ot old diamond tread tires

[ericlb]

just thinking here back in the '30's 40's and early '50's large trucks, and some utility tractors came with tires which had a diamond tread pattern, then they were gone, wonder why? looking at then it would seem to be a good tire with plenty of traction, water displacing and self cleaning tread, especially if the diamonds were spaced out slightly any ideas?
 

[JD Seller]

Well go out and get a pair of diamond tread tires and go find some mud. You will know why they quit selling many of them in about two turns of the tires. Make sure and have another tractor handy as you will be stuck with a round smooth roller for a tire. Plus they would slide even on wet grass.

My Uncle had a set on his hay making tractor. He talked them up as for how they would not mark up his hay field. That lasted until a loaded hay rack shoved him down an hill and through a fence. He took them off after that and they sold at his sale for $10.

Might be good for tractor rides but that would be about it.
 

[JRSutton]

Friend of mine has the diamond pattern turf tires on one of his tractors - great for not leaving tracks in a lawn, but other than that pretty much useless.

As JD says - add a little water and they clog right up with mud and spin like they're on ice.
 

[Case Nutty 1660]

agree completely in wet/mud conditions but I love them for hard dry harvest conditions on my combines where I live, bar tires do not give near the traction or the smooth ride that diamonds do for my application,, and much better on my machines too,, cnt

 

[Dean]

Such tires are fine for mowing if you are concerned about damaging the turf, and they ride and wear well on hard surfaces but they will not pull the hat off of your head.

Dean
 

[MSD]

The top picture of a JD 430 Utility that I got recently came with a set. Works out good for now when the grandkids come over and want to drive a tractor around the yard. Also had a set on a 1020 with a loader a while back that had a set on it. Sold it before I used it so not sure how they worked out.


 

[Walt Davies]

Now after reading all the other remarks you should know why they are called TURF TIRES.
WALT
 

[Stick welding]

Load them and put a really good set of chains on them and they'll go through a lot of snow.
 

[fixerupper]

Are you thinking about the old knobbies? An old timer said they sounded like a siren on the road. I would think they would be squirmy.
Jim
 

[ShadetreeRet]

Yeah, the "knobbies" that fixerupper referred to were actually supposedly a mud and snow tire, but turned out to be one of those ideas that looked good on paper. Dad put a brand new set on a '40 Ford pickup we had and they had less traction than a chicken in mud. And as he said, they howled like crazy on pavement. The diamond tread on today's turf tires is entirely different from the highway tires of old.