grim news from my farm tire supplier

I took my car in today to have the tires replaced. This guy also supplies implement and tractor tires. The rears on my Farmall 656 are getting bad, and was thinking about replacing them before next spring. (I use this tractor for crop farming).

I don't buy tractor tires that often, so I'm not in the loop very much about the latest, but I've heard rumors about shortages. I was surprised that my dealer told me the 15.5 x 38 rears are IMPOSSIBLE to get. Not only that, but tri-rib fronts and ALL implement and large equipment tires are near-impossible to get. Absolutely none in inventory, or available anywhere. At least according to this guy.

Just wondering if others have heard this. If it's true, what is going to happen in a few months, when Spring arrives and farmers start hitting the fields? Doesn't seem to be much about this in the media. Farmers only have a few weeks window to get things in in the Spring. What happens if there are massive delays in getting crops planted next year?

I have been experiencing this with common truck tires. Some come available every now and then, but have been in very short supply for the last 5 or 6 months. As far as the media not reporting it, I dont listen to the news because it is of no value to me.

Things made of rubber, plastic, computer chips, and other things using oil additive/ plastics type fluids and hardeners seem to be very much in short supply for a year already.

We have been living off the warehouse inventories until now.

Even if the companies and shipping starts going full bore today, will we be able to make up the demand plus a comfortable margin to have in the warehouses?

That would be unlikely......

And it doesnt seem we are anywhere near going full bore production or shipping around the globe.

So the grain we just grew will be fed to critters for the next 12-24 months. At which time the critters will hit our plates, into 2024.

And shortages from a 2022 crop will not be felt very much until 2024 or 2025.

Current govt and current media doesnt care a thing about 2024. They are busy looking backwards. Not that I bother listening to them any more.

We wont hear a peep about this for a couple years.

If you ran a modern farm and broke anything on the combine, there was a long list of parts not available; and if your combine busted there werent many running combines left on the lot to rent or barrow.

Friend was telling me he had to run the last 100 acres of beans with a bad sickle drive; lube it well and tighten the bolts tight the dealer told him, there are none in North America. A popular green combine. I could tell you a dozen more examples. A lot of farmers had to finish up for their neighbors. Back in spring farmers were sharing planters and planter tractors, couldnt get parts then already.

We have scraped the bottom of the barrel dry in the last 18 months.

No one appears willing to address this, or make the common city dweller aware of what we face.

We can get through it fine if we see, acknowledge, and face the problem and work on solving it as a society.

That is not happening. So far.

Every industry I briefly brush up against is facing the same issues, everything is in short supply everywhere.

Look at iron, oils, fertilizer, herbicides. In agriculture, where do we go?

Paul

Been an issue since middle of summer. At least in sizes used on modern equipment, the supply has been getting better recently.

Check with other tire dealers. The tire manufacturers have actually been shipping to tire dealers in preference over equipment manufacturers. Some equipment manufacturers have been buying from retail dealers to be able to have tires to ship equipment.

I pulled my little spare tire out from under my Ford Ranger last summer. It is badly weather checked so I decided to buy a new tire. I went to Discount Tire, Tire Discounters, and Firestone. Every one of them told me that they didn't have any in stock and couldn't get any more. I haven't checked with my local farmer's co-op yet, so maybe they can fix me up. In the meantime, I just keep hoping I don't have a flat tire while I'm away from home.

Tom in TN

Last year 2020, I had to buy tires for my classic car, 14 inch w/narrow white walls. They are not being made anymore as all vehicles use 18,19,20 inch tires now, had to go a specialty place tires were made to order, not cheap!

Pete

I'll bet you didn't try John Kelsey. He owns a place here in town but ships pretty much world wide and is very likely to have or be able to make you the tires you want.
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my tire guy scrounged up 4, 6.70-14 car tires a month ago. Didn't say where he got them just that they were pricey. they weren't for us we were replacing 255-17 michelins.

We will get by. We always did. Next year will be the 147th season on some of our land... we made it this far. I'm sure there are those who don't have a plan B (or C), but some of us do.

As for tires, I've got some take offs here I've stuck in the shed if we need them.

Neighbor got the last pair of Firestone 20.8x42 his dealer could find this fall. He eventually put floaters on his combine, so I'm getting the 20.8x42's. I'm going to need some 11R22.5 truck tires before spring. Wish me luck!

For what it is worth I have bought several sets of implement tires of ebay then local shop puts them on. I also watch online auctions usually tires there for rear tractor.

By the way Johns shop number is 573-346-2506. He can supply tires that where factory on almost any car/truck ever made

Tractor rear tubes are supposed to be impossible to get also. Put an online order in on Thursday for a pair of 16-9/18-4 38's and got them today already. Firestones that say made in the USA to boot.

I ordered some 7.6-15 for a little hay wagon for 80 bucks each off Amazon. I also have 2 brand new 5.5-15s that I don't need, from now on I wear my glasses when on Amazon!

Is that the place in Camden that sells the old whitetails and military tread tires? I have heard my uncle talk about that place,

It's in Camdenton MO. He has the dies for many no longer made by the original company to make the tires from just about any old car or truck you can come up with.

(quoted from post at 18:21:17 12/04/21) I'll bet you didn't try John Kelsey. He owns a place here in town but ships pretty much world wide and is very likely to have or be able to make you the tires you want.
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Fixed it for ya....https://www.kelseytire.com/

That's the town,I could not remember how to spell it. It's not to fat from my uncles place at Osage Beach.

I worked for him one summer. In this area it is common to work from say April to Oct and then get laid off or fired. He still has a lot of cars and trucks in a building and last I heard he was worth a few million $$. Funny thing is he still drives a 198? Chevy 1 tone pickup

Tractor tires are important no doubt, butt the shortage of semi tires is where the rubber meets the road , no tires no deliveries

Holy moly, quite the opposite!

Id love to chat about it but that would get this thread booted, so Ill just stop there. But, very much 180 degrees opposite, I think we are already on your path, I want the
opposite!

Paul

It is really very simple. You slow or other wise shut down the oil supply you end up shutting down so many other things it isn't funny. Tires is one of the many

Bbb bbb bbut that cant be !

I was talking to one of the local BTO's said he ordered a set of tires for one of his tractors last spring and was going to get them this fall to use. I have not really encountered this shortage problem so far to any great extent. Most things I have been able to get in a reasonable time frame for parts new or used. And yup things are about to get worse with paying folks to not work scared of some stupid nonsense.

(quoted from post at 00:41:59 12/05/21) It is really very simple. You slow or other wise shut down the oil supply you end up shutting down so many other things it isn't funny. Tires is one of the many

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Amen brother! This is also the result of not encouraging companies to make stuff here. There was a guy pushing that idea a couple year back I think. Now there's a guy in the same job that is in tight with the Chinese commies. Funny how that works.

Craig .... how do your local shops feel about you buying else where and then asking them to mount them? Sure it's business for them and they make money on the install, but they'd probably like both ends of the deal obviously. Years ago when Costco started selling tires up here, people would buy them there and then get local tire shops to install them. Costco was just selling tires at the time and not installing them. Local shops started balking on doing that. Eventually, Costco got into all parts of the tire business and the rest is history. I suspect they do pretty well and take a lot of business away from the local shops, getting an appointment to have tires installed takes weeks I've heard.

(quoted from post at 14:38:00 12/04/21) my dealer told me the 15.5 x 38 rears are IMPOSSIBLE to get.

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They are on ebay and I'm seeing several sites listing them as in stock. Maybe a specific brand / tread / model is impossible right now, but the general size is out there.