Tractor Tire Inflation Tips

In this video I discuss front tire inflation and a couple of tips on checking the back tires, if you have fluid for ballast. I did a video a few weeks back talking about the need to keep the minimum inflation in the back tires for a good ride, good wear and traction, I should have covered this topic at that time and never thought about it.
Because the front tires carry the bulk of the weight of the front end loader, if you use a it a lot and carry heavy loads, I recommend being toward the maximum level on inflation. I still think the manufacturers recommendation is too high, it'll cause the tires to wear excessively in the middle if you have them up to the full amount, but 5-10 PSI below recommended will still give you a good ride and carry all the weight you need without "squatting". You may want to experiment to see what works best on your tractor with your brand of tires. If you seldom use the loader, go ahead and run toward the minimum recommendation like I said in the rear tire video.
On the subject of rear tires, a lot of us put fluid in them for ballast, and that can make checking inflation with a tire gauge (couldn't think of the name of it in the video, I call it a "tire checker") difficult. You need to have the valve stem at the top so the fluid doesn't come out and that's a challenge if you're by yourself because you can't see it from the tractor seat. It's hard with two people when it's on the inside of the tire. So, I give you a little tip on how to resolve that in this video with a tool that I carry with me and use all the time.
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[@maximotorres9837]

Thank you for a quick and informative response

[@jamesjenkins11]

That's a good tip about marking the tire to know where the valve stem is.

[@mikedickson2925]

A lot better with the sound!!! Good tips, thanks!!!!

[@jasonknight4906]

you really made a good suggestion on the paint mark 👍👍👍👍

[@larrypopkey481]

Hi ,Mike...Great stuff !! I thought of a video idea when I got a used Kubota last month. The machine looked good and was well serviced since new (2002) but when I took up the floor pan for some cleaning around mower the HST had about 1" of grass ,grease ,fluid and what all completely covering the entire unit and pretty much all of the under side of the machine including the fan. You know where I'm going...cooling . Anyway keep up the great work, Aloha,Larry

[@mariosancartier2537]

thanks for the tip on checking air on the rear tire when you have fluid in them .

[@TractorMike]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@Larry342516]

Thanks for the tips, and the video Mike.

[@rottmanthan]

i cant find the info on my tires but im running the rears at 20 and the fronts at 30. works for me. i use the loader plus it helps it steer easier.

[@Randomname183]

Recently found your channel and have watched almost all your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@timberray9572]

Thanks again for the info and following up with a video.

[@sucapizda]

Hey Mike, can you do a nice video on how to take off and put back a full size loader. I just bought a Kubota M100gx with. M35 loader. Looks like it's a quick detach but I don't know. It looks massive. If you do a vid, can you do it with a full size tractor. Thanx for all your help.

[@TractorMike]

I'll put it on the list. Everyone needs to know how to take their loader off and everyone will probably take theirs off once. Then never again. "Quick attach" is a little misleading in my opinion when you're talking about the loader mainframe.

[@MLJenkins]

HAHA That is what everyone tells me as well unless you do it on a daily basis like the guys at the tractor sales lot. Some folks I know just take their quick attach bucket off when they want better visibility.

[@mmckinley345]

I don't know how i missed these videos I thought I had watched all of the ones posted

[@lindamcham428]

Hi, Mike. I am looking for info on how to put air in my rear tires of my Kubota 2600. They have water in them and I have ruined a bunch of air pressure gauges trying to add air or even just checking the air pressure. I figured out how to get the tires to 12:00, but water still comes out when I put the inflation nozzle in them. 1) Do I need a special air nozzle and 2) what tire pressure gauge are you using? I had one like that, but I managed to mess it up, too. A friend told me to look at the tires and make sure only two cleats were touching the ground. Three are touching now, so I need to get some air in them. Thanks for your help!

[@TractorMike]

Linda, I'm going to research that...it's tough to check the air with fluided tires without getting fluid in the tire gauge. Some gauges take the fluid better than others. I've killed a couple of tire gauges since I've been checking inflation on a semi-regular basis myself, so I'm in the same boat. When I was a kid, dad just used the old cheap "pencil" tire gauges and they worked fine with the fluid, but even though they were cheap, they were built better than the ones you see today. Some tire gauges have a spring and a seal inside that seem to expel the fluid in a decent manner and that's what the guys at the dealership where I worked used. I'll try to contact them and see what brand/models they're using and let you know.

[@ibleedihred2844]

Yay Mike we have sound!

[@BlackKettleRanch]

I just got a used JD 4520 for unloading 1500 lb. round bales off a semi trailer. The front tires say the high end of the pressure should be at 45. I checked them, and they are just at 50 psi. With the amount of weight that I'm lifting, I'm thinking that 50 is good. Do you see a problem with that? I also got the back tires ballasted with Rim Guard. I was told that you need a special tire gauge to check pressure on a ballasted tire. Do you think that is true? If so, what type of gauge do you recommend? I'm also thinking of getting a spare front tire in case I get a blow out. If that happens, I need a jack. Do you have a recommendation for a jack? Thank you so much. Your channel has helped educate me a lot. Best, Tina

[@TractorMike]

Tina, you're probably okay with 50, I'd feel more comfortable at 45. I've searched the world over for the perfect tire gauge and haven't found it yet. Get one with a spring that pushes the stick back in and expels the fluid and when you're done and shoot it with WD-40 after every use to keep it moving freely. I used to sell a combination jack/jack stand on my website, but they're sporadically out of inventory so I dropped them. Google "Powerbuilt 6000 lb. Unijack" and you'll find someone that has it. That's what I have.

[@BlackKettleRanch]

@@TractorMike Thank you, Tractor Mike. And those Powerbuilt jacks aren't that expensive. Bonus. Have a great day.

[@denisewildfortune4058]

Hi Mike, I was wondering why you didn't just mark the wheel rim with a black magic marker instead of the tire using white? It would certainly last longer and would be correct even if you had tire slippage or remount. A small dot would suffice if you were concerned with esthetics. Love your videos - Denise

[@TractorMike]

Thanks Denise, that would absolutely work. I can see the paint pencil mark on the tire from the seat and that's why I did that, I'm not sure you'd be able to see a dot on the rim, but if you had assistance, they'd be able to see it. It would look a lot better, but I'm not big into keeping my tractor pristine (as you can probably tell), it gets washed once a year most years.

[@denisewildfortune4058]

Hi Mike, yeah I realized that after I had posted. Knocks on head! Have you ever done a video on liquid filled tires vs weights for ballast? If not would you consider it? I've read conflicting arguments on tractor forums and would like your take. Also, can you address what a properly ballasted tractor looks like? Thanks a bunch! Denise

[@TractorMike]

Yes I have, here's the video I did on weights versus fluid: kzbin.info?o=U&video_id=O-2-I68BGlI&feature=vm. There are advantages and disadvantages of both. I personally have fluid, mainly because I like the weight as low as possible and I live about a couple of miles from a place that does fluid filling. Weights are fine though. They're both a hassle if you trade tractors or have a flat tire that has to be removed. That last question could open up a can of worms. There are a few "weight fanatics" who don't feel a tractor is a real tractor until it's ballasted with insane amounts of weight. When I worked at a dealership, we had a customer who put huge amounts of weight every place he could on a compact tractor and then was upset the wheel bearings had failed. So more weight means more wear, and at extreme levels, lower fuel economy. So, you don't want any more weight than you need to do what you want to do, and that's a different amount for each person. There are multiple studies about proper ballasting of tractor tires on line, but every one I've seen is discussing weight in the huge farming-type tractors and not in compacts like we use. My best rule of thumb is to fluid the tires or hang a couple of weights on the wheels and see how the tractor does for you. If you need more weight you can always add it later. That's if you're trying to get the maximum productivity out of the loader without picking the back end of the tractor up. If you're adding weight for stability on hills that's a whole different story. Some people think if they put massive amounts of weight everywhere they prevent the threat of rollover and while weight helps, there's no guarantee that it's going to prevent that on severe slopes. I have some areas on my place where, if I had more weight, I could probably mow safely on the sidehill, or going perpendicular across the slope. But to me, it's not worth the risk. I always tell people that if you're worried about the slope being too much for the tractor, don't go there. That's a long answer to tell you that adding either wheel weights or fluid in the back of the tires will probably be all you need to do everything you want to do with a tractor, but if you're ballasting to stick on a hill, you're on your own to determine how much you need to keep you safe. Hope that helps!

[@stanpalmer7153]

My back tire leaks around rim how can i stop it without removing tire

[@davidparadis490]

Why mark the tire and not the rim? Its gonna wear off the tire