tractor tires

[nebraskadave]

I'm looking to put new rear tires on a tractor so I did some pricing around. Decided to go with a radial tire again and then the tire guy tells me I am better off using a bias tire if I'm gonna keep the fluid in the tire. He said the fluid doesn't allow the radial tire to flex and takes away the advantage of the radial. I told him I really need to keep calcium in the tire. He said save your money and use a bias ply. Sounded good to me. Here is my problem, I know a fella that I respect what he says and he tells me to stay with the radial tire. Anybody want offer their thoughts and really give me something to think about?

 

[gcreekrch]

I'm partial to bias ply tires here. Sticks and rocks are just too hard on radials.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Can you stick to radials and use some wheel weights?

 

[Andy]

I would use a radial and go with wheel weights instead of fluid.

 

[nebraskadave]

don't have wheel weights, I agree that would be a good option. Just looking to see how many people run radials with fluid or how many people have heard that fluid defeats the purpose of a radial. Just a topic for discussion.

 

[Liveoak]

The dealer is right about loosing flex by filling the radial with fluid. However, you can retain most of the flex by only going with 35-40% fill. The trade-off, of course, is a certain amount of ballast and weight. Like BMR suggested, wheel weights are the best answer for retaining that ballast/weight while still appreciating any benefit from the radial.

Unless you really need a smaller footprint, bias tires are hard to beat while still having the safety margin/added traction that the water weight affords.

 

[Silver]

We have one tractor with fluid filled radial tires. Traction is not a noticeable issue, seems to be the same. I would never get another fluid filled tire without an inner tube though, and I would prefer to have wheel weights.

 

[John SD]

I'd say it depends on why you need the fluid weight. Do you need it for traction for tillage purposes? If so, the radial without fluid might pull as effectively as a bias with fluid, and save fuel from having to pack the extra weight around. If you need the fluid not so much for traction but to keep the back end of the tractor on the ground with a loader on it, then bias will probably do just as well for chore duty.

FWIW, I have 3 tractors with 38" rubber. 2 of them have radials and one has bias. The tractor with bias had a new bias w/fluid on it when I bought it. So I got one to match on the other side. This tractor has a dozer and does chore/summer bale stacking/winter feeding duty. The other tractors with radials have no fluid and do haying. I like to think the radials ride a little smoother in the field, but I can't prove it.

I get rid of the fluid in tires if I can. I only put it in the new bias tire to match the other side. Basically the choice is up to you. It's your money. :wink:

 

[Trinity man]

We have radials tires on our tractors with water mixed with anti-freeze and have never had a problem. One tire has to be 20 years old and still has pretty good cleats on it. Sticks have never hurts it one bit either. But they do have tubes in them.

 

[per]

I wore out a set of radials with fluid in them at 3000 hours. Put on 8 new bias plies with fluid in them. It is noon before you can ride in it. Wish I had the radials back.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

We used to pull as much with a 970 Case with 38" radials as 1070 with 34" biased duals pulled.

 

[Trinity man]

These big old tires are full of water and yes they do have a tube. It was and old rice tractor the tire are about 3 ft wide.