Im going to review the top 3 chicken tractor wheels in order of what’s best AND a chicken tractor wheel kit.
How do I know what’s best, good question? Take a look at my ‘reviewing criteria’
- How much are they to buy?
- How easy are they fit?
- Ease of use – when fitted do they work well?
- Longevity – just how long will these tractor wheels last?
On the farm we have had several chicken tractors over probably something like 80 years….I kid you not! Grandpas chicken tractor still sits in the field.
Now like everyone else I’m a busy guy, so that means I love stuff that’s built to last. That’s probably top of this list for me.
I like stuff that’s maintenance free aswell, because the more time I spend fixing things the less the time I have spent with my family.
But honestly I just like stuff that works. Plain old fashioned ‘does what it says on the tin’. For me then, what chicken tractor wheels fit the bill – simple answer is steel ones.
Steel chicken tractor wheels
How much are they to buy and how long with they last are in essence two sides of the same coin because ‘you get what you pay for’. Plain and simple.
The more something costs usually the better materials are used and therefore its likely to last longer. No all the time but like 99.9 percent of the time this is true….agree?
Not sure what I mean by steel wheels, sorry heres a pic…..
Steel wheels are the higher end of the budget, but they will outlive us all. Honestly they will probably last 200 years or so, but who’s counting. That’s the longevity question well and truly answered.
Why else are steel chicken tractor wheels so good?
They will never buckle!
The pressure rating of steel wheels is phenomenal, they could probably land a jumbo jet.
Easy to fit
Or put another way, no harder to fit than anything else you could have bought….
They are wider
Steel wheels do tend to be wider than others. This is great for moving your chicken tractor across wet ground. They won’t dig in an much as they have greater surface area.
This principle is used by farmers ploughing fields, they stick an extra wide set of wheels on so they don’t get stuck.
They will never go flat!
Ive seen online, people fitting old bicycle tires to chicken tractors and I’ve been there myself. Salvaging tires from an old bike and fitting them one afternoon. But it never works for long. The tires go flat and then it’s just a pain to move the chicken tractor.
Just like when you leave a bike for too long the tires go flat. Same thing happens but faster on any tractor. It’s the sun, it’s the cold it’s the wind and its just the fact that they are just sat there. It’s just avoidable – don’t do it.
They never go flat at the same time either, meaning the coop is sat unevenly. This will cause structural stress across the coop and could lead to parts being weakened and breaking. More repairs! This can’t happen with steel wheels……your starting to catch my drift now.
I don’t have to tell you dragging a chicken tractor across a field is likely to get you a puncture – just another reason why your tires will go flat and just another reason why steel wheels are so great.
Ok, hopefully I’ve made my point, which is just in time as I’ve run out of more things to say! Plus I like to keep it simple. Some things just works better than others.
We live on a farm, we like heavy duty stuff that’s robust and lasts, remember before when I mentioned grandpas old chicken tractor?
Well its still just about going strong (I think this things antique now..?)
I said I was going to review 3 things so ill move on to chicken tractor wheels numero 2!
Want something that will last, but can’t really justify the cost of steel wheels?
I’ve got just the supplement.
Rubber Chicken Tractor Wheels
You want ‘non pneumatic rubber tires on a metal axel’. If you have no idea what I just said and I’ve lost you, click the link to see what I mean. Remember – has to be on a metal axel if you want them to last, metal is better than plastic here.
These wheels are most commonly found on a sack truck or a dolly cart. These things are built for high pressure and made to travel distances so would work well as chicken tractor wheels.
They are used a lot as replacement tires for just about anything are all really well reviewed. They come in a variety of sizes just remember to pay special attention to the ‘Axel Bore Diameter’. This is the hole in the center of the wheel and that’s how you attach the wheels to the chicken tractor (or run).
Most commonly the size of the axel bore is 0.6 inches (1.52cm) but they come in a variety of sizes, so you will have no problems.
Plastic Chicken Tractor Wheels
If you want steel wheels for you chicken coop but the price is getting in the way, try plastic. BUT a really really High Density (HD) Polyethylene (PE). So thing to look for then is HDPE.
Anything else and after a couple of months in the sun they will crack and your mobile chicken coop just became, well………. not so mobile.
Plastic I’ll admit has its merits, it really does:
- Available in different colors. Green or black being the most popular for outdoor use of course but you could have a ‘cool’ purple – why not.
- Plastic doesn’t rust like metal can – it would take years to rust up a metal wheel to the point they are unusable but rusted metal can look ugly. Plastic can go a bit green with mold but it’s so easy to wash off. Takes literally just a couple of seconds with a pressure hose.
- You can buy plastic chicken tractor wheels made from recycled plastic, good for the environment.
- Not pneumatic, i.e have no air in the tires so they can’t go flat on you. I’m not going to waste time we covered that point above.
Finding the wheels is one thing, fitting them is another. Plus you have to buy all the right parts to help fit them to the chicken tractor. Not so much of an issue with me, we have a farm and workshop.
But if you want new chicken tractor wheels but are worried about fitting them yourself – you’re not alone. So get a complete chicken tractor wheel kit!
I’ve spent some time searching and found a really good kit that ticks all the boxes. I’ve even found a step by step video, online of how to fit it to your chicken tractor. Its all below:
Chicken Tractor Wheel Kit
Kits make life super easy. They come with all the necessary parts and when you put it all together you know its going to work. Someone has basically taken all the headache out of finding all the correct parts & fittings for you and just brought them all together.
Infact I’ve added up the sum of the all the parts in this kit. It was hard to price up the machine drilling of the holes in the bracket as they do this in bulk but my total comes to around the price of the kit!
So if you went out and bought all the parts in this kit, separately, for yourself, you’d literally be wasting your time…….
What’s in the KIT?
- Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Wheels with Bronze Bushings – they will last forever and wont rust.
- Solid industrial Aluminium lifting lug (bracket) – super strong but the aluminium makes it light weight. The idea is to move the chicken tractor once the wheels are fitted so you don’t want it any heavier than it has to be!
- Stainless Steel Fulcrum – a fulcrum is the point which the level is placed to get the purchase to lift. Often over looked and has to be very strong in this case. Being stainless steel it means it is.
- Industrial Grade Steel Lifting Handle – well you haven’t come all this way to finally then lift the chicken tractor yourself by hand! This handle is strong and is designed to be operated by foot. Ergonomic and super easy.
I like this kit its just solid from the nuts and bolts upward. The nuts by the way are zinc coated and self-locking.
Its rated to move up to a 500lb (226kg) chicken tractor and all parts are proudly made in Texas!
Check out this KIT by clicking here and check out the installation video below.
How to Attach Wheels to a Chicken Tractor
Wrap It Up
OK that’s it, yes im opinionated but go with the solution that’s best fits your needs and that way you can’t go wrong can you……
I want to mention here is don’t write BS reviews and I don’t write stuff for the sake of it. Im fairly straight talking and to the point. If I say something doesn’t work, its usually because it broken me. I’ve then had to repair it or buy a new one, costing me unnecessary money. Keeping chickens is so fun and rewarding, buy the right things first time around so you don’t turn it into an expensive hobby.
Recap in 4
- Steels wheels cant go flat, will last forever, wont buckle and are wide enough to get over wet ground with ease.
- Rubber wheels on metal rims are sat right in the middle ground for price and performance. Can fix them anywhere to a tractor making them nice and versatile. Just check the axel size, then check again! ”Measure twice buy once”. Be sure you’re buying the right ones.
- Plastic is only really an option is price is the main driver – remember H.D.P.E is best are make sure they are ‘non pneumatic’ i.e no air in those tires.
- Cant be bothered with any of that…..keep life simple and buy a chicken tractor wheel kit.
Cant be bothered to any ANY of the above, then buy a chicken coop already with wheels. Read my other review called ‘The Best Portable Chicken Coops with Wheels’ you’ll love it!
Hope this has helped!