Agreed, I never considered the sub-compacts because of the small tires. Besides ride, bigger tires = more traction. When my property gets dry, sand gets loose, and tires can dig down to the frame so easy.
The rear wheel sizes, R4 or R14 are as follows:
- CK2620H - 15-19.5 (also Kubota L2502)
- RK25 - 14-17.5
- CX2510H - 12-16.5
- Kubota BX - 24x12–12 (only a bit bigger than my old riding mower)
On tires, and sand; I'll give my experience with R-1 Ag tires and R-14 tires. Industrial R4s isnt fair as thats been on 16,000#-36,000# equipment and irrelevant to compare to a 2500-4500# tractor.
My Kubuta
L285 had R1 ags (on back, compact car tires on front), and it had great traction, they were water filled, and pulling a 6 ft box blade, loaded, forward; the front of the tractor would lift before you stall or break traction. Backing up, it would break traction in sand, with an aggressive bite with a 6 ft box blade. Thats in sand, and only rarely did i ever need diff lock to climb out of a hole or over a pile in the sand
My Kioti Ck2610; R14 tires; loader, water (with some anti freeze) filled rears; on hard compacted sand-clay, I will bog and stall with the 6 ft box blade before I break traction; but on a field, I break traction. I often need 4wd to climb of a pile of sand, or to back out of a hole. I have also used this in wet muck of a semi dry lake bed; slimy, ultra high organic; and the rears and the front to a lesser degree do clog up and turn slick to the point that you need to push your self out with the loader bucket.
I dont regret the R-14 tires; but if i had two machines; I think id want 1 with R14, and the other with regular R1 Ag tires.
Edit: My Kubota
L285 had 12.4-24 rears, and 5-15 fronts. Tractor data says it should have came with 11.2-24; but mine had 12.4-24. Reason I remember that 2.5 years later; older motor graders used a 15.5-24 16 ply tire or 14-24 12 ply and i had eye balled using those as replacements if the time ever came
If that helps
