Water in tractor tires

[Lalli1050]

I am now thinking of putting water in my MF 5450 because we recently bought a mower and it's way to heavy. But I have 2 questions, can I put water in only 1 tire so I can keep the cost down and also If I can just mix salt and water together so I don't have to buy antifreeze or calcium chloride all answers are appreciated. PS in sorry for my terrible english

 

[JD-Kid]

salt or calcium will rust the rims. if using them put tube in tires

 

[Lalli1050]

salt or calcium will rust the rims. if using them put tube in tires

Thanks

 

[Cowmansam]

Pretty sure you want to put water in all the tyres not just one

 

[Tractortech]

Now Then..
It depends what degree of frost you expect to have. I've done tubeless tyres with salt and water. Sometimes with antifreeze but at a very diluted rate, like 20 litres per rear wheel.
Just one tyre full of water will be awful when the mower is off. Can you not buy some wheel weights?? Front weights would help. Also try to move the mower so it cuts closer to the tractor..

 

[Lalli1050]

Now Then..
It depends what degree of frost you expect to have. I've done tubeless tyres with salt and water. Sometimes with antifreeze but at a very diluted rate, like 20 litres per rear wheel.
Just one tyre full of water will be awful when the mower is off. Can you not buy some wheel weights?? Front weights would help. Also try to move the mower so it cuts closer to the tractor..

We never get more then minus 10 degrees celsius and most winters it doesn't even down more then 6-8 degrees celsius. And honestly I haven't even considerd wheel weights yet because I have just heard many guys putting water in there tires but obviously it would be best to just buy wheel weights. And I was also planning on buying some weight brackets in the front to

 

[john432]

Just put the water in the tyres when you need it, and drain it out afterwards. The ballasting valves are cheap enough on eBay etc. They work well, just connect to a water hose and leave for a few hours to fill, connect to an airline, regulated to say 15 psi and it will drain the tyre over night.

 

[David Bliss]

Used to alway used salt to ballast tyres but never after getting punctures as unless you get a large leak the small ones don't show and when you do have to repair the rims may be very rusty, use ballast weights, if you have used salt wash the tubes out well after, its put the valve to the bottom, best jacked up, let most of the air out, thread a tube small enough to go through valve and this will get all of remaining water out.
We once had our wheel salt ballasted, but they had been over filled with the salt so water was fully saturated and a bucket full of salt crystals sliding round wore through the tube.

 

[James]

I've water in one rear tyre on the hedge cutting tractor. On the few occasions the cutter is off the tractor was fine to drive. I used antifreeze when filling.

 

[john432]

My experience is that once ballasted it doesn't half make the tractor lethargic.. one heck of a drag ,noticeable on road work. And very rough, with only about a quarter of the volume available for air, it looses the cushioning effect..hence my opinion, fill with just water when needed, and drain afterwards...

 

[Timbo]

My experience is that once ballasted it doesn't half make the tractor lethargic.. one heck of a drag ,noticeable on road work. And very rough, with only about a quarter of the volume available for air, it looses the cushioning effect..hence my opinion, fill with just water when needed, and drain afterwards...

Its the friction of the water resisting movement on the inside of the wheel..until youve travelled enough to get the water spinning in unison, then it has to be disapaited by the brakes when you slow down. Like having a trailer of corn permanantly on the back.