2019 - Volume #43, Issue #4, Page #11
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“Glue-On” Treads Fix Everything From Skid Steer Tires To Work Boots
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Auble’s “glue-on” treads designed to boost traction on worn tires were featured a few months ago (Vol. 42, No. 6). He and son Andy sell a kit that includes pieces of new, pre-cut rubber tread and an adhesive that bonds the pieces to the tire.
The kit is designed for off-road tires found on 4-wheelers, utility vehicles, golf carts, and tractors. The treads glue on right over the tire’s existing treads and require about an hour to cure. The 2 men use a super glue-type adhesive called Cyanoacrylate combined with a rubber compound that dries quickly and bonds firmly.
Auble says he had an “unbelievable” response to the FARM SHOW story. “We may have stumbled into something awesome with this idea. As far as I know, no one else offers a tread repair kit for shoes. I’ve been in business a long time, but I got 10 times more response to the FARM SHOW story than I ever did from an advertisement. I made close to 100 sales just off your one story. Most orders were for tractors, a few were for ATV’s, and some for homemade machines.
“Some people told me they couldn’t find replacement tires, others said they couldn’t afford to buy new tires, especially if they planned to farm only for a couple more years. Instead of paying $1,000 for new rear tractor tires, you can keep your old tires and retread them for about $100.”
When a customer calls, Auble asks what kind of machine they’re using and how often they use it. He also determines the number of treads needed, and their length and width.
Auble says he plans to meet with Tractor Supply Company this August to see if they’ll sell his product. “I think there’s a huge need for our glue-on treads because right now if you have bald tires, your only choice is to buy new ones.”
One Ohio farmer recently used an Auble kit to retread the worn, solid rubber, foam-filled tires on his skid loader. “The tires were completely bald but he needed to plow snow off his 1/4-mile long driveway. Foam-filled tires for skid loaders are expensive and cost up to $600 apiece, which meant spending $2,400 for four tires. Also, it’s a lot of work to remove the worn-out tires and install new ones and he didn’t have the machines for the job.”
There’s a lot of torsion applied to skid loader tires, so in addition to the glue, the customer used 1 1/4-in. long screws, driving 2 to 4 screws into each tread. The treads measured 2 in. long by 1 in. wide. “He didn’t have a cordless screwdriver that would do the job, so his son installed the screws by hand,” says Auble. “The screw heads stick up a bit out of the tire, almost like a studded snow tire. But with the new treads and the screws he was able to clear his driveway all winter long with no problems.”
Flint Harrison, who got his boots retreaded, is a diabetic and an amputee. He wears boots but doesn’t have a full foot, which is why his shoes wear a little differently. He mailed 2 pairs of identical Red Wing work boots to Auble, who cut rubber treads to fit and then glued them onto the heels. The treads are about 3/8 in. thick and beveled to fit the heel’s wear pattern.
“I’ve used my retreaded shoes for about three months and they’re still working great,” says Harrison. “I paid $20 to retread each pair, plus $20 for shipping. Considering that new Red Wing work boots sell for $160 to $180, I think it was money well spent. I contacted Red Wing, but they wanted $120 to resole one pair of boots and that didn’t include shipping.”
But cost wasn’t Harrison’s only consideration. “My boots were well broken in and very comfortable, and if I had bought new boots I would have to break them in. I didn’t want to do that.”
Auble recently began offering kits to re-sole work shoes and sells them only over the phone. “People call and say, ‘I like my shoes and want to keep them going, but they’re worn. Can you help?’”
He first confirms what the customer needs. “We ask what kind of shoe you have, and which part of the shoe you’re trying to fix. Then we send you the treads, glue, and instructions.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Auble, Glue Tread LLC, 11684 Hayden St., P.O. Box 357, Hiram, Ohio 44234 (ph 800 238-9791 or cell ph 330 603-3213; dave@gluetread.com; www.gluetread.com).
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