Old tractor with the biggest tires

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Nowadays, tractors on large farms have massive tires, but I am interested in which tractors from the 1930s through 1960s had the biggest tires.

From what I can tell, when it comes to diameter, my Farmall Super C has the same diameter tires as the Super M. Obviously, that tire size must have been more than adequate for a variety of uses, but I am curious if any tractors had bigger tires.

Did any tractors come with bigger diameter tires than a Farmall M? Seeing pictures of some John Deeres and Olivers, it looks like they have massive tires, but tractor data says they are not really any bigger. It must be a trick of the eye based on the design of the JDs and Olivers.

John

Aaron SEIA · Jun 9, 2019

According to Tractor Data a Super C had 36" rubber and a Super M had 38" rubber. There may have been some high crops or something with 40" rims, but 38" was the biggest for the bulk of tractors.
AaronSEIA

rustyfarmall · Jun 9, 2019

I'll have to consult the parts catalog again, but I think there was a 40" tire option for the Farmall H. Might have been some kind of a dual tire setup.

Donald Lehman · Jun 9, 2019

We always ordered 1650's with 18,4 X 34 tires. 18.4 X 38's were common. We sold a few with 20.8 X 38's also. We never sold any tractors with the 24 X 32's or Terra Tires. The local JD dealer sold some 4010's with 24 X 23 rice and cane tires. They had relatives who farmed in Florida who used them. The most common size for the 88's and Supper 88's were the 14.9 and 15.5 x 38 tires. The 77's around here generally had 13.6 X 38 tires.

Janicholson · Jun 9, 2019

Super C originally had (most common)36" rims with ~ 10 inch wide tires. Super M had 38 inch rims with ~ 13" wide
tires. They appear similar because you do not have them next to one another. 40" rims are common, I found one at
54" rim size at about 30 inches wide. (standing height about 7 feet. Big Bud 747 has tires that are at 8' tall and
36" wide, 12 of them (google it).
Farmall letter series were made to look the same so the appearance was more massive in the smaller tractors. They
were proportional, with very few interchangeable parts. Your tractor is 50% of an M. (by the way your tractor is
absolutely perfect for you, I think they are the handiest size IH made. Jim

fixerupper · Jun 9, 2019

Donald, didn t Oliver offer 40" tires at one time, maybe on the 70 or 80 row crops? Dad s first tractor was a 1947 Deere A with single front wheel and 40" rears and long axles. I don t know if it was classified as a true ANH or not but it was more of a specialty tractor, not a regular every day.

coonie minnie · Jun 9, 2019

There are Farmall F12s out there with 40 inch tires on F&H round spoke wheels. Deeres ANH and AWH, BNH and BWH would have been
similar, but were marketed as a high clearance option.

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Thank you everyone!

It seems my Super C has 36 inch rims and the M had 38 inch rims. Still, only 2 inches larger. The 40 inch rims seem pretty neat, but I was wondering if there was ever any tractor that routinely shipped with something like a 44 or 48 inch rim.

It seems like most of the tractors, even something as small as my Super C and as large as an M, had rim sizes within a within a few inches diameter. The width is a different story, but I am wondering purely about diameter.

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Thank you everyone!

It seems my Super C has 36 inch rims and the M had 38 inch rims. Still, only 2 inches larger. The 40 inch rims seem pretty neat, but I was wondering if there was ever any tractor that routinely shipped with something like a 44 or 48 inch rim.

It seems like most of the tractors, even something as small as my Super C and as large as an M, had rim sizes within a within a few inches diameter. The width is a different story, but I am wondering purely about diameter.

Janicholson · Jun 9, 2019

Remember that with the rim size difference, the aspect ratio (width of tire to height from bead to tread) stayed
about the same at 80%. This means that 2 inches of rim size might count for 7 inches of standing height.

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Good point about the standing height difference, and thank you for the picture.

Janicholson · Jun 9, 2019

Read my other thread. Look up Big Bud 747. Jim

KL in Wi · Jun 9, 2019

I have an Oliver 80 With 40"

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Jim, I googled the Big Bud 747, that tractor is incredible! It is truly a work of engineering marvel. The amount of torque it must have is crazy!

John

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

That is a nice looking Oliver.

For some reason, ever since I was a toddler, I have always loved farm Tractors, and the bigger the rear tires, the more I liked them.

I get my Christmas tree every year at a tree farm where they have lots of tractors, and my mom could not drag me away from the tractors when I was little.

Bob N.Y. · Jun 9, 2019

During that time period 20.8 x 38 and 23.1 x 34 were probably the largest common tires.

jon f mn · Jun 9, 2019

42, 46, and 54" tires are more
common on newer tractors. In
the 60s and 70s they went many
times to shorter fatter like
my 68 1030 has 20.8/34 tires.
They were on several brands of
tractors through the 70s.
Drove a couple 4430 jds with
them and they were common on
case 4x4 tractors. 20.8/38
tires were common on larger hp
tractors too. When rows got
narrower they went to the
taller narrower tires that are
more common today. Back in the
M and A JD days tall skinny
tires were because they
frequently mounted things like
corn pickers on tractors and
needed tall skinny tires so
the didn't run down the next
rows while picking. Where that
wasn't necessary like on
Western tractors 18.4/30 tires
were common, and 930 westerns
often has 23.1/30 on them.

Gambles · Jun 9, 2019

I was at a farm sale yesterday that had a restored Oliver 80 on the sale bill, very similar to yours. It also had 40" tires.

GreenEnvy · Jun 9, 2019

JD has th biggest tire on the market far as foot print goes
when they introduced the 5010 in 1962 with the 24.5-32 tires
that were designed for it.

sms · Jun 9, 2019

This has some big tires, maybe not the
tallest. 23.1x26. 1948 Case LAI with Lull
loader.

JohnV2000 · Jun 9, 2019

Nice pictures! I am a big fan of Farmalls, but the John Deeres and Olivers are also really nice looking.

Once I buy my own house and property (I am 18 years old), I want to have a big collection of tractors that so many makes and models.

Old tractor with the biggest tires

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