Re: Winshield Wiper Fluid

Posted by WellWorn on February 03, 2017 at 08:22:59 from (64.66.127.214):

In Reply to: Winshield Wiper Fluid posted by Spudm on February 02, 2017 at 16:44:15:

Everything has a cost, and not all costs are upfront, nor measured in dollars alone.

A tractor I use had new 12.4x28's put on new rims about 4 years ago, loaded with calcium. Last summer, I replaced one of those rims because the valve stem had been leaking right at the rim hole. When the softball size rust blister popped loose I broke down the tire and found deep rust pits a foot either side of the hole. I've replaced 4 other tractor rims (so far) because of calcium, so why is is used? Because it's cheap and dense weight. If folks could find an easy way to put lead shot into tires, they would because it weighs more.

Water weighs 8.36 pounds per gallon. Calcium chloride added makes water in the neighborhood of 11.5#/gal, but is corrosive and toxic to vegetation. Ethylene glycol (standard car antifreeze) mixtures come in at about the same weight as water, but are environmentally toxic to critters and fish. Propylene glycol has a similar weight, but is NON toxic. Methanol makes water lighter than glycol but still 8#/gal. It is also highly toxic to critters and is flammable. Washer fluid weighs like water, but contains either ethylene glycol, methanol, or both, freezes at about -20, and is environmentally toxic. Beet juice weighs in at ~10.8#/gal, is NON toxic, not corrosive, and freeze protects to -35. The difference between beet juice and calcium in a 40 gallon tire is 2.8#. The difference between beet juice and washer fluid is not just the environmental costs of manufacture and leakage, but 97.6# less weight.

The environmental costs between beet juice (or the even more expensive and lighter propylene glycol) and washer fluid, methanol, or ethylene glycol, is far more than I would want to pay for. As a farmer, I see a good part of my job as leaving the plot I tend in better shape than when I got it, not more polluted.

Then there is steel: bolt on weights make it a whole lot easier to service a tire, and can be removed or added to as needed.

Best weight for the buck today and tomorrow is probably steel. Right behind that is beet juice. Everything else has hidden or deferred costs.

check the facts: http://www.orangetractortalks.com/2009/01/comparing-types-of-liquid-tire-ballast/

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