Tire recommendation on 1450 needed

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by TheSaturnV

What fluid do you use Yosemite?

I just use windshield washer fluid.

I also use tubes in my loaded tires, which leads me to the question...

If one were to load a tire with WW fluid and no tube, and the tire should become punctured (like with a nail or thorn) could this tire be plugged?

[Shotgun Wedding]

Originally Posted by EricWww

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll get the adaptor to fill the tires with fluid and try it out. Too bad I just recycled anti-freeze from my car that would have been perfect!
Also your recommendations echo this page I read online: http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/...luids-rundown/

I would disagree on this point that used anti-freeze is a good recommendation. The reason why is that vehicle antifreeze is a glycol solution, usually 50% either ethylene or propylene. As the antifreeze ages through various heat cycles and just basic hydrolysis and oxidation, it breaks down into simpler compounds.

These glycols are used in many applications other than vehicles, I see it in industry as a heat transfer liquid and as a chemist do recommend to my clients to do what we call glycol breakdown pathway products, as glycol (a diol or double alcohol) breaks down into 4 distinct products as it degrades:

Glycolic Acid
Ethanol
Acetaldehyde
Acetic or Formic acid

Except for ethanol, all are quite acidic and this is the main reason why glycols need to be monitored for pH. It is the low pH in conjunction with the water portion of the mix that will corrode your system, tractor rims included.

So, fill your rims with old glycol that is already partway down the breakdown trail, not a good idea. Can one add additives to help? Yes. Adding pH buffers such as borate or morpholine is widely done to "extend" the life and protect the metallurgy, but one needs to know what they are doing and this only buys time...the inevitable is happening.

For those who would like to use calcium chloride, but without the corrosion risks to your rims....there is an easy solution. Just visit your local ice arena if you have one, or industries that uses extreme cold refrigeration such as ice cream plants etc. They utilize a calcium chloride solution for their heat exchange fluid since calcium chloride has better freeze protection than glycols for very low temps needed for flash freezing such as an ice rink. These systems use high does of phosphate corrosion inhibitor >3500 ppm as PO4 and it works quite well, would work well for tractor rims too.

However, like many of suggested, there are market available alternatives such as Rim Guard. Personally I would stay away from windshield washer fluid unless I had a friend in the chemical industry that could score me some inhibitor, since this is only methanol and water. Yes it has freeze protection, but zero corrosion protection, which means that your rims...will corrode. How fast? depends. I can give a more detailed response to this if requested. What would I add to it? Any water-based corrosion inhibitor will work since pH is already alkaline, but for the layman are hard to get your hands on. Possible products are molybdate, nitrite or the same phosphates as used in CaCl2 brine.

At any rate, anyone with WW Fluid as liquid ballast in a rim with an imperfect painted interior is probably going to have trouble in a few years, since there is no barrier to stop the oxygen corrosion attack. A fully bare metal, unpainted rim is better than a fully painted one with one tiny, single imperfection or knick in the paint, a phenomenon known as a "fixed anode". Corrosion will be rapid and severe in that tiny localized spot as compared to a general metal loss across an entire unpainted rim surface. Most rims in this situation have an air pocket in the interior, plenty of dissolved oxygen in the WW Fluid solution...a perfect scenario for classic oxygen pitting.

Anyway, enough of the chemistry and corrosion science lesson.

[Shotgun Wedding]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

I just use windshield washer fluid.

I also use tubes in my loaded tires, which leads me to the question...

If one were to load a tire with WW fluid and no tube, and the tire should become punctured (like with a nail or thorn) could this tire be plugged?

Yosemite Sam has it right, use tubes, the best combination. Then you can use any fluid you'd like!!!

[kalebevans]

I have those Carlisle Turf Masters on the front of my 169 and I'm reasonably satisfied with them. They're pretty good on the lawn unless you're fighting a steep side slope and they don't leave marks. However, in the snow it's another story. They're great if there isn't a layer of ice underneath the snow you're plowing away, but if there's ice under it or the snow is very deep when you aren't plowing they don't steer well. I know you aren't going to be spending much time in a garden with it, but that's where they perform the worst in my opinion. It's really hard to get out of ruts, especially if there is any moisture or clay involved.

The vast majority of my time is on a lawn, but I kinda wish I would've gone with V61s or a tri-rib for the snow and garden.

I have the Carlisle All-trail II on the back, and they're quite good. I like the ag look, so maybe one day I'll try some, but I think the All-trail II is a pretty good compromise. I have tire chains but rarely bother putting them on, and I have one set of wheel weights for the winter.

[drglinski]

For the fronts (when I had to replace them) I used Carlisle straight rib 4 ply cuz I've got the wide wheels and I wanted something to replicate the look of the original tires. They aren't especially wonderful when it comes to turning in the snow/ice, BUT if I slow down and don't make a Richard Petty turn they work just fine. Then again when I want to make a Richard Petty turn it's fun to slide 'em. They work great on the grass and in the garden too.

[kuleinc]

Do those VR1's work good when going across a hill and then turning uphill? My current tires just slide...

[Crazy_Aussie]

Originally Posted by kuleinc

Do those VR1's work good when going across a hill and then turning uphill? My current tires just slide...

X2 plus i don't have any snow or ice to contend with