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They're Retreading Worn Tractor Tires
"We can cut a farmer's tractor tire costs almost in half," says John Olson, owner-operator of Olson's Tire Service, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., which has just "tooled up" to retread tractor tires.
Olson, who has turned out 48 retreaded tractor tires since launching the new service last December, is presently equipped to
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They're Retreading Worn Tractor Tires SPECIALTY/SERVICES Specialty/Services 7-2-8 "We can cut a farmer's tractor tire costs almost in half," says John Olson, owner-operator of Olson's Tire Service, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., which has just "tooled up" to retread tractor tires.
Olson, who has turned out 48 retreaded tractor tires since launching the new service last December, is presently equipped to retread only one size ù the 18.4 by 38 bias play or radial. However, he hopes to be "tooled up" to retread 20.8 by 38's within a month or two.
Here's how his "retreading" service works:
You send him your old smooth casings, making sure they're sound ù with no cracks or breaks. Olson's shop buffs off the old tread, then puts on a thick layer of soft and spongy uncured rubber. The tire is then put into a mold where its inflated and the rubber cured. "The tread design of the mold is like the Firestone All Traction Field and Road Tire," according to Olson. "The tread is wider and deeper than on an original equipment tire."
Olson backs his "retreads" with a "good as new" guarantee ù a four year warranty on a pro-rated basis.
Cost of retreading is $279 per tire, plus $7.50 excise tax for a total of $286.50. "This is about a 44% savings over the price of an original equipment tire, which runs right at $500," Olson points out. "We pay the freight on tires coming to us and the farmer pays the return freight."
Olson notes that he's had 11 sets of retreads running in the field since last September: "They're doing conventional plowing, chisel plowing and pulling subsoilers. To date, we haven't had any problems with any of the retreads and we don't anticipate any."
Turn-around time to do a set of tractor tires is about one week after they arrive at Olson's shop. "If a farmer is really in a rush and doesn't care about getting his old tires back, we have a few retreads made up and will send him these and take his old casings in exchange."
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Olson's Tire Service, 704 E. Pickard, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 48858 (ph 517 773-7978).
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