OTR Tyre Weight and Size Guide: Specifications for Oversized Tyres

Updated on: 23rd February 2026 By:     Conor Murphy
Expert review by:     Kieran Donnelly

Before specifying processing equipment for OTR tyres, you need the actual dimensions and weights of the tyres you are dealing with. The OTR category spans a range that no other tyre classification comes close to matching: from modestly sized agricultural and construction tyres that one person cannot safely lift, to haul truck tyres that weigh more than a family car and stand over three and a half metres tall. Equipment that handles one end of this range is entirely inadequate at the other.

Equally, the handling equipment, processing sequence, transport logistics, and downstream market options all change significantly as tyre size increases. Planning an OTR tyre processing or waste management operation without the specific weight and dimension data for your tyre categories is planning on incomplete information.

This guide provides size and weight data for the main OTR tyre categories, explains how OTR tyres are measured and described across different industry conventions, and sets out the processing and handling implications for each size bracket.

How OTR Tyres Are Measured: Understanding the Size Notation

OTR tyre sizing uses several conventions that appear across different equipment manufacturers, tyre suppliers, and standards documents. The same physical tyre may be described differently depending on which convention the manufacturer or operator uses. Understanding the format for a specific tyre is the starting point for any equipment compatibility or processing assessment.

Traditional inch sizing: e.g. 29.5-25. The first number is the section width in inches; the second is the rim diameter in inches. This format remains in widespread use for construction and agricultural tyres, particularly on older equipment still in active service.

Metric radial format: e.g. 750/65R25. Section width in millimetres, aspect ratio as a percentage of section width, R indicating radial construction, and rim diameter in inches. Increasingly standard on newer equipment across all OTR categories.

Low-profile format: e.g. 35/65R33. Section width in inches, aspect ratio as a percentage, radial construction, rim diameter in inches. Common for large rigid dump truck tyres in the quarrying and mining sector.

Calculating outer diameter from the size code: The outer diameter (OD) is not given directly in the size code but can be calculated. For metric radial: OD = (2 × section width × aspect ratio / 100) + (rim diameter × 25.4). For example, a 750/65R25 tyre: OD = (2 × 750 × 0.65) + (25 × 25.4) = 975 + 635 = 1,610 mm. Outer diameter is the measurement that determines whether a tyre fits processing equipment, so calculating it from the code is a routine step in equipment compatibility assessment.

OTR Tyre Categories: Size and Weight Reference Data

Category	Common Applications	Section Width Range	Outer Diameter Range	Typical Weight Range
Agricultural (small)	Compact tractors, ATVs	200 to 380 mm	700 to 1,100 mm	15 to 45 kg
Agricultural (medium)	Standard 2WD and 4WD tractors	400 to 620 mm	1,100 to 1,700 mm	45 to 160 kg
Agricultural (large)	Large tractors, combines, sprayers	600 to 900 mm	1,500 to 2,200 mm	120 to 420 kg
Construction (small)	Skid steers, mini loaders	200 to 380 mm	700 to 1,200 mm	20 to 70 kg
Construction (medium)	Telehandlers, small wheel loaders	380 to 580 mm	1,200 to 1,900 mm	60 to 280 kg
Construction (large)	Large wheel loaders, motor graders	580 to 800 mm	1,900 to 3,000 mm	200 to 1,200 kg
Articulated dump truck	Quarrying, civil earthworks	600 to 900 mm	2,000 to 3,200 mm	400 to 1,800 kg
Rigid dump truck (small)	Quarrying, open-cast mining	700 to 1,000 mm	2,500 to 3,400 mm	800 to 2,500 kg
Rigid dump truck (large)	Large open-pit mining	900 to 1,400 mm	3,200 to 4,000+ mm	2,500 to 5,500 kg

These are indicative ranges drawn from the common OTR tyre categories in UK quarrying, civil construction, agriculture, and mining use. Individual tyre specifications vary between manufacturers; always confirm dimensions from the tyre sidewall markings or the equipment manufacturer’s specification before assessing processing equipment compatibility.

Weight as the Primary Handling Planning Tool

The HSE’s guideline for manual handling risk assessment is 25 kg. Every OTR tyre category above the smallest agricultural and construction sizes exceeds this threshold, and the largest categories exceed it by a factor of more than 200. Manual handling planning for OTR tyres must begin with confirming that no lifting or rolling is attempted without appropriate mechanical assistance and a formal handling assessment.

Weight Range	Minimum Mechanical Handling Requirement
Under 25 kg	Manual handling possible; individual task risk assessment required
25 to 100 kg	Mechanical assistance required: tyre dolly, forklift, or vehicle-mounted crane
100 to 500 kg	Telehandler or counterbalance forklift with appropriate attachment
500 kg to 2,000 kg	Wheel loader or heavy crane; banksman required for guidance
Over 2,000 kg	Dedicated heavy lift plan; specialist equipment and supervision

Rolling large OTR tyres is common site practice but creates specific risks that manual handling guidance does not fully address. A 700 kg wheel loader tyre that becomes uncontrolled during rolling on a gradient, or near a slope edge or an opening, can cause fatal crush injuries. Any tyre rolling task involving gradients, narrow spaces, or proximity to edges requires a specific risk assessment rather than generic manual handling guidance.

For the larger quarrying and mining categories, crane lifts require a lift plan under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). These tyres cannot be moved by any other means once off the vehicle.

Outer Diameter as the Primary Processing Equipment Selection Criterion

Outer diameter is the single most important measurement for processing equipment selection. It determines whether a tyre can physically enter the feed opening of a sidewall cutter, whether it requires splitting before sidewall cutting, and whether the resulting sections can be handled manually or require mechanical assistance.

The Gradeall OTR tyre cutting equipment range is built around distinct machines for different OTR size ranges:

OTR Size Bracket	Outer Diameter	Primary Processing Equipment
Small agricultural and construction	700 to 1,200 mm	Car tyre sidewall cutter (smaller sizes) or OTR sidewall cutter
Medium construction (telehandler, skid steer)	1,200 to 1,900 mm	OTR tyre sidewall cutter
Large wheel loader, grader	1,900 to 3,000 mm	OTR tyre sidewall cutter or OTR tyre splitter
Articulated dump truck	2,000 to 3,200 mm	OTR tyre splitter then sidewall cutting
Large rigid dump truck	3,200 to 4,000+ mm	OTR tyre splitter then further processing; specialist assessment for largest sizes

Contact Gradeall International with the specific outer diameter and section width of the tyres at your site for a confirmed equipment recommendation. Do not assume a tyre is within specification based on category description alone; confirm using the calculated or measured outer diameter.

Section Width and Its Implications

Section width affects two practical considerations beyond rim fitment: the volume of rubber that must be processed per tyre and, for agricultural tyres, road transport width limits.

Processing volume: A 900 mm section width tyre contains approximately 2.5 times the rubber volume of a 550 mm section width tyre at the same outer diameter. This affects blade wear rates, processing cycle times, and the weight of sections produced. Processing operations planning equipment utilisation should calculate rubber volume per tyre, not just unit count, when estimating capacity.

Agricultural tyre width on public roads: The widest agricultural tyres, fitted to large articulated tractors and combine harvesters, can have section widths of 800 to 900 mm or more. A tyre on a standard agricultural rim at these widths can approach or exceed the standard 2,550 mm maximum vehicle width permitted without special authorisation under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Transporting these tyres mounted on rims as part of a vehicle disposal operation may require checking vehicle dimensions against current regulations. Whole tyres being transported as waste loads also have dimension implications for load security and overhanging load requirements.

Steel Content by OTR Category and Its Effect on Processing

OTR tyres have proportionally higher steel reinforcement content than car or truck tyres, reflecting the extreme structural demands of their applications. This steel content affects blade wear rates in sidewall cutting operations and the characterisation of processed sections for downstream markets.

OTR Category	Approximate Steel Content (% of total tyre mass)	Primary Steel Type	Effect on Blade Wear
Agricultural (textile-reinforced)	8 to 14%	Bead wire only; textile cord reinforcement	Moderate; bead wire is the main blade wear driver
Construction OTR (mid-range)	14 to 22%	Bead wire plus steel belt and carcass plies	Significant; plan shorter blade replacement intervals
Large OTR (wheel loader, dump truck)	20 to 35%	Multi-layer steel cord throughout	High; blade wear is a major operational cost

Operations processing significant volumes of high-steel OTR tyres should establish blade wear rates empirically for their specific tyre types rather than relying on the car tyre blade life figures. The truck tyre sidewall cutter and OTR tyre sidewall cutter are designed with the higher cutting forces needed for steel-cord OTR construction, but blade replacement intervals are shorter than for car tyre processing and must be factored into maintenance planning.

Transport Planning by OTR Size Category

OTR tyre transport is constrained by volume rather than mass in almost all cases. The circular profile of an unprocessed large OTR tyre creates severe space inefficiency on flat trailers and in standard containers. A flatbed trailer capable of carrying 24 tonnes of general cargo may be limited to four to eight whole large OTR tyres before the deck space runs out, while being nowhere near its mass limit.

Splitting tyres before transport using the OTR tyre splitter changes the transport economics substantially. Split halves nest more efficiently than whole tyres. The curved inner face of one half accommodates against the outer profile of another, reducing the void space per unit. A trailer carrying split halves moves significantly more rubber mass per load than the same trailer carrying whole tyres of the same category.

For remote quarry, mine, and civil construction sites where transport distances to processing facilities are long and haulage is expensive, on-site splitting before collection reduces the number of transport runs needed and the total cost of getting material to a licensed processor.

Container optimisation is a separate but related consideration for OTR tyres being exported for processing. Gradeall has extensive experience in container-optimised shipping of tyre bales and processed sections for international customers. Contact Gradeall International for guidance on maximising container utilisation for specific OTR section sizes.

Permit and Compliance Considerations for Large OTR Tyre Volumes

The individual mass of large OTR tyres means that permit storage thresholds are reached with fewer units than most operations expect. A single 3,500 kg haul truck tyre counts as 3.5 tonnes against the site’s waste tyre storage limit. A stockpile of eight such tyres represents 28 tonnes of waste tyre material on site.

The Environment Agency’s U16 exemption for waste tyre storage in England allows up to 1,000 whole tyres (car and van) or equivalent mass for other tyre categories. For large OTR operations, this limit may be reached with a handful of tyres. Check the current thresholds and conditions with the Environment Agency before accumulating OTR tyre waste on-site, and confirm whether an environmental permit (rather than a registered exemption) is required for your specific tyre volumes and processing activities.

Conor Murphy, Director of Gradeall International

“The most common mistake in OTR tyre processing planning is treating all OTR tyres as the same category because they share the OTR label. A telehandler tyre at 90 kg and a haul truck tyre at 4,000 kg are both called OTR, but the handling plan, the processing equipment, the transport arrangements, and the compliance considerations are completely different. Getting the actual outer diameter and weight of the specific tyres you are dealing with is the non-negotiable starting point for any OTR processing project.”

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