Bought a scout and need to choose tire size. My use case is 80% hard surface/20% grass or other. Some travel, mostly local (Colorado) area. 31s seem like over kill. Not going to be a “hard core” backcountry pilot, just want optionality. Thx for your input!

26 Goodyears all the way for your intended purpose. Much cheaper to buy, wont wear out, gives you a bit more tire than an 8:50. Not a soft low pressure tire, sidewall is a bit stiff but great all around tire for most. Dont try to run them low PSI like a Bushwheel, you will spin the tire on the rim and shear the valve stem leaving you stuck. I run mine no less than 20PSI, I live on a grass and they work great. My 31’s were fun but wayyyyy overkill and expensive and slowed the cruise down. Match the mod to the mission!

Kurt

26 inch Goodyears are a good choice. I ran them down to 12 psi in my pacer with no problems, put a witness mark on them and check before flight. DENNY

durhas wrote: Bought a scout and need to choose tire size. My use case is 80% hard surface/20% grass or other. ....

850's.

If it's decently smooth grass I'd be looking at the smooth 8.50 Dessers.

I have a 180hp Scout and I ran the 8.50 Goodyear flight II and they wear really well and work fine on grass, gravel and small rocks. I have the Alaska bushwheels 26” on now (had to change my wheels and brakes) and they are great off airport tire. If you do a lot of pattern work I would stick with the 8.50’s.

ate fiddies. They are great for a scout. I can't see the extra cost for a set of goodyears being justified really. But if you had a set already, they would be great too.

I'm no longer a believer in the myth that grooved tires throw more rocks than smooth. I live/work on a gravel runway half the year and watch (HEAR) a billion of our air service planes land. From bushwheels to king airs. The gravel is thrown because a non spinning tire hits the ground and acts like a bulldozer until it starts rolling at full speed. It throws the gravel up on impact then the plane runs into it. The gravel all hits at once. If it's a nosewheel plane, there's two huge hits - when mains and nose touch. It's not like a distributed peppering caused by the grooves constantly picking up gravel and slinging them.

I run my 172 50/50 grass, gravel bars, back country strips and pavement. I run 8.50's and go where 99% of the local big tire guys go. However there are definitely places they CAN go and I cannot but I find most do not go there either. When these tires eventually need replacing I will be looking at 8.50's again of some type or maybe the 26" Goodyear's. I am not interested in changing wheels and brakes and such.

Asa, you're totally missing the cool factor. I love my 31s on the Husky; especially landing on the AZ dry soft creek beds during our winter get away. Also, the low PSI also makes my bad landings look better. Did I say I love retirement.

I never miss out on the cool factor, Jack. In my old age (I’m 30 now for Christ’s sake), I’ve decided to be one of the curmudgeons who tells everybody to get 850s while I use 31’s.



31’s are clearly the best (looking) option for a scout…

Another option: Ten inch wheels and 8.50 x 10 smooth tires fro Desser. Quite a bit bigger diameter, but very pavement tolerant.

And, they look cool.

MTV

Went from a 180, to this nice Scout N63AK to a project Maule…. In no time you will work your way up to that Tri-Pacer.

Love picking on Asa and other young guys that have more talent and brains then many of us old guys. Of course; at 70, I'm finding out MOST pilots ARE younger than me. Somehow I still "think" I'm still 40 or 50; but...............