What is the best brand tractor tire?
It all depends on you: Your application. Your goals. Your budget. We’ve reviewed the most popular tractor tire brands, based on real-world experience, to help guide your next ag tire purchase.
Tier 1: Premium Tractor Tires
Michelin Tractor Tires
Founded in 1832 by Aristide Barbier and Édouard Daubrée, Michelin is the second largest tire producer in the world behind Bridgestone and currently produces 190 million tires a year. It produces ag tires in 16 factories across 7 countries.
Shop Michelin TiresOverall Performance Rating
.svg)
- +Long-lasting tread.
- +More even wear in high roading applications.
- +Highly flexible casing.
- +Comfortable ride.
- +Excellent clean out properties.
- +Very good stubble resistance (YieldBib).
- –Customers sometimes complain about casing weathering. Because Michelin’s tread can last such a long time, casing weathering may occur before the tread is worn out. In reality, you’re still getting just as many (or more) years of service with a Michelin tractor tire compared to other brands.
- –Generally more expensive (comparable to Firestone).
- –Flexible casing can be less stable on slopes.
Alliance Agriflex™ Tractor Tires
Agriflex is Alliance’s premier tire brand for the ag tire market. Using advanced rubber compounds to withstand intense heat and cutting-edge steel belt construction, Agriflex IF/VF tires deliver longer footprints for less compaction in the field. And, they perform on the road as well and are available for nearly every machine on your farm.
Shop Alliance TiresOverall Performance Rating
.svg)
- +Lowest cost premium tire.
- +Flat tire face delivers a wide footprint.
- +Good spacing on tread bars.
- +Smooth ride on the road.
- +Constructed with steel mesh belts instead of nylon to deliver very good stubble resistance and puncture protection.
- +Thick, durable bead area to keep the flex where it should be—in the sidewall.
- +Longest warranty in the industry—10 years.
- +Very few warranty claims with Alliance brand tires.
- –Agriflex model tractor tires have only been on the market a short time.
- –Limited availability across the nation.
Firestone Tractor Tires
Harvey S. Firestone, a 4th-generation farmer, founded Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in 1900 in Akron, Ohio. Since the late 1980s, Firestone and Bridgestone have operated as a single corporation with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1930s, Firestone pushed to replace metal tractor wheels with pneumatic tires for better traction in the field and a less punishing ride on the road. Today, Firestone’s Des Moines, Iowa, plant manufactures 550,000 ag tires every year.
Shop Firestone TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Firestone's 23° tread design delivers the best traction in moderate to dry soil conditions.
- +Thick casing provides excellent durability and stability (especially on combines and ditch-mowing tractors).
- +The new Maxi Traction™ tire lineup wears longer with road travel and resists irregular wear.
- +Dependable tires with very few warranty claims—9 year warranty.
- +Widely available.
- –The 23° tread is a poor roading tire—wears quickly and unevenly. (We expect this issue to be addressed with the new Maxi Traction tractor tire lineup.)
- –The 23° tread handles poorly on sidehills as the straighter bar angle lends itself to more slide slippage. (We expect the dual lug angle of the new Maxi Traction tractor tire lineup to resolve this issue.)
- –The thicker, stiffer casing and 23° tread angle cleans out poorly in muddy conditions.
- –Even with it's thicker casing, it is still susceptible to stubble damage. Perhaps more so than Alliance or Michelin brand tractor tires. However, corn stalks are less likely to puncture through the casing than other Tier 2 brands.
- –Tapered/wide base lugs mean traction is significantly reduced when the tire is worn below 70% tread.
- –Generally more expensive (comparable to Michelin).
Trelleborg Tractor Tires
Founded in Trelleborg, Sweden, in 1905, Trelleborg is a global supplier of tires and wheels for the agriculture, forestry, and construction industries. With manufacturing capacity in 9 countries, Trelleborg sells the majority of its tires in Western Europe. The US market comprises around 20 percent of its business. In 2015, Trelleborg opened a factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to manufacture its premium radial ag tires.
Trelleborg has owned the Mitas brand tractor tires since 2016, when it acquired CGS Holding.
Overall Performance Rating
- +Flexible casing.
- +Good clean out properties.
- +Wide, flat tire face provides a large footprint.
- +Comfortable ride.
- +Long wear life in high roading applications.
- –Higher rate of warranty issues with certain sizes and models.
- –Prices vary significantly based on size and model.
- –Limited availability across the nation.
Tier 2: For Primary Equipment
Mitas Tractor Tires
Founded in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in the 1930s, Mitas currently manufactures tires in three plants across the Czech Republic and in a facility in Serbia and in Charles City, Iowa. Distributed in 14 countries, 1 in 4 new tractors and harvesters in Europe wears Mitas tires. Production in Iowa for the US market began in 2012.
Shop Mitas TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Edges on a tier 1 premium brand tractor tire.
- +Competitively priced with their recent price adjustments.
- +Highly flexible casing provides a long footprint.
- +Smooth ride on the road.
- +Long-lasting tread.
- +High quality control standards.
- –Historically has had soft casings which increases the likelihood of running a corn stalk through the sidewall. However, this hasn't been an issue as of late so we're hopeful that this problem has been resolved.
- –Casing cracking issues around 8–10 years.
- –Limited availability across the nation.
Alliance Tractor Tires
Based in Mumbai, India, the Alliance Tire Group (ATG) is owned by Yokohama Rubber of Japan. ATG began manufacturing tires in Israel in the 1950s, and has offered tractor tires since the 1960s. Today, ATG boasts R&D centers in Israel, India, and North America, and manufactures its tires in India and Israel.
Shop Alliance TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Competitively priced.
- +Wide range of sizes and models available.
- +Good warranty—7 to 10 years.
- +Very few warranty claims with Alliance brand tires.
- –Prolific number of tire models can be difficult to sort through.
- –Limited availability across the nation.
Goodyear/Titan Tractor Tires
Maurice Taylor founded the Titan Tire Corporation in 1993, which joined Titan Wheel with the Dyneer Corporation. With five facilities across the US, Titan is the third largest provider of off-road tires in North America, manufacturing both tires and wheels for today’s tractors and massive earth-moving machines. In 2005, Titan purchased Goodyear’s farm tire business and has continued to manufacture this familiar line of tires under license.
Shop Goodyear TiresOverall Performance Rating
.svg)
- +The new Optitrac tire model shows promise of becoming a premium tire.
- +Low Sidewall (LSW) tire design helps eliminate road lope and power hop and provides excellent stability on combines and on slopes.
- +Makes sizes that aren't available in other brands (LSW1400/30R46 is the world's largest agricultural tire).
- +Widely available across the nation.
- –Historically has had a high rate of warranty claims.
- –Certain tire models wear quickly (especially narrow tires with lots of road travel).
- –Poor rubber compound (has a history of cracking/general tire issues).
- –It's not uncommon for corn stubble to penetrate the tire's casing causing it to fail.
BKT Tractor Tires
BKT, or Balkrishna Industries Limited, is based in Mumbai, India. Since its inception in 1987, BKT has focused on off-road tires for the agriculture, mining, and construction markets. With four subsidiaries in Europe and North America, BKT has grown in market share over the past five years.
Shop BKT TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Good traction (similar tread designs to Michelin).
- +One of the most popular replacement tire brands.
- –Rapid tread wear.
- –Can be higher priced than similar quality brands.
- –Sometimes does not stand behind their warranty.
Tier 3: For Secondary Equipment
Firestone Performer™ EVO Tractor Tires
Firestone created its Performer™ EVO tires to provide farmers with a “value” radial tire. With this tire line, growers can enjoy the benefits of a radial tire with prices closer to bias-ply models than the high-tech radial models offered by numerous companies today. These tires are primarily designed for secondary tractors—the tractors you use to chop stalks, cut and haul hay, and perform other utility chores around the farm.
Shop Firestone TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Dependable tire for your secondary farm equipment.
- +Available in Firestone's proven 23° tread design and 45° tread design.
- +Widely available.
- +6–year limited warranty.
- –Hasn't been out very long.
- –Generally shorter and narrower than other brand tires in the same size.
Cultor Tractor Tires
Cultor, a subsidiary of Trelleborg, produces tires across Europe and distributes them around the globe. These tires balance value with competitive features that make them suitable for a wide variety of terrain and agricultural machinery.
Shop Cultor TiresOverall Performance Rating
.svg)
- +Competitively priced.
- +Same rubber compound as Mitas tractor tires.
- +Offers a lot of the same advantages as Mitas tires.
- +High quality control standards.
- –Cheaper cord package than Mitas tires.
- –Less rubber in certain areas of the tire than Mitas tires.
- –Not widely available.
Harvest King Tractor Tires
Owned by TBC Corporation, which originated in 1956, Harvest King is one of many value tire brands under one umbrella. Other familiar names produced by TBC include Multi-Mile, Trailer King, and Power King.
Shop Harvest King TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Long history as a reliable tractor tire.
- +Competitively priced.
- +Offers a tire model that is very similar to Firestone's popular Field and Road tire.
- –Availability is inconsistent across the nation.
Carlise Tractor Tires
Carlisle was originally founded in 1917 and was an important early designer and producer of inner tubes. The brand is now owned by the Carlstar Group, which manufactures tires in 17 facilities across 4 countries.
Shop Carlise TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Competitively priced.
- –Radial tire has only been around since 2019.
- –Limited availability.
Malhotra Tractor Tires
Malhorta, headquartered in New Delhi, India, first entered the tire market in 1954 as a tire retreader. In 1989 the company diversified into the agriculture, truck, and industrial tire markets. Malhorta first exported tires to the US in 1994. Produced in India, Malhorta tires are currently sold in 90 countries.
Shop Malhotra TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Very good economy tire for yard tractors.
- +One of the best priced tractor tires.
- –Very limited availability.
Galaxy Tractor Tires
Owned by ATG, which produces Alliance Tires, Galaxy Tires are found across the world. These application-specific tires offer deep tread depths as well as value.
Shop Galaxy TiresOverall Performance Rating
- +Good line of tires for tractors under 100 hp.
- –Premature weathering is common.
- –Limited availability.