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The Wheel and Tire Superstore isn't just Cedar Park's choice for the best in car and truck tires. We also keep an extensive selection of farming tires, and other tires for heavy industrial vehicles. This allows us to be your true one-stop-shop for all your wheel and tire needs!

Choosing the right farming tires can be difficult, and our expert staff are always here to help you find the best wheels and tires for your vehicle. So in this quick guide, we'll go over how ag tires are different from regular tires, and what you need to know to make a smart purchase!

I. Tubed vs Tubeless

You can get ag tires with an inflatable inner tube, similar to standard tires, or solid tubeless variations.

Tubed tires behave as you'd expect. There's an inflatable tube inside which gives the wheel most of its size and strength. They're typically cheaper and offer a smoother ride, but vulnerable to puncturing - which is an issue if you're driving on rocky ground or areas with a lot of debris. 

Tubeless tires are typically made from solid rubber. This gives them extreme durability in challenging driving situations, as they can shrug off most damage while, at worst, simply losing a small chunk of rubber. However, they are more expensive, and give a much rougher ride since you don't have the inner tube acting as a shock absorber.

II. Bias Ply vs Radial

There are two different ways that ag tires can be built, either Bias Ply or Radial.

Radial tires are constructed similarly to regular car and truck tires. The tread and sidewall are two separate pieces, tied together with cords that run across the tire, 90 degrees off from the direction of the tire. These cords are typically either made of steel or fabric, with steel being more expensive but more durable. However, in general, radial tires will be more expensive than bias ply.

Bias ply tires treat the treads and sidewall as a single unit, with cords running diagonally from bead to bead connecting them. Bias ply tires are stiffer than radial tires and have better penetration resistance. They are typically less durable than radial tires and will need more frequent replacement, but they're also cheaper, so the long-term costs usually work out to be about the same.

III. Reading Tire Sizes on Bias Ply and Radial Tires

As with regular tires, farming tires also have strings of numbers on the side, which give you a lot of information about them. However, this information varies depending on whether it’s radial or biased. 

Bias ply size designations are simpler and easier to interpret. 

For example, 17.5L-24 means:

• A 17.5" tire width
• 24”-wheel diameter
• And the dash in between indicates they're bias ply tires.

Radial tire size designations are more complicated and closer to regular tire sizing.

One common size designation would be 380/90R46, which breaks down to:

• A 380mm tire width
• A 90-aspect ratio, which is the ratio of height vs width. A 90 means the height is 90% of its width.
• R stands for radial
• A 46”-wheel diameter

And yes, this designation mixes metric and imperial units, so be careful with your measurements! Width is in millimeters, while the diameter is in inches.

In addition, both designations may include a letter at the end, which indicates the tire's maximum rated speed. This goes from A8 (25mph) up to F (50mph).

IV. R1, R3, or R4?

Different ag tire types are often abbreviated to R1, R3, or R4. This is straightforward:

R1 tires are intended for farming vehicles and are most often put on tractors and similar vehicles.

R3 are smaller tires intended for turf and are used on small vehicles such as golf carts or lawn mowers. They reduce disruption to the soil but have poor hauling capability.

R4 tires are for larger industrial machines such as forklifts, with a design built for heavy loads and extreme wear.

V. Do You Need IF or VF?

The acronyms IF and VF come up often when looking at farming tires. These stand for "Increased Flexion" and "Very high Flexion" respectively.

Increased Flexion means that the tires can carry 20% higher loads than non-IF tires at maximum inflation or carry the same amount as non-IF tires at a 20% lower inflation pressure. Running at a lower pressure can reduce soil compaction but requires you to carefully monitor the PSI to ensure it never goes below 20% under-inflation. Otherwise, ride quality and power will drop quickly if inflation goes down.

Very High Flexion is the same concept, but they can either carry 40% more weight or be run at 40% lower PSI. As with IF tires, you must be vigilant in monitoring the tire pressure if you're going to run them underinflated.

V. Other Options

There are two other types of farming tires you might consider, CFO and LSW.

Cyclic Field Operation (CFO) tires can achieve up to 55% higher load-carry capacity, but only if they're running at 10mph or less. Or they can get up to a 30% higher capacity when running up to 20mph. CFO tires can also reduce soil compaction. However, they're only appropriate for vehicles that run at very slow speeds, like combines or grain haulers.

Low Sidewall Technology (LSW) means they have a larger rim diameter than normal, which can significantly improve your ride quality. They have fewer issues with performance drop-off compared to IF and VF tires, while bringing most of the same benefits. However, they do still need to be carefully monitored for their air pressure, and the size of the tire must be an exact match to the rim.

The Wheel and Tire Superstore Has All Your Farming Tires

No matter what kind of vehicle you're running, we have all the wheels and tires necessary to keep your farm machinery rolling! If you're ever unsure what type of wheels are best for your use, our expert staff is always here to help. Just contact us with your questions!