2wd r1 vs 4wd r4 for traction

[hrcarver]

Buying another tractor within the year and have never had anything but r1 tires or turf tires. I have a sod farm and a food plot business. I THINK I could use a 4wd with r4's pulling out irrigation reels on my turf fields without doing any damage (straight line pulls) AND pulling plows for my food plot business.

There are a million threads on r4's, but given my lack of experience with them, can you relate it to something I know?

How does a comparable size 2wd tractor with r1's compare to a 4wd with r4's for traction?

Same, +10%, -20% ???

 

[texasjohn]

I have never seen a scientific study of your exact question, thus all you will likely get is opinions, not rigid proof. Data from a tractor pull does not apply to your situation...you are trying to preserve your turf, they are willing to tear up everything in sight.

That said, my opinion is as follows...

4 wheel drive allows you to have a tractor with less horsepower because the traction is applied to 4 wheels, thus a lighter tractor. When your wheels DO slip, likely there will be less damage because of tractor weight so the DEPTH of damage will likely be less although perhaps spread over a wider area since 3 or 4 wheels will be slipping.

R1 tires are typically used for working loose dirt and have narrower ribs which are deep. R4's are some wider and not as deep. In a turf situation, I would think that the R1 ribs would sink deeper into the turf than R4's, thus doing more damage than R4's, even when just driving around in 2wd.

Somewhere I think I read information and came to conclude/believe that a 45 to 50 horsepower 4wd tractor has about the same traction as a 70 hp 2wd tractor. Regardless of how I came to believe it, I recall that when I studied between 2 and 4 wheel drive tractors, several years ago when preparing to purchase, that's what I came up with and it guided my selection.

I'd strongly suggest you look at HST transmissions...... in your application where you are wishing to preserve turf and smooth speed control is vital, I think it may have superior application to other types of transmissions.

Let the various opinions begin

 

[hrcarver]

Far as I know hst is not a option for me. I'm mostly looking at m series kubotas right now. I think I'd go gears even if it was an option. I guess if you never had one (except lawn mowers), you dont miss it. I think gears better suit things like spraying and plowing, which would be most of my use. I'd get a loader on it for occasional stuff like loading/unloading pallets or unloading equipment off of trailers, but I really dont do much loader type work.

 

[Johndeere3720]

IMO R4s would do better than the R1s and 2wd because you have 4 wheels pulling and a flatter tread it will not do near as much damage to the turf compared to R1s. And since you are going to get a FEL, the R4's will hold up better to the load and the 4wd will be a benefit for moving heavy loads.

 

[k0ua]

Well all I can do is relate my impression. Went from a Long 2360 a 2wd 4200 lb tractor with Loaded R1 tires to a NH TC33DA 4wd tractor with R4 tires filled with air. The much smaller 4wd air tire filled R4 would out push the larger heavier tractor in the creek. I was using it to scoop up and push up creek gravel on the bank the NH was some better, spun less and did more work. Not that the Long was that bad, I did a lot of loader work with it, and it worked pretty well, But the smaller lighter tractor would do just as much if not more work faster. Of course for mowing the NH was far far superior. In so many ways faster, less tire damage more manueverable, less tiring to run. Like the other poster said, this is anecdotal evidence, but I remember being surprised how much I could do with the smaller tractor because it had 4wd. One place the Long had it over the NH was loader lift capability.

James K0UA

 

[TripleR]

Very interesting scenario for which I don't think there is a definitive answer. Whatever route you choose is going to be a compromise as you are dealing with two often hotly debated subjects R4/R1 and 2WD v 4WD.

Being experienced with R1's you know they have great traction, but when they break loose, dirt starts flying. The R4 won't have the traction, but won't do the same amount of damage either.

Many people don't realize maximum efficiency in traction factors in a certain amount of wheel slip, so what works great for a farmer is not going to be acceptable to you. And a lot don't fully appreciate proper ballast.

G1235 Tractor Tire and Ballast Management | University of Missouri Extension

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/eng8286

Long way around to saying in essence I can't much improve on prior posts. We own 2WD and 4WD, but don't plan on ever buying another 2WD. We are lucky enough to have tractors with R1's and R4's as I learned long ago in many situations both are compromises and in many ideal.

We even have one with Turf and Ag.

 

[bigbull338]

with what your wanting todo id go with the R4 tires an 4wd drive.the R4s float on the ground an dont rutt it up as bad as R1s.

 

[hrcarver]

I just dont want to stick it. Not planning on running in mud, but I have been stuck before when I wasn't planning on mud. Sometime wet spots get you!

 

[leonz]

I just dont want to stick it. Not planning on running in mud, but I have been stuck before when I wasn't planning on mud. Sometime wet spots get you!

Another option which will be even better than the R4 tires is the Diamond turf tires or high floatation turf tires and snow chains lots of traction with good chains.

You need to go to Tire Chains by TireChains.com and you will get a great set of chains and be sure to get tire chain tensioners to maintain tension on the tires(been there done that- its down right nasty mounting chains back on tires when they slip off in snow and mud, YUCK!!!!):thumbsup:

 

[hrcarver]

I have both!

The high flotation tires are great for turf, and really dont pull all that bad on dry ground. I'd be scared to death to run them in the woods. They might hold up fine, but it just doesn't look like it would take much to put a gash in them.

I do really like the diamond tread turfs, but if r4's only grip that good, I will be needing r1's.