UNBIASED opinion

[Farmwithjunk]

Farm,

While it is expensive, have you thought about foam filling the tires on your mowing machines? The price of the foam is probably less than the down time you have from all these flats....

just a thought.

jb

These tractors serve a double duty life. Mowing by day, er, well, by evening in most cases, and farming by, ah, well, by evening too. With 3 out of 4, tires are anywhere from 75% to 50%. Will be replacing in a year or so. I'll replace with 6 or 8 ply tires then. The exeption is the new one. The Deere 6430. At least it doesn't have fluid in the tires... And one doesn't have any AIR in it right now. (New tire made it here yesterday. Tire service will be at the scene of the crime at 8am) If we have a good year, and it looks to be headed that way, most likely we'll be buying a new tractor or 2 before next season. They may get foamed tires. At the very least, 8-ply R-4's.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Radial tubes are (for one thing) much thicker than bias ply tubes. this is what the Goodyear guy told me. I've got one in a '57 Farmall 230. BobG in VA

 

[EddieWalker]

I read an article in one of the construction trade magazines that compared running radial tires on heavy equipment compared to bias tires. The initial expense was much greater for the radial tires, but there service was so much longer that it more then made up for the upfront cost and was a huge savings over time.

Don't know about tubes.

Eddie

 

[N80]

I guess my uninformed understanding of radials is about right. I always thought the point of a radial is that it changes shape as it rotates. In other words the point contacting the ground expands into an 'oval-ish' shape to provide a bigger contact patch. A bias-ply, on the other hand, pretty much maintains its shape throughout rotation. So, the radial requires a specific design in the sidewall to allow for this change in shape and to handle the heat associated with it. If any of this is correct, it stands to reason that a 'radial' tube, would need to have some of the same properties.

However, it seems that on large slow moving tires, like a tractor, it wouldn't be that much of a factor. Do the radial tubes cost much more?

Finally, what, exactly is the primary benefit of radial tractor tires? Someone mentioned longer wear. Why? It seems to me that would be a compound issue. And if they do 'flex' radially like a car tire is supposed to, can you see it? Does it really provide a greater footprint? Just wondering because the major tire web sites are really pushing these radials hard and they are way more expensive.

For my mixed use, which involves a lot of work in woods with brush stobs etc, unless the radials provide significantly more punture/cut resistant side walls, they wouldn't make much sense for me. If I rip the sidewall out of my bias tire, it will cost a lot less to replace...I'm assuming. (And I have ripped the sidewall out of one of my truck tires (radials) before.)

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I guess my uninformed understanding of radials is about right. I always thought the point of a radial is that it changes shape as it rotates. In other words the point contacting the ground expands into an 'oval-ish' shape to provide a bigger contact patch. A bias-ply, on the other hand, pretty much maintains its shape throughout rotation. So, the radial requires a specific design in the sidewall to allow for this change in shape and to handle the heat associated with it. If any of this is correct, it stands to reason that a 'radial' tube, would need to have some of the same properties.

However, it seems that on large slow moving tires, like a tractor, it wouldn't be that much of a factor. Do the radial tubes cost much more?

Finally, what, exactly is the primary benefit of radial tractor tires? Someone mentioned longer wear. Why? It seems to me that would be a compound issue. And if they do 'flex' radially like a car tire is supposed to, can you see it? Does it really provide a greater footprint? Just wondering because the major tire web sites are really pushing these radials hard and they are way more expensive.

For my mixed use, which involves a lot of work in woods with brush stobs etc, unless the radials provide significantly more punture/cut resistant side walls, they wouldn't make much sense for me. If I rip the sidewall out of my bias tire, it will cost a lot less to replace...I'm assuming. (And I have ripped the sidewall out of one of my truck tires (radials) before.)

Radial TIRES cost MUCH more. Radial tubes seem to be in line with bias tubes, except that bias tubes seem to be disappearing from inventories at tire vendors.

Radials provide much better traction. They can be operated at a lower pressure. That provides the better "contact patch". That bigger contact area has some effect in reducing compaction. (lbs per sq in)

Radials are rumored to be more puncture resistant. I say that as I'm about to drive out to pay a tire repair service for mounting a new radial to replace the one that got ripped wide open (on a tee post) this past tuesday afternoon.

A couple friends of mine that are in to pulling tractors swear radials do provide significantly better traction.

My "theory" on the tubes goes something like this. I've split standard bias tubes before while running uncommonly low air pressures in bias tires. I've had a couple rip the valve stem out of the tube while plowing with low tire pressures. Radials are meant to run at lower pressures. I'd suspect the radial tubes are more flexable, and more forgiving in low pressure use. Maybe a "softer" rubber compound?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Radial tubes are (for one thing) much thicker than bias ply tubes. this is what the Goodyear guy told me. I've got one in a '57 Farmall 230. BobG in VA

That may apply to GoodYear tubes, but apparently not with Firestone. The tube I removed was an older Firestone "conventional" bias rated tube. New Firestone Radial rated tube was quite a bit thinner rubber. My tire guy said the biggest difference he can see is in the way the valve stem is integrated into the tube itself. More flexable. He didn't have a definative answer either.

I emailed Firestone's tech dept. I'll post their reply when I get it.

 

[woodchuckie]

Here's some explanation and information concerning tubes and then a link to the whole article.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Well, thanks to AMS you now have the correct tubes to install in those radials when they suffer a puncture that can’t be patched. Because of the significant differences in how a radial tire performs, a proper repair requires a tube designed to match the profile of the tire. A radial tube. Radial tubes have an advanced radial compound and profile that matches the design of a radial tire, and as you know it’s not recommended that tubes intended for bias-ply tires ever be used in a radial; a bias-ply type tube won’t conform to the shape of that radial casing.

[/FONT]AMS Tires

 

[LBrown59]

Do what you want but I'd stick with radial radial or bias bias but I'll admit I'm biased.

Ya doesen't hasta get radial about it.

 

[LBrown59]

Question is, how much did I know in the first place?

.

Yep the 64000 dollar question.