How To Make Garden Tractor Wheel Weights

I don't know if this fits in Build-it or Attachments section, forgive my inability to categorize this one.

Leading up to present:

I have been looking for solid steel wheel weights for 12" wheels, but even on Flea-bay the prices and shipping are killers. JD makes arguably the best weights for 12" wheels, but the garden-tractor pullig crowd gobble them up for big bux. Craigslist hasn't helped either, lots of the plastic ones, going for $100+ per set.

(If anyone has some steel JD weights they wanna part with, PM me!)

Build your own:
I was looking at some of the older threads that made adapters and used steel barbell weights and thought that was a viable way to go. Unfortunatley, for 12" wheels you can't fit 25# barbell discs into the wheels, so you are stuck with 10# ers. Can't fit but about 3 or 4 of them, back to square one.

I figured if I was going to use plastic ones, I certainly wasn't paying the cost of frieght for shipping dried cement. Found these on line, fill em yourself. Looked promising. :confused:
TRAC WEIGHTS

Gave them a phone call (they are in PA). Was a little bit disappointed that the 12" model would top out at about 45# filled with Cement/Sand Mix.
UGH! I don't have a big machine, but I was looking for closer to 75# per wheel, not 45#. Told them I would call back.

Got thinking, hmmm, what if I stuffed them with not only sandmix or concrete mix, but also lead and steel scraps? :confused: Hey, that may do it!!! :eek:
Called back, ordered a set this morning. If you fill out the internet form, they will call you back for billing info. Shipping will be about $7.50, since they are hollow.

So, at lunchtime today, rolled into one of the local tire shops, and begged them for some wheelweights. Well, it's that time of year, and the muzzle-loaders had recently cleared them out to make their round balls.
They told me I was welcomed to what they had. Got about 40# of lead wheel weights! Not a bad haul for the first attempt. I'll hit another tire shop on Friday and see if i can get a few more lbs. I also have enough peices of scrap steel around, I can stuff the smaller bits in there too.

I might not make the full 75# to equal the nice JD steel weights, but if I can get these puppies up to maybe 60# a piece, I'll be happy enough, and it will be better than having nothing when it comes to snow plowing.

More news to follow, will give a product review and pics once I have them in my grubby hands.