# 18.4x38 tire replacement



## seventyfourci (May 13, 2014)

I always buy major brand tractor tires but with the input prices for fuel and fertilizer I was trimming the fat where I can and came across some agstar 18.4x38 10 ply at 790.00 on my yard and some 20.8x38 12 ply cropmaster for 1210.00 ea on my yard. Anyone ran either brand of these tires? Also anyone ran 20.8x38 where a 18.4 was? I pretty well have always run major brands but again input costs are over the top and just trying to trim the fat. I am aware that tires are a poor place to trim the fat that is why I was asking about the brands. The 20.8x38 question is trying to widen my foot print in the field to lower compaction in the field. Thanks for reading.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Bias ply or radial? Sometimes cheaper tires (not stupid cheap but just less expensive) are a better deal. BKT seems to fit that idea. 

If you are wanting more flotation, definitely try to get a radial, if you had been thinking bias ply.

20.8 vs 18.4 -- typically a 20.8 (520) calls for an 18” rim width as the preferred size with 16” as an acceptable size, and 18.4 (460/480) call for 16” as a preferred width and 15” as an acceptable width. This is not a hard rule. I have seen 520 tires where the preferred rim width was 16” but that seems to be the exception. I do know that going from 18.4 to 20.8 will improve the ride and reduce compaction considerably. 20.8s are quite a bit taller usually. I like the metric designation of tire size better as there is more information there. Like 20.8R-42 vs 520/85R-42, the metric designation give you an idea of the tire height.


----------



## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Good info Gearclash. Tires are something you have to live with a long time. If it were me, I'd stretch the life of the current ones if possible, or trim somewhere else before jumping to an inferior tire.


----------



## seventyfourci (May 13, 2014)

That is why I asked the question if anybody was running these brands as I do not know them to be inferior tires and at half the price if they live over half as long you are ahead unless they are a pin cushion.


----------



## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

The MOST important factor in making tires is the machines used!
If current and up-to date then most will be OK as the material today is no longer natural rubber, but a chemical composition. I still remember when car radials were 1st introduced to North America and Firestone tried to make them with bias ply machines and it was a disaster.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

seventyfourci said:


> That is why I asked the question if anybody was running these brands as I do not know them to be inferior tires and at half the price if they live over half as long you are ahead unless they are a pin cushion.


One thing I have learned is that even a high dollar tire can be ruined by improper use. Under inflation will kill the best tire. Been there, done that, somewhat on purpose as I am willing to trade some tire longevity for better ride and and better hourly productivity. I would say that a top line tire might last longer under adverse conditions than a cheaper tire but I wouldn’t swear to it. 

I have a missmatched set of over worked tires on the rear of my mixer wagon tractor, bias ply, one is brand name, one is some odd import, the import is showing age faster than the other. I don’t know if they are the same age.

Then there were the Firestone tires my brother put on the front of his MFD CIH 7140. Cheaped out and put a bias ply lower cost tire on, and even though they were Firestone 23* tires you could about watch them wear down. 

Flip side of the Firestone coin are the 18.4-38 bias ply tires on rear of my brother’s 2wd loader tractor. 9,000 some hours of spinning around trying to push a loader on the same tires.


----------



## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

No experience with those brands but I've bought enough off brand tires to know there is a reason they are half price. From wearing incredibly fast to dry rotting and weather checking within a year or two. 

I have some BKT and Continental tires on a tractor that are 1/2 the age of a set of Firestones on a similar tractor. The Firestones have no weather checking or dry rot. The "off brand" are checked and cracked, and won't hold air tubeless anymore. 

The money I "saved" with the cheaper tires will be lost in a year or two when they fall apart while the Firestones are still rolling along.


----------



## KurtS1 (Jun 8, 2020)

This is just my experience, but the last time that I bought tires, I was going to go from 18.4's to 20.8's but, was told that I should really get wider rims. I was told that they just wouldn't fit right. I have no experience with either brand that you are looking at and was also told (warned) about the cheaper brands not lasting.


----------



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

chevytaHOE5674 said:


> No experience with those brands but I've bought enough off brand tires to know there is a reason they are half price. From wearing incredibly fast to dry rotting and weather checking within a year or two.
> 
> I have some BKT and Continental tires on a tractor that are 1/2 the age of a set of Firestones on a similar tractor. The Firestones have no weather checking or dry rot. The "off brand" are checked and cracked, and won't hold air tubeless anymore.
> 
> The money I "saved" with the cheaper tires will be lost in a year or two when they fall apart while the Firestones are still rolling along.


That is interesting because the last time I bought rears I got BKT. They were the go to tires everybody was getting because they last especially with road miles on them. Mine are more than 10 years old with thousands of hours on them. The one tractor is a loader and they probably have 3000 hours or so. I have full records if you ever wanted to try a different BKT.


----------



## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

I have 30 year old firestones that are in better condition than the 2 sets of BKTs i own that are 5-7 years old...

If they work for you thats great. For me they aren't holding up worth a squat.


----------



## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

So where do Carlisle's fit into this? I have an old set of Firestone's on my tractor right now that were going to be about the same price as the Carlisle's but backordered. So I got a set of Carlisle. The Firestones are in great condition weather wise, but they are nearly bald. I think this tractor might only see 100 hrs a year and it doesn't live outside, albeit it does live in a 3-sided East-facing shed so still can get some sun.


----------



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

From what I've been hearing, buy whatever you can get ahold of as it is hard to get ag tires this spring.


----------



## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

chevytaHOE5674 said:


> I have 30 year old firestones that are in better condition than the 2 sets of BKTs i own that are 5-7 years old...
> 
> If they work for you thats great. For me they aren't holding up worth a squat.


Are your BKT's bias or radial? I actually really like my BKT radials.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Stupid Firestones anyway. ;-)


----------



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Gearclash said:


> Stupid Firestones anyway. ;-)
> View attachment 91606
> 
> View attachment 91605


I just replaced some tires that looked just like that on our MF6615; I don't know what brand they were, never looked. Heck I don't even know what brand we put on, was just happy to get new tires on. I did go with radials on the front of the MF6615. We also put new front tires on my CaseIH 7130, I don't what brand those are either.


----------



## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

My BKTs are radials.


----------



## JOR Farm (Aug 27, 2019)

I've had good luck with my bkt radials. Only a few years and couple hundred hours but they are on a 750 gallon self propelled sprayer so that's probably like a lifetime on my rake tractor. When I was farming for real I ran Firestone 23* radials but my neighbors say there not as good as 20 years ago. They swapped to bkt radials. Every tire has a number stamped on it that is kind of like treadwear on truck tires might be able to use that and compare apple's to apple's and know which ones are lemons.


----------



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

BKT RT855
Tractor 1- 9 years and 3360 hrs
Tractor 2 - 9 years and 2400 hrs.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Are you staring 1.9/2.9 or 19/20 yrs??


----------



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Tx Jim said:


> Are you staring 1.9/2.9 or 19/20 yrs??


That's what happens when I use a phone. I edited it.


----------



## MTB98 (Feb 13, 2021)

A few things to consider
-Is the tractor parked indoors most of the time out of the sun?
-How many years of service is acceptable to you?
-How big of a price difference is there? 
-How many hours per year are you putting on these tires? How many road miles?
-When comparing older brand name tires to newer off brands that’s not a great comparison. Older tires seemed to last longer due to different materials used in construction. An accurate comparison would to put new Firestone or Carlisle up against a new BKT or whatever brand and compare the aging process. 
No experience with the brands you are looking at. I did use some cheap import brand on an old Farmall Cub a few years ago. They’re holding up fine so far. Not really comparable to a bigger ag tractor use but thats my experience with cheap tractor tires.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

LOL and misspelling of stare instead state due to my poor proof reading.


----------

