Any luck plugging tires?

leveraddict

Well-known member

Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
Apr 1, 2019
906
580
93
NEPA
Well I just walked into the garage today and noticed what looked like a paper clip sticking in my BX23S front tire. I gave it a tug and it came right out but I heard the hiss as soon as I did. It wasn't in far at all. It was in the center of the tire but not in the lug. That that smooth part next to the lug is very thin. I plugged it but I don't feel confident its going to hold especially using the loader. Anybody had luck plugging tires on tractors? Oh and it turns out the thing that looked like a paper clip was something off of someones brakes. Probably the Tundra I just traded!:confused:
 

leveraddict

Well-known member

Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
Apr 1, 2019
906
580
93
NEPA
Thanks Ken I used the standard plug kit. We shall see!
 

SDT

Well-known member

Equipment
multiple and various
Apr 15, 2018
3,084
923
113
SE, IN
Well I just walked into the garage today and noticed what looked like a paper clip sticking in my BX23S front tire. I gave it a tug and it came right out but I heard the hiss as soon as I did. It wasn't in far at all. It was in the center of the tire but not in the lug. That that smooth part next to the lug is very thin. I plugged it but I don't feel confident its going to hold especially using the loader. Anybody had luck plugging tires on tractors? Oh and it turns out the thing that looked like a paper clip was something off of someones brakes. Probably the Tundra I just traded!:confused:
Twenty five+ years ago, I bought a new set of rims and tubeless tires for a 51, 8N Ford that I sold late last year. A couple of years later, I noticed a slow leak on the left tire, requiring air every few months. It took me two or three years to find the leak and finding it only occurred after I was caught in the rain and drove through a puddle on the way back to the barn. I was able to hear and subsequently find the leak, which turned out to be a small wire (similar to the wire in a rotary wire brush wheel) about 1/2 inch from the bead on the inside of the tire.

Plugs usually do not work in sidewalls but I decided to give it a try as it was a tubeless tire. Plugged it and it never leaked again in twenty or so years, probably because the sidewall flexes very little so near to the bead.

FWIW, I expect that this small wire had been in the tire since manufacturing as I can conceive of no way that it could have penetrated the tire in the position that it was.

I expect that a well installed plug will perform well in your front tire.

Yet another reason to not use liquid ballast.

SDT
 

leveraddict

Well-known member

Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
Apr 1, 2019
906
580
93
NEPA
Thanks Bulldog. I have no experience with slime but if it leaks I will surely give it a try!
 

GeoHorn

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
5,575
2,940
113
Texas
The problem with “Slime” and similar products is that they will rust/corrode the wheel (rim) itself, which may become more difficult to replace later on when it fails.
I’ve owned a couple of tractors and the 9N Ford came to me with liquid sealant in the tires. I don’t know how long that was the case but in 2-3 years those wheels failed completely. (And if they had failed in the worst scenarios it could have been injurious/fatal to the operator.)

I have used plugs in both front and rear ag tires with no harm whatsoever. They worked fine for years.

Hope that helps.
 

whitetiger

Moderator
Staff member

Equipment
Kubota tech..BX2370, RCK60, B7100HST, RTV900 w plow, Ford 1100 FWA
Nov 20, 2011
2,542
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113
Kansas City, KS
Kubota: 32oz Premium Tire Sealant, Part # 77700-05583
This sealant is non-corrosive, washes out with water, seals bead, sidewall and tread leaks.
Seals large nail holes using kevlar in the sealant.

This sealer works so much better than Slim that we buy it in 55-gallon plastic drums.
 

Gillie Dog

Member

Equipment
L2501 HST, FEL, Forks Attachment, Harrow Disc, etc.
Dec 12, 2018
79
2
6
Southern California
Yes, I have used standard tire plugging kits from the auto parts house but also buy the adhesive for extra help.

Did a water filled tubeless rear a couple months ago that had a "big" hole in between treads of an R4. Rotated hole up, put block under rear end to hold tractor up. Tried to put in plug and it felt loose, pulled it out and put three plugs in the handle tool slot, that was all that would fit, gooped them up with adhesive and was able to work them into tire and get the handle out leaving plugs in. Waited an hour, aired up the tire and no leak, it was a week before tractor was used and to date it has not leaked (only about 15 hours of use is all), looks ugly but does not leak (yet).

Did this instead of taking off the wheel because of time and long travel to tire guy to boot or what ever he would do, as a experiment/test. So far so good. And in our situation it is not critical if it slowly leaks and we keep airing it to get through a day. Then do it right.

GD
 

leveraddict

Well-known member

Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
Apr 1, 2019
906
580
93
NEPA
Kubota: 32oz Premium Tire Sealant, Part # 77700-05583
This sealant is non-corrosive, washes out with water, seals bead, sidewall and tread leaks.
Seals large nail holes using kevlar in the sealant.

This sealer works so much better than Slim that we buy it in 55-gallon plastic drums.
I just didnt trust that plug. Don't want to get caught with my pants down if you know what I mean! I did some research on this product and went and got some at the dealer. About $19 with tax for the 32 oz bottle. That's enough to do one front tire on the BX. The rears would need two 32 oz bottles each. I just got one to give it a try! I put it in the tire filled her up and pulled the plug out. I never trimmed off the excess plug so I was able to grab it. Scary how easy it came out. That BX tire has fairly thin wall. A few spins of the tire and it sealed right up! Now that hole was pretty big after being reamed out with the plug kit! If it holds like they say I may put it in the rest of the tires to prevent flats in the future. It would be just my luck im out on the machine a mile down the road and get a flat! It would be good to have a little insurance policy far from the house. Its not like theres a spare in the trunk LOL!:p ! Anyone else have a similar product in their tires for just in case?