Used Aircraft Tires For Tractors, Implements

Used aircraft tires for tractors, implements TIRES/WHEELS New Uses 15-3-2 "You can virtually eliminate flats on mowers, grain carts, tractor front wheels, trailers, balers, and other farm equipment by fitting them with heavy-ply aircraft tires," says O.P. Whittington, president of General Supply & Equipment Co., Inc., Houston, Tex., and a pioneer in the use of used aircraft tires for farm equipment for the past 30 years. Whittington stocks a comprehensive range of tires - from 10 to 32-ply - that'll substitute for about 80 percent of farm. tires. Most popular sizes are 8, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 20-in. tires. "They sell for about half as much as regular implement tires," he says. General Supply obtains tires from domes-tic and foreign sources. The company developed a method of removing one bead from the heavy-ply, 2-beaded aircraft tires, a modification that allows the tires to be mounted on regular implement wheels with standard tire-changing equipment. "Aircraft tires are 98 percent flat-free and have triple the life of ordinary implement tires," says Whittington. One regular customer is Hamilton Mowing Co., Groesbeck, Tex., which mows about 50,000 acres every year. "Over the years, we've experimented with all types of tires and we've found that aircraft tires are far superior," says Paul Hamilton, a member of the family-owned business. "Before switching to them, we had to plan on two sets of tires every year per tractor. With the right air pressure, our tractor tires now last a whole season without flats." Before switching to aircraft tires, Hamilton says they tried solid rubber wheels on mowers. "We had to change bearings 3 to 4 times a year per wheel. The constant beating of the solid rubber tires was very rough on the shredder frame. With aircraft tires we no longer have the vibration, which cuts down on equipment wear and tear. We estimate a savings of about $3,000 a year on the cost of bearings alone, in addition to eliminating flats and tire replacement costs." Some examples of prices include: 14-ply 8-in. ($10.95); 18-ply 10-in. ($19.95); 20-ply 14-in. ($19.95); 26-ply 16-in. ($37.95). For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, General Supply & Equipment Co., Inc., Box 14628, 4300 O.S.T. At Cullen St., Houston, Tex. 77221 (ph toll-free 800 828-3350 or 713 748-3350).

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