Armstrong Tires

[sixdogs]

Armstrong made a great tire years ago but those days are over and those tires are gone. Today I'll only buy Firestone unless size prevents otherwise. if you're talking radials there are more and better options but I still prefer Firestone. I think Titan makes different grades of tires and things may have changed but as of a few years back I did not have good luck with OEM Titans. I had better luck when I kept them overinflated and steered clear of marginal situations.

 

[jenkinsph]

That 820 is getting old and spending $800 per tire isn't cost effective unless you keep it another 20 years or more and actually use them. Also the tires mentioned Armstrong 14.9" are over size for this tractor as it came with 12.4 28 tires. I had an 820 and if it were my money I would look for 12.4 28 or 13.6 28 tires new or used depending o the tractor overall condition. New oversized premium tires would be hard to recoop on an older tractor if you sold it in the near future.

Which brings us back to the Armstrong 14.9 28 tires, the price is a lot lower than new ones and if you have this size now and it fits well enough this might be the cheapest solution for you. I would add that the weight and traction load would be minimal for these tires on your tractor (31 pto hp) and may last you for several years. That is a judgment call you would need to make based on the condition of the tires that you have seen. $400 sounds a lot better to me than $1600 and you would not get that $1200 extra back if you sell the tractor.

 

[coveredbridge]

That 820 is getting old and spending $800 per tire isn't cost effective unless you keep it another 20 years or more and actually use them. Also the tires mentioned Armstrong 14.9" are over size for this tractor as it came with 12.4 28 tires. I had an 820 and if it were my money I would look for 12.4 28 or 13.6 28 tires new or used depending o the tractor overall condition. New oversized premium tires would be hard to recoop on an older tractor if you sold it in the near future.

Which brings us back to the Armstrong 14.9 28 tires, the price is a lot lower than new ones and if you have this size now and it fits well enough this might be the cheapest solution for you. I would add that the weight and traction load would be minimal for these tires on your tractor (31 pto hp) and may last you for several years. That is a judgment call you would need to make based on the condition of the tires that you have seen. $400 sounds a lot better to me than $1600 and you would not get that $1200 extra back if you sell the tractor.

You are right about the tire sizes. I couldn't find a listing for a 14.9 tire in the operator's manual. I assumed the Firestone 14.9-28's currently on the tractor were original since they looked old when I bought the tractor 25 years ago. Also, for all the use it gets, $800 per tire is not an option if any less expensive option is available.


I think a new Indian tire (Alliance or BKT) at $300 - $400 each would be a better option than 20 year old tires at $200 each, even if they look really good. I just don't know how you would know how a 20 year old tire would hold up after it was mounted and inflated. I think a standard size tire may be a better option. Any thoughts on how the tire width would affect performance? Also, how can I tell if the rims are original equipment or at least the correct size for the smaller tire? Would 12.4, 13.6 and 14.9 tires all fit on the same rim?

 

[sixdogs]

If tires/tractor are kept out of the sun in a barn, I've seen 35 year old tires with no cracks or checking and perfectly serviceable. The rubber may get harder but out of the sun keeps them in good shape.

In fact, I have an implement I pull over the highway and I recently found some rib implement NOS Firestones that were maybe 25 years old. The rubber is a little hard but I'll get great mileage out of them.