Farmall 340 Tires and Ballast

I have 1960 Farmall 340 wide front end with a loader on it. It has 13.9 x 36 tires on it. They are overdue for replacements (probably original Firestones maybe), plus I have leaking inner tube stem on one side...not just the core...so due for probably for some repairs/replacement there too. So, I am look at new tires and ballast.

In my preliminary checking 13.9 look a little hard to come by. What do folks recommend as far as tire size, brand, and ballast?

It is kind of a multiple use chore tractor on an acreage. I do some bush hogging with it, blade 3/8 miles gravel road with a land plane, scoop snow off the road, etc. but it is not a daily user. Plus I do have some rough ground so ballast probably needed with the loader tractor. Thanks in advance.

Stay with the13.9x36.Firestone is the best quality. However I've had very good service with Harvest King.I have several sets(front and rear) here.There are other good brands out there too. Go talk to your local tire dealer,see what they have to offer. then buy from them(not online).Definitely put in liquid ballast. If you don't want calcium,'rimGard'(beet juice) is a more expencive alternative.Dont waste time trying to find 'used',they just don't exist,especially good ones.Just buy new from a local business and be done with it.

I just put a pair of Mitas 13.6 x 36 with spin out rims on a Farmall 340 diesel. They are a good looking tire with a deep lug. The lug is deep enough to
almost resemble a rice tire. Have a pair of 12.4 x 36 used for sale if that is of interest.

Good sane advice. A local dealer gave me a quick quote on Mitas 13.6 x 36 with Bioballast in them. I do not know much about either the tire brand or that kind of liquid in the tires. He does not deal with calcium chloride any more. The quote was not exactly pocket change, but I suspect it is what it is.

I think the original tires were 12.4 x 36 with 6.00 x 16 on the fronts. This being a loader tractor probably either the dealer or previous owner put on larger tires with 6.50 x 16 on the front and 13.9 x 36 on the back. I do not think I can get 13.9 any more. I am not sure Firestone makes 13.6 either but I will check. The front end sets up high as it is, and I would prefer not to put smaller tires on the back.

I brought the tractor from Texas about 15 years ago to Nebraska. I always assumed I had calcium chloride in the rear tires. I hardly used it in the winter months, and it sat inside my shop where it seldom got bitter cold.

However, I had it out a few weeks ago after a long cold spell, and the tires had frozen. Dealer told me probably they had water or very weak calcium chloride solution in them. My lick my finger test indicated no salty taste, so probably just water. I suspect the freezing caused a leak around the valve stem, and I have just been lucky all these years.

This is a farming area, so there are several tractor tire dealers within 30 or so miles, ,and a couple of high volume ones if I stretch it out to 75 miles. I will check the ones right in town first since I agree with supporting local businesses, particularly if they can offer good service. Thanks

As I wrote in my response to DeltaRed, a local dealer priced me Mitas tires 13.6 x 36. I do not know anything about that brand, but I assume you checked them out. I don't think I would want to put anything smaller than that on my loader tractor. The front end kind of sits up high anyway with 6.50 x 16 on the front. Thanks for the offer on the 12.4 tires. I do not know where you live but probably the shipping costs would negate much cost savings too.

Are your Mitas bias or radial? I don't know what the advantages or disadvantages would be for my tractor. I very very seldom take it on the road. It is most used to maintain my crushed rock/gravel 3/8 mile driveway and occasionally to bush hog parts of my acreage, plus a little loader work and snow removal Thanks

(quoted from post at 02:14:45 03/24/19) Stay with the13.9x36.Firestone is the best quality. However I've had very good service with Harvest King.I have several sets(front and rear) here.There are other good brands out there too. Go talk to your local tire dealer,see what they have to offer. then buy from them(not online).Definitely put in liquid ballast. If you don't want calcium,'rimGard'(beet juice) is a more expencive alternative.Dont waste time trying to find 'used',they just don't exist,especially good ones.Just buy new from a local business and be done with it.

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I am not finding a 13.9 or a 13.6 x 36 in a Firestone. I will talk with some tire dealers. Thanks