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 | Paladin
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 81 Eastern Pennsylvania 
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2005-01-28 105145
Some of you may remember my story here - I bought an L3010 with FEL and a bunch of implements at a bankruptcy sale in TN and had it trucked up here to eastern PA.
Well, it was 2 degrees below this morning and my rear tires are frozen solid. I sort of suspected that someone had filled them and now I know for sure. The question is what the h**l they filled them with.
I called my friendly local Kubota dealer who suggested that I bring the tractor in, and they would drain and dismount the tires, put tubes in them, and fill them with windshield washer fluid. I also called the original selling dealer in TN who told me that they subcontract tire filling to a Goodyear store who supposedly uses a methanol/water mixture (or, in other words, windshield washer fluid). None of this agrees with the Kubota manual.
I'm looking for advice on where to go from here. I really don't need to use the tractor until spring breaks. I can always borrow a neighbors Ford F250 with plow if I need it.
How easy is it to drain the tires and refill?
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| cthonestguy
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 267 northeast
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2005-01-28 105146
Gemplers has a kit, not that hard but keep in mind windshield washer fluid isn't going to give you the weight calcium will. Also, if you blow a tire with antifreeze or washer fluid it could be poison to livestick. The 3010 has a big tire on it and that's a lot of chemical in the ground. Do a search on this site, TONS of good info on filling tires. Check out the link below for the kit to do it yourself...Jim ....
Link:
Click Here
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York 
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2005-01-29 105159
We have been using calcium to fill tires for over 50 years and can say that it really isn't that much to worry about. We also use rim gaurd for those that choose not to have the heavier mix but still want the filled tires. Now for what we've seen, I prefer steel ballast as it can be removed when not needed. The tires give better traction when not filled(radials especially) and they are always cheaper to fix if that is a concern. The thing to be concerned with is the amount of time you will need the ballast to perform your tasks. Most of the time you might find they really don't need to so heavy and so you have to take two smaller scoops instead of one big one for that once in a while heavy loader task. ....
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| Paladin
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 81 Eastern Pennsylvania
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2005-01-29 105161
Thanks, Art. I am really leaning toward having the ballast taken out of the tires and not put back. I already bought a gen-u-ine Kubota rear ballast box to fit the 3 point hitch, which should handle the few heavy lift occasions on which I need that much ballast (I will definitely need it this spring, when I am going to regravel a driveway). I have the box filled with bricks, which should work fine.
My guess is the the previous owner of the tractor was a landscaper because it appears the the FEL was seldom if ever taken off. My main use for the tractor will be mowing and bushhoging and I plan to dismount the loader as soon as I finish the driveway job (and clean out enough space in the barn to put the loader in). I don't see where filled rear tires will do anything positive with my bushhoging much less my finish mowing during the summer. ....
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2005-01-29 105165
Can you run the brush hog without the FEL in place for balance/ballast?
I fooled around with loaded tires too and now use steel as ballast. ....
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| cthonestguy
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 267 northeast
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2005-01-29 105176
Sounds like it's too late for you but if anyone reading this is looking for cheap rear ballast I have an easy one. Go to the local hardware store, buy a section of steel rod, 2 big and long eye bolts, a large bolt that will fit in the eye bolts, a galvanized garbage can and some ready mix cement.
Pop 2 holes in the can about where you would want it on your 3 point hitch, put the steel rod through, fill it with the ready mix, throw some old lead or what every you may have lying around in there while your at it. Push the eye bolts in before it's full. I welded a "T" on the end just6 for the heck of it but you don't need to. Wallaaa you have a nice cheap rear counter weight that pops right off. Works great on my kubota.
You can go to pretty much any shooting range (indoor type) and they just about give away buckets of the spent lead bullets. This makes for some serious weight if you throw it in the bottom layer too.
I think the whole deal cost me around 30 bucks. The only benefit I see with the loaded tires is if you want to attach a small implement like a lighter york rake, now you don't have the weight and you have to take 1/2 scoops as mentioned.
Sounds to me like you shopuld drain them and stick with your plan. ....
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| Paladin
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 81 Eastern Pennsylvania
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2005-01-29 105178
The lead is a good idea, but just be careful and remember to use a dust mask if your local gun club offers to let you clean out the indoor range for free. The lead can easily get into your body both by the nose and by the mouth, including breathing the dust and your fingerprints on the hamburger you ate for lunch.
I'm an NRA certified shooting coach so I get a lot of exposure. It doesn't take much to get a positive test for high lead in your body and it takes either medication to get rid of it or years for the level to come back down naturally. ....
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| cthonestguy
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 267 northeast
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2005-01-29 105180
definitly bad stufF. There is a local range here in CT and they sell buckets of it cheap. It is bad stuf and a god spot for it is in the center of a cement block. They clean it up and have it in buckets already. I have a budy who buys it and make fishing jigs and sinkers with it on the stove. I told him he is nuts but he's 50 and so far he's ok but I'll bet he's up there on the lead scale. He has no kids- good thing! ....
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| Hettric
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 133 MA
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2005-01-29 105206
I have not seen any discusion on foam filled tires, can't find anything by search. Other than cost, what is the disadvantage? I had my front tires filled on a JD 755, it added about 65-70# each,(they weighted 90# each) and no more leaks. I am considering the rears, will add 200# each, but of course the cost is very high. ....
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| Doc Kubota
Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 8 Northeast US
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2005-01-30 105272
If you do decide you want to fill your tires with fluid, there is a product we're using now that is called Rim-Guard by a company called Ballast-Star. This is a non-toxic, bio-degradable substance that has a very high sugar content that keeps it from freezing, we've used over 5000 gallons of this and have used it in sub-compacts to farm tractors. I have it in my own tractor. ....
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| Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2005-01-31 105281
It might take several days in warmth to totally thaw your tires. Drain them in a safe place and add air and you will be all set. ....
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| denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 542 Quarryville PA 
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2005-01-31 105298
you make it sound so easy. I never knew tires had a drain valve. My tires would keep quite a lot of water in if I pulled the valve stem, then I would have a huge frozen chunk going around. Is there an easy way or is dismounting the best. ....
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| Paladin
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 81 Eastern Pennsylvania
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2005-01-31 105304
Well, it's a sunny day here in eastern PA and the temp is up in the 20's. Also, the way the tractor is parked the sun is shining on the left rear tire and it is warm to the touch. So I pushed the valve stem down a bit with a nail and plain water shot out. Looks like they were filled with just plain water. Also it appears that the front tires were not filled. When spring breaks I plan to Jack the tractor and drain the rears one at a time. Unless I can figure out a way to rig up a piece of 1/8 copper tubing or something and siphon the last water out, I only see two alternatives: first, refill them with something that doesn't freeze or second, take the tractor to a shop and have the tires dismounted.
Actually, now that I think about it if I horse around with some copper tubing and duct tape and the shop vac, maybe I can rig up a way to suck the water out. ....
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| cthonestguy
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 267 northeast
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2005-01-31 105326
Easiest and cheapest way is to pull them off one at a time and bring them in to warm up and thaw. get a cheap valve stem tool and pull out the valve stem and put the tire down on tht side outside and it should all come out the valve stem. you will leave a little moisture in there but not enough to worry. They are big tires on there but thsi is the easiest and cheapest way. Keep the compressor near by and you may need to blow some air in them to finish the process of draining it all out. Fill them with air and get the angle of the water to the valve stem to discharge it out. ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY 
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2005-02-01 105347
There is a syphon vent that you can install on your valve stem. You will need lots of air to use it. It causes a vacum in the tube and will suck all of the water and air out of the tube. The tube will look like a vacum pac bag when you are done. ....
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| Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2005-02-01 105352
On a warm day like what you had, to have the valve stem on the bottom and to remove the core you would be able to drain the bulk of it out just add some air so you could regain some ride but you might have some clunking from the ice when you use it later. ....
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| Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2005-02-01 105353
On a warm day like what you had, to have the valve stem on the bottom and to remove the core you would be able to drain the bulk of it out just add some air so you could regain some ride but you might have some clunking from the ice when you use it later. ....
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| Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2005-02-01 105354
On a warm day like what you had, to have the valve stem on the bottom and to remove the core you would be able to drain the bulk of it out just add some air so you could regain some ride but you might have some clunking from the ice when you use it later. ....
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