Care and Feeding of Tractor Tires

IACase400 · Aug 3, 2016

I'm looking at some new tractor tires and as I get over the sticker shock its making me wonder if there are some tips and tricks for getting the most life out of them. I don't know if armor all is appropriate, but is there anything a person can put on them to keep them going longer? Is it worth the effort to fix minor tread nicks? I'd love to hear any suggestions.

Janicholson · Aug 3, 2016

Keeping the sidewalls protected from UV (sunshine) and Ozone (welding fumes) is the most effective solution. There are tire coatings that block UV but it waers
off the tread. Covering the tires with a tarp, or fitted cover is also effective. Never let them sit deflated (even partially as they will crack where bent
more than usual. Nicks do not matter. Torn tread bars need to be repaired (vulcanized at a tire shop, or Epoxy) Direct sun is the worst. Jim

Mike(NEOhio) · Aug 3, 2016

And don't run them on the road if you can help it.

rustred · Aug 4, 2016

and keep them out of cow manure the sloppy juicy stuff mixed in wet dirt in feed lots from rain, seams to crack tires.

Bob · Aug 4, 2016

"and keep them out of cow manure the sloppy juicy stuff mixed in wet dirt in feed lots from rain, seams to crack tires."

I'm gonna call "BS" on that one!!!

BS??? LOL!

ericlb · Aug 4, 2016

armor all will help, if its a show tractor, but not really pratical if its a working tractor, the best way to preserve any tire is to wash then regularly, and above all keep the tire out of the sun when not in use dont expect today's chinese tires to last as long as the old usa made ones of yesteryear

showcrop · Aug 4, 2016

Wash them only if they really get dirty. Washing removes the oils that are slowly migrating to the surface, speeding up deterioration. The manufacturers recommend jacking the vehicle up to remove the weight which is on just a few cords at any given time.

FBH44 · Aug 4, 2016

I personally think the secret is keep them off the ground, keep them on gravel or if they have to be outside, keep them on treated boards so they cannot soak up moisture. Other thing is keep them out of the direct sun. Best thing is inside on a concrete floor, of possible. I know it's ugly, but big blue tarps were invented just for this purpose.....

Geo-TH,In · Aug 4, 2016

fbh44,
I agree, keep them away form mother nature's sun light. The sun causes skin cancer. The sun damages plastics, rubber, many synthetic materials, even paint jobs.

I'm a believer in parking cars, trucks, tractors, mowers inside a garage or barn on a concrete floor. However my concrete barn floor looks more like a dirt floor after I park a tractor and the dirt falls off the wheels.

Not to mention, rain causes rust, gets inside tranny of some tractors, hydraulics, responsible for a host of issues. I recently worked on a mower that was stored under a tarp. Couldn't stand the mold. Everything I touched was moldy.
geo

Allan in NE · Aug 4, 2016

They have to be used; on't let 'em sit. The 'good old days' of tires lasting 30 years is just about over.

Allan

Flemming · Aug 4, 2016

Allan stated the good old days tires lasted 30 years. Your comment, don't drive them on the road if possible. Well, that didn't work for my Dad. He and grandpa farmed together and shared machinery. Problem was, the 2 farms were 12 miles apart. Blacktop roads the worst. Even gravel, which we tried to stay on ate up the tread fast. Even with field and road tires. 6 to 10 years was the best we ever got out of the rear tractor tires, the traction bars would be worn down to almost nothing.

dhermesc · Aug 4, 2016

DO NOT USE ARMORALL ON TIRES!!! Armor All in a silicon based and causes rubber and plastics to dry out over time - especially rubber and plastic that is left in the sun. I seen lots of older vehicles that had owners that religiously wiped their interiors with Armor All that wonder why their dash is cracked and crazed while cars that were neglected have better interiors. It also causes rubber to crack and craze. Not a big deal if you are buying new tires every couple years but tires that get left on for several years will show the damage.

dhermesc · Aug 4, 2016

Agreed. Keeping them in a shed out of the UV goes a long ways in preserving both the tractor and the tires.

sotxbill · Aug 4, 2016

ANYTHING THAT HAS PETROLEUM DISTILLANTS.... SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER BE USED ON TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANYTHING THAT HAS PETROLEUM DISTILLANTS.... SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER BE USED ON TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANYTHING THAT HAS PETROLEUM DISTILLANTS.... SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER BE USED ON TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This includes almost all tire shine products out there.

303 protectant is one of the very few products out there that safely protect the tires from ozone, oxidation, weather and cracking. Recently there are a few more products that are approved and deem safe for long term preservation.

ALL tire manufactors will tell you......

ANYTHING THAT HAS PETROLEUM DISTILLANTS.... SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER BE USED ON TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO look on the back of the bottle.. and find that most cheap tireshine products have........ petroleum distillants, that dry out tires and make them crack faster.

Pair-a-dice farm · Aug 4, 2016

(quoted from post at 01:06:57 08/04/16) and keep them out of cow manure the sloppy juicy stuff mixed in wet dirt in feed lots from rain, seams to crack tires.

:lol: :lol: :lol: I may as well sell all of my tractors. I've got a set of tires on one of my tractors that was used to clean out chicken houses and I feed with it in the winter. Those tires have always had that protective coating of manure. They are at least 15 years old, the tread is getting a little short. The best thing I know is to keep your tractors in a shed when not being used. That helps more than just the tires.

rusty6 · Aug 4, 2016

Indoor storage when not using the tractor is the most important if you want long life without cracked sidewalls and tread. I've worn the
original Goodyears down pretty near smooth on my 1992 CIH 7130 and there is not a crack to be seen in them. If its not pulling an implement
then it usually parked in the shed.
The Goodyear implement tires on my air seeder have cracked so bad that I had to replace the main frame tires this spring. It has sat outside
since 1996 in all weather so there is the difference.

Alan K · Aug 4, 2016

I remember reading in an old tractor manual to block up the tractor to take the weight
off of the tires. Cant imagine anyone doing that now days lol.

souNdguy · Aug 4, 2016

YUP, DOUBLE bs..

Might as well just park them in your garage because people are to afraid to get them dirty.

rustred · Aug 4, 2016

okay... call it b. s. then... but did you know that the acid from the cow manure removes the oils and makes the tires hard producing cracks. has happened right here on the farm years ago on the w6. he asked for a tip and that is a tip. bet nobody even thought of that one.

souNdguy · Aug 4, 2016

Leading cause of death is life.

Tires start aging from the day they were made. Tractors are made to work. Work wears thing out.

You can either work em or set and wring your hands about wearing them out.

showcrop · Aug 4, 2016

(quoted from post at 10:12:54 08/04/16) okay... call it b. s. then... but did you know that the acid from the cow manure removes the oils and makes the tires hard producing cracks. has happened right here on the farm years ago on the w6. he asked for a tip and that is a tip. bet nobody even thought of that one.

That would be quite a trick, LOL. Urine is an extremely alkaline lquid. It would be very tough for manure to be acid.

Care and Feeding of Tractor Tires

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