bad news

[jemsklein]

well i got home from school today and noticed that the back left tire on are tractor has a hole in it and the tire went flat so i hope we can get it replaced in time for maple syrup time

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Well, you have plenty of time. At least it was now before you started vs right in the middle of several hundred of gallon of sap per day, so it may have been a blessing in disguise.

[jemsklein]

well i guess that is the good side

[Sugarmaker]

Jems,
Yes always something during syrup season to test you. Could you use another method to gather. Or borrow a neighbors for a couple of days?

Chris

[jemsklein]

well that is the only thing we have that can go that deep in the woods and we arnt so good with are neighbors

[H. Walker]

westverginiamapler is right, I had to fix 2 different backtires last year in mid-season, while the sap in the deep part of the bush turned yellow!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sure would have made fixing the tire a lot more difficult in the middle of the muddy woods with a full load of sap.

Chear up young man and take the bull/tractor by the horns.

[hholt]

Can it be repaired or do you have to replace it? That sure gets costly with tractor tires. I went through two front tires in two years on my JD4710......not fun.

[danno]

Not good, but better now then two weeks from now.

I had my tractor with sap trailer hitched in front of the sugarshack while boiling last year. Snow pack was still huge but we had a major thaw. When I parked the tractor in front of the sugarhouse at 4:00pm I was on solid snow. At 9:00 pm I had water up to the belly of the tractor. While moving the tractor in the dark in thigh deep water with 600 gallons of sap, I snapped the trailer tongue. Ugh!

So, moral of the story, If it ain't one thing, it's another. Now go get that tire plugged or replaced!

[Mike]

Been there done that!!!!! Last season we had a soft spot on the rd to the sugar house....After getting unstuck, dropped trailer off and went back and scrapped a 25 ft long trench thru the WET spot.Good thing for a bucket!!....Then one day while comming up the main dirt rd to the sugar house RD the trailer tillted with 500 gals of sap in the tank......What a job to push it back down to secure it.......Ya gotta luv the fun we have doing this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jemsklein]

well this id the second hole in it and it is on the side wall plus these tires are so old that the are all cracked and when you go down the road some rubber flys off so i think we replace on e then the other some other time

[jdj]

Around Christmas time I was cutting wood for the evaprator(2009 season) and a stick went right through the sidewall of my rear tractor tire. The tractor was stranded in the woods with a flat so that made working on it even tougher, not a small tire 18.4-30 loaded. Before I was done I lost all the calcium, tube was shot and back tire was shot. All in all it was a pretty expensive day. When you're having bad luck you just have to say to yourself "it could be worse".

[jemsklein]

that is the size we have 18.4 - 30 and right know im trying to find some cheap one but there is no luck so far 1200 - 1400 $ range

[jdj]

that is the size we have 18.4 - 30 and right know im trying to find some cheap one but there is no luck so far 1200 - 1400 $ range

I'll have to check the price I paid but I know it was no where near $1200-1400. I think for the tire and the tube it was around $400-450.

[Fred Henderson]

How far are you from the US? Maybe do some check over here and if it is made in the US there is no duty only GST and then maybe not even that if its for the farm.

[jemsklein]

we are a about 3 hours from the border

[PATheron]

James-I have no idea how your bush is but is there any way you can run your stuff to the house with a long length of water line and then not need the tractor? Probly not huh, or youde of done it. Theron

[jemsklein]

good idea but it wont work see are house it at the top ov the land were there are 100 taps that run down hill toward the back of are bush were the tanks are know at the end of the line it is about 1000 feet away from the road and about 1000 feet above and frome are house it is about 3000 feet away and about 200 feet lower then the house this is why this year we are building are sugar shack back there about 300' feet in from the road but i was thinking if we dont have new tires buy then why not run it all to the edge of the bush about 50' feet in enough that no one can see it but enough that we can pump it out to the road onto a trailer

[PATheron]

If you do that then can you go get all the sap with the suburban? That seems like a good idea. Theron

[jemsklein]

the suburban has no gas tank it rusted thru sohe have a big work van that we are planing on using with the hay wagon

[gmcooper]

James, did a little checking for you on tires Check theses guys out.
http://www.tiretown.com/rearfarm1.htm
Also Tucker Tire has a pair on EBAY for $660

There are lots more on the web and you might find one closer to the border
Good luck

[jemsklein]

thanks gmcooper thats what i needed to cheer me up

[Parker]

Last week I bought an 18.4X34 Skidder tire (firestone forestry special) and tube,,they mounted it on the rim for $1400,,,,Definatly look around you should be able to get a tractor tire for $300 or so,,,tube for $50,(I would go with the natural rubber tube),,,,You know how to change the tire yourself? Or will you have it done?
As for pulling a hay wagon with a van,,,:),,this time of year,,sounds like you might get stuck,,, is the suburban 4wheel drive?,,,,

[jemsklein]

well we are changing the tire are selves towing the hay wagon with the van it is only on the road and the suburban is 4wheel drive

[Justin Turco]

Nice to know I / we are not alone in our tribulations!

[Fred Henderson]

While at my friends farm rabbit hunting today I noticed an tractor tire that was an 18.4X30 laying on a pile of rims. It had a big crack on the out side but it didn't go all the way thru. He said that you could have it if you wanted it. But if you got to change it yourself you might just as well get a good one.

[jemsklein]

Well I got some good news we got 2 new tractor tires coming tomorrow they are the 8 ply with very big knobs on them.

[maple flats]

I have that tire in one of my tractors, it is good unless you are in lots of mud.

[jemsklein]

It like having shovels attached to your tire.

[jemsklein]

Ok so on Monday we got are new tire on the rim and back on the tractor wow that was a fun day here are some pictures.http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii47/jemsklein1116/new%20tire/

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just glad to see it is fixed and back in business. It's about time to put in the rest of the taps.