Life of tires

[MillWeld]

I've been told that the life of a trailer tire is about 7 years regardless of mileage. I presume this is true for any low mileage vehicle - if you don't wear the tread off driving then the tire rubber deteriorates in that time period. Correct? But what about farm tractor tires? I purchased a used Ford tractor in 1987 and I am still running the same rear tires - they have very worn treads but it suffices for my needs: mowing and pulling logs primarily. I use it about 150 to 200 hrs a year and with no flats or bursts. All my vehicles are housed under cover.
Bob

 

[davesl708]

Tires left out in the weather will deteriorate faster than if stored inside. Using the tires helps. My Titans are 13 years old now and still fine.
Keeping them inflated and a tire dressing will help if stored outside.

 

[TnAndy]

I dunno. I bought a used 16', two axle trailer from the late 90's and I'm sure the original tires were on it. One finally did start leaking enough (tubeless) thru cracks that I put a new set on it...but my guess is they were working on 20yrs old.

One set I wear out pretty quick is the front tires on my 4x4 tractors. I seem to get about 500-600 hours on them, and they are worn slap out.

 

[Sprinklerman]

Go to the RV forum , woodalls and read about ST trailer tires and LT truck tires . Its quite fun to read

 

[MillWeld]

Is the RV forum part of TBN? If so, I missed it. Got a link to it?

 

[Wolfy]

I have two garden tractors built in 1967 that are still riding on the back tires that came with them new. It seems the rubber back then cured harder and lasted much longer than today's tires.

 

[millertire]

The 7 years is for Hwy speed tires, not for slow seed tires like ag & garden tractor tires.

 

[4570Man]

I have never seen a trailer tire fail because of tread loss. Their life is fairly short before they blow out.

 

[Sprinklerman]

I have never seen a a trailer tire fail because of tread loss. Their life is fairly short before they blow out.

Most trailer tires are made in china .

 

[joeu235]

We have a 1971 4020 and the rear tires have been replaced once.

 

[CCWKen]

I think the DOT suggests 7-10 years for highway tires. It doesn't apply to off-road tires that rarely see speeds over three miles an hour.

I was bringing a 1.25 ton military trailer loaded with a Sullair 160cfm compressor back from Virginia. The trailer still had the original 1950s military tires on it. Stopped for fuel in Texarkana and, doing the usual walk-around, noticed the tread was gone on one of the tires. Knowing I wasn't going to find a suitable replacement at 2:00am, I decided to press on. I made it back home and the tire is still holding air. That was about six years ago.

 

[clemsonfor]

Yea on a farm tractor age is not important. Now towing a boat or something 60mph down the highway is different.

I have some trailer tires that are 15 years old and almost bald...some would call them bald.

Unless you use your tractor for work that would just hurt you too much financially if one blew out at a bad time and cost you more then just replacing it at 15 years or so no matter what i would just run them.

 

[LDCravey]

We have a 1971 4020 and the rear tires have been replaced once.

I just replaced the front tires on my Oliver Super 55 tractor. The front tires were 6.00 x 16 bias ply car tires made in about 1960. I know this because the manufacturer of the tires went out of business in 1961. The front tires lasted an amazing 55 years!!! They never lost air. The tread lamination finally started pealing off of one tire. These tires still had fairly good tread depth, but since one failed, I replaced both. Yep, the rubber was very hard. Guess I got my money's worth out of those tires.

 

[BHD]

Tires made to day if one gets over ten years out of them your doing good,

in1946 my dad bought a drill and the tires only lasted 49 years, my old 1952. military 6x6, the tires lasted close to 50 years, and I still have tires I ran on my 1973 pickup the tires are on machinery, but the new ones will blow out sitting up in the air, there are some brands that last a little longer, but most will not make 10 years now, they may look good on the out side but may just blow one day sitting there,

no longer using real rubber in the tires, or is some how recycled, I do not know but it is a pain now days,

 

[Texasmark]

Over 10 years ago I went to my local "have any tire you could possibly need" tire dealer and bought 4 Shield brand 700-15 8 ply tires. The tires are on a popular 16' tandem trailer used for hauling small tractors and whatever. The tires are shielded from the sun's rays. Periodically I examine them for cracks and to date have not found one bit of evidence that the rubber is drying out, at the rim, in the sidewall, where the sidewall contacts the tread, or within the tread area.

I expect that on SL tires as I am convinced, by my own usage the past 50 years that SL tries have more plasticizers in the rubber compound (tires feel slick when new as compared to non SL tires) that enables them to sit for longer periods of time in one spot with no activity to cause the plasticizers to move through the tire like happens with regular tires in regular usage.

I used to use takeoffs from my truck for my trailer but got tired of radial sidewall distortion on the tandem so I went with bias ply. On the takeoffs, which were popular brands and only lasted around 30k miles regardless of badge, were usually cracked when I took them off after usually about 3 years. Most of the cracking was at the interface of the body and tread cap rubber.

In short, I'd say it depends on the tire and the mfgr. as to just what is a useful life.