Question about liquid filled tires

ironman · #1 03-12-2013, 02:07 PM

Question for anyone with knowledge about liquid filled tires. (well a couple of questions really). A while back I acquired a 149 from a deceased farmers estate. No, he didn't farm with it, just wife's garden and yard work. Anyway the rear tires are ag's and are filled with liquid. I assume the liquid is anti-freeze since it doesn't harden in the winter. Am I correct on that assumption? Next question is what do you use to get it in the tires. Another question would be, are liquid filled a better idea than wheel weights?? Reason I ask is these current ag's are on their last lugs and when I get new ones, is filling them with liquid something I want to consider. For my use I don't really need the weight that much but I'm more curious about it than anything else. Thanks in advance to anyone who can enlighten me.

ken6x6 · #2 03-12-2013, 02:18 PM

tires are usually filled with calcium or basically salt water. they fill the tires with a pump and are usually filled 3/4. loaded tires as i call em have both pros and cons. i personally have 3 machines with loaded tires. (1 cub, a ford 800 and a case 580 backhoe. it gives the tractors some nice weight. but you have to watch out for the valve stem holes rotting. i prefer loaded tires over wheel weights. wheel weights can stick out from the sides, requires removing the weights if you have to pull a wheel and wheel weight look ugly to me.

IH Cub Cadet · #3 03-12-2013, 02:22 PM

There are several ways you can liquid fill a tire, through the stem I guess is how I did a set one time. It was slowwwww.

I've heard of folks laying the tire sideways on the ground and cracking the tire/rim bead a bit and pouring liquid in them.

My problem with liquid was several fold:

1. I tried to use it with tubes to keep the liquid off the rims and rust to a minimum. Eventually I got a thorn that gave me a flat tire and fluid in the rims anyway.

2. If you use a tube and they have liquid in them, it is a pain to drain the fluid for a patch.

3. I never liked fluid in the rims without a tube from a rust point of view.

4. When I did try fluid with no tube, it seemed like the rubber of my tires got softer and less able to hold their shape. I've got a set of Firestone 23 deg ag tires this happened to and they are pretty much trash.

What I do now is use ag tires with wheel weights. I've had tremendous success with that and my tractor goes like a Jeep.

Also, recently with my 109, I've just been running chains and that's been great too.

Nice tractor you have with the 149

ironman · #4 03-12-2013, 02:40 PM

Yes, the rust and possible leak problems had crossed my mind. I guess I'm having problems grasping how to get multiple gallons of liquid through that itty bitty valve stem hole before going nuts. Sound like if I don't need it, its not worth the effort.

Donovan M. · #5 03-12-2013, 03:02 PM

Get Rimguard its non rusting and heavier then calcium.

ol'George · #6 03-12-2013, 03:58 PM

To Tell what you have in the tires now, loosen the valve cap and get 1 drop on your finger, taste it, if it is salty it's cloride.
If it tastes like windshield washer fluid, that is what it is.
If it smells like shit, don't taste it, it is beet juice.yuck!
Most of the guys here like to use W.washer fluid as it is easily gotten, inexpensive and does not rot the rims.
you can also use RV antifreez, or regular antifreeze.
Just search this forum, there must be 100 posts about what to use and ways to put it in.
Any kind of pump works well and does not take that much time.
I perfer that way, as I have a set up for putting cloride on my farm tires.
You would be surprised how quickly I can pump in 50-75 Gallons of fluid in a farm tire, or out for that matter.

ironman · #7 03-12-2013, 04:14 PM

Well ol George, to tell ya the truth I never had the urge to taste windshield washer fluid in the past, so that will be a new one to me. Did some looking at forums on Rim Guard (aka beet juice). Opinions are very varied, good to bad, but to me not worth the expense of around $3.00/gallon plus insertion fee. A chart I found says 23 x 10.50-12 tire would take 6.8 gallons. If I went with RV anti-freeze that should give me about 50 lbs per side. Now I gotta find those posts about how to pump it in.

Sam Mac · #8 03-12-2013, 05:49 PM

I break the bead on the valve stem side and pour RV antifreeze in. I would never use Calcium Chloride it eats the rims. You can get about 8 gals in a 10.5X12X23 and over 9 in a 12X12X26

Yosemite Sam · #9 03-12-2013, 04:08 PM

I use windshield wiper fluid in my tires and I never load a tire that doesn't have a tube, yeah I know a puncture would be a real PITA but everything has an upside and a downside I guess.

To get the fluid in the tires, I fill an old air tank with wiper fluid, then pressurize the tank and push the liquid into the tire.

For the most part I only use loaded tires for moving snow or other blade work, I have yet to plow but I can see a real advantage to having the extra weight there.

Weights vs Loaded tires... Loading tires can be much cheaper than wheel weights. Loaded tires are much heavier than one pair of weights. Wheel weights can be removed easier than "unloading" tires (but it's not really something that you want to do every day).

Having the extra weight really depends on what is right for your situation.

I am curious to find out what the rest of the guys here use the extra weight for.