What tire is best for skid steers working on landscaping projects? With all the various considerations of a landscaping job (scheduling, equipment rental, weather conditions) it's key to understand how the right skid steer tire can save money and increase the ROI on your projects. One common misconception about skid steer tires is that pneumatic all-terrain skid steer tires are always superior. All-terrain tread patterns are ideal for soft surfaces like mud, but less so on hard surfaces like asphalt. Hard surfaces break down all-terrain tires quicker because of the reduced surface area in contact with the ground. The optimal tire for landscaping is a hard surface skid steer tire.
Working on Paved Roads
Contractors use skid steers as forklifts to unload brick, stone and sod pallets. Most of the time they do so on residential streets and driveways or in a yard with gravel. This is where tire wear occurs in landscaping. In these applications, hard surface skid steer tires with deep tread patterns will save you money in the long run. This happens because hard surface skid steer tires have more surface area in contact with the ground thereby reducing tire wear.
Tire wear can be extended even further by choosing a solid hard surface skid steer tire. Quality solid hard surface skid steer tires are more expensive than cheaper, solid all-terrain skid steer tire models. The tire life makes up for the extra cost, and job sites aren't held hostage to punctured tires. With a pneumatic all terrain skid steer tire a flat can mean lost hours while the tire is repaired. A destroyed tire could also mean a replacement that the local tire shop may not have on hand.
Do You Need an All Terrain Tread Pattern?
Think about it, what are you doing with your skid steer if you’re a landscaper? Are you working when it rains? Are you working in deep mud? Most contractors do neither because skid steers disturb too much in mucky conditions. So the next question is why do you need an all-terrain skid steer tire? The answer is you don’t.
Due to high wear on asphalt many landscaping contractors are better off using a hard surface skid steer tire that still has enough tread pattern so they can maneuver on dry dirt and gravel. This will give you traction when you need it and extended wear to increase your machines ROI.
Quality Rubber
When purchasing hard surface skid steer tires consider where they're made. Most North American tires use a higher grade of carbon black in their rubber compound mixture than those made in China or Indonesia. This creates a stronger material that is more resistant to cuts and chunking. Natural rubber is critical, but quality additives are just as critical.
Cheaper rubber uses lower grade carbon black in the mixture to keep costs down; obviously they don't last as long. Without the right additives to prevent it, cold weather can cause chunking in hard surface skid steer tires. However, quality hard surface skid steer tires won't have this problem. Better quality hard surface skid steer tires clearly equal a better investment.
What Options Are Available in Hard Surface Skid Steer Tires?
For landscapers looking to upgrade to a durable tire with quality rubber and high serviceability, consider the EWRS-HS series of hard surface skid steer tires from Evolution Wheel.
The EWRS-HS hard surface skid steer tire series has enough tread pattern to provide traction on dry dirt and gravel while also having enough surface area in contact with the ground for a long wear life.
Also, using a premium rubber compound allows the EWRS-HS hard surface solid skid steer tire to compress and provide comfort to the operator while still being abrasive resistant. Eliminating chunking is a must and the EWRS-HS delivers just that!
With a specially engineered core hole design, this premium hard surface skid steer tire allows heavy loads while being resistant to stress cracking.
To learn more about hard surface skid steer tires visit the EWRS-HS Series from Evolution Wheel.
