McCormick Deering W30 rear wheels

[Cory D]

Hello all, new member here. I currently have my grandpas 1935 W30 and am in need of at least one rear wheel. I am looking for info to see what my options are. I have been trying to determine if there are any other wheels that will fit or if they are unique to the W30. I have a feeling that my only relatively cheap option will be to cut the remains of the old rim off of the spokes and weld on a new rim. The other photo is from 2001 when grandpa pulled the family in a hometown parade. I'm fairly certain that is the last time it ran before my son and I got it running this past Spring. Thank you in advance for any help anyone can offer.

 

[Charlie M]

My W30 has the same wheels as yours. Fortunately my rear ones are fine but my front ones rotted off like your rears. I bought 20 inch blank rims and had them welded on. I think later year models had rims for rubber tires that weren't cut offs but I'm guessing it will be very difficult to find any rims that will just attach to the tractor and are in good enough shape to use not to mention shipping costs to get them. They are 28 inch rims so there are other tractors that used that size. My 300U has 28 inch rims. Might be able to find something like that close to home but still would have to have it welded on. Might be simplest and cheapest to just buy the blank and have it welded on.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

You're on the right track. That tractor is from the days before rims were standardized at all, and those are definitely "cutoffs" because the rims are the more modern (by comparison the 1940's were modern) drop center rim style. Originally that tractor would have had locking ring rims if it had rubber tires.

Tire size is 13-28, which these days is referred to as a 14.9x28, so what you need is a 12x28 drop center rim. A set of rims and tires off a Ford N series might be a size or two smaller but they would get you back in business once welded on to your existing centers. Used to be you could find a set of tires and rims off of an old combine or swather, but that was 40 years ago and that supply has pretty well dried up. Check around you might find a tractor salvage or combine salvage nearby that might have something you could weld on without having to buy new. Also watch for old farm estate sales. You never know what they might have.