What to look for when buying forestry tyres

The hardest working tyres for some of the the biggest machines and heaviest loads.   So how do you get it right and make sure your investment is worthwhile?

 

Cost on the day vs cost per hour

One of the key considerations with forestry tyres is the cost of downtime.  Do the maths and work out what happens if your skidder goes down.  How many people will be idle for a day and what does that add up to?  If you're looking at a very high cost of downtime, choose tyres with a reputation for lasting under servere stresses and harsh conditions.

Make sure it suits your gear

This one will make it easy if you run a machine with tracks.  Just make sure the replacement works for your existing setup, unless you're looking to replace your tracks as well.

Nokian tracks 1200x650
If you're running tracks you'll need to make sure the new tyres suit your setup

Choose tyres that can take the knocks

The main thing that will determine how long your tyre stands on to the harsh conditions in the forest is its capacity for damage resistance. The more it stands up to, the longer your machine will run between tyre changes.  Choosing a tyre with a reputation for extreme damage resistance might cost twice the price and last twice as long, but when you add in the cost of downtime as well, it changes the picture completely.