Tire layout on skidder

[Lumberjohn]

My skidder came to me with a bald tire up front left and a bald one back right. The other 2 are good. My question is; can I chain the bald ones where they are or should they both be on back or front?

[Logger RK]

If it was me,I'd put the bald on front with chain's & good ones on the back. But some machines the front tires r to close up front to put chains on. So then I'd put good tires up front & bad on back with chains.

[grassfed]

Remember that on a skidder pulling a hitch the load shifts to the back and comes off the front so you want the best tires on the back. Bald tires are probably broken down some and have lost some of their load handling ability; you don't want flats.

[Lumberjohn]

Yes, we normally run them on front only or back only. I just didnt want to mess with switching tires to get both balds on front and wondered if it would hurt anything doing one front and one back?
I always liked them on front. some swear by the back, Im just happy to have them anywhere.

[beenthere]

I was of the impression that tires should be matched left/right to have less wear and tear on the differential. Maybe that isn't true for a skidder....

[treeslayer2003]

I was of the impression that tires should be matched left/right to have less wear and tear on the differential. Maybe that isn't true for a skidder....

i would say more so on a skidder with no spins. i tore one up once with a slick on one side and good tread on the other.

[BargeMonkey]

I was of the impression that tires should be matched left/right to have less wear and tear on the differential. Maybe that isn't true for a skidder....

When I lose a front tire on my backhoe and the other one is less than 50% your not buying just 1 tire.  :D  put the bald ones up front and run the good ones in the back, that's how everyone around here runs them.

[Lumberjohn]

Yea doing it my way sounds like a recipe for disaster. Looks like I have some tire moving to do. Thanks for all the replies.

[Cutter/Climber]

When I had my 648 I had to 2 bald on the front and then the better ones on the back. One thing that I had a problem with is that the one could not have a tire chain on cause the rim set too far out putting the tire too close to the blade cylinder. Was going to have to get it cut and welded again.