Upgrade to Goodyear LSW Combine Tires

Total Flat Plate Area (sq. in.)

The Goodyear LSW1400/30R46 and LSW1250/35R46 tires provide a massive footprint and are often the preferred option to 800/70R38 duals—or any other dual setup—in the combine application.

For several years, our customers have run the 1250 and 1400 LSW tires in extremely wet field conditions. What do they have to say? Most comments have been positive. The majority say that they can go farther into wet fields with the LSW super single tires. In fact, we’ve had operators run identical combines side-by-side. In one scenario, a farmer ran one combine with 650/85R38 duals and one with 1400 LSWs. According to the farmer, the combine with the LSWs was able to harvest where the other couldn’t. By the next year, he had changed his second combine over to the Goodyear LSW1400/30R46 tires.

Our customers have also commented that the LSW super singles are cleaner on the road and leave significantly fewer ruts in the field when compared to duals.

To be fair, we’ve heard our share of negative comments about LSW tires.

“If you get stuck with those big tires, you’re screwed.”
“They don’t work when it gets wet.”
“I bet they’d work great in rice paddies but they won’t work here.”

Unlike the many positive comments we’ve heard directly from our customers, we haven’t been able to trace these negative comments back to an operator who has experienced these issues firsthand. As far as we know, these (and similar) comments originate from people speculating on how they think LSW tires will work.

‍Whether you run tracks, duals, or an LSW set-up, any combine will get stuck if conditions are poor enough. No tire or track technology is a substitute for common sense.

We have had one customer who preferred his duals to the 1400 LSWs. He said there was a “wall of mud” in front of the 1400s when he tried going through wet spots. He also mentioned that he would speed up as he approached these wet spots. Our other (satisfied) customers say that they slow down when they travel across wet spots. This allows the mud time to flow around the tire. Our conclusion: slow down and let the tires do their job.

When it comes to combine handling, we have seen a clear advantage with the Low Sidewall, or LSW, tire technology over the standard sidewall height. Having less rubber flexing between the ground and the rim helps the combine stand firm. With LSWs, the amount of sway while driving across the field is noticeably reduced, especially with larger, heavier heads and full grain tanks.

Nearly all of our LSW customers have mentioned improved handling. Our customers have also commented that the auto-steer can keep the combine on the row better when driving in wet soil conditions when compared with duals.

Goodyear recalled its LSW1400/30R46 tires in 2018. The tires would lose air pressure and spin on the rim on 4WD tractors when running at the lower (yet recommended) air pressure. However, we have never witnessed this issue with combines because the tires need to be set at a higher air pressure to carry the (heavier) load. Since Goodyear has released its new tire and wheel design following the recall, we have yet to see this issue repeat in any application.

In 2020, Goodyear/Titan improved their warranty on the LSW combine tires to include:

• 10-year coverage for tire workmanship and material with a pro-rated refund based on years in service and percentage wear.
• 2-year, no-cost replacement as part of the workmanship and materials coverage when the tire is less than 25 percent worn.
• New 2-year field hazard protection plan.
• 3-year stubble damage protection plan. (Note: To qualify for a stubble damage claim, stalk deflecting mechanical devices must be used to push down stubble prior to any contact with the tire and proof of usage is required to validate claim.)