Driving on the road

[WaxMan]

Can a Grand L cab 3240 be driven on the road 5 miles one way without extra wear or damage? Just wondering if running on dry pavement for extended amount of time cause damage.
Anybody use their tractor that way?

 

[Wolfy]

No, it won't hurt the tractor. Make sure it is in 2wd.

 

[AStanton]

My Kubotas are almost painted the same orange as the State tractors in my state. People seem to give ya a wide berth.
Make sure your funky triangle is on the back of your tractor before you head on the down the road.

 

[Ted Summey]

No damage. I have driven 16 mile round trip without damage. It does wear tires to operate on the road.

 

[WaxMan]

No damage. I have driven 16 mile round trip without damage. It does wear tires to operate on the road.

Thanks for the replies, How long before tire wear shows up?

 

[kcender]

I took my L3240 down the pavement a few times when I had it.I used the SMV sign and four way flashers.You will want the throttle wide open.If you have the FEL and backhoe on you will definitely feel the tractor slow down on even the small hills.I always felt my L3240 had just enough power for doing work but could have used more power when travelling on the road.It had a FEL,BH90 backhoe,and loaded tires but no cab.

 

[DT86]

Thanks for the replies, How long before tire wear shows up?

Although my tractor is a bit bigger, I drive several road miles a week, especially during hay season. I do not notice any additional wear unless I have my grapple bucket on the FEL. The added weight is h*ll on the front tires.

I have driven 20 miles one way with no noticeable wear.

 

[crazyangel]

I make a 5 mile trip a few times per year with my L5740. The first time I lit up the flashers and cruised away at max speed. After arriving at my destination, I noticed a bit more wear on my front tires than I would have liked - not ruined by any stretch, but still more than I was happy about. The rears showed no signs of wear. On the return trip, I made a few changes, and the results were much better; no noticable wear. First, I took some weight off the front end by removing the bucket from the loader - that traveled in the back of my truck. I also reduced my speed considerably from around 15 mph to 5 mph. Obviously the trip took 3 times longer, but the results were far better. I left the box blade on the 3PT there and back. It's a nice bumper for tailgaters. YMMV. :tractor:

PS - I have R1s on my machine, R4s will definitely fare better on pavement...

 

[TripleR]

We run our L5740 the four to six miles between properties several ties a year and while I am sure there is accelerated wear as opposed to running on dirt, it is not noticeable during the year, we run Industrial tires. On our Ag tired tractors, there was much more wear, but they still lasted several years. Farmers run their tractors on the road all the time as most have several farms spread out.

 

[srs]

I would also make sure the split brakes operate as one unit.

 

[sixdogs]

Put a little extra air in them. Rides better.

 

[Tollster]

Check your front axle toe, I dialed my BX in last year to within 1/16", it will help with the additional pavement wear.
I use the raised rubber remnants in the center of the tire. I also raised the FEL since its never without it, and its loaded with it in transit on the road.
I also do this on the ATV from time to time to reduce wear. First time it will take longer than usual until your familiar with the process.

 

[EddieL]

What is the maximum distance you would drive on the road? I'm not planning any long trips but I have always wondered how far you could drive a tractor on the road.

 

[MHarryE]

When I worked for Gleaner Combines in Independence, Missouri, we had a group of farmers who traded every 2 years and saved shipping cost by roading the 300+ miles. The drive tires (same as a tractor) did wear but not enough to effect useful life. This is the longest single roading event I know of. Our tractors put a couple hundred miles on asphalt every year considering the nearest gravel road is a mile away and no tractor stays away overnight (vandalism). All except the CUT which sees little asphalt time have radials and none show a characteristic asphalt wear pattern.

 

[chim]

The B7500 I had was used to mow at another location just over a half mile away for the ten years I owned it. Rough figuring 30 trips there and 30 back each year = 30 miles per year x 10 years = 300 miles. The tractor had R4's and the front tires were worn down pretty far when I sold it. The rears looked great though.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Run it on the road. If you use your equipment you add wear to your equipment. If you wear out the tires get new ones. I know you didn't get your tractor just to look at it. Just do like they say and make sure it is not in 4wd that would be unnecessary wear.