Something you dont see every day

Butch,  those Amish might have been ahead of their time.  Check out the new tire

redline wrote: I am not judging, but I wonder why rubber tires on the front are ok, but the drive tires were converted to steel? FWA would be a strange proposition, I would think.

If you ever figure them out please clue me in also. What they do in all areas of life depends on what the local Elders deem OK so I have been told.  Some places they dont own any tractors but engines on wheels are OK if pulled by horses. Some places they own tractors but they cant go out of the barnyard into the fields. Around here most of them wouldn't get caught be caught dead using a tractor in the field but they own one to drive to town, who knows?

Bridgestone

I saw that item about the new Michelin airless wheel/tire a couple of weeks ago and was thinking about how far they would throw rocks that got trapped in them on the gravel roads where I live!LOL

there is one around here that has a ferris 3 wheel lawn mower with steel on it .he said that it rides so bad that he lets his wife do all the mowing 

gary ny wrote: there is one around here that has a ferris 3 wheel lawn mower with steel on it .he said that it rides so bad that he lets his wife do all the mowing

My life would get kinda rough if I tried to pull that stunt!

I wonder how the new tires would do in the snow? Seems it would get packed, freeze up, etc.

Here is a picture of my Amish friend's 200 in western PA. He also has 180 and a 715C TLB. Steel wheels prevent them from being tempted to go to town and being exposed to worldy sins. Another reason is so it won't go faster than a horse. In our area, the Old Order Mennonites (David Martin group) have just got permission from above to have skid steers. They are pulling wagons etc on the road but a skidsteer does not go faster than a horse. All the different groups and their rules gets pretty complicated around here.

I've been told that steel wheels are used because they believe that air is the breath of God and it must not be contained.  Don't know if that's true or not?

Stan IL&TN wrote: I've been told that steel wheels are used because they believe that air is the breath of God and it must not be contained.  Don't know if that's true or not?

An electric coop manager in an area with "old order" Amish told me that it was more about economics than religious principles. That the pay phone booths in their section did lots of business and the they were always happy for a free ride in a car so long as they didn't have to make any cash investment. Now he may be a bit biased with lines along miles of roads with many houses and none of them electric customers.

Historically, when AC pioneered rubber tires there were two benefits. The ride was better and the fuel efficiency was better. Better ride allowed faster field work and better fuel efficiency benefited profits. Then the tractor takes fuel only when working, the horse fleet took feed and water 24/7 all year and often consumed nearly half the farm's pasture and grain production. Then an onery horse I'm sure hurt many a farm hand or farmer just by stepping or leaning in the stall at harnessing time.

Running a generator for refrigeration and power tools probably isn't really economical either.

Gerald J.

Gerald J. wrote: Running a generator for refrigeration and power tools probably isn't really economical either.

Went to an Amish tourist trap place in Pennsylvania Amish country once.  It was run by Amish and had all Amish employees.  Huge quilt shop in the basement with about a dozen sewng machines and a wood working shop out back that any man would be proud of.