Replacement tires

[ponytug]

So my tires are getting old, starting to crack, and have the wounds to show a life well lived.

Replacement tire thoughts?

Anyone have a good source for the 6ply skid steer tires that Power-Trac uses? I'm not finding it in stock.

The original tires on my 1445 are 10-16.5, 6ply Carlisle Trac Chiefs, part #51S3C8. The PT1460 uses the 12-16.5 version.

I can find the 8-ply version, but I have concerns that even aired down, it won't have the traction of the 6-ply tires. Thoughts?

Anyone have a better tire?

Thanks in advance.

All the best,

Peter

P.S. there is a discussion over in the Kubota section to the effect that the 6-ply version may be reserved for "dealers".

 

[RustyA]

Do you think the ply rating will affect traction that much? My skid steer had 8 ply tires and I replaced with 12 ply as they were more common as less expensive. Ride was a little firmer but didn't notice traction difference...other than better with new tires.

 

[ponytug]

Do you think the ply rating will affect traction that much? My skid steer had 8 ply tires and I replaced with 12 ply as they were more common as less expensive. Ride was a little firmer but didn't notice traction difference...other than better with new tires.

I would say that I am reaching out for practical wisdom. I don't know myself. Tractor tires, I know very little about. In the past, we always did like for like replacement.

I know from off road vehicle experience the importance of airing down on soft ground like sand or mud, and I know the importance of not having stiff sidewalls when operating on low air pressures, i.e. radial ties outperform bias ply tires for the same size/air pressure in loose sand or mud. Off roading, you usually want a big patch of a relatively soft tire in contact with soft ground to reduce the ground pressure for maximum traction.

Trying to apply that off roading experience to a tractor used on soft soils with significant side slopes, would lead me to believe that the factory's choice of 6-ply tires is probably wise/optimal, and I wouldn't be second guessing the,pm, if I could find the tire.

But I don't know, and the fact that the 6-ply tires seem more than a little difficult to find made me wonder whether six versus eight ply made a practical difference. 6-ply at low pressure would seem to me to be close to the right load of the tractor weight at max load.

Like many other Power-trac owners, I use this tractor under slope conditions that could be described as, well ...hazardous, ...or bad for your well being, if it were a normal tractor. I often use it on 25-30 degree slopes (45-60%). Climbing a 35 degree hill with a 72" brush mower is close to the traction limit of my soils, so I would be a little annoyed if different tires ate into the tractor's hill climbing performance.

So, that's the long story.

All the best,

Peter

 

[RustyA]

With that information our needs are completely different. I wanted tires with a higher load rating and more resistant to punctures for hard use with grading and grapple use. I run them at top pressure for loads and clearance. Your use is almost more like a jeep or ATV for ground contact.

 

[jyoutz]

Look for a truck and equipment tire dealer in your area. They can fix you up with whatever you want. I’m talking about a commercial tire shop that caters to semi truck and construction equipment owners.

 

[m5040]

You are pretty much spot on with the plies. If you put a tire with enough plies on a light enough machine, you won't need to put air in (yes this is an extreme example) and this will give you a smaller footprint then a soft-pliable tire that was conforming to the terrain.

Tires have a load rating listed, so if you add 100% of the machine weight to 100% of the lift capacity, divide by 2 and that will be the minimum of what load you need to achieve.
(If you want to know why I say that, it is because the machine can, under severe conditions, ride on the 2 front tires).

So if you don't want to get stock tires, find tires with acceptable tread design that match your machine's weight needs and judge the plies for...maybe puncture resistance.

Tread design is the next problem. I like the new R14 tires which appear to be a cross between ag and R4 industrial. Don't know if they make them in that size.

Let us know how you make out.

 

[SpringHollow]

Those R14's look nice

 

[ponytug]

You are pretty much spot on with the plies. If you put a tire with enough plies on a light enough machine, you won't need to put air in (yes this is an extreme example) and this will give you a smaller footprint then a soft-pliable tire that was conforming to the terrain.

Tires have a load rating listed, so if you add 100% of the machine weight to 100% of the lift capacity, divide by 2 and that will be the minimum of what load you need to achieve.
(If you want to know why I say that, it is because the machine can, under severe conditions, ride on the 2 front tires).

So if you don't want to get stock tires, find tires with acceptable tread design that match your machine's weight needs and judge the plies for...maybe puncture resistance.

Tread design is the next problem. I like the new R14 tires which appear to be a cross between ag and R4 industrial. Don't know if they make them in that size.
View attachment 786560Let us know how you make out.

Thanks for the R14 tip. I will keep looking; the fact it is a Goodyear should (!) make it easier to find.

Do you have the R14s on your 1430? If so, do you notice any difference in performance? Soft ground? Amount of mud trapped in the tread...?

All the best,

Peter

 

[m5040]

All my tractors still have the original tires

 

[ponytug]

In case anyone wants it, here is the load table for the R14 Titan tire (aka Goodyear)


For two wheel, low speed use, it looks like the minimum pressure would be at least 30psi.
The stock Carlisle Trac Chiefs have basically the same load rating at 45psi, (3,500, vs 3510 above).

https://carlisletire.s3.amazonaws.com/Carlisle_Brand_Tires_Catalog.pdf

All the best,

Peter