How to Choose and Use a Non-corrosive Liquid Tire Ballast 

In order to maintain your equipment long-term, it’s important to select the right tire ballast. Most liquid tire ballasts are corrosive to machinery, not to mention toxic to the environment, animals and humans.

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While frame weights or weight boxes don’t pose the same risks of corrosion that chemical ballast options such as methanol, calcium chloride or windshield washer fluid do, they don’t effectively add weight where the tires meet the ground, and they are the most expensive option per pound.

The Best Liquid Ballast for Your Machine‍

In this article, we’ll compare the safety of the available liquid ballast options for machinery, while also keeping in mind other factors that impact the choice of ballast, such as environmental safety, weight, convenience and freeze point.  ‍

Comparing Available Liquid Tire Ballasts for Non-corrosion

Rim Guard Beet Juice Tire Ballast is an American-made product formulated using a byproduct of sugar beet production as its primary raw material. What makes this raw material such an effective liquid tire ballast is its organic makeup, which provides both significant weight and freezing protection. In fact, Beet Juice Tire Ballast is the heaviest non-corrosive liquid ballast on the market today, as noted in AG Daily (https://www.agdaily.com/technology/rim-guards-beet-juice-leading-liquid-tire-ballast-option/) 

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Most of the other tire ballasts currently on the market are corrosive.

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Calcium or Magesium Chlorides (Chlorides) are highly corrosive, even in smaller amounts. It requires tubes and can destroy rims and valve stems if leaked from the tube. Some tractor rims will rust through in as few as eight years because of chloride ballast. 

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Methanol is also corrosive and can degrade tires, along with being flammable.

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Windshield washer fluid is also corrosive, and many contain methanol or glcyol. 

Comparing tire ballasts for freeze point, convenience, weight and environmental safety

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Chlorides perform well in extreme cold, with a freeze point of -35℉. However, they must be mixed on site, and the weight can vary based on the individual who mixes it. In addition, chlorides are not considered safe for the environment or livestock, and it can burn skin and contaminate soil.

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Jim Fennessy of Berrien County, Michigan, experienced this issue firsthand. “I had blisters on my hands working with calcium chloride,” he said. “It cleared up after switching to Rim Guard Beet Juice. I no longer sell calcium chloride. I serviced 30 of an orchard’s tractors to remove calcium chloride and fill them back up with Beet Juice for environmental reasons. Farmers like it because it washes right off if there is a leak.”

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While pure methanol has an extremely low freeze point, it must be mixed with water to be used as tire ballast. Also, it weighs 35% to 40% less than Beet Juice Tire Ballast, which means the cost may end up being higher down the road. Methanol is toxic to the environment and livestock and it is highly flammable.

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Windshield washer fluid has a freeze point of -25 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it requires tubes, and weighs 25% less than Beet Juice Tire Ballast. Windshield washer fluid is toxic to livestock and unsafe if it gets into the groundwater.

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Water is inexpensive and readily available, but it has a freeze point of +32 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it isn’t a realistic option where freezing temperatures are a possibility. The last thing you need is frozen tractor tires when you’re ready to you're ready to do your chores or plow your driveway. The relatively high freeze point introduces the risk of expanding ice separating the tire from the wheel rim. At 8 pounds per gallon, water is also lighter than other liquid ballasts. 

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Exterior weights change equipment configurations and center of gravity, and they take up space on the axle and the frame. Exterior weights are also the most expensive ballast per pound. Liquid tire ballast, by contrast, adds weight where the tire meets the ground, lowering the center of gravity to ensure optimal performance for pulling and lifting — at a fraction of the cost of external weights.

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Rim Guard Beet Juice Tire Ballast performs well in extreme cold, with a freeze point of -35 degrees Fahrenheit. It requires no tubes or mixing and is heavy, weighing in at 10.7 pounds per gallon. 

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Dealers choose Beet Juice Ballast over calcium chloride

The non-corrosive nature of Rim Guard is vital for dealers who sell tire ballast.

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“Our workers like Beet Juice because it doesn’t burn their hands like calcium chloride and doesn’t shrink or destroy their leather shoes or gloves,” said Curt Wells of Jerry’s Tire in Michigan. 

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For Justin Hess of Hess Farm Tire in New York, Rim Guard is the heaviest non-corrosive tire fill option.  “When people load their tires, they want the most weight possible”, he said. “Windshield washer fluid is 30% lighter than Rim Guard. Comparing the same number of gallons of each, they are getting 30% more weight with beet juice. We live in hilly terrain and filling tires with Rim Guard puts the weight lower than if you had iron weights bolted on the wheel.  It makes the tractor much more stable which is very important when working on side hills.”

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Protect your investment with Rim Guard

Rim Guard Beet Juice Ballast provides the advantages of liquid ballast without the risks presented by the other options. Non-corrosive, non-toxic, biodegradable and water-soluble, Beet Juice Ballast is safe for machinery, including antique equipment. 

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If you’re wondering why you should ballast not just your recent model tractor, but also your beautiful 1937 John Deere Model A, Beet Juice Ballast will shield the rims from corrosion and prevent rust damage to your equipment. 

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We hope this article on choosing and using a non-corrosive liquid tire ballast has been useful!

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If you have questions, concerns, or want other helpful hints about Rim Guard Beet Juice Tire Ballast, please call us at 616-608-7745 or email info@rimguardsolutions.com. 

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If you want additional information or are interested in becoming a dealer, please fill out the form at https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/contact or email sales@rimguardsolutions.com to schedule a quick, 15-minute phone call.

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