Vermeer BC700XL - Needs wider tires!

[Lazlo]

Hi all - I have a 2016 Vermeer BC700XL that gets a lot of use. This time of year we want to do A LOT of woods clearing of honeysuckle while there are no leaves and they are easier to take apart, chipping the debris back into the woods. Unfortunately the ground is soft until July here in southern Ohio and this machine pretty much destroys any ground we pull it through, leaving six inch deep ruts from the narrow tires that are impossible to fix. It's frustrating - the truck that pulls it is much heavier and leaves no marks - even a 10,000lb tractor pulling it leaves no marks - but the 700 towed behind leaves a disaster in its wake. It's almost unusable this time of year.

Looking to swap out the stock tires/wheels for wider ones, but I'm running into issues finding them. Current size is ST175/80 R13 (6" wide tire). The wheel is 13" dia, 4.5" wide, bolt pattern 5 holes on a circle with 4.5" dia. Currently we have 3" of positive offset and can go another 1.5" deeper if needed. We can find wheels that will get us up to a 10" wide tire, but can't find any tires to fit them (that aren't slicks).

I have to imagine some of you have had similar issues with your customers being super angry at this kind of damage in their yards and fields. Any suggestions on what to use and where to source it?

-Laz

 

[GenXer]

Have you tried to fit an atv rim and tire?

 

[Lazlo]

Have you tried to fit an atv rim and tire?

The chipper weighs 2000 lbs across two tires I'm concerned ATV tires or, similarly, large mower tires, aren't rated for anything near that load. Blowing a tire is a major pain. Plus they still need to be road rated for pulling on the road between jobs.

 

[capetrees]

Hi all - I have a 2016 Vermeer BC700XL that gets a lot of use. This time of year we want to do A LOT of woods clearing of honeysuckle while there are no leaves and they are easier to take apart, chipping the debris back into the woods. Unfortunately the ground is soft until July here in southern Ohio and this machine pretty much destroys any ground we pull it through, leaving six inch deep ruts from the narrow tires that are impossible to fix. It's frustrating - the truck that pulls it is much heavier and leaves no marks - even a 10,000lb tractor pulling it leaves no marks - but the 700 towed behind leaves a disaster in its wake. It's almost unusable this time of year.

Looking to swap out the stock tires/wheels for wider ones, but I'm running into issues finding them. Current size is ST175/80 R13 (6" wide tire). The wheel is 13" dia, 4.5" wide, bolt pattern 5 holes on a circle with 4.5" dia. Currently we have 3" of positive offset and can go another 1.5" deeper if needed. We can find wheels that will get us up to a 10" wide tire, but can't find any tires to fit them (that aren't slicks).

I have to imagine some of you have had similar issues with your customers being super angry at this kind of damage in their yards and fields. Any suggestions on what to use and where to source it?

-Laz

Try to keep the same bolt pattern but go for a different rim altogether, maybe a tire and rim combo for 255/70R13 or 255/60R13? I don't think it being a special trailer tire will matter, the units pretty light and not in need of a light truck tire or a heavy trailer tire.

 

[Lazlo]

Mathematically that makes sense. I think the trailer tires it has on it now are part of the problem as trailer tires tend to be very rigid, so its like riding on railway car wheels. Something softer and squishier would help.

Those sizes are harder to find though, I will need to do a lot of digging I think.

 

[GenXer]

The chipper weighs 2000 lbs across two tires I'm concerned ATV tires or, similarly, large mower tires, aren't rated for anything near that load. Blowing a tire is a major pain. Plus they still need to be road rated for pulling on the road between jobs.

There are D.O.T approved tires.

https://www.motoxmall.com/efx-motovator.html