I'm replacing the very worn tires on my TH-63 and have been planning on having them liquid filled, same as the old ones. The Cat manual I have does not specify they have to be filled, it says tires may be filled if total machine weight is not exceeded. Old tires have calcium soulution, have been planning to use a less corrosive beet juice formula. Most people I talk to say they should be filled, and wieghted tires seems to be the norm around here for telehandlers, but a couple of people have told me it unnessisary and overall not worth the downsides. The machine does have stabilizers, so that helps. I know some of the new solid weighted wheels are best of both worlds, but the age, value and use level of this machine dosen't warrent paying more for tires/wheels than I did for machine. Foam filled is another option I have not ruled out, but my question here is whether filled tires are the best way to go, in whatever form. I've never owned a telehandler before, so I'll appreciate any experianced opinions.
You'll be disappointed in the lifting capabilities without filling them, if you're used to having them filled. It would probably add a couple thousand pounds to the machine. Most here don't liquid fill them, they will foam fill so they don't have flats anymore. But they don't ride real great foam filled. Which isn't the end of the world, most guys aren't roading them very far. If it was my machine and I was filling tires, I would foam fill to eliminate flats. There's always nails/ carriage bolts/ rebar all over the jobsites most telehandlers spend time on, and its a constant battle otherwise. If you aren't on construction jobsites and have a different use- like I know some farmers using them for loading hay- they don't fight the debris that some other machines face. So application matters.
My 2c. If your machine is equipped with stabilizers/outriggers make sure you use them as often as you can while lifting. If you decide not to go that way the lack of filled tyres will be pretty much compensated for in all but a few specific instances by the use of the outriggers.
There is a softer gel type foam in our 534 Gradall. 3 of the 4 tires are close to 20 years old snd other than no tread have held up well. The machine has been retired for 15 of those years and is now a yard machine. The first 5 years it was used daily in multifamily construction.
Interesting note: the banner ad at hef for me is now about beet juice ballast for tires…
That's Google Adsense and why Google has a giggazzillion dollars.
I need to check out the beet juice thing. Sounds tasty. I don't think that I have run across any liquid filled tires on material handlers. But most of my clients that do vertical construction tend toward foam filling tires because nails and screws always seem to seek out tires. On a slightly different note, I would like to suggest that anyone who puts foam or liquid in a tire very clearly mark that it has been done. I almost got pinned between a Gradall tire and my service truck last year while replacing a rear spindle. I know most of the blame is on me. I should have considered that it might be a filled tire. More than 90% of the equipment tire work in my area is done by just two different techs. And they always mark the wheels. This one was either one of them on a bad day or one of the 10%. So that was dumb on my part. But there are a lot of people out there that are a lot dumber than I am.