L3800 Tire Selection

[littlehorsefarm]

OK! I'm ready to pull the trigger on my first EVER new, modern tractor. I am looking for feedback on tires, specifically the R1 option compared to R4... I believe that's agricultural compared to industrial.

I am working on a small horse farm under 15 acres with rolling hills. My new L3800 is 4x4 with a loader and will be used for grading, various farm chores and digging a small pond (first job)

Thanks in advance!

 

[creekbend]

Kubota offers three different types of tires--AG,Industrial,and Turf. There have been other forums and threads in the past on TBN that should be helpful to you. It might be of some assistance to you if you choose to look them up.I have a L4400 ,4WD,FEL with AG tires, but this is because they work for ME. Just a thought. Hope this helps you somewhat. Good luck and Happy Tractoring.:tractor:

 

[bp fick]

Welcome to the forum.

It pretty much boils down to sacrificing a bit of traction, when choosing the industrials because the positive features are needed. Industrial tires are a bit of a compromise tire for those who must consider grass damage, because they use their tractor in mowing. It is also a strong, tough tire for heavy loader work and finally, is probably the most puncture resistant.

That said, nothing beats an Ag tire for traction on dirt.

 

[TripleR]

As per creekbend, there are hours of reading about this on other threads and there is no consensus, just works "best" for you. Agree with bp fick, my Industrial tires work well and are a good compromise which works well for me. I also have Ag/Bar tires on some tractors.

 

[littlehorsefarm]

Thanks for your replies!

I went with the AG tires ... the dealer had to have them shipped in as all the tractors on the lot have industrial tires. I was feeling a little queezy as it seems everyone in the local area is getting the R4 tires.

I think bite is my main concern. I will run this tractor across pasture and do not intend to tip toe across the lawn with it. I have low lying area that is very wet and I intend to dig down there. AG tires seemed to make sense for me. Time will tell I supose

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for your replies!

I went with the AG tires ... the dealer had to have them shipped in as all the tractors on the lot have industrial tires. I was feeling a little queezy as it seems everyone in the local area is getting the R4 tires.

I think bite is my main concern. I will run this tractor across pasture and do not intend to tip toe across the lawn with it. I have low lying area that is very wet and I intend to dig down there. AG tires seemed to make sense for me. Time will tell I supose

Um.. well on another of your threads I see you are contemplating lifting maximum weight in the form of hay bales. Well R1, while the best for traction, have more flexible sidewalls, and might not be the best for maximum constant loader work. R4 typically has more plies. There are tougher R1 tires, but I dont think that Kubota puts them on. Might want to look here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/217937-l3400-front-tire-problems.html

Again sorry to be the bearer of possible bad news..

James K0UA

 

[canoetrpr]

I've gone back and forth myself on this issue. I have R4s right now on my L3400 and they do decently and will be getting them on a new GL.

My pasture is wet as well in parts and I think that R1s would REALLY chew up the pasture leaving it looking like a mess - which may not be an issue if you don't mind it.

If we are talking about gentle slopes I suspect you will be fine with R4s. You may consider getting spacers to put your rear wheels at the widest possible setting.

So far I've concluded that unless I am actually working in dirt R4's are the right option for me. The extra capacity for fluid in the rear also helps. In my area, resale value for tractors is better than R4s I find and this is what dealers say as well.

 

[tk1469]

I have an L3800 with the Industrial tires and they seem to work very well on grass/sod as well as the sandy soil which is prevalent at my location. After reading the posts here I'm glad I went with the Industrial tires - since most of my work involves using the loader.

I have lots of area that is planted in grass and the Industrial are very "friendly" to those areas - unlike the AG tires on my neighbor's Ford 8N.

Hope this helps....

 

[Chilly807]

The R1s will give you the most traction, no question. They are somewhat narrower than the R4s in general, which allows more pounds per square inch of ground pressure, and therefore better traction.

Tough on tender ground, too.

I replaced my fronts (Carlisle Farm Specialist) recently as James mentioned, the sidewalls aren't able to cope with loader use unless you run them at the max pressure allowed, which should be 36 PSI in your case and mine. I suspect yours will come with the same tires unless Kubota has changed suppliers. If you do have problems, Carlisle is excellent to deal with.

The Firestone rears are an excellent tire, no problems there as yet.

After increasing the pressure in the front to 36 psi with the new tires, there's very little deflection with a full bucket of rock. They should be fine now. Traction will suffer slightly since the tire can't conform to the ground as well as with a lower air pressure.

Sean

 

[daveinnh]

Littlehorsefarm:

We have a L4310 with Firestone R-1 tires that work well with loader - just ensure that pressure is up when picking heavy loads up and do not turn/ twist sharp with heaviest bucket load.

I've seen R-4 tire treads load up on mud and become slicks on construction sites (rock trucks & loaders). Ag tread design is diagonal and tends to throw mud off vs. hold & build up.

Also R-1s are good in snow. I install chains on rear to deal with ice in NH.