[Alan LeQuire]

The tires on my new Kubota M5660 were falling apart after less than 50 hours. Kubota refused to honor their warranty and so did Firestone. They called it a "wear issue" but there was no wear on the tires. I only drove it from the barn to the field and back a few times.
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem with Firestone tires.

 

[Hoodoo Valley]

Welcome to the forum Alan. It's hard to tell from the photos. I assume it's the front and the back tires, although the photos look like just the rear tires. Some of them look like cuts as if you ran over something sharp, and then others look like cracks. What is Kubota and Firestones rational for not honoring the warrantee on the tires?

I know that when using the loader, if you have one on your machine, and spinning the wheels especially on rocky soil will tear up a set of tires straight up. The damage seems confined to the lugs is why I mention this. Have you verified that they have the correct air pressure? Are they ballasted? In 50 hours time, you couldn't possibly retrace the paths you've taken with the tractor, but I'd be on the look out for sharp objects in the dirt where you use this.

 

[Alan LeQuire]

Thanks, but these are the rear tires and they haven't been used on rocks. They are water-ballasted and at the correct pressure. I did look for sharp objects but didn't find any. The way the cracks appeared on both tires almost all the way around convinces me that it is a manufacturing defect. Wish I could convince Kubota and Firestone of the same.

 

[pogobill]

The only time I ever saw anything like that, it was on lug tires on an underground scooptram and the damage was from spinning the tires on the sharp broken blast rock! Image 2888 sure looks like it's been spun on sharp rock.
Have you ever had the tires spin pushing dirt or perhaps have you ever been stuck and spun the wheels to get out? Or had a plow dug in to the point that it stopped the tractor but not the wheels?

 

[Alan LeQuire]

I understand what you're saying, I did move some gravel with the loader but never have spun the tires over anything. I only use this tractor to mow my fields. Thanks for your input.

 

[Hoodoo Valley]

Let me ask you something Alan. If...... you were to insert say, something like a large slotted screw driver into a few of those openings and try carefully prying, how resistant would the rubber be from opening further, as in rubber material itself, separating (ripping apart) (tearing)? In other words, is it near impossible to get the rubber to separate further or very easy. If easy, way to easy, you could show that to the dealer. You'd have an argument so to speak. Video it for reference, as a form of documentation. It looks as though the damage is only on the lugs. If you look at the one photo, there's a series of cuts in a straight line around the radius of the tire from one lug to the next which sure looks to me as though the tire rotated on something jagged, a turn or two. In your photos I put above, you can see a cut on one lug, then a matching cut in the next lug in the line up and so on. Each cut goes the same direction at the same location on the lug. Not a tire forensics expert understand now, but try what I suggested about trying to test the integrity of the rubber itself.

 

[Guest]

Just amazed at the destruction evident on these tires. What is the date code on them?

 

[BigT]

Did you have any implements on the lift that might have gotten into the tires whilst you were using the tractor?

 

[Hoodoo Valley]

I was going to pose that question, but stopped when he mentioned he only used it for field mowing.

 

[DK35vince]

Did you have any implements on the lift that might have gotten into the tires whilst you were using the tractor?

That is what it looks like.
The tire is cut in the same place and same pattern on each lug.

 

[jeffc]

I would never buy Firestone tires. They have a history of problems. In the 70s it was the Firestone 500 tire blowing up while driving, and then the Ford Explorer / Firestone Tire debacle.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB965870212891028108


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[jeffc]

http://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/06/a...-firestone-500s-firestone-fights-against.html


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[jeffc]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB965870212891028108


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[jeffc]

I would never buy Firestone tires. They have a history of problems. In the 70s it was the Firestone 500 tire blowing up while driving, and then the Ford Explorer / Firestone Tore debacle.


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https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB965870212891028108


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[sixbales]

Howdy Alan, welcome to the tractor forum.

To me, that sure looks like a cut tire, rather than tire disintegration. I would have a close look at implements you attach to the tractor. Maybe a trailer... backing up & jackknifing? If there is any way they can get into the tire (sharp turn, backing up, lifting, shift to one side, etc.) you must fix that so it doesn't happen again.

 

[willys55]

I was involved with selling tires in the early 90's when the "firestone" tire issue surfaced, the real truth was that Ford set the tire pressures to low for the application and the tires spent way to much time on the sidewall. One article in the paper about one lawyer who rides the ambulance train is not a full cover of anything

 

[willys55]

Hey Alan, any chance the tires on your machine were swapped out at the dealer with an older set before you took delivery........talking about shady practices....we know they happen

 

[sixbales]

If you can find a date code on those tires, it sure would be interesting.

 

[z445guy]

Plus was reading a article my uncle showed me and tire manufacturers are starting to limit what you can use for ballast on tires and won't warranty tires unless it's done to the way they want it done . We're in the site business and mechanicals business and dad and I heard my uncle bitiching cause he could not put certain ballast in a paving box rear tires


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[z445guy]

And the date codes are good to look at too


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