Wheel Loader Tires - EWRS-AT-WL Series High-Performance

Cost Breakdown Calculation for Skid Steer Tires

When purchasing equipment for your job site, cost-effectiveness is a main factor if not your number one factor. You not only want a reliable and durable product but also one that won't break the bank. When purchasing skid steer tires, a product with lower up-front costs often seems to be the obvious solution, yet other factors come into play that often lead to higher overall costs in the end.

If you assume that quality levels don’t vary significantly from product to product, or from brand to brand, it would make sense to go with the cheaper option. This way of thinking often leads to purchasing traditional air-filled skid steer tires for your skid steers. You may see the higher price tag of solid skid steer tires and figure that the air-filled tires are either a better value or will work just the same as solid skid steer tires.

But how much do those cheaper skid steer tires cost in the long run? After all, the up-front purchase price is only a small part of the big picture regarding the cost consideration equation. Other factors to consider are the cost of maintaining, repairing, and replacing the tires. You should also consider that recent advances in technology have led to a wide variation in the quality of modern skid steer tires, and there are now some significant differences between types and brands of skid steer tires. Although solid skid steer tires have higher upfront costs, their cutting-edge design will save you a lot of money in the long run.

If you’re currently using air-filled tires for your skid steers, consider taking a few minutes to think about the actual cost you’re spending from the initial purchase to the end of life. You might be surprised at how much you’re spending on purchase, repair, replacement, downtime, labor, and other costs associated with air-filled tires.

Here are some factors to consider when doing a complete cost consideration calculation:

How many hours do the air-filled skid steer tires last on the machine? Lower-quality tires will wear out more quickly and need to be replaced more often, resulting in a higher overall tire budget. Though individual skid steer tires cost less, the need to purchase many of them adds up.

What is the cost of skid steer tires when installation is factored in? Spending man-hours and resources on skid steer tire installation is costly, especially because it must be done more frequently than solid skid steer tires.

What is the cost to repair air-filled skid steer tires when they go flat? One of the biggest drawbacks of air-filled tires is that when they’re punctured, they deflate. The tires must be removed and repaired every time this happens before the machine becomes functional again. This process can lead to big costs, as labor and downtime are required to repair. With solid skid steer tires, there are no flats to worry about, and none of the associated expenses or hassles.

How much are you spending on downtime during repairs? Consider how many hours are spent dealing with flat tires instead of working on the project you've been hired to do. Using your job's hourly charge-out rate, you can calculate the cost/hour of your tires. The cheaper the tires, the more downtime is required, ultimately costing you money.

Now for comparison, let's look at the average cost/hour from Evolution Wheel's solid tires, across several industries.

Industry	Average Cost/Hour
Rock Quarry	USD 1.16/tire
Demolition	USD 1.30/tire
Waste Transfer Station	USD 1.25/tire
Dairy Farm	USD 0.80/tire
General Agriculture	USD 0.60/tire

The numbers speak for themselves! Buying high-quality skid steer tires results in lower cost/hour. If you want to save money on equipment, well-designed products will ultimately yield greater returns. Although air-filled tires cost less up front, in the long run, solid skid steer tires are well worth the initial higher investment as they save repair, downtime, replacement, and many other costs.

Evolution Wheel provides the highest quality solid skid steer in the industry. Our rugged, versatile skid steer tires are superior in strength and thus get the job done without sacrificing operator comfort. Evolution Wheel’s tires also have a modular design which keeps repair costs to a minimum. Say goodbye to the high cost of flat tires! Check out our full line of products today to find out more about our solid skid steer tires and other tires for your industrial machines!