second place for choosing a pneumatic tire is the comfort. Unlike cars and trucks, the skid steer has no suspension, that is, no springs, struts, air suspension or anything to soften the ride. Using a skid steer day in and day out on rough terrain can prove to be very hard physically on the drivers. So, the air in the pneumatic tires provides a bit of a cushion to take the edge off the jarring ride.
There are two offsetting cons to the pneumatic tire. Punctures and other damage to tires is common on jobsites. Downtime due to changing or repairing a tire could get expensive. Also, the cushion provided by the tires could prove to be a double-edged sword. Pneumatic tires tend to bounce. Depending on the terrain being worked in, the skid steer could bounce quite a bit, resulting in shifting loads and difficult driving.
Solid Rubber Pros and Cons
One of the advantages to solid rubber tires is obvious: they won’ t blow out. The potential need for constant repairs or replacement would be eliminated. But, as would be expected, this peace of mind comes at a cost. Solid rubber tires are expensive. They can run two to three times the cost of air-filled tires. The flip side is that they will generally last three to five times longer than pneumatic tires. Buying solid tires does not provide the suspension that air-filled tires do, sometimes resulting in that beaten-up feeling at the end of the day.
MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR TIRES
Although skid steers and their tires may seem indestructible, they are not. However, their life can be dramatically extended by following a few simple maintenance tips:
1. Clean your tires with a hose regularly and inspect for bubbles, cracks and debris that may be lodged in the rubber.
2. Keep an eye on the tread. Because the front tires may wear faster than the rear and vice versa, it would be prudent to rotate the tires whenever uneven wear is detected.
3. Avoid driving on the road. The skid steer is designed to be used in a work environment, not driven like a truck. Doing so will shorten the tires’ lifespan considerably.
4. Refrain from popping off the retaining rims by catching them on an object, buy tires that have good rim protectors molded into the tire.
5. Keep your tires’ pressure within the manufacturer’ s recommended range. Under- or over-inflated tires can either waste fuel or increase the chance of getting a flat. Check the pressure at least once a week, if not daily.
6. Avoid“ mixing and matching” tire brands. Use one brand of tire on the entire machine. Each brand has its own design and they are all slightly different. Improper pairing will cause uneven wearing on both the tires and the machine.
The Right Tire for the Job
We’ ve mentioned that there is a tire out there for every job. Let’ s consider some of those options. Keep in mind that many of these are available in both pneumatic and solid rubber construction.
Probably the most common skid-steer tire is the all-terrain tire. Available in multiple duty ratings, the all-terrain is at home in most work environments, with dirt and slightly muddy surfaces being its forte. It has deep, angled lugs and a high void ratio, providing excellent traction while easily shedding rocks and debris. Note that, although they can operate well on hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt, the cost for those that do is substantially higher than for
10 November 1, 2024 www. contractorshotline. com