my 70ish 440a has two original 8ply style and two forestrys special tires. the 440 came from the factory with 6-8 ply tractor type tires and i dont think there were such thing as a forestry special tire then. maybe.. would there be a downfall to using 10 ply tractor type tires as the stock type 6-8 ply tires have lasted so many years?
from what ive seen in tires for logging the higer the ply the better
I would go with forestry specials anything else is just a agriculturial tire and dosen't have the reinforcement needed for the woods.In my opinion you get what you pay for,but of course that is up to you. ;)
if they hold up half as long as the original tractor type tire i would be happy. the machine has 4 wore out tires, 2 original type (could be 40yrs old) and 2 f/specials. the f/specials are on back with chunks of tread gone. a 10ply f/special is ?$1500-2000 and a 10ply tractor tire is $500 and exceeds the ply a jd440 came with (might be 3020 tractor tires). i may grab a used one from a farmer and give it a whirl. should be ok in the snow..
somone has been carefull what they are driving over if the ag tires have lasted that long. the forestry tires may be loosing chunks of tread but they are definately more resistant to punctures.
i still dont know why we dont just put steel wheels on skidders. they would be cheaper than tires, and when they bend or break you can bend or weld them back. and you can weld all sorts of crazy stuff on them for extra traction. only place i can see them being a hassle is ground with lots of ledge.
I'v been running ag tires used ones for a few years now ??? Some day going to find some off the front of one those big four wheel drive tractors get a matched set this way . You can mess up a track on a cat if you try hard enough . ::)
I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but you'll be better off in the long run with real forestry tires..with tubes, and mounting....figure $1900 for a pair...if you buy them relatively local. Here's a link to a discount skidder tire place, but I don't know what shipping would be..
http://skiddertires.com/ (http://skiddertires.com/)
thanks all great points... but what would you consider the oem tires? i have the jd manual from 69 here and it says 16.9x30 6-8ply tire and 10 ply on the 18.4x26 mine has 16.9s
One of my friends has a 440a with 16.9-30. Has ran ag tires on it for years, watchs out for farm auctions and buys them cheap. I prefer the forestry specails. The ones on mine are 16 ply, have never punctured one. When I skidded with a tractor I had a few flats usually caused by down hemlock or spruce tops buried in the snow. Them broke off limbs will puncture a tire quick.
You could always get inner liners from gempler and double the thickness.
Stonebroke
firestone forestry special is hard to beat. my paps 225 came with goodyeaer tires . he said they werent the best he was tight w his money but when he put tires on a skidder firestone all the way he didnt buy cheap tires for any of em he tried one and puntured it and that was the end of it
I put a pair on my 440 a few years ago at just shy of 2K Bucks.. The rears were wornout and bald when My dad got the skidder 20 years ago and were still running 2 of them :D 8)