Have You Ever Seen These Tires?

[oosik]

The local JD dealer had a top of the line ZTR with those on. Unusual looking. VERY expensive - around $650 for a pair, as I remember.

 

[ruffdog]

The local JD dealer had a top of the line ZTR with those on. Unusual looking. VERY expensive - around $650 for a pair, as I remember.

When you have a bad back, a smoother ride can be priceless.

 

[aczlan]

When you have a bad back, a smoother ride can be priceless.

And if you are running a lawn care business, losing $15-20/hour per person for 2 guys to be at the dealer (or going back to your shop) getting tires fixed instead of you getting paid for the lawns that they should be mowing will pay back that $650 in a hurry (as will not getting calls for your mower cutting unevenly because one tire is lower than the other).

Aaron Z

 

[dnw64]

And if you are running a lawn care business, losing $15-20/hour per person for 2 guys to be at the dealer (or going back to your shop) getting tires fixed instead of you getting paid for the lawns that they should be mowing will pay back that $650 in a hurry (as will not getting calls for your mower cutting unevenly because one tire is lower than the other).

Even if you're just paying your guys cash at $15-20/hour it costs you a lot more than that (considering overhead).

We're not in the lawn care business, but we pay our guys generally $20-30/hour and it costs us just a hair under $60/actual working, billable hour. The biggest cost is unbilled hours - break (two fifteen minute per 8 hours day is 6-2/3% additional right there), vacation, holiday, plus all the time such as maintenance, bathroom breaks, team meetings, etc. Plus the employer's part of FICA, unemployment insurance (state and fed), workers' comp, general liability. The list goes on and on. And that doesn't count the lost profit from jobs you should be doing.

Because we are not a strictly service oriented business (a manufacturer which has markup on materials as well) I figure that when we have someone not producing billable work it's costing us at least $100/hour.

 

[SmallChange]

I saw these the other day on a large tractor pulling into a gas station. The guy in the cab looked Old Order Pennsylvania Dutch to me (a fair number of local folks are Pennsylvania Dutch here). Do these wheels pass the religious rules for letting people own or operate on the road? Last summer I hired a crew that I took to be Old Order to install fence, and they were happy to drive my tractor, which had ordinary ag tires. But owning it, or driving it on the road, didn't come up. Just wondering.

 

[aczlan]

I saw these the other day on a large tractor pulling into a gas station. The guy in the cab looked Old Order Pennsylvania Dutch to me (a fair number of local folks are Pennsylvania Dutch here). Do these wheels pass the religious rules for letting people own or operate on the road? Last summer I hired a crew that I took to be Old Order to install fence, and they were happy to drive my tractor, which had ordinary ag tires. But owning it, or driving it on the road, didn't come up. Just wondering.

I suspect that it would depend on the congregation and how strict they are.
From what I understand, there are also different rules for equipment that is owned by a business versus personally owned equipment (for some congregations).
As for what you saw on a tractor being at tweel, I suspect that it was a hard rubber tire as it appears that tweels are not available in anything bigger than a skid steer size tires.

Aaron Z

 

[Diggin It]

^^ May have seen something like this:



..

 

[3930dave]

The first time I read about these, they were being tested for military applications.

Nobody likes having to deal with a flat tire, but it's a whole different dimension if somebody is busy shooting at you.

Rgds, D.

 

[Trillium Farm]

I suspect that it was a hard rubber tire as it appears that tweels are not available in anything bigger than a skid steer size tires.Aaron Z

I've seen the Tweel on full size tractors, that's where one derives the best advantage. Small regular wheels can be easily & more readily repaired.

 

[ruffdog]

GM is working with Michelin with a street going airless tire/wheel. I would love to test these as I have horrible roads with pot holes and ruts.

Michelin, GM testing airless tires on Chevy Bolt EV for 224 - Autoblog