From moving material on the job site to pushing manure on the farm to working with waste at recycling centers, we call on many of our skid steers and their tires. Since tires are one of the largest operating expenses for skid steers, behind fuel, smart owners and operators take steps to improve tire life as a way to reduce costs and increase profits.
Photo from Gawley Tire & Repair in Irwin, Iowa
Keep your tires clean: It’s easy to overlook potential tire problems when skid steer tires are covered in mud or manure, or caked with concrete dust. Keeping your tires clean makes it easier to spot dings, bumps, and cracks in your tires, along with blowout-threatening debris that could get stuck in the tread or bead area.
Inspect your tires often: In addition to looking for deformities in the miniature tires, inspect the tread frequently for uneven wear. It is common for a minicar to have one set of tires, front or rear, faster than the other, or even one side faster than the other. Keeping regular tabs on tread wear allows you to rotate your tires and extend the life of all four tires.
Proper Operation: Aggressive operation is one of the main causes of miniature wear. Proper training and reinforcing the simple principles of proper miniature operation, such as limiting tire spin by using the correct amount of throttle and keeping all four tires on the ground, will go a long way toward improve tire life.
Diligent driving: You don’t just have to be attentive how your minicar is driven, but also where is driven Many skid steers work in harsh environments full of tire-threatening obstacles. Being aware of and avoiding these hazards is an easy way to avoid flats, reduce downtime and lower your miniature tire costs.
Consider your request: Minicar owners have more options than ever when it comes to tire construction. For severe service, think scrap yards or demolition sites, a solid tire can provide the puncture-proof performance you need. But on a skid steer that will travel more than a mile in a turn or run at more than 16 miles per hour, a solid tire can overheat, so you’d be better off with a radial with flexible sidewalls, even the footprint , and heat dissipation belts to withstand so much movement. On very abrasive pavements, a massive block tread and wear resistant compound will provide longer life, while the wet and slippery conditions around most dairy farms would be a perfect place for a tread of deep bar.
Pay attention to tire pressure: For tires, the air inside the tire is responsible for carrying the load. Underinflation allows a tire to flex more than it’s designed to, increasing stress on the tire, reducing fuel efficiency, accumulating excess heat, and accelerating wear. Conversely, overinflated tires wear unevenly and are more likely to puncture or blow out. To keep your skid steer running at its best and reduce tire costs, check your tire pressure regularly and make sure your tires are filled to the ideal air pressure.
Cut the counterweights: Bolt-on counterweights are important to increase the rolling capacity of a skid steer that handles heavy loads. However, counterweights that are left on a skid steer when they are no longer needed produce additional force on the tires and ultimately result in faster wear.
Replace as needed: We understand your desire to squeeze every ounce of life out of your miniature tires, but if your tires are showing signs that the end is near, it’s time for them to go. Missing pieces, torn tread, and cracks are all indicators of impending failure. The downtime caused by trying to stretch a few more hours, days, or weeks out of old miniature tires can cost more than simply replacing them when you can schedule a convenient and safe time for the change.
Keep tires consistent: Mixing and matching miniature tires is a recipe for disaster, not only will it cause excessive tire wear, but it will also stress the chain drive system and wear out the machine itself. When replacing miniature tires, uniformity is king: radials should be matched with radials, bias with bias, solid with solid, L-5 with L-5, directional with directional, etc. .
GoGalaxy: Since the original Beefy Baby, Galaxy has been producing the most durable and versatile miniature tires available. Building on the legacy of the Beefy Baby, Galaxy today offers an application-specific miniature tire for almost every application, from the solid SDS Super Smooth to the steel-belted Galaxy Bossman Grip Steel tire, and has solidified the their reputation for not only offering the most durable tires but also offering the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry.
Bonus Tip: Work closely with your tire dealer. He or she can advise you on the optimal tire for your machine, job site, conditions and budget, and help you determine the proper inflation pressure. Contact your local dealer or representative today to find the right tire for your application.
