Calcium Chloride

Matt and Don, What I read, back in 2000 was that lb per lb the solid weights gave you better traction because it allows the rubber to flex better and squat out giving you a larger foot print with less compaction per lb, Thus giving you better traction, OR conversly allowing you to add more weight with equal comaction.

Been Using chloride in our farm tires for years, no rotten rims. Alot of rims have been lost to chloride, not to the fault of chloride, but to the fault of the farmer for not cleaning the rim when there was a leak. Chloride will not harm rubber(tire or tube), so if there is a rotten rim it means you have a hole in the tube, clean it up and you wont have a problem. Cleaning it up doesnt mean spraying it off with a hose, it means removing the tire completely, scrubbing the rim with warm soapy water and a brush, the reinstalling the tire with the proper tube......when I say proper tube I mean a 4-6 heavy duty tube, not a cheap 20 dollar 2 ply.

Where I lived, well water had more iron than lime. I don't know what was in the tires, but it penetrated the silver paint on my MF-135 and rusted it it minutes. I had it pumped out and I didn't put it back.

Gerald J.

I am not scared to use Calcium cloride in the tires. Yes you do have to pay a little attention to them. it takes YEARS for the fluid to rust the rim. as far as Gerald's condition I would double check what you have inside your tires? the stuff does not rust instantly it takes some time.

There were tests done back in the day that prove you get better traction with fluid in the tires VS cast iron weights of equal weight. It also requires more power to lug around the weights on the rim, plus the weight of the fluid is put directly on the foot print of the tire and not in the center of the rim like weights.

Another thing to consider, pound for pound, solid weights mounted on the rim, or on the tractor give you more traction than filled tires.. though if you have a loader you might want both ;) With the weight on the rim instead of in the tire, you get a better tire print.. It is also better for the tubes/rims etc. and it is a one time expenditure...

Wash it off? How fast? My tractor rusted in a minute or two after it was sprayed with CaCl from a pinched tube in a split in the tire side wall. Didn't take hours or days.

Gerald J.

Thanks Ted,

You get more CaCl2 per pound added if you use Peladow instead of Dowflake.  OxyChem formerly Dow makes a 90% and a 94%  CaCl2 pellet flake is only 77%-80% CaCl2.   The 94% pellet is smaller diameter and the most dissolvable. The 94% pellet is made with the intent the that the end user will be dissolving it. If CalCl2 is promptly washed off with luke warm water corrosion is not a issue.  Another bonus is the Dowflake and Peladow are American made.

We installled winshield fluid with a swamp coolor pump.  It worked very good and is quiet cheap . A pump is less than $10 dollars, winshield fluid is about $1.50 a gallon.

I couldn't stand all the damage from fluid in tires, so I removed all fluid. Bought all new tubes, aired up and started buying weights. I got twelve plus tractors and did them all. Never been sorry, now I can sleep at night. LOL

Ted - you can reuse the old stuff if you like.  As far as how much here's a chart:

http://www.firestoneag.com/tiredata/info/info_hydro_2.asp

Big thing is to replace the entire valve core's every two years.  That pretty much eliminates any issues with leaking.   Mike

Called Dow Flake around here. The chemical reaction it gives off as its being dissolved in water makes it heat up.

Edited by DonDittmar - 21 Feb 2011 at 3:29pm

TSC has an install kit $10 to $15 bucks.

I priced swapping my tires to some better WD wheels.  Mine are loaded with CaCl.  The tire dealer would take my dispose of my CaCl, but if I wanted something different installed, that was up to me to have available for them to install.  I think without anything other than CaCl, it was almost $300 per tire to hire the swap!

we use magnesium chloride. It comes in flakes and you just mix it up.

Don't know where the farm gets it from but this is what it is.....two bags to a tire I believe for the Farmall M sized.

http://www.meltsnow.com/products-dry-magnesium-chloride.htm