Need new rear tires on my 580M. The current tires are Harvest King and were close to the bone when I bought the machine 5 years ago. They've withstood hundreds of attacks from sharp sapling stumps but the cords are showing. Unfortunately, nobody around here carries Harvest King anymore. I have a choice of BKT and Goodyear (most expensive), Maxam or Deestone. The city I live near quit using Deestone because they wore out quickly, but their machines are never trailered and have lots of road time. Anybody have good experience with Maxam?
I just got my first set of tires... cost more than a full set of truck tires, just for two fronts for my backhoe! LOL. I don't know what kind they are but they're a little cheaper. I'll let you know. Maybe they're maxams... $370 each compared to $800 for small front tires. Boy they look awesome though! I might be able to turn now!
I think BKT are good tires. I'm not sure if Titan still has tires. They bought some of the Goodyear Ag and industrial tire line or it was some kind of joint venture.
I have some Maxam on one of my cranes, haven't had any problems. They are 16.00r25's and I'm around 20,000 per axle on that rig, when on the road. Probably 30k per axle with counterweights on, when I'm offroad.
BKT are made in India, Maxam are made mostly in China, but they do have a factory in Vietnam. The Maxam tyres provide reasonable service, but if you want top grade rubber, you buy the stuff made in Japan.
I’m curious about this too, my 1989 Case 480e still has the original back tires on it and they could go at any time. On all my ag tractors Firestone 23* are my go to tire, they just pull and wear really good. My personal opion is buying cheap tires is false economy, but everyone’s situation is different. Haven’t researched backhoe tires much, mine are 17.5-24 whereas the 580’s use 19.5-24 I believe. Just like ag tractor tires, there seems to be a vairety of tread patterns, and some wear better or have better traction than others. What pattern is best for traction?
I've bought a doz. different sets of back tires over the yrs. the only ones I would for sure not recommend were called Samsons. I only bought 12 ply & for the last 5 yrs. have 14 ply on the front.
I'm getting close to needing a set, myself. I bought my machine with mismatched rears. One a Titan and one a Firestone. 18.4-24 rears, 12-16.5 fronts. I might just get the Titans, not sure yet.
I'll probably give the Maxams a try. They are about $1400 while the Goodyears are $2000.
I just bought a Case 580B for personal use and it has brand new Ag tires on the rear. Will they do the job or should I look at trading?
Wear them out.
If you are not going to be using it on pavement all the time they will probably work better than the R4 tires. The main reason you see R4 industrial tires on backhoes is for longevity and durability, but frankly the traction sucks. If I had a 2wd backhoe and the rear tires were a common size for R1 ag tires I’d absolutely run them. The fronts are a different story, stick with tires made for the application, regular tractor fronts won’t hold up to the weight.
In tires, you get what you are willing to pay for.
And in the end cheapness usually wins out.
I just nabbed a set of fronts on sale. Carlisle Ultra Guard 12-16.5s. $276 a tire, 12 ply.
I've bought a few sets of backhoe tires over the years. Only one I'd stay away from is BKT. A tire with little use on it cracked. Crack ran from near the rim, diagonally around the sidewall & across the tread between the lugs. Tire dealer had been excellent until I inquired about warranty, then they stonewalled me. I actually continued to use the tire several months & then sold the machine it was on. Don't know if new owner replaced it or not. Mine are R4 tread, but I understand a better choice for traction is a diamond lug pattern. Friends swear by the tire, say it is incredible in mud & snow & it works better with tire chains.
The new tires arrived this morning. I was a little thrown at first, as they said "Carlstar" instead of "Carlisle" but apparently they are changing their name: The Carlstar Group announces brand transition > The Carlstar Group The Carlstar Group is excited to unveil a brand evolution aimed at positioning the company for continued excellence and growth in the future. www.carlstargroup.com They look great though, and it still says "Made in USA" on the tires.
I'm running the same Carlisle tire on the front as eKretz for a couple years now. Really good tire so far.
I'll tell you what, that is some work. Gotta clean up a rusty mess before putting the new one on. My danged air grinder kept freezing up. I'll get out the electric tomorrow.
You could put an alcohol injector in the air line to prevent your grinder or any air tool from freezing.
Not sure how well the air motor would like that though. Generally they ask for oil, not something to remove it. It would have been fine if it wasn't so cold out. Plus it's a 1 HP die grinder, uses a lot of air
You’ll have to give the tool a shot of air tool oil at the tool inlet more often to compensate for the alcohol. Air-brake antifreeze is better than straight alcohol.
I use diesel fuel.
I think maybe I'll just get the angle grinder out with a flapper wheel, heh. I'd rather not risk the grinder; I *really* like it. I'm a machinist, so I've got a pretty light touch with the grinder. The area definitely needs some smoothing out, it's a bit pitted. And I don't know what the heck was in there or if it was just old hard super dried out mud and clay, but there were a lot of little tiny gravel looking rocks embedded in it. The previous owner had resorted to tubes, probably because of the severe cracking in the sidewalls. I'm hoping I can get a good seal and go back to tubeless.
Use a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder. Will take everything off and leave it smooth. No risk of grinding too much.
I did do that, but there are some trouble areas that I wanted to get rid of some bad pitting and flaking. Then I was going to maybe blast with my outdoor blaster and throw some paint over it. There are no real thin areas, just local pitting. Might be better just slopping some black RTV on for bead sealant.
Use some JB weld. Have a little cup of water and keep the JB weld wet and you can smooth it out really smooth. I got this idea after seeing it used with silicone sealant. It works great. I fixed some tiny pin holes in a diesel tank under the straps doing this.
Been there, done that. Hope you have some good tire irons. You're gonna need em.
I got a pair of those KenTool HD. Pretty good stuff.
Also don't use silicone sealant for a bead sealer. You can buy bead sealer. Here's a common one. Extra Heavy Duty Bead Sealer 32 oz. (945ml), Flammable Bead SealerFor sealing small air leaks between the tire bead and the wheel. Box Quantity: 1 canCase Quantity: 12 cans SDS Sheet Open www.veritechmfg.com
Those tires are so stout, they will hold up the tractor without air in them. When you move the tractor, the tire(s) will walk of the bead though. It can be a real pain to reseat that bead. It is a good idea to check tire pressure before moving if the machine has been sitting a while. Might also be a good idea to go ahead and use the bead sealer Dave has linked to when you mount the tires. Those tires are thick and stubborn especially when it's cold. I run 80 psi in the front and 25 psi in the back. May the force be with you.