Ag Tires versus Industrial tires

[CADplans]

I have Beet juice loaded R4's on mine and I don't have any complaints about them at all. I push snow, drag snow with the rear blade and load gravel. Narry a complaint out of me.
I had R1's on my Farmall C and it was stuck more than it worked.

I guess Beet juice is perfect,,, unless there is a problem,,, have you had a flat or repair,, yet??

 

[Looking4new]

I guess Beet juice is perfect,,, unless there is a problem,,, have you had a flat or repair,, yet??

So far so good in 408 hours and 4.5 years.

 

[motownbrowne]

I guess Beet juice is perfect,,, unless there is a problem,,, have you had a flat or repair,, yet??

It's also expensive and proprietary. I like mine, though. 250 hours only, though.

 

[Cougsfan]

Maybe there is a difference between various R4 tires. Perhaps I am running too much air pressure? (20 psi)

 

[Looking4new]

I run 15 in the rears and 30 in the fronts. Keep in mind that my tires are tubeless with tubes in them anyway.
15-19.5 on rear and 25x8.5-14 front

 

[Turbys_1700]

So far so good in 408 hours and 4.5 years.

You are more fortunate than I am. I can't seem to brush hog anymore without sticking a tire. Got 2 plugs in my rear now on my Workmaster 50. It's holding and hopefully will continue. If it doesn't then tubes will go in. And like you I run 15 psi in the rears.

 

[SPYDERLK]

You are more fortunate than I am. I can't seem to brush hog anymore without sticking a tire. Got 2 plugs in my rear now on my Workmaster 50. It's holding and hopefully will continue. If it doesn't then tubes will go in. And like you I run 15 psi in the rears.

Wow. What do you have sticking holes in R4s when bushogging?

 

[Looking4new]

I don't brush hog, yet. I do plow dirt and snow and disk (the dirt) as well. I also have been known to move gravel.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Wow. What do you have sticking holes in R4s when bushogging?

Stubble left from trees cut from the last time I cut them. This area was over grown and I let it get ahead of me. I cut it in May and got along fine that first cut. I was really careful the 2nd cutting but still punctured a rear.

That day was really going really well until that puncture. I found it when I stopped to take a break. I plugged it and called my wife to bring the truck. As luck would have it the truck would not crank. Dead battery. So she had to bring the car to the edge of the field. I had to walk bad hip and knee from the back of the area to the front. I estimate close to 1/4 mile. Finally got to the truck and then the darn door handle on the truck broke when I tried to open the rear door. I swear it was like I was in a TV comedy show. And I still had the tractor 3-1/2 miles away from the house.

After that little ordeal I was able to air up the tire and get the tractor home without incident. I know you didn't ask for this long winded explanation but I thought that you would get a good laugh out of it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Stubble left from trees cut from the last time I cut them. This area was over grown and I let it get ahead of me. I cut it in May and got along fine that first cut. I was really careful the 2nd cutting but still punctured a rear.

That day was really going really well until that puncture. I found it when I stopped to take a break. I plugged it and called my wife to bring the truck. As luck would have it the truck would not crank. Dead battery. So she had to bring the car to the edge of the field. I had to walk bad hip and knee from the back of the area to the front. I estimate close to 1/4 mile. Finally got to the truck and then the darn door handle on the truck broke when I tried to open the rear door. I swear it was like I was in a TV comedy show. And I still had the tractor 3-1/2 miles away from the house.

After that little ordeal I was able to air up the tire and get the tractor home without incident. I know you didn't ask for this long winded explanation but I thought that you would get a good laugh out of it.

No problem at all. I know what you mean. Nothing but bad breaks.

The reason I asked is that I use AGs and have had only a few punctures - mostly from pointed stobs from 1.5 to 2" dia stumps left by beaver. You dont plug those! In only one case have I gotten punched by small wood. In that case, like yours it was a seasoned pungi from a prior cutting. All in all Im pretty impressed with the puncture resistance. It surprised me that an R4 carcass would be vulnerable to small wood.​

... One thing Ive noticed is that new tires cut and punch more easily. I think the rubber is soft for quite awhile and a middle aged tire is probably at its very best for resisting penetration. Its tougher all the way through. Im betting those R4s are kinda young ? Theyll be stronger in a few years if they dont get perforated too much before then.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Those punji stakes left after mowing are really scary! I haven't yet punctured a tire, but I've lost a valve stem and run the fronts off the rim a couple of times in brush. The last time this happened, I drove my lawn tractor with dump cart back into the woods to retrieve the wheel/tire and bring it back home for repair. It would have been a whole different issue if it had been a rear tire!

 

[Cougsfan]

I lowered my air pressure in my R4s to 12 psi front and rear. It helped a little, but they are still pathetic on the ice and snow.

 

[Turbys_1700]

No problem at all. I know what you mean. Nothing but bad breaks.

The reason I asked is that I use AGs and have had only a few punctures - mostly from pointed stobs from 1.5 to 2" dia stumps left by beaver. You dont plug those! In only one case have I gotten punched by small wood. In that case, like yours it was a seasoned pungi from a prior cutting. All in all Im pretty impressed with the puncture resistance. It surprised me that an R4 carcass would be vulnerable to small wood.​

... One thing Ive noticed is that new tires cut and punch more easily. I think the rubber is soft for quite awhile and a middle aged tire is probably at its very best for resisting penetration. Its tougher all the way through. Im betting those R4s are kinda young ? Theyll be stronger in a few years if they dont get perforated too much before then.

The R4's are new. This area I cut in May first attempt with my 4610 and after 2 front flats and repairs I came home and got the Workmaster with the R4's. Got along fine. I figured I would be OK this time also but it didn't work out as I planned. It does build character. Lol

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I lowered my air pressure in my R4s to 12 psi front and rear. It helped a little, but they are still pathetic on the ice and snow.

I run 2 link v bars on my Kubota l3400 with r-4 and it's a big improvement with just the front axle chained up.

 

[ruffdog]

Also, r4's offer no resistance to sliding sideways on greasy ground while ag's or even turfs offer some grip.

 

[4570Man]

Also, r4's offer no resistance to sliding sideways on greasy ground while ag's or even turfs offer some grip.

What's the reasoning behind this statement?

 

[ruffdog]

What's the reasoning behind this statement?

Big fat lugs with no tread. At least with a AG one tread is angled the opposing direction when sliding sideways. The tread blocks are not as wide and flat either.

 

[4570Man]

Big fat lugs with no tread. At least with a AG one tread is angled the opposing direction when sliding sideways. The tread blocks are not as wide and flat either.

And the turfs are better? I've got r4s on my tractor and I wouldn't consider anything else.

 

[ruffdog]

It's the same reason big lugged mud tires on a truck is horrible on ice or packed snow. Winter tires have lots of grooves and sipes. I ran identical tractors on two farms, one had turfs and one had r4's. I now only have the one with turfs.

 

[4570Man]

Turfs definitely have better traction on snow, but I thought this was an on dirt comparison.