Farmwithjunk,
I would take your tape measure to the dealer and measure a few tires of different brands. A big Ag tire dealer should have plenty to measure. This size difference is very common with tires. Start measuring truck tires, like 33's,35's, etc and you will be pretty surprised at the measurements, even as you say with the tire unloaded. In my experience I have found the Firestones tend to run larger in diameter than Goodyears for the same size tire. I would recommend checking out the Firestones and also if you drive by some tractor dealers, measure some tires. Just my 2 cents.
Good luck,
Russ