Choosing Tractor Tires

Your tractor helps to make all your farm tasks so much easier, so obviously you want to outfit it correctly to keep from having to do extra work. One of the ways you can customize your tractor to improve output is to change the tractor tires based on the farming conditions you frequently work under. Tractor tires have a lot of variety, and it can be difficult to choose the ones you need without knowing their various qualities.

With several locations throughout Atlantic Canada, Bayview Trucks & Equipment is ready to serve our customers by providing them with high-quality farm equipment, including tractor parts. To that end, we’ve created this guide to choosing tractor tires to help you determine what types of tires you’ll need for whatever you’re doing.

Types of Tire

There are several different styles of tire for modern tractors. Agricultural tires, or R-1 tires, are generally used for farming on dry land. With lugs that run at deep angles to improve traction, these tires are perfect for dry land conditions.

R-2 tires are made with deeper treads to help grip wet, sticky ground like rice paddies. These tires are not commonly used in North America, but it’s still worthwhile to know about them in case you do face these land conditions.

Turf tires, designated as R-3 tires, are great for general usage, with traction that’s particularly good for loose gravel and sand conditions without significantly impacting the land underneath these substances.

For industrial usage, R-4 tires are ideal owing to their increased traction with an interwoven tread. These tires are generally too large for most tractors and are best suited for professional and large-scale operations.

The ideal tires for most applications will be R-1 or R-3 tires, but you can use any style as your tractor’s back tires depending on what you want. Front tires also come in these styles, but are more often ribbed to provide extra traction. Single-rib or F-1 tires can dig deep into soil to improve your steering control. Three-ribbed F-2 tires prevent side slippage owing to their raised center ribs. If you have very heavy loads to carry over hard surfaces, you’ll want a four-ribbed F-2M style of front tire instead.

Bias Ply Or Radial?

For automobiles, radial tires are the common choice, with bias ply only found on older vehicles. However, when it comes to tractor tires, there’s an important distinction to be made and either style might suit different conditions. For low speeds, bias ply tires are less expensive to fix and replace. Their durable sidewalls are less prone to incur damage when your tractor runs up against an obstacle.

Meanwhile, radial tires are more expensive, but offer a smoother ride for the operator and a longer tread life on hard ground. These tires don’t impact soil as much and they can run better at lower air pressures so you get more fuel efficiency.

Load Rating

The most important factor when deciding on tractor tires will be the load rating. If you don’t get tires with a high enough load rating, your tires will operate inefficiently when under too heavy of a burden. Load ratings are measured in stars that dictate the maximum tire pressure, measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). One-star tires have a maximum of 18 PSI; two-star tires have a maximum of 24 PSI; three-star tires have a maximum of 30 PSI. Combining these PSI measurements with the size of the tire will help to determine the total capacity of the tire.

When you’re in search of tractors and other farm equipment, you’ll want to head to Bayview Trucks & Equipment. Our talented staff are happy to help you find exactly what you need at any of our locations scattered throughout eastern Canada. Our dealership proudly serves all of Atlantic Canada, including the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.