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Valve stem "tool"

Spiffers

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Jul 4, 2018
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Tennessee
I don't know what to call what I'm looking for but here goes. We are going to fill the rear tires on the Tractor with either washer fluid or antifreeze and I'm looking for a fitting that I can put on the valve stem and hook to a tube/hose. Anyone got any idea what you'd call that? All I can think of is either a brass hose fitting or something like on the tire changer machines that have a quick release.
 
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WWheeler

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Jun 23, 2015
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Middleofnowhere USA
Why would you fill a tire with anitfreeze or washer fluid?:confused:
That's a good question.
Fill a tractor tire with liquid for extra weight in rear tires for traction or front tires to keep them from getting air with raised implements. Same reasons they sell wheel weights. People use wiper fluid, antifreeze, beet juice, etc. I personally wouldn't use anything that might be toxic to animals if it leaked, plus probably only in a tubed tire to avoid problems. Also wouldn't do it on a lawn tractor tire where the transmissions aren't as forgiving for adding any extra weight as a real tractor.
 

acer66

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Western North Carolina
Fill a tractor tire with liquid for extra weight in rear tires for traction or front tires to keep them from getting air with raised implements. Same reasons they sell wheel weights. People use wiper fluid, antifreeze, beet juice, etc. I personally wouldn't use anything that might be toxic to animals if it leaked, plus probably only in a tubed tire to avoid problems. Also wouldn't do it on a lawn tractor tire where the transmissions aren't as forgiving for adding any extra weight as a real tractor.

Another day I learned something new, thank you.
 
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Mgdoug3

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KY
I hate fluid in tires. I would much rather add wheel weights. The old calcium fluid used to eat up rims. Now there's non-corrosive fluid but it still makes it a pain to change tires.
 

joe_padavano

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Northern VA
I don't know how many times I had to change the rear rims on my tractor due to the calcium chloride causing rust. I switched to non-toxic RV anti-freeze and haven't had a problem since. Yeah, I realize it is not as dense as the calcium chloride solution, but it's good enough. I don't particularly have to change tires very often, and with a 12v pump from Harbor Freight, it's pretty easy to pump the fluid out or in. In fact, it was the rust from the calcium chloride that was abrading the tubes and causing leaks in the first place.
 

bob15

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Northeasten, CT
I hate fluid in tires. I would much rather add wheel weights. The old calcium fluid used to eat up rims. Now there's non-corrosive fluid but it still makes it a pain to change tires.

I agree with calcium, but, i find wheel weights are more a PIA, and loaded tires will give you more weight that cast weights will, unless you add enough that they are sticking out well beyond the tires.

My next set of tires will be beet juice, which has about the same weight as CC.

https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/

Anti-freeze...no thanks, even the RV stuff isn't that safe.
 
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Spiffers

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Tennessee
Hope you don't use green anti-freeze.

Have you looked into Beet Juice?

Thinking about going with the RV aintfreeze and mixing it with water. It doesn't freeze much here in Tennessee but we have had a few bad cold snaps of late.
 

Mgdoug3

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I agree with calcium, but, i find wheel weights are more a PIA, and loaded tires will give you more weight that cast weights will, unless you add enough that they are sticking out well beyond the tires.

My next set of tires will be beet juice, which has about the same weight as CC.

https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/

Anti-freeze...no thanks, even the RV stuff isn't that safe.


Since I started changing my own tires, I did away with fluid. I have three JD wheel weights on each side. I think they weigh around 125 to 150 lbs each. The tractors that I use are heavy enough for the implements I have. If they were lighter or the implements heavier, it would be different. My granddad put fluid in every tractor he had but they were also much lighter. Rusted out rims are no fun to work with.
 

TractorJeff

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Elkhorn, WI
I spend hours repairing rims because guys are too cheap to buy replacements! I advocate beet juice if you must load them. But I run iron on one of mine because only two or three times a year it needs to be heavier than its stock form. I brush hogged a very wet spot in the field recently where if I had been any heavier I never would have been able to mow. (like the Baler Tractor was)
Also
If these are true Ag wheels then they will have a removable valve stem allowing you to go to a larger diameter hose connection.
I would check Gemplers first. (I use a larger hose and clamp)
 
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lastgoodusername

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Oct 28, 2007
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Siler City, NC
If you are going to dilute antifreeze, don't go to lean on the mix. If a tire freezes solid, don't use the tractor. Sounds like common sense but the ice will completely ruin a tube.
 
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Spiffers

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Tennessee
Yeah we didn't go 50/50 but we went pretty heavy. The manager at the local auto parts is a farm boy and we picked his brain a little. He was gonna try the washer fluid but heard from a tire shop that they had one that froze. I don't think we'd have weather cold enough to freeze the tire solid and I have read on tractor forums about people going with less AF and not having any problems in the south.
 

Mikeske

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Washington State
The vast majority of newer tractors have no tubes in them. In particular subcompact tractor tires have tubeless tires. I own a John Deere 2305 and it came with tubeless tires and when I bought it I had the dealer load the rear tires with Rimguard (beet juice). For the first time in 9 years of owning my tractor I had a flat this past month. Took the tire off the tractor and took it down to the local tire shop that deals with ag tires and had them repair the tire and reload it. When the tires was there I inspected the rim and no rust on the inside the rim at all. My tractor has around 500 hours on it and the beet juice does not corrode the rim like calcium does.
 
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Spiffers

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Tennessee
The vast majority of newer tractors have no tubes in them. In particular subcompact tractor tires have tubeless tires. I own a John Deere 2305 and it came with tubeless tires and when I bought it I had the dealer load the rear tires with Rimguard (beet juice). For the first time in 9 years of owning my tractor I had a flat this past month. Took the tire off the tractor and took it down to the local tire shop that deals with ag tires and had them repair the tire and reload it. When the tires was there I inspected the rim and no rust on the inside the rim at all. My tractor has around 500 hours on it and the beet juice does not corrode the rim like calcium does.

That's why they "invented" it to offset the side effects of calcium.
 

Tom White

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May 21, 2015
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I don't know how many times I had to change the rear rims on my tractor due to the calcium chloride causing rust. I switched to non-toxic RV anti-freeze and haven't had a problem since. Yeah, I realize it is not as dense as the calcium chloride solution, but it's good enough. I don't particularly have to change tires very often, and with a 12v pump from Harbor Freight, it's pretty easy to pump the fluid out or in. In fact, it was the rust from the calcium chloride that was abrading the tubes and causing leaks in the first place.

Next time you have to change fluid, because of a leak or flat, give some thought to using beet juice. OK, everyone stop laughing now. I'm serious. That is what the Deere dealership I buy from uses. No rusting the rims, and if you have to empty the tires for any reason, it isn't dangerous to animals like antifreeze.
 
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