# Snow and -5 degrees in Texas



## JGPenfield (Mar 10, 2016)

I live in Texas. It dropped to -5. Has not been that cold for 122 years in this area. I have 2 gallons of antifreeze in 38 gallons of water for ballast. That is 1:20 or 5 percent. I was told that plain water freezes and can shred the tires. I was also told 5% would prevent ice and make it slushy for Texas temperatures, but these are not Texas temperatures. 

What temperature would be safe to take my tractor out? 


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello JG, 
I think your relatively weak tire antifreeze mixture will prevent solid ice, slush is more likely. But I don't know for certain. If you don't need your tractor urgently, I would give it a day with temperatures above freezing.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

Some of that will depend on if they are tubed or tubeless.
A tubeless tire can tolerate slush occasionally ice will embed in the sidewall and tear up a tire but not usually.
A tubed tire the ice will grip the tube and you can have heavy pieces pulling on the tube quite often ice will shred a tube.
Also it will take quite awhile to thaw a frozen tire it's similar to an ice chest.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

JGPenfield said:


> I live in Texas. It dropped to -5. Has not been that cold for 122 years in this area. I have 2 gallons of antifreeze in 38 gallons of water for ballast. That is 1:20 or 5 percent. I was told that plain water freezes and can shred the tires. I was also told 5% would prevent ice and make it slushy for Texas temperatures, but these are not Texas temperatures.
> 
> What temperature would be safe to take my tractor out?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tractor Forum


The original formula of Beet Juice for Ag tire ballast goes down to -35F. The very cold areas of Canada uses this formula in their arctic blast winters. 
https://www.elkisland-polaris.com/rimguardtireballast 

Washer fluid today is mostly ethanol and can be corrosive to the tractor rims. 

The RV-Marine winterizing propylene-glycol (PET SAFE) is used greatly in the northern winter Ag business. And many of the county plow trucks use this along with 4X4 plow trucks. The PEAK & Camco brands are the -50F formulas of choice. You can visit their sites for the dilution tables and the cold temp coverages.


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## Gillfisher (Sep 14, 2020)

I use CACL ( calcium chloride ) wont freeze and way heavier than water


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

Gillfisher said:


> I use CACL ( calcium chloride ) wont freeze and way heavier than water


I'm sure that you know that it is quite corrosive when ever it leaks or gets spilled.
And some how it always seems to leak a bit into the rim and start to rust them out.
In 10-15 years you may likely have to replace or repair your rims,
if you get lucky you could get by 30-40 years before you have trouble.

Calcium chloride is an effective weight to fill tires with,
myself I prefer to spend the money on cast iron wheel weights.
When I couldn't buy iron I did use calcium chloride and mix and fill my tires myself.


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## JGPenfield (Mar 10, 2016)

I don’t “need” to use my tractor but it could be doing things like hauling a load of firewood out of the woods or using the box blade as a snow plow. My tires are tubed, so I will wait. Temperature will be 60 in a few days. Thats weather in Texas. Beet juice is not available here. Transportation costs are very high to Texas. Beets only grow in the cold. I would never use Methanol. It eats rubber and is lighter than water. I could use Ca Cl because I have a tube and would not have to worry about corroding the rim, but the chance of a another arctic blast like this in the next fifty years is slim. 


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

JGPenfield said:


> Transportation costs are very high to Texas. Beets only grow in the cold. I would never use Methanol. It eats rubber and is lighter than water. I could use Ca Cl because I have a tube and would not have to worry about corroding the rim, but the chance of a another arctic blast like this in the next fifty years is slim.


The safe option for you then is the RV-Marine fluid. Pet safe and shouldn't leak as it's also used as a lubricant in the food automation industry. It's also found in salad dressings, gummy bears, Swedish fish, Chinese take-out duck sauce, soft drinks, etc.


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## JGPenfield (Mar 10, 2016)

I finally dumped my ballast and replaced it with air. That extra weight was tearing up anything I ran my tractor over with big ruts. I dont have a FEL and I dont have steep hills. It makes it easier to move the tractor when hitching up implements and 800 pounds less weight when towing and now I do not have to worry about frozen ballast destroying my tubes or water leaking out and rusting my rims or antifreeze poisoning anything. So far I have not missed the extra drawbar power. 


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