Which tyres do I need?

[Andyt880]

I need a set of rear tyres for one of my 2WD Case DB 1394.
It is currently on an old set of 16.9 R34 which are rotten
I have been looking around at new and used tyres and there seems to be a big variation.

I can buy something like an Alliance 324 (8 ply) new in a 16.9 R34 for around £320 or a 10 ply for around £360

I could also fit a 420/85 R34 Radial to my rims, costing around £500 for something like a BKT and going to around £750 for a Continental

Or another option is I have seen a set of second hand Continentals 480/85 r34 with 75% which will fit at £725 for the set.

So really my question is, what is the difference in ply ratings and a radial to justify the price difference and what do I really need for a 80hp 2WD that does 28KPH?

 

[Cocomac]

Wouldn’t think it would make much difference what you put on it. Would say a 16.9 would be wide enough for you though I find to wide a tyre doesn’t grip aswell but that’s maybe just personal preference.

 

[Nearly]

Pai of bkt 420 85 34 will see it out.

 

[Andyt880]

Wouldn’t think it would make much difference what you put on it. Would say a 16.9 would be wide enough for you though I find to wide a tyre doesn’t grip aswell but that’s maybe just personal preference.

Yes I would agree, if I think I’m going to need a lot of grip I go for the tractor with the 13.2 r38 on it. They grip really well but can make a fair mess if trying to do a job early in the season when ground is still tender

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Don’t get used as they will just crack and you will end up in same boat, my vote would be the bkt too

 

[Qman]

Get radials and the BKT ones sound good.

 

[zero]

Avoid the Continental's, they'll crack inside long before you've used the tread. BKT are good tyres.

 

[devonbeef]

I have bkt on rear case 885 very pleased with them, interesting to hear about people's experiences with Allaince tyres have another case in need of new shoes.

 

[clbarclay]

The Alliance 324 appears to be a cross ply tyre, not a radial. Unless you plan on operating the tractor in a stone quarry or bashing the sidewalls into tree stumps doing forestry then you want to make sure whatever tractor tyres you go for are radials.

 

[wdah/him]

Pai of bkt 420 85 34 will see it out.

Probly would but the last radial I will ever fit is 85 series bkt Agri max. Would even give continental. Chance as I doubt you will be doing big loads, high speed at low pressure. However I have no experience of the continental problems, just the crap grip and rough cutting of bit in 85 series. I now fit linglong or tianli, however Taurus seem to be conking back to the market and I liked them till they must have got too dear, all 85 series.

I’m seriously thinking of removing a set of 70% 520/85r38 in place of linglong as my ts115 on tianli 30% left goes further with a load and does less harm to ground, same tires on a 6180 when new outperformed the Valmet on the bkt, we kept the 6180 tires and fitted them to the ts. Valmet used to be main tractor for hill work and griping,

 

[Wellytrack]

I wouldn’t willingly fit crossply to a tractor. Was in a similar position with a 30 year old tractor last year and went for CEAT.
Tractor only does about 250hrs per year now.

 

[Andyt880]

The Alliance 324 appears to be a cross ply tyre, not a radial. Unless you plan on operating the tractor in a stone quarry or bashing the sidewalls into tree stumps doing forestry then you want to make sure whatever tractor tyres you go for are radials.

What is the difference in a radial and a cross ply tyre?

 

[clbarclay]

What is the difference in a radial and a cross ply tyre?

The layers of reinforcement inside the rubber.

Crossply have the same layers right the way through and around them. It makes for tough sidewalls and and tread that doesn't flex well. They tend to be tougher but, have poor contact patch on flatter surfaces like fields. Bias ply are very similar.

Redials have fewer layers of reinforcement that go all the way through the rubber, but then have extra layers added under the tread. This makes the sidewalls more flexible and the tread sit flatter to the ground, giving a much wider and longer contact patch with the ground.



Many decades ago crossply construction used to be the norm for pretty much everything that used pneumatic tyres, but it's generally only found now on machinery operating in harsh environments or bicyles. Quite a few implements still use cross ply tyres, but even that is less common now. For example most new trailers now having radial lorry or floatation tyres, where once the 12.5/80-15.3 cross ply (or smaller variants) seemed to be found on most implements and trailers that didn't start life as lorry chassis.

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1134c4cdc7c6526bdf2cdb15f05bdd17-lq

 

[gone]

Crossply tyres have a X pattern in the way the carcass of the tyre is made, and a Radial tyres the carcass is straight from side to side.

In practice this means a radial tyre will be much more comfortable on the road, have much more traction and better load carrying capacity. The only slight disadvantage of radials is a softer sidewall. I would only buy them if a tractor is only being used in a yard and it is inclined to be driven into edges of walls and or gate spuds, or as stated above used in quarries or forests.

 

[clbarclay]

Do they still fit cross ply as base spec to new agricultural telehandlers?

The book for the Merlo here states that it's lift capacity is derated near full height if the optional radials are fitted instead of cross ply tyres. That is 15 years old now though and most telehanders I've looked at without stabilisers seem to have their rated load capacity capped above a certain lift height.

 

[Barleymow]

Ascenco

 

[Boohoo]

Avoid the cross ply tyres, they're too rounded to grip or float properly and even at 18mph the radials will be more comfortable.
Anyone near you stock GRI tyres? I've been impressed by the 65 and 85 series tyres I've used, but admittedly for a limited amount of time.
If it was mine I'd be fitting 480/70r34, rather than 420/85r34, but I'm usually looking to carry weight rather than pull it, I don't have any steep land and I've got narrow wheels that I can fit when I need to.

 

[wdah/him]

Avoid the cross ply tyres, they're too rounded to grip or float properly and even at 18mph the radials will be more comfortable.
Anyone near you stock GRI tyres? I've been impressed by the 65 and 85 series tyres I've used, but admittedly for a limited amount of time.
If it was mine I'd be fitting 480/70r34, rather than 420/85r34, but I'm usually looking to carry weight rather than pull it, I don't have any steep land and I've got narrow wheels that I can fit when I need to.

yep have a set of 85 GRI on a 390, 420/85r34, grips better than the same size bkt that was on the last 390-we sold them at 90% as the 390 was wrote off and we fitted a set of done tyres.

 

[Andyt880]

Avoid the cross ply tyres, they're too rounded to grip or float properly and even at 18mph the radials will be more comfortable.
Anyone near you stock GRI tyres? I've been impressed by the 65 and 85 series tyres I've used, but admittedly for a limited amount of time.
If it was mine I'd be fitting 480/70r34, rather than 420/85r34, but I'm usually looking to carry weight rather than pull it, I don't have any steep land and I've got narrow wheels that I can fit when I need to.

Where do you get the GRI tyres? Not sure of anyone down this way doing them but there could be, we aren’t all that far from each other

 

[Boohoo]

Where do you get the GRI tyres? Not sure of anyone down this way doing them but there could be, we aren’t all that far from each other

They're not my tyres, just fitted to a couple of tractors I drive occasionally. As far as I know they came from a local one man band who just fits tyres in a shed at the side of his house. I'll try to get you a number, I've never bought anything off him myself. There's bound to be others supplying GRI though, the man I know of won't be the importer.
If you ask your usual supplier they might be able to get them, they've maybe just quoted you for what they have in stock, what they usually supply or what they can make the most profit on...