Skid steers are amazing machines that no job-site can do without. They perform a ton of tasks quickly and efficiently. Many skid steer owners are unsure what type of tire is best for the machine, air or foam. We look at the difference.
At first glance it seems as if a foam filled tire makes more sense simply because they don't go flat. If that was the case, why would air filled tires exist at all?
It's true, foam-filled tires last longer than air-filled, however there are definite drawbacks.
First of all, foam-filled tires are heavy. An air-filled pneumatic wheel is much lighter and provide a smoother ride. That's not only important for the operator's comfort, but to limit the wear on the machine.
It's true, air-filled pneumatic wheels require frequent maintenance compared to the foam-filled wheels, but they cost considerably less. Eventually, foam tires will need to be repaired or replaced. When the foam tires are damaged, it's often bad enough to require the entire wheel to be completely replaced. The time to remove the tire is time consuming as the tire needs to be cut off.
If air-filled tires only need attention a couple times a year, is it really that much of an advantage to have foam-filled tires if they're heavier and are harder on the operator and machine?
The conclusion skid steer owners come to is that it only makes sense to have foam-filled tires when consistently working in an environment that is very tough on the tires, such as a scrap yard.
