Hard or soft?

[pennwalk]

I'm talking tires here. I have a John Deere GT275 with bar tires that I am using to pull a small trailer to haul firewood out of the woods. I have 50 pound wheel weights on. This time of year the ground is soft and muddy. What is your experience about getting the best traction with bar tires in the soft ground? Air them up or leave them soft?

Chris

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm talking tires here. I have a John Deere GT275 with bar tires that I am using to pull a small trailer to haul firewood out of the woods. I have 50 pound wheel weights on. This time of year the ground is soft and muddy. What is your experience about getting the best traction with bar tires in the soft ground? Air them up or leave them soft?

Chris

A little lower pressure will reduce sidewall stiffness. That, in turn, will put more rubber on the ground and give you a bit more traction. You don't want to reduce that pressure much as those tires can roll off the rim if the bead breaks.
Frankly, I wouldn't reduce the pressure unless completely necessary. I'd wait until the ground dries out a bit.

 

[bigtiller]

I would leave them a little soft. But with a GT275 I don't think you will notice any difference in traction eather way.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Down to 8psi or so on the rears will be good .. and no problem unless youre side hilling in which roll off could be a problem as mentioned. Watch out on the fronts. Keep them a bit harder. I do run ours pretty low on the BX. Single digits all around .. no loader.
larry

 

[TripleR]

I really don't think with that machine, it is going to make enough difference to bother.

 

[pennwalk]

I'd wait until the ground dries out a bit.

Yeah that would make the most sense but I've got spring fever. Those 2 warm days last week got me going. I'm going to need a roller to smooth out the mess I made.

I was wondering if putting more air in would make the bars stand proud and dig in more.

I just put the weights on so we will see if that makes any difference. I am thinking about rimguard.

Chris

 

[hr3]

Just my 2 cents but to me harder the better around sticks and small stumps sticking out of the soft ground..

 

[SPYDERLK]

Backwards. A softer tire will engulf an obstacle to some extent. A hard tire will not at all, and will ensure that there is a very intense pressure point. A tire will punch on a stob more readily when its hard, and also will provide less traction and less ability to go over an obstacle.
larry

 

[hr3]

Backwards. A softer tire will engulf an obstacle to some extent. A hard tire will not at all, and will ensure that there is a very intense pressure point. A tire will punch on a stob more readily when its hard, and also will provide less traction and less ability to go over an obstacle.
larry

That would be me Backwards...:confused2: