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Wi | Priced 520/85R42s this fall. Michelin Agribibs 1700, Firestone Deep Tread with lighter load rating 1600, higher was 1850, BKTs were around 1300. Numbers are rounded and based off my memory, could be off a bit. 480/80R42 would be a bit cheaper overall but that doesn't mean the prices will have similar spreads, there's a lot of factors at play and it never makes sense.
Make sure you know what you are actually comparing too. It's easy to see an attractive price and not realize what the difference may be. This is common with Firestone because they offer so many different tires. Michelin only offers the Agribib in that size which has R1W tread and a 156 load index. The BKT will likely be the Agrimax RT855 with R1W tread and 151 load index. The Mitas will be their AC85 which is also R1W with 151 load. Then there's Firestone. They have the Radial All Traction 23* which they offer in R1 and R1W (DT) both of which offer either a 151 or 154 load index. That's 4 different tires, but there's still more. They also offer the Radial 23* which is an economy tire with R1 tread and a 153 load index. The price of these 5 choices will vary drastically, so you can't really just say "Firestone" when comparing with other brands that only offer one choice.
The nice thing about the choice is you can buy the tire that suits your needs. Load index needs will be based on what you are doing. R1W versus R1 also depends on what you are doing. R1W typically wears longer and has better wet traction, but the R1 tires will usually be cheaper and can have better traction in hard ground due to having more lugs. The added lugs provide a smoother ride when comparing like tires. The Firestone's will all be 23* tread angle, the other brands are around 45* or so. The only advantage the 23* bar has is traction on hard dry ground, which is why it's only a North American tire for the most part and the brochures always state it's better for the soils in NA. The advantage is with R1 23*s,the R1Ws have less of an advantage. Outside of that, the steeper lugs tend to be better in wetter conditions, on side Hills, and on the road, plus they ride smoother.
As long as you know what you need and what you are comparing, you will be able to make a good decision. I tend to not like the 23* but that's for what we do which involves a lot of road time and wetter conditions. I tend to prefer the Michelins if it's going to get a lot of hours, otherwise I'd go with Mitas or BKT. On bigger tires Trelleborg is another great option, don't know if their Row crop tires have been as good but I can only imagine they would be. | |
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Tractor Tire Prices
