# Tire Time



## GOOD HAY (Aug 8, 2010)

Has anyone had any experience with Trelleborg or Pirelli tires? I think they are the same from what I have been able to find out. The size is 480/70-34. I would think they would be a little lower profile than a Michelin or Firestone. They look like a good tire but in this area most everyone seems to go with Michelin if it is a tractor that they use often and plan to keep. A step down Is the Galaxy radial that seems to last OK but a little lighter tire with less tread than the others. Just wondering if they are on par with the Michelin or Firestone or if more like the cheaper brands. Thanks


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

I've had one set of Pirellis that came on a used tractor, and I wasn't displeased with them. They are marketed as a higher end tire, and I think Trelleborgs are too.

You'd have a hard time giving me another set of Galaxys. If I need to go cheap it'll be BKTs. The one pair of rears I have are good so far, but only have like 250hrs on them.

Most big operators around here (myself included) pretty much exclusively buy Firestones for our real workhorse tractors. I understand that a 45° tread pattern is better for wet conditions, but in here in the Desert that's not much of a benefit and we get more life and better dry traction with a 23°.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

Firestone.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My wife has been talking about replacing the 18.4-38's on the CaseIH Maxxum 2wd that has the original Armstrong's. We looked at a lot of tires at the farm show and the more you look the more confused you get. Our soil mostly red clay but also some of it is a tan color clay, no sandy soil hardly all. The front tires are 10"x16" quad ribs, also Armstrong, that are getting really dry rotted.

What would y'all recommend for rears on that Maxxum for mostly tillage in NC soils?


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

Grateful11 said:


> What would y'all recommend for rears on that Maxxum for mostly tillage in NC soils?


If you're gonna be doing a lot of work in wet conditions, I'd consider Michelins. If it's mostly dry work, I'd go Firestones all day long.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I am going to replace some armstrongs on a deere that are originals and the same exact tires that you are looking to replace....I am going with firestones.

Regards, Mike


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Grateful11 said:


> My wife has been talking about replacing the 18.4-38's on the CaseIH Maxxum 2wd that has the original Armstrong's. We looked at a lot of tires at the farm show and the more you look the more confused you get. Our soil mostly red clay but also some of it is a tan color clay, no sandy soil hardly all. The front tires are 10"x16" quad ribs, also Armstrong, that are getting really dry rotted.
> 
> What would y'all recommend for rears on that Maxxum for mostly tillage in NC soils?


 I went with 23 degree radial firestones. The 23 degree tread seems to be a good all purpose tread. To me the radials are well worth the extra money since they ride better and last longer on the highway. Never tried michelins but have heard good things. Worst set of tires I have had were samsons......about half the cost of firestones but not worth that. Last year a set of 18.4-38 firestone radial all tractions were about $1,100 each.


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## lidaacres (Oct 11, 2014)

PackMan2170 said:


> I've had one set of Pirellis that came on a used tractor, and I wasn't displeased with them. They are marketed as a higher end tire, and I think Trelleborgs are too.
> 
> You'd have a hard time giving me another set of Galaxys. If I need to go cheap it'll be BKTs. The one pair of rears I have are good so far, but only have like 250hrs on them.
> 
> Most big operators around here (myself included) pretty much exclusively buy Firestones for our real workhorse tractors. I understand that a 45° tread pattern is better for wet conditions, but in here in the Desert that's not much of a benefit and we get more life and better dry traction with a 23°.


We have 500+ hrs on a set of BKT tires, and are very pleased with them. I think we will be putting them on another tractor this fall.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

Grateful11 said:


> My wife has been talking about replacing the 18.4-38's on the CaseIH Maxxum 2wd that has the original Armstrong's. We looked at a lot of tires at the farm show and the more you look the more confused you get. Our soil mostly red clay but also some of it is a tan color clay, no sandy soil hardly all. The front tires are 10"x16" quad ribs, also Armstrong, that are getting really dry rotted.
> 
> What would y'all recommend for rears on that Maxxum for mostly tillage in NC soils?


Firestone.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Something like this:

Firestone Radial 23˚

http://commercial.firestone.com/en/agriculture/product/radial-23


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

I put BKT tires on the front of my 5240 with a loader on it about 2 years ago. One looks fine the other is cracking along the sidewall. Showed it to my tire guy and he took pictures to show the company, he thought we'd get it warrantied but haven't heard anything yet.

Have a few other BKT tires on some other tractors that seem to be holding up ok. Both fronts and rear tires.

I prefer Firestones but Dad prefers cheap.


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## timberjackrob (Feb 16, 2015)

my brother bought a new tractor about 11 years ago it came with Michelins and the rears started coming apart last year the tread was still like new since it wasn't driven on the road much and was always stored inside.last week after finishing baling hay had sidewall blow out I realize that they had some age on em but shouldn't they have lasted longer than that?replaced them with firestone 23 degree by the way.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

BKT are India tires... supposed to be pretty good from what I hear... IIRC that's what Mahindra uses (largest tractor mfg. in the world now IIRC). I know a lot of the local tire places are carrying them because the "name brands" are getting so salty on price...

Galaxy and Samson are off-brands... learned my lesson years ago on off-brands... bought a set of "Rekord" tires (Yugoslav or Czech or Byelorussian, IIRC, this was the 80's before the Wall fell...) and they were okay for a few years, and then one day with the planter on the 3 point- PFFFWWWwwwww... sidewall blew out and was shooting water out like a fire hose through a hole the size of my fist in the sidewall... Bought a set of Kelly's to replace them.
I think they made like 4-5 years... no wear or checking or dry rot or anything, so IMHO they SHOULDN'T have failed...

That said, I always just buy the cheapest tire I can get for the trucks and cars... just because it's "name brand" doesn't mean what it used to-- remember all those Goodyear tires that were peeling the treads off on SUV's a number of years ago and blowing out and people getting killed in rollovers?? I've run a lot of Douglas tires from Walmart and never had one come apart like that...

Course, one can go "too cheap", though... I made the mistake of trying some of those cheap Chinese mudgrips on my pickup a few years ago... they made about 30,000 miles and on our way to Indiana one developed a knot on the sidewall and went flat, so we had to change it in central Arkansas, and the other one was shaking bad by the time we got back home... it had a knot the size of my fist on the sidewall when we pulled in the driveway... Didn't even wear all the tread off the tires before the sidewalls were shot... Never make that mistake again...

Thing is, tractor tires cost SO much and aren't exactly a frequent purchase, so I kinda lean to the "buy the best ones you can afford" way of thinking... Dad always goes "get the cheapest you can get"... Well, IMHO it's a fool's errand to buy say Galaxy's at $400 and change a piece and then have to replace them in just a few years, rather than just buy a better tire like the Titan's I ended up getting for $550 and change a piece... Then you still have to figure the cost of tubes and service call to install them and all that, and downtime and stuff...
I'd rather do it once and do it right, rather than save a few bucks today and have to do it all over again, probably in the middle of "crunch time" when I have better things I need to be doing... Unfortunately Dad's a slow learner... they ALWAYS go cheapest on everything and then end up having it backfire and spend more to "do it right" the next time, plus what they were out for the 'cheap solution'...

Car/truck tires and batteries, meh, get what's cheap-- usually my truck tires end up with punctures from finding stuff "off road" or in town or whatever and end up patched up several times before the tread wears thin enough to have to replace them or they get a knot in the sidewall or tread belt anyway... Car batteries, they don't last but 3-5 years anymore anyway, whether you buy a $200 battery or a $90 battery IMHO, so why spend more for the high dollar one when it doesn't last any longer?? Tractor batteries cost more and I'm pickier with them, too...
Tractor tires, though... I just think one is ahead to "spend a little more and do it right"...

Later and good luck! OL JR


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## GOOD HAY (Aug 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the ideas. I passed on the Pirellis because one had some tread damage although they were supposed to like new. Firestone 23 degree are fairly popular in this area. We have to deal with 4 or 5 months of winter here and getting tractors running when it is -25 to clear snow, not a lot of desert conditions but I will take the cold over the heat any day. I will have to take a look for BKT, if for no other reason than to just satisfy my curiosity. I have found that a lot of cheaper tires don't seem to have the flexibility needed to get traction in cold weather. Don't need tires today but before winter sets in.


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## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

We put a set of Trelleborgs on this summer (TM600's) and are very pleased with them. Tire dealer said Trelleborg bought Perelli if I remember right. Nice riding tire with plenty of bite.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Have 2 tractors with the BKT tires and I think they hold up well and they get a lot of road hours. Several local farms also use them and have been happy with them.


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