For many decades now, tractors and combines, and similar machines, have been hard at work on American farms, replacing the animal labor that came before them. These machines, like any other, will need proper maintenance and care so that they can run at their maximum capacity. This may range from repairing their final drive motors and transmissions to their engine parts and even the tires. Combine tires may need replacement if they get worn out or punctured on the job, and skid steer tires may be desirable for tractors that work in rougher terrain sometimes. Skid steer tires are those that can carry heavy loads while maintaining traction on hard surfaces, such as snow, soft-packed dirt, gravel, and even rock. Used combine tires, rear tractor wheels, skid steer tires, and more can be found at the right retailer for farm equipment, and finding such a place may be just an Internet search away. How large is the industry for farm equipment and used tires? How might a farm workers get their machine to the nearest shop for tuning?
Tractors and Tires Today
Tractors have been in use across the United States since the early 1900s, though the industry started small. Back in 1916, around 20,000 tractors were sold across the United States, and they were bulky and heavy steam-powered models. By 1935, just 19 years later, the number of tractors sold had spiked to over one million, and the industry has only grown ever since. Today, farmers are hard at work buying and using the finest machines for their jobs. A recent survey done by Caledonia Solutions found that around 25% of all larger arms with at least 1,500 acres of land wanted to boost spending on new farm equipment tech and agronomic data technology. This may mean finding newer and more powerful tractor and combine models, and the parts to install in them. Farming is a business, and boosting efficiency is always a fine idea.
But no tractor or combine is complete without the right wheels and tires for the job, whether they be small combine tires or skid steer tires for tractors. It may not come as a surprise that the farm tire industry is a big one, and major tire retailers in the United States invest heavily in them. Tires for tractors and combines differ from those of mainstream automobiles, as tractors and combines are hardly cars or trucks. But the demand for them is robust. In 2017, for a recent example, the farming industry accounted for $535 million of replacement tire sales, and this total may grow in the coming years as the farming industry itself does.
Today, the brand Firestone owns a 22% market share of the American farm tire market for smaller replacement tires, according to data from Modern Tire Dealer. Similarly, Goodyear is also a large share owner, having a 15.5% market share of the modern market for replacement small farm tires. In fact, on a similar note, farm tires are valued close to $502 million in today’s rubber and tire industry, according to Statistics Brain. This is even greater than the industry’ value for off-road vehicle tires, which comes in at $401 million. It should be noted again that despite operating on bare land and away from roads, tractors and combines are not actually off-road vehicles in the mainstream sense. They are equipment, and tire and repair industries treat them as such.
Tractor Repair
Like any machine, tractors and combines may sometimes suffer maintenance issues, and this can bring their work to a halt. A burst tire, a faulty transmission, or other problems can stall a vehicle or slow it down, and that can harm the farm’s productivity. Therefore, responsible farmers will know where to find local repair shops for their affected equipment. Tractors and combines are awkward to drive on the road, however, so they are typically hauled to a shop on trailers instead. In fact, tractors and combines can be purchased as package deals, coming with a trailer that can handle their size and weight. The afflicted equipment can be loaded onto the trailer and hauled by road to the repair shop when towed by a strong enough truck, usually a large pickup truck.