 0 degree washer fluid. 5 parts water to 1 part windshield washer solution. We typically put 25 gallons water and 5 gallons of windhsield washer solution. The windshield washer solution is supposed to be better for the rims.

I'll assume you already have this. tire fitting

Anyway, first thing to do is let air out of tire by removing valve stem. We always put the tractor on a jack so it doesnt go all the way to the ground. Once solution is mixed we hook water hoses up to both sides of this pump Drill pump (bought on amazon) (powered by a hand drill or cordless but electric works faster). Then start pumping solution into the tire. Every 5-10 gallons stop pumping and let the pressure out of the tire. AS you're putting solution in, the air pressure is building in the tire. You can do that by pushing the button on top of fitting attached to tire.

I know it's wordy, but I hope it helps. Not hard to do.

---

Thanks FJ-

I think I will directly pump 4-5 of gallons of anti-freeze into the tire first (when it's easiest), using the a drill pump I have. If I get freeze protection down to 20 degrees, I'm fine. Then finish using the water hose for the remainder. A couple of charts indicate 10-15% antifreeze is needed for the approx 45-50 gallons of water this tire holds (which leaves a void/air in maybe a 1/5 of the tire volume).