What tire for my new Boar Wheels?

Determining which tires to purchase for your new Boar Wheels can sometimes be challenging. For example, do you want a USA-made tire Boar offers like Michelin or Continental? Or do you want to go with an imported tire and save money? Are all tires this size manufactured to comparable standards? What are the differences or advantages? 

We'll answer the questions about the tires so you can make an educated decision. The chart at the end of this article will provide you with a side-by-side comparison of the specifications of each tire. 

First, let's look at the Michelin Agilis HDZ. This tire is new for Michelin in late 2022, replacing the XZE. Made in the USA, the Agilis HDZ is an all-position tire for RV, truck, and high-stress regional and commercial applications. It offers exceptional durability, mileage, and wet traction. Michelin claims the Agilis HDZ can provide up to 34% more miles than competitors. Speed rating improves on the 245/70R19.5 to match the 225 at 87/mph. While Michelin owns several brands, including BF Goodrich, Uniroyal, and more, Michelin's tier one tire is Michelin, and the Agilis is a member of this tier one line. The quality of Michelin is known for being second to none. 

Next, the Continental Hybrid HS3. Two-layer tread construction combines high mileage performance in the cap compound with significant rolling resistance improvements in the base compound for improved mileage. As a result, this tire has excellent wet traction, low rolling resistance, and a high-mileage tread compound. The HS3 is also part of Continental's tier-one tire line. The 225/70R19.5 is manufactured in the USA, and the 245/70R19.5 at various factories, including Germany, Slovakia, and others. 

Being Tier-1 tires, both the Continental and Michelin come with a more premium price point, easily twice what you'll pay for an import. However, you get a tire with a 7-year manufacturer warranty and an easier time getting an adjustment if needed. Though most imported tires have a warranty, getting much covered can be difficult. 

With that said, on two of our three trailers we use at Boar Wheel, we have been running imports (Onyx and Catchland) for 7 years (as of March 2023) and have not had a problem with any of them. Keep in mind we do not travel tens of thousands of miles a year. We mostly pull regionally.  

How can you determine which is best for you? First, you'll need to answer a few questions. How many miles do you plan to pull your trailer each year? How long do you plan to keep the trailer? 

If you are pulling tens of thousands of miles a year, it might be worth the extra money for the USA-made tires. These tires often go well over 100,000 miles on the original tread. Spending more on USA-made could be overkill if you rarely pull the trailer and don't put on many miles. If you plan on selling your trailer in the next few years, you may not need the 7-year warranty with Michelin and Continental. The shorter warranty of the import might be acceptable as most warranties do not transfer to the new owner.

Remember that all 19.5s are commercial truck tires. They have a different test standard than tires 17.5" and smaller. This is because 19.5", like 22.5" and 24.5" tires, use a higher tensile strength steel in the tread plys, body ply, and bead bundles. In addition, they're manufactured with a higher grade rubber (different carbon blacks, higher ratio of natural to synthetic rubber, and more anti-aging components to slow aging being designed to be retreaded) and tested to a higher standard. As a result, virtually any truck tire will be of higher quality than all ST or LT tires. 

Compare the stats for yourself, and please call us with any questions.