water filled wheels.. Advise please

[vhgmcbuddy]

In the book i have already mentioned, it says that the BMB Cultmate when shod with rubber, should have them filled with water as recommended by the manufacturer, but the Cultmate instruction book does not mention this, I assume that it is to add weight when ploughing? I have heard of tractors having water filled wheels, but know nothing about it, do any members have any experience of this practice? is it worth doing?

[joegrgraham]

The tyres were ballasted with water to add weight as you suggested. Just the same as attaching wheel weights.
I had an Allis B that had ballasted rear wheels and it made them bl**dy heavy! and also very awkward to man-handle.
Back in the day, it would usually be done with Calcium Chloride for its anti-freeze properties, unfortunately it rotted the rims and when you drained it out, it would kill everything that it touched (so dont drain a wheel on the lawn!!).
Filling the tyres with water does the job, but in the long run its better to get some proper wheel weights.

Joe.

[terrano]

I remember as an apprentice at a Fordson dealership in the sixties being given the job of mixing the calcium chloride flakes with water then hand pumping the solution into the rear wheels of Fordson Majors just below the centre line to stop surging when traveling in top gear. Using wheel weights or a land wheel strake was the other option, but with the introduction of diff. lock and weight transfer hydraulics on the Super Major, thankfully the practice ended, Brian.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Very interesting to hear from people who have used this practice, I dont have wheel weights or steel wheels for my cultmate , hence the interest in water ballast, I suppose you just take out the tyre valve and rig up some type of syphon or hand pump to transfer the water, I suppose you can use antifreeze instead of calcium chloride?

[Author]

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