Hi guys, I don't hang out here much, but i spend a lot of time on the excavator section. I have a backhoe question. My jcb 215s3 needs new rubber. I have narrowed my search down to 8ply titans ($525)or 12 ply goodyears($670). Which way should i go? Thanks for the help. Ken
I would stick with the name brand, for the little extra $ you get 50% more plys. Don't know anything about Titans. The other thing to think about is the application, if you work a lot in muddy or soft ground or in your area snow an ag type tread may be best, but if you work a lot on hard ground or pavement a road grader type tread might be better, more wear but a little less traction and dont self clean as well as an ag tire. I put Firestone grader type on my Ford 555A. Just a side note, I lived in St. Thomas for 10 years.
Looks to me like titan tires and goodyear off road tires are made by the same company. They price difference you see is likely just due to the load rating and # of plys. http://www.titan-intl.com/content/titan-tire
Titan manufactures Goodyear branded tractor tires in North America since 2005. Reference link from Goodyear website. http://www.goodyearag.com/ I personally have had trouble with Titan tires weather checking and have not had the same issues with Firestones. Therefore, I have been staying away from both Titan and Goodyear. (Just my personal preference as to where I spend my money) For the ground conditions I normally work in, I prefer the heaver ply tires as I seem to have fewer flat tires with the higher ply ratings. I haven’t really noticed any ride quality issues when roading with the heavier plys, but I don’t do much of road transport operation to have that affect me. Good luck in whatever you choose.
We've had good luck with the Goodyear tires here. The Titans are Ok for a cheaper replacement if you're selling and wanted newer rubber on them. A lot of guys around here swear by Michelin....but I don't see them being worth it.
I have had Titans on my 580sK for about 5 yrs with no problem. I would look at info from JCB, or failing that, I would weigh the back axle to see what ply rating is needed. On a side note, while my machine was parked, a customer hit my back tire with a piece of steel propelled by a 2100 hp tugboat. He replaced that Titan with a name I had never heard of, it bounces so bad at speeds above 15mph, that you cannot control the machine.
I think you have gotten some good advice there. If you are keeping the machine for many years I would go with the Firestone or Goodyear. The cheaper imports are good for selling a machine, and for use in the shorter term, and some are better than others. I recall the name Signet, I believe ,as the bottom of the line, and Titan and Primex are better quality. I have heard complaints about Goodyear but have never seen a bad tire, so it's still my favorite. Of course, many companies are riding on the name alone now, and let their standards down for the sake of profit, so it's buyer beware. Phil
Titan used to be Armstrong tires. I've had Armstrong tires on my Ford 5550 for over 20 years. Just now the older one, 25 years old, has the lugs starting to separate from the carcass. From my experience with Goodyear and Firestone, I'd never pay the upcharge for them. A tire isn't the most complicated of items. From what I've seen, most of the increased price is pure profit from the dummies that buy brand names without doing the research, they're lazy.