Tire decisions??

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 20, 2013

I am in need of new 9.5-24 tires for the front of a mfwd loader tractor. I have two options for tires.

Option 1: American made Firestone tires in a 6 ply rating good for 1870lbs.

Option 2: Chinese/India made BKT/???? 8 ply tires rated for 2400lbs.

I know the 8 ply tires and their extra 1000lbs of capacity would be ideal with the loader but I'm not sold on the import tires just yet.

What are your guys opinions/experiences on US vs Overseas rubber?

DeltaRed · Nov 20, 2013

I cant offer any advise.Only you can decide.
if US mfgers dont offer what you need,then ya gotta
go foreign.Kinda sucks,USA made is My first choice.

glennster · Nov 20, 2013

i tore the side wall out of a firestone bush hogging, and looked at replacements. the bkt's were 8 ply vs the firestone's 6 ply, i went with the bkt tires, lower cost and extra plys, have not had any problems.

Fordfarmer · Nov 20, 2013

I've never tried any of the import tractor drive
tires. I do have a few Akuret and BKT implement
and 3-rib tires. My experience is that the imports
are MORE expensive in the long run, as you end up
replacing them sooner. And there isn't that much
difference in price any more, at least for some
sizes. I got a new 12.5L-15 a couple weeks ago.
Dealer had 3 in stock - BKT, Akuret, and
Carlisle... with an $8 spread from highest to
lowest.
In your case, I might be tempted to go with the
imports due to the extra plies and higher weight
rating. But I'd ask the dealer if he'd order 8 ply
U.S. made first.

49716 · Nov 20, 2013

just traded off a new Holland with 640 hours on it, the india rubber that came standard was so weatherchecked the dealer put new tires on the front. I would never buy india rubber for a tractor I planned on keeping. or, you could just head below the bridge to Ginop's and buy my old loader tractor, it's got new front tires

Tony in Mass. · Nov 20, 2013

I haven't bought any- cause I don't need any new ones right now, but I was told BTK were made with old fashioned natural rubber from trees in Brazil and India etc etc. Never such a thing as a rubber tree plantation in the US... Nylon or re-cycled rubber is in most US made tires. Pick your poison. Pure rubber wasn't even the best for all applications 100 years ago, but... 8 ply is 2 ply better than 6 ply.... for fronts on a fwa? compare to the rears on a parade ready super A? .... yeah, 8 ply..

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 20, 2013

(quoted from post at 07:55:55 11/20/13) But I'd ask the dealer if he'd order 8 ply
U.S. made first.

That's the problem there are no US made 8 ply tires in that size that any tire dealer I've called can find.

I really like the idea of 8 ply tires but also hate the thought of them cracking and failing in just a few years, when I have Firestone tires that still look like new after 20 years of sitting outside.... hmm

Fordfarmer · Nov 20, 2013

Then I guess it comes down to, how much capacity to
you -need-. Are Firestone (probably better) tires
going to fail due to overloading? If not, I'd go
with them. If maybe yes, go with the BKT's.

old · Nov 20, 2013

Firestone and made in the U.S> ?Ya maybe made here but last I knew Firestone and Bridgestone where one in the same company and owns at least in part by Japan. If it where me I would run form the Firestone but then I have never had any good luck with them as for the others I would also keep on looking

Rick Kr · Nov 20, 2013

I put on Titan 9.5-24s on the front of my MWFD loader tractor (NH3930).

I would rate them as ok. There doesnt seem to be any questionable amount of weatherchecking, which there shouldnt since the tractor is parked inside.

But, what I do see, is a lot of "chunking". Decent size chunks of the lugs getting torn off. I do have a fair amount of rocks. But the rear Goodyears DuraTorques show the same type of cuts, but they do tear like the Titans do.

Rick

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 20, 2013

(quoted from post at 09:57:42 11/20/13)as for the others I would also keep on looking

In that size there are only a few brands so one can only look so far.

Just talked to my tire guy and he has a pair of NOS BF-Goodrich 6 ply tires available that he will let me try out and see how bad they squat under load. He said if they don't hold up the load then he will order some 8 ply imports for me.

Rick the Titans are 6 ply? How do they hold up with a load in the bucket? Do they squat excessively?

Mike Aylward · Nov 20, 2013

Firestone ag tires are made in Des Moines, I believe. Something that isn't widely known is that different brands of tires with the same ply rating are not necessarily the same thickness. Many times a 6-ply Firestone is heavier than other brands of tires with heavier ratings. Goodyear and Titan are both made by Titan (which means the Goodyear tire has been cheapened). Mike

donjr · Nov 20, 2013

Gotta agree with you, but for a different reason. Firestone's warranty is a bunch of bullchit and useless. I had the sidewall blow out of a NEW tire- with about fifty hours on it. It was a ten ply tire, and they wouldn't even look at it. Last Firestone I ever bought....

Stumpy(NH) · Nov 20, 2013

My. 02 I have BKT's on two tractors. 4 on my Kubota
(small L2850) the rears are loaded. And 2 on my
Farmall M. The Kubota has had them on for a couple
of years. Lots of brushhogging, rototilling, baling
hay, tedding, light loader work. Money well spent.
The M got the rears this year. So far so good.

Stumpy

farmer boy · Nov 20, 2013

I was looking at the same tires a few months ago. It was either 6 ply Firestone's, 8 ply Westlake's or the BKT tires.

The BKT dealer told me that there was no warranty on the tire. Once it was on the rim, it was your problem.
Talked to some body else who tried 8 ply Westlake's on the front end of a loader tractor, and they ended up blowing out. Ended up going with the Firestone's. They easily handle whatever weight I put on them without issue.(can lift around 3000+ lbs) I've had one on the other side for a few years and it's never caused any trouble. Cost was about $250 for the Westlake/BKT vs $360 for the Firestone.

I have 16.9 x 30 Westlakes on the back of the same loader tractor, and they're doing fine. By what the other guy was saying , they can't handle the weight.

Rick Kr · Nov 20, 2013

They are Titan 6 ply. They call for 30psi max, which you want that if you are doing a lot of loader work. They even say Made in the USA on the sidewall.

Yes, they will squat a little, but I wouldn"t say excessive, you do see the sidewall curve a little. I have a 72" GP bucket which I think is 3/4 yard. I do heap it on occasion with wet sand or clay, so I am loading it heavy, they will bulge a little more then.
Plus I just put a quick-attach on the loader so that moves the bucket out another 2-3 inches plus adds 100lbs.

I now have a Case 580SE so my more serious loader work goes to that, and I plan on converting the tractor to 12.5/80-18 R4s on the front. Wider footprint and tire should last a little better on concrete.

Hope this helps,
Rick

Brad Buchanan · Nov 20, 2013

Ever hear of 'block crepe' Tony?

Brad

Tony in Mass. · Nov 20, 2013

Are you talking about the flowering bush? Or the old fashioned tire? Myrtle crape is the tree, we called the tires 'crepe sole snows'. I had kept one around for years, just for a...conversation piece...

ss55 · Nov 21, 2013

Interesting discussion. It makes me wonder what tires the tractor manufacturers are putting on similar size new tractors? Are they are increasing their tire sizes front and rear to retain the same load capacity?

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 21, 2013

Most similar sized tractors I've seen are setup to run 12.4x24's up front which have a much higher load capacity and is a lot more common.

RodinNS · Nov 21, 2013

BKT. They're a decent tire. Deep lug. Probably not as hard rubber but those I see around here last decently. You need plys under a loader. Get them.

Rod

RodinNS · Nov 21, 2013

Nah, the Titan won't squat any more than the rest. It'll just go BOOM some day and leave a 6" gash in the sidewall and if you're lucky you won't have the loader high enough to roll you over.
Titan Power Grips are the only tires I've ever seen rupture internally from load alone. There's about as much integrity in those 6 ply carcasses as there is in single ply as$wipe.

Rod

Rick Kr · Nov 21, 2013

Another reason to go to the 12.5-18s. Just need a little more $$.

Rick

RodinNS · Nov 22, 2013

Are they the same rolling radius as the 9.5-24? I did some research on that a couple of years ago and I thought that the only tire I could come up with for a replacement was mabey a really fat 20" tire that they use on the tele-handlers... and they were bloody expensive. They were an ag type tread tho.
I have much the same problem as you... a 3930 with a heavy loader on it and not enough tire under it. Presently has a set of cheap Galaxy's on it.

Rod

Tire decisions??

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