A Massey-Harris 33.

[MercuryMac]

I did some sandblasting today and a wee bit more welding. Oh, and Mothers day flower delivery.
The decision is half made on weighting the tractor. NO more calcium fluid. Maybe I`ll put used oil in the tubes, though.
Our old tractor club has a plowday every year and I sure want to go and plow a couple of times with it. Otherwise, it will pull an end-wheel seed-drill, a pull-type swather, and run a threshing machine, none of which requires much traction.

 

[dutch]

nice to see them oldies put to work... and the tractors too of course [cl

 

[Old Iron]

[cl

 

[smallfoot]

I started to ask a stupid question about why ya'll don't use water and then it hit me....big round ice cubes don't do well in tractor wheels...

 

[old28]

Used oil in the tubes great idea.

Those square ice cubes make to much racket bouncing around

 

[kenny c]

I would be afraid of used oil. It may break down the rubber and if it leaks it would be an environmental nightmare. We had beat juice put in a tractor at work. They claim it won't blead through the tubes and it won't eat the steel rims. It's supposed to be heavier than calcium.

 

[MercuryMac]

Kenny, I wondered about the oil reacting with the tube, but it won`t react with the rim and it wouldn`t be any more environmentally unfriendly than calcium.
Smallfoot, you are soooo spoiled. One of our guys added water to his back wheels for plowing, and then drained them again in the fall.
Dutch, your enthusiasm is unlimited and unguided.
Anyhow, I`ve got the welding all done inside and out, for the widening part of the second wheel. It is also partly ground smooth.

 

[dutch]

Looking good Mac [cl
I`ll try not to bother you with my bs comments again.... Let there be no mistake; I`d be proud to drive that shiny red convertible through any field when done [cl

 

[MercuryMac]

Dutch, I`m pretty sure I`ll be dang proud of that shiny red convertible too.

 

[Bamamav]

Just how much weight does it add to the tires? Can't be much, 50lbs maybe, depending on tire size? Mine had something in them, when I had a flat it all sprayed out, so I just refilled them with air. Couldn't tell a difference in traction, but I'm not plowing in soft dirt, either.

 

[MercuryMac]

More screening sand and blasting it against the best rim.
Bama, I hope it's more like 300 to 400 lbs. for added weight, but good question. I don't know. The bad thing about needing more weight for traction is that I will only plow for a day or two.
And Dutch, remember, when you're over here, you'll be picking roots by hand, not driving a shiny tractor around, showing off. ------ I'll be doing that.

 

[dutch]

 

[kenny c]

[cl[cl[cl

 

[Bamamav]

You need to have a pretty good guess to how many gallons one tire would hold then multiply x 8 to get a good guess. 5 gallons would be 40 lbs.

 

[old28]

MM, I'm with you oil is way better than calcium and I don't think it will affect the tube rubber material. Looking real nice. [P[P[P

 

[MercuryMac]

28, to add to your tube life reassurance, it won't show up on my watch, anyhow. Maybe the next generation will have to handle the problem.
Bama, I'll measure the tires and guess how many gallons would fit in there. I can only fill them up to the valve stem if I fill them on the tractor. There is also the option of adding wheel weights when needed.

 

[Bamamav]

My IH has wheel weights on it, I’d guess they weigh 100 lbs each side. I know it was all I could do to put the tire and rim in the back of the pickup when I had a used tire put on. Never could have done it with the wheel and weights.

My 8n doesn’t have anything, and it will dig a hole and stick itself if you don’t watch it. It would be terrible in loose dirt trying to plow with it. Low gear is about like second or third on my IH.

Enough about my junk, back to your hot rod Massey.....

 

[old28]

MM, That's a good "On My Watch", I can relate.
Wheel weights for that MH are harder to find than used 28" rear tires.

 

[MercuryMac]

Bama, by measuring the tire inside and guessing the height of the fluid, I think I would use 27 gallons of fluid in each tire. 27 x 8 =216 lbs. I checked one set of cast-iron wheel weights that I have and there is a 235 stamped in them. That feels like what they weigh.
Here is the 'easy to fix' wheel, fixed, sandblasted and primed. I will put some high build primer on and maybe some body filler. I have been fiddling around with my sandblasting system, so you'll see an air tank in the background of the picture. Well that's plumbed in parallel with the shop one that is about the same size. To fill this pink tank I had a tire valve stem intake. That was too restrictive, so I would run out of air pressure in this tank and the other tank would still be at a hundred and ten lbs. at least. I had to make a better, more efficient coupler. I did that and then the air system could keep almost 120 lbs. coming to the sand-blaster, and that works a way better.

 

[old28]

MM - That rim looks real nice, looking forward to seeing it painted.[cl

If you already have some wheel weights I would use them when you need some weight for plowing. For sure the tube will last longer with the inside rim tape rapped and just air in them.[P