Tractor Tires

agonair · Jun 15, 2020

I am thinking of putting on a new set of tires for my tractor. They are 18.4-34. Current ones are older Field and Road. Will make the old ones duals.
I like Firestone and Good Year. Like to stay American made if possible. What are your thoughts on new tires and tubes?

retired farmer · Jun 15, 2020

Firestone.

DR. EVIL · Jun 15, 2020

I vote for FIRESTONE. I HAVEN'T cared for GY since they released the Dyna-Torque tire about 1980, first modern long bar/short bar tire. The OEM sales manager of GY told me face to face standing in the tire room at FARMALL that those tires were developed specifically to reduce/eliminate the cab shuddering of a thing called a Sound Guard body on hard surface roads. They serve absolutely NO purpose on an IH tractor.
I'd love to put a brand new set of All Traction Field & Road tires on my '51 M, but Firestone doesn't make them anymore. Think I'm putting a pair of MITAS tires made in Charles City, Iowa on my M, going "Old School" straight 45 degree lugs.

DoubleO7 · Jun 15, 2020

Goodyear Farm Tires division is owned by Titan.
So I would bet that tires with the Titan name on them are the same construction as the ones with Goodyear on them.

1970-1655 · Jun 15, 2020

I shopped around for several months watching CL, FB, eBay, local trader papers. I found a nice set of Firestone radials (18.4x34) at a very good price. They had main and duals matched but put a fence post thru one so they changed all 4. Still had about 3/4 tread and very little stubble marks.

If you are not pressed to get them now and not locked in to having new ones, shop around, ask around, post "wanted" ads. Choice of brands, I like Firestones. Didn't know if I would like radials but I was pleasantly surprised with them.

tomstractorsandtoys · Jun 15, 2020

I have 2 sets of Firestone All Traction 23 degree tires. One set is radial and one set not. I really like them and both sets are close to 20 years old. My tire dealer says I will not like the next set as they look the same but are made much cheaper and will not hold up. My tire shop is fairly big and sells the most tires within about a 75-100 mile radius of here. He has the firestones and will sell them if I want. Not sure what to buy. Tom

buickanddeere · Jun 15, 2020

Firestone R1W tubeless radials .

BarnyardEngineering · Jun 15, 2020

(quoted from post at 07:42:16 06/15/20)Think I'm putting a pair of MITAS tires made in Charles City, Iowa on my M, going "Old School" straight 45 degree lugs.

Bias ply MITAS (formerly Continental) tires are made in the Czech Republic. Only the radials are made in the USA.

Just got done talking with my tire guy about this. My tractor had 15 year old Continental bias ply on it, TONS of tread left, sidewalls are ROTTEN clear through to the inside. He says the new bias ply from Mitas are the same ones.

buickanddeere · Jun 15, 2020

install the R1W radials and you will wonder where all the extra traction came from .

BarnyardEngineering · Jun 15, 2020

(quoted from post at 10:52:43 06/15/20) install the R1W radials and you will wonder where all the extra traction came from .

...and you'll wonder where all your money went.

The only thing more expensive than Firestone SAT R1W's are Michelrots.

SVcummins · Jun 15, 2020

Bull crap

ss55 · Jun 15, 2020

I think Bridgestone bought Firestone back in 1988, including the agricultural tire division. Firestone ag tires are still made in Des Moines, Iowa, in a Bridgestone plant.

Bob Bancroft · Jun 15, 2020

Depends on what you're doing with it. In general, I prefer Firestone.

buickanddeere · Jun 15, 2020

(quoted from post at 14:23:55 06/15/20)

(quoted from post at 10:52:43 06/15/20) install the R1W radials and you will wonder where all the extra traction came from .

Click to expand...

...and you'll wonder where all your money went.

The only thing more expensive than Firestone SAT R1W's are Michelrots.

May not need the cost and nuisance of duals with a set of Firestone R1W radials .

SVcummins · Jun 15, 2020

Radial or not you still need flotation when you are on soft
ground And what’s the nuisance?

buickanddeere · Jun 15, 2020

Duals are not a nuisance if blessed with a rusted out, worn out ,20 year old diesel to haul the duals with .
The tractor is not all that large and is not carrying mounted equipment . A set of radials at 6 to 10 psi will be enough floatation . With the fuel and power savings of reduced rolling friction on radial singles vs bias duals .

Alvin 41 · Jun 15, 2020

Just got 4th set of rear 18-4x42's on main use tractor. First 3 were Firestone Deep Tread radials ,but last set had worn very unevenly and were awfully rough riding on road which we do a lot of in fall pulling grain wagons. My dealer recommended Michelins this time because of this and they were $1400 vs $1900 partially because they had bought a lot ahead. For the MFD I tend to use whatever is cheapest because the tread wears off too fast on all of them. Have had Firestone,GY,Petlas (Turkey}Continental and BKT.

Leroy · Jun 16, 2020

SV, I agree a radial cannot replace a dual for flotation. And I would buy any no name tire before a Firestone as Firestone when the 23* field and road came out were totally junk, Firestone lied using every trick they could think of to avoid replacing junk tires and the 23* did not have the traction of the 45* Firestones. And Bridgestone in a car tire you would think an 80,000 mile car tire should last more than 12,000 mile before you could not see a sign of tread. Same thing no warenty. Tire dealer so digusted with them would not consider putting more Bridgestone on car. Don't remember what he put on.

SVcummins · Jun 22, 2020

That might work in your text book but not in real life 😀😀 . A
radial will give traction but still won’t have flotation I went from
15.5.38 duals to 480:80;38 radials on my 4020 my 3020 with
15.5.38 duals still pulls the disk better in plowed ground than
the one in Singles . And my 20 year old diesel will still be
going long after your 11.4 mpg gas engine will . I would think
with all your textbook learnin you could do simple math but I
guess not 😀 then again you must be in the I gotta have
truck to compensate for a small weenie when really a dodge
caravan could pull and haul what you need to 😄

buickanddeere · Jun 22, 2020

On that small of a tractor . An R1W radial at 8psi is going to do everything a set of bias duals at 12psi can . And not be as wide to park in the machine shed .

BarnyardEngineering · Jun 23, 2020

It doesn't matter how flat you run the tires, four tires are still going to have more ground contact area and give you more flotation AND traction than two.

I remember when they came out with radials. Supposed to eliminate the need for duals. So what ended up happening? Guys started running dual radials!

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