When do you call a rear tractor tire junk?

[jkwilson]

Cut the sidewall on a rear tire on my loader tractor the other day. I've mostly been PO'd at it since but I need to decide whether it's worth putting a boot on the cut and patching the tube or if I'm in for tires. They are plenty worn, but I hate spending money to replace tires that have life in them. Anybody got a "rule of thumb" for when it's time to bite the bullet and get new ones?

 

[dun]

When it's booted and the dmaged area still opens up a little is when I bite the bullet and replace them. I didn;t once. When it finally totally gave way was the most awkward time it could have chosen.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I think I would do it now, if it were me. There's nothing like being in a jam and having the tire blow on you. You can bet it will not blow while it is sitting there at the barn. It is going to go when you are in the middle of something, trying to finish before a rain hits etc. Murphy will work overtime on these things. At that point, you are going to have to spend the nickels anyway. If it is on the weekend, the tire store will be closed etc. Get it done now and it is one less thing to worry about.

I ran a new backhoe rear tire onto a mesquite stob, on a place that wasn't mine. Ticked me off. Somebody had split the tree and left the stob on the old guy's place. The tire was about a week old and ruint.