on-farm tire service (especially with fluids) hard to get?

Getting harder to get on-farm tractor tire service in my area, especially if you have fluid filled tires. I need to get the rear tires replaced on my Farmall M. It's been awhile since I last needed this. Called my usual tire place and was told they no longer did on-farm service. I also found out that all the Farmer Coops in my area no longer have their tire trucks.

Finally found someone about 30 miles away. There were about 6-7 tire shops ten years ago in my area 10 years ago that had trucks. Now there are only 2 in a three county area (Northeast Nebraska).

Are others having the same happening their areas with getting on-farm tire service? Is there something happening to the business that is making dealers get out of it?
 
When I got into it 30 years ago there were many farmers in each township. Now most of them have passed on. Still have quite a few left but not enough to be profitable to own and maintain a truck. we still have 2 guys with trucks in the area, good year store junked theirs a couple of years ago. Good luck Tom
 
We still have the same two for decades...14 and 17 miles away. Plus local JD dealer....my oldest son does them there- 4 miles away.
 
I know the two tire men in my town. They can make more money working the highway than they can doing tractors. One still does tractors but will give it up when his truck gives up. With all the cost involved it's just not worth it.
 
Just like all the shops you used to get service at. Most are closing up.
I am still lucky to have a couple of options in my area. Just had one come and replace a tube not long ago. I'd of done it myself but I didn't want to mess with pumping the fluid in and out. Tire guy said very little are using fluid anymore and everything is also tubeless.
 
Can you still drive the tractor on the road? You may be ahead to just drive the tractor to the closest tire shop. Talk to the service manager to see if they can schedule it so you can drive it in, get the work done in a few hours and drive it home the same day.
 
littlefarmer,

I live in the southern part of Middle Tennessee. Farming is relatively small in the area compared to the mid-west. However, as of this time, I have great farmer's co-op near me with an excellent staff of tire guys, including on farm service. I'm an old guy so I expect the co-op to continue as it is at least long enough that I'll no longer need it.

Tom in TN
 
I have used one a couple times, approx 50 miles one way. He treated me right both times, and the last time he was down this way, and only charged mileage from the other location to my place - which is very fair and most would not have even said anything and charged mileage from their shop. That probably saved half the mileage charges. Normally I am not rushed to get a repair, so I will keep that in mind, and just have him do mine when in the area if he agrees and helps both of us out.
 
The names have changed along with the locations but there are a few choices in the area. Same day service might be hard to get during the spring and fall.
 
Several in my area,the guy I use is really good.last time I called him it was on a Sunday afternoon I had a flat on the tractor I was raking with he said he'd be on his way,told him I'd be baling in another field when I finished baling that field he was just finishing up on the raking tractor.Worked good for me because I was a good distance from any of my other tractor.
 

No issue getting someone to come, not sure on timeline, but you are going to pay big time for it. If you can drive it there it's a lot cheaper.

Had a rear go bad filled with fluid. Service call was going to be half of what a new tire cost! Took tire to shop and waited for it.
 
Same here , harder to find one . My buddy who's got a large dairy doesn't load tires any more . Takes em off with a loader and haul s em into town. I have 3 with loaded tires , been lucky tho .
 
I echo what Tom has said I am on you in extreme Northern Middle Tennessee and Co-Op is good to come and fair price. Also a couple of independents that still service on the road and farm.
 
In my part of northwest Iowa we have three local towns with on farm tire service. One is 17 miles, one is 14 miles and the other is 30 miles. In one of the areas we harvested in Kansas there was an independent tire repair guy that went to the farms with an old worn out tire truck. The farmers would buy the tires wherever and call him to do the work. He would come out to replace a big old combine or grain cart tire on a 100+ degree day and work hard till the job was done. He worked faster if we brought a six pack of beer. He would down a can and take the rest home with him. Last time we had him replace a combine tire he had his son along but the son was draggy. The father kept talking sternly in Mexican to the son and then finally told me "he no good today, out all night drinking beer and chasing (girls). I cant say in the internet what he called the girls. The son downed a can of beer out there in the field right along with the dad though. LOL
 
Nearest supply/shopping stores of any kind are 30 miles from me. There is one ag tire dealer that comes out from there. 32 miles from me in another direction is one more. I don't know of any ag businesses that have been shutting down, most are busy in this agricultural area.
 

One second generation family tire shop here that will do loaded tires another commercial tire store that does field service on unloaded tires.
Went 24 years without a rear flat in the field then in 2014 I had four rear flats on loaded tires on the same tractor, each rear tire went flat twice. Each time the tube would be pinched, second time on each tire we left the fluid out and no more flats, longest I waited on the family owned shop was three hours, he was doing another field repair 20 miles away
 
Not a problem here in central NY. Three tire dealers in the area that all do "On Farm tire repair", and advertise the service on the local country radio station all the time. The Firestone dealer also has a contract with the NYSTA to do road service on I90, known as the NYS Thruway.
Loren
 
Most farmers don't want to spend the money, and nowadays most own a truck and a loader so easier and cheaper to put tire in the truck and head to the shop. Farm tires are pretty simple compared to heavy equipment tires so many just do it themselves as well
 
kind hard to explain, here the problem isnt finding the tire man, its finding him when he's sober enough to do any work
 
Hi we had 2 within paying distance of here for call outs they were both expensive for the milage. A new tire shop opened half way between us and one of the other guys. He wants the business and don't care if the other guy closes. I asked the new guys now Larry has competition in our immediate area, he's had to smarten up with the pen on prices . what happens to your low prices when larry closes the door. I got no answer,Didn't expect one but know what I should be thinking, I guess in 2 years I'll know if i was right!.
Regards Robert
 
I guess I am lucky as the local tire shop is literally right around the corner. This helped today as my wife pointed out the tractor had a flat tire. If I need field service I can choose from two or three people that are less than 15 miles away. This area has lots of agriculture so the company's can easily make money.
 

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