Swamp Tires Work Better Than Tracks

Swamp Tires Work Better Than Tracks COMBINES Accessories 18-2-1 Paul Corzine, Assumption, Ill., faced some of the muddiest conditions he'd ever seen when he went to harvest his 1993 corn and bean crop. But thanks to the special 50-in. flotation tires he put on his Deere 9500 combine, he got all his crop out while doing a minimum of damage to fields. "I think they beat tracks and I was surprised at how well they steer," says Corzine, who had tried tracks in the past. He bought the big tires from Larry Barry's Tire Service in Taylorville, Ill. Barry has been promoting the idea among local farmers and fitted a number of combines with the tires and special-built rims last fall. The 50-in. tires Barry recommends are primarily designed for the logging industry. They're so wide, says Corzine, they act much differently against the ground than narrower tires. "Instead of squishing mud out the sides, these tires squish mud toward the center of the tires. The effect is that you do not mire down but ride right over mud." The tires run on low air pressure, which causes them to flex upward a bit at center. Larry Barry has special rims built for the 68 by 50 by 32-in. tires so that the rim telescopes in over the axle to help center the weight of the combine. He has rims made in both Jacksonville, Fla., and Monroe, La. Width of the 16-ply tires is about equal to duals. They sell for about $8,400 a pair. Corzine plans to use the wide tires even in dry years to reduce compaction. The biggest advantage over tracks, he says, is that he can drive the combine over the road with the big tires on. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Barry, Larry's Tire Service, 401 N. Webster, Taylorville, Ill. 62568 (ph 217 824-9060 or 6812).

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