Litefoot Turf Tires 23x8.5-12: Sidewalls Cracking / Leaking Prematurely

[NoJacketRequired]

It has been some time since I last posted here - life has been busy. So, too, has my little fleet of B7510's been busy. Not working hard in rough stuff but rather working hard blowing snow. It has been quite a winter here!

I'm wondering if I'm the only person who has seen the Kubota "whole goods" replacement tires prematurely cracking in the sidewalls and leaking like sieves?

In this case I have purchased a total of three new front tire/wheel assemblies from the Kubota dealer as "whole goods". The tires are all Litefoot tires in size 23x8.5-12NHS in turf tread configuration. None of the three assemblies lasted a full year before starting to leak air. Examination shows the sidewalls have cracked in many places, typically at the edges of molded-in lettering and at the very base of the tread blocks where they meet the sidewall.

Given that Kubota asks rather a huge price for these assemblies I'm not at all a happy camper.

Has anybody found a longer-lasting turf tire in this size?

I know I can tube the tires to get me through the winter but I'm also not comfortable running a tire which is visibly degrading before my very eyes, especially when I'm contemplating doing some lifting work with the FEL this summer.

I should note this tractor is stored in a shed, out of direct sunlight.

By contrast, my one tractor is still wearing its factory-original (now almost 20 years old!) Carlisle turf tires which exhibit none of this kind of cracking. This tractor previously was stored in the same shed as mentioned above for at least a decade, with no tire cracking evident.

I'm not sure I'm ready to drop a thousand bucks (Canadian) on replacing the Litefoots. I'm very open to hearing from those who have come up with a better solution!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Those cracks are not weather cracks they are delamination cracks.
The tires have been overloaded.
Either too much weight to little of air pressure or hitting obstructions.
They can also happen with very cold tires getting loaded.

Does the tractor have a loader?

 

[D2Cat]

I have similar problem on tires on my Ranger side x side. Tire started leaking just at the edge of the bars on the tread. After much frustration I eventually replace those tires with 8 ply knobby tires. Now those tire are doing the same thing. I think it is the quality of rubber used these days. One set was factory tires, second set I though I was buying better, but apparently not. I just put tubes in them as they start leaking and keep going.

These tires were never overloaded with weight, or run low on air.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Those cracks are not weather cracks they are delamination cracks.
The tires have been overloaded.
Either too much weight to little of air pressure or hitting obstructions.
They can also happen with very cold tires getting loaded.

Does the tractor have a loader?

I think i would agree. Otr makes some pretty good stuff. See them in the oil patch sometimes on some very big stuff.
But the litefoot line is know as an ultra light line light duty lawn mower tire??. Probably not the right tire for a hard working compact utility tractor
Hopefully he has good relationship with his dealer. Mine would help for sure if they made that recommendation even though not oem.... my suggestion is tube it and keep on rolling

 

[NoJacketRequired]

Brief update...
I could install tubes in these tires (at a cost of about $65 per tire) but their sidewall cracks will always be a safety hazard, especially when using the FEL.

I called my local agricultural tire shop - they quickly recommended that I go with the Galaxy Mighty Mow tire. I've ordered three of them to replace these crappy Litefoots. Hopefully by next week this problem will be behind me. Cost should be around $200 each, mounted.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

I'll answer the question about the tires being overloaded. The short answer is "no way in heck have they been overloaded".

Yes, the tractor has a FEL. Since two new tires were installed on this tractor the heaviest thing they've supported is the B2782B front-mount snowblower, suspended below the bucket. These tires lead an extremely easy life in terms of FEL work. Their hardest work is in the winter, supporting the B2782B front mount blower. Even that is well within their load rating.

I'm sure I've run them while low on air - how can I not when they are constantly leaking? Specified inflation pressure is 22PSI - they are inflated to this pressure every time I start the tractor to go on a snowblowing run. After a couple of hours of work they are down a couple of PSI. By the next day, after a cold overnight cycle, they are below 5PSI. The only way they could always run at rated pressure is if I had a continuous inflation system installed.

As a counter-point, the set of factory-original tires that started life on this particular tractor were transferred to my "airport" tractor when I got the new Litefoots. The factory-original tires saw exactly the same service on my "home" tractor and lived about 17 years providing that service. Now, installed on the "airport" tractor, they still don't exhibit any sidewall cracking whatsoever. Clearly "overload" operations would have damaged the OEM Carlisle tires as badly as these Litefoot tires, given they've been used on the same machine in the same application, but no, the Carlisle tires exhibit no such damage.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

W

I think i would agree. Otr makes some pretty good stuff. See them in the oil patch sometimes on some very big stuff.
But the litefoot line is know as an ultra light line light duty lawn mower tire??. Probably not the right tire for a hard working compact utility tractor
Hopefully he has good relationship with his dealer. Mine would help for sure if they made that recommendation even though not oem.... my suggestion is tube it and keep on rolling

With respect to the Litefoot tires being a light duty tire, they were provided as a complete tire/wheel assembly when purchased as "whole goods" from the Kubota dealer - the dealer had no other options available, thus Kubota "recommended" them since it's the only tire/wheel they stock.

Given their service history, I've stopped recommending folks buy "whole goods" turf tire/wheel assemblies from Kubota dealers unless the tires are something other than these Litefoots. They truly don't seem to be up to the task.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

W

With respect to the Litefoot tires being a light duty tire, they were provided as a complete tire/wheel assembly when purchased as "whole goods" from the Kubota dealer - the dealer had no other options available, thus Kubota "recommended" them since it's the only tire/wheel they stock.

Given their service history, I've stopped recommending folks buy "whole goods" turf tire/wheel assemblies from Kubota dealers unless the tires are something other than these Litefoots. They truly don't seem to be up to the task.

I would agree with you 100% that not up to task. IMHO your tractor is way too capable for those tires. Those tractors are capable of alot!!! Whether bought as wholegoods, or from parts or from chinese factory the results probably would have been same unfortunately. maybe ok for lawn tractor lite duty mowing lawn. Your just too hard working for that choice. Carlisle are much more heavy duty. Costs more too though.

 

[jimh406]

If they didn't have enough air, they could have been overloaded. Tire capacity depends on the proper air pressure.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I have similar problem on tires on my Ranger side x side. Tire started leaking just at the edge of the bars on the tread. After much frustration I eventually replace those tires with 8 ply knobby tires. Now those tire are doing the same thing. I think it is the quality of rubber used these days. One set was factory tires, second set I though I was buying better, but apparently not. I just put tubes in them as they start leaking and keep going.

These tires were never overloaded with weight, or run low on air.

I had a guy over for dinner a few years back. He owns an atv tire shop. He told me to scratch the tires I want to buy with my finger nail and give them a good "sniff". If it smells like rubber they are good tires. If they "stink" they are off poor quality. why i asked? He said alot of offshore tire makers using recycled (not virgin fresh) rubber and other materials. Recycled material can carry alot of contamination like plastics from bottles, and other waste not found in higher end tires. So they stink kinda rotten and simply not the same quality of say a Goodyear or Michelin made of purer sourced material. FWIW. CHEERS

 

[PoTreeBoy]

It has been some time since I last posted here - life has been busy. So, too, has my little fleet of B7510's been busy. Not working hard in rough stuff but rather working hard blowing snow. It has been quite a winter here!

I'm wondering if I'm the only person who has seen the Kubota "whole goods" replacement tires prematurely cracking in the sidewalls and leaking like sieves?

In this case I have purchased a total of three new front tire/wheel assemblies from the Kubota dealer as "whole goods". The tires are all Litefoot tires in size 23x8.5-12NHS in turf tread configuration. None of the three assemblies lasted a full year before starting to leak air. Examination shows the sidewalls have cracked in many places, typically at the edges of molded-in lettering and at the very base of the tread blocks where they meet the sidewall.

Given that Kubota asks rather a huge price for these assemblies I'm not at all a happy camper.

Has anybody found a longer-lasting turf tire in this size?

I know I can tube the tires to get me through the winter but I'm also not comfortable running a tire which is visibly degrading before my very eyes, especially when I'm contemplating doing some lifting work with the FEL this summer.

I should note this tractor is stored in a shed, out of direct sunlight.

By contrast, my one tractor is still wearing its factory-original (now almost 20 years old!) Carlisle turf tires which exhibit none of this kind of cracking. This tractor previously was stored in the same shed as mentioned above for at least a decade, with no tire cracking evident.

I'm not sure I'm ready to drop a thousand bucks (Canadian) on replacing the Litefoots. I'm very open to hearing from those who have come up with a better solution!

I just replaced the Deestone 27x8.5-15 R4's on my L35 with Deestone 27x10.5-15 R4's. I don't know the history of these tires, they were on the tractor when I got it 5 years ago or so. They both had tubes, the bead area was damaged on at least one, that may have been the reason for the tube. The tread and sidewall seemed okay. Interestingly, the new wider tires have a lower load capacity.

According to Google, Deestone makes a turf tire in your size. I don't know what's available in your area.

Kubota didn't show an assembly for the L35 or the current model L47, which uses the same tire. So the price would have been . I ordered from a local store and they arrived same day.

I'd recommend changing tire brands, not necessarily Deestone. Sounds like you have plenty of wheels.

Here's one of my old ones.