best tractor tire

freshayr

New User
I'm looking for new 18.4-34 for my JD 3020. Hay tractor with lots of road work hauling wagons. what the best choice?
 
They cost a bit more but look at Firestones! They have a really good Ag tire website. The 23 degree bar Traction Field & Road would be my choice. Radials wouldn't be of much benefit for your usage.

You might want to consider buying a set of "Step-up Rims", 16x34 to 16x38, and look at 18.4x38 6 ply Traction Field & Roads. More ground clearance, faster ground speeds, little less pulling power but if you don't use the 3020 for tillage you won't notice the reduction.
 

I have some 18.4X38 Continental radials that have been driven many 100's of miles on blacktop roads & show no cupping out,uneven wear on cleats. One of these tires has been installed for over 20 yrs of custom hay baling. I think these tires don't have as good of traction for plowing as other brands but they wear excellent for road travel.
 
Firestones are the best, they just won't be the cheapest. On my tractors I regularly use, they get Firestone. On my occasional users, they get the cheapest.
 
I'll agree with the crowd and vouch for Firestones as well. Also FWIW, 18.4's on a 3020 are non existent in my area. Dr Evil makes a good point to try to go up to 38 inch rubber if you can.
 
If you are not looking for pulling traction in the dirt, I would actually shy away from the Firestones. They are a very good pulling tire, but I have found they don't last very long if run on the road much. For what you are doing, I would look at BKT or Galaxy import tires. Much less $$$ for a decent tire, and they will last better on the road.
 
I also agree with the comment about Firestone NOT being a good road tire. The 23 degree bar angle wears rapidly, from my own experience with a tractor used for lighter duty field work and spending a lot of time on the road hauling grain. I would talk to an independent tire dealer and gain some input from them, which is what I did. My tractor is a 180 horsepower tractor used for planting, cultivating, stalk chopping, but it probably spends half of its time hooked to grain trailers and on the road. We went with Michelin Agri-Bib radials, which have something like a 41 or 45 degree bar angle. This was the recommendation from my local independent tire dealer, who handles all major brands and some discount brands, too. Someone you deal with may have a better feel on something other than Michelin, because these were not an inexpensive tire. They seem to be holding up very well and I do like the looks of the tire itself, but it does not have quite as much lug on the ground as a Firestone radial would.
 
There was a lot of bad mouthing here about Samson, but those were put on the 4020 several years ago, and have worn very well.
 
The best tire is either a Trelleborg, Michelin or Firestone. Stay away from Goodyear, Continental, West Lake. If you want a good tire for a better price look at BKT.
Another thing to consider is that given you aren?t doing much heavy draft work, look around for a good 1/2 worn set of tires. Save a bunch and much easier on hay fields, and still very good on the road. New tires chew up hayfields pretty good.
 
I sold and installed many different brands of farm rears in the 22+ years I was in the tire business. I came to respect the Firestone brand. I was able to get acquainted with most of the engineers at the plant. I sincerely believe they are the best tire for the dollar today. I have them on the back of both of my bigger tractors and will put them on my smaller tractors if they ever need to be replaced. Put them on the road or in the field we found they were as good as anything made and better than most. If one needed adjusted I never had a problem.
 
I had the Firestone Field and road years ago and you could not give me a set. If I was interested in buying a tractor that had them on they would have to be removed and replaced with something else before I would deal. I personaly told the people at the tire proving ground they were totally junk.
 

I disagree on the Firestone bias tire for road use, mine are only a few years old and already cupping bad, haven't tried their radials.
Getting good wear from the Michelin's I have on one tractor but due to the number of flats from sidewall cracking I'll never own another set.
A nephew likes the BKT radials enough he's been putting them on the rest of his tractors as needed, I plan to try out a set of BKT's on my next purchase.

Whatever brand you go with, for heavy road use the higher cost of radials is worth it in the long run plus they ride better.
 

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