Got a fair start. Update with questions

[Herb Brooks]

Used Don P calcs in the tool box for the band speed math and found I was close.
6"drive and 25" driven on a 30" wheel is 5277 @ 2800 and 5654 @ 3000'
8" drive And 25" driven is 5529 @ 2200.
Thinking I will Buy the 6 and try it,  If it doesn't pull well than I can up it to an I
and reset the govenor.  The hp (I'm surmising) isn't going to be the issue so much as belt slip
will be as far as band speed reduction.  Belts and a pulley will be the cost of education, cheeper than some of the education I've gotten.

[drobertson]

Looks like you are in the ball park,  trial and error will be the next part of the project.  The best part of education is having fun while learning,  hard to put a price tag on that,  looking forward to this one for sure, keep up the good work, 

[Herb Brooks]

It is kinda fun.  Had a second thought on the tires a minute ago.  in my kiaser willeys catalog they are still selling the non directional jeep tires in 16", with round shoulders.  Some of you may remember them, built in crown!

[barbender]

I don't think the crown is as important as one might think with rubber tires. I found that the tension of the band tended to make it "sink" or groove into the tire, negating the crown. But then when you throttle up, the tires grow a bit. That's why it is a challenge to make them track straight. FLDeadheader had a homebrew mill that he used mobile home tires on, that seemed to work well. That's probably the direction I would look if I did it again. BTW you can "shave" a crown into your tire as well, I sharpened a file up and made a rest, like a wood lathe. You can make nice rubber shavings ;D

[Joe Hillmann]

I found the same thing barbender did. Once you get the blade tightened up the band will pull a dip into the wheels and add a lot of rolling resistance.  No matter how much air I added to the tires the dip stayed there and even got worse.  I now have it set up with much less tension on the blade and I can watch the tires expand and tighten up the blade when it gets up to speed.

[Herb Brooks]

I read what ya'll are saying here on the forum. That was the reason for the tractor front tires. In a 16 Like on my Farmalls the center rib is roughly 1 1/4" and nearly flat across.  I can buy those in a 5 wide for just over a hundred.  The jeep tires are closer to two.  Tractor tires are a two for one deal so to speak.  I haven't read of anyone using them so could be I have the hot secret working. If they don't fly apart from centri whatever forces.