Loaded tires or air for a better/smoother ride?

[JethroB]

Hello all,
Kubota dealer has suggested loading the tires with water (at no charge) on the cabbed L5460 that is to be delivered later this week to improve the ride. This tractor will replace the identical open station I currently have. He knows I have back issues. The air ride seat is on order so it will be installed later. Note I do not intend to have a FEL any time soon. Good thing as loaders are back ordered for 6-8 months . Plain water is standard in this area.

My question to those with experience, which provides a softer ride, loaded tires or air only at a lowered pressure? R-4’s.
Thanks.

edited 8/30 2 pm

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Depends on exactly what tires it has on it.

SR

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Hello all,
Kubota dealer has suggested loading the tires (at no charge) on the cabbed L5460 that is to be delivered later this week to improve the ride. He knows I have back issues. The air ride seat is on order so it will be installed later. Note I do not intend to have a FEL any time soon. Good thing as loaders are back ordered for 6-8 months . Plain water is standard in this area.

My question to those with experience, which provides a softer ride, loaded or air only at a lowered pressure? Thanks.

Pressure is pressure. Tractor tires run 13 lbs regardless. Pulls way better with heavy tires.

 

[cathy liebchen]

Pressure is pressure. Tractor tires run 13 lbs regardless. Pulls way better with heavy

 

[cathy liebchen]

Deleted

 

[ljjhouser]

Should not be a lot of difference. Many Kubota dealers fill 40-50%, not going above the axle. Then the softness of the tire is still regulated by the pressure of the air in the tire. Also, If he does it for free, then that is a feature of the deal. The dealer is trying to address ballast issues you read so often.

What was the dealer offering to fill with? Methanol - beet juice(Rim Guard) - windshield fluid? or CACL? Or just plain water - I guess you don't see much freezing.
Probably methanol. That is what my Kubota dealer used. It was also free. Water is about the lightest of the choices.

The time waiting for the FEL will pass QUICKLY. Then you will wish you had opted for filled tires - with more weight than water. A bucket load of gravel will make you rear tires have very little traction. You will then hunt for a ballast solution.

I would recommend asking the dealer about tire and ballast options, including maybe methanol or Rim Guard, even if you have to pay for it. It is not terribly expensive. Best Wishes.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

13lbs will roll an R4 off the rim easily we run 30 with a loader

We run 30 in the front. Not in the big tires on rear. My brother saw the 32 on the side of a rear tire. Aired it up to that. Went out in the field in the sun, I thought a bomb exploded. Blowed that tire like a balloon. He said he saw 32 on it, I said seating bead only is what it says. We run 13 in all back tires. We carry two 6x5 round bales on front every time. We use the forks spread wide. Frame for forks is 7' so it spreads wide enough to stick a fork in the top of two bales. And a bale on spear in rear. We need 2,000 bales for each winter. Plus we log, clear land, load dump trucks, whatever.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would opt for filling the rears. Unless there is a specific need to stay as light as you can on that tractor's weight.

I think the air ride seat will add more benefit than whatever tire you pick, or whether or not you fill them.

I would fill them for stability and traction. You will most likely run out of traction before you ever run out of hp.

Back in AZ, we always filled the rear tires with plain water. It works.

 

[oosik]

My rear tires are filled with RimGuard. I run them at around 15 psi. I don't think I would notice any difference if they were filled with just air @ 15 psi.

If you need help with your back - better be looking for an air ride seat.

JMHO - a radial ply R-1 tire at minimum recommended pressure will probably be the softest ride as far as tires.

 

[RjCorazza]

R4's are going to give the harshest ride, whether filled or not. That said, I can't tell much of a difference in properly filled tires vs air only.

 

[Bavarian]

Filled tires keep the tractor more planted. It's not that bouncing. Radial tires is the way to go.

 

[LouNY]

Air filled tires at the needed pressure for the load they are carrying have more give and a better ride then liquid filled tires do.
When half filled with liquid or filled to the level of the valve stem you have reduced the volume of air, it can not have the amount of comprehensibility of a tire with just air.
I prefer cast iron over filled tires, it does cost more initially.

 

[5030]

Air filled tires at the needed pressure for the load they are carrying have more give and a better ride then liquid filled tires do.
When half filled with liquid or filled to the level of the valve stem you have reduced the volume of air, it can not have the amount of comprehensibility of a tire with just air.
I prefer cast iron over filled tires, it does cost more initially.

Right on Lou and so do I. Considering 99% of all tractors have NO suspension in the first place, 'ride is entirely predicated on the roughness of the surface you are driving on, your speed and how good your seat suspension is or isn't.

If you want a tractor with suspension, go buy a JCB or a large ag tractor like a Fendt. Smaller tractors will all have no suspension.

Never had filled tires on any of mine, never will.

As an aside, on most medium sized tractors you can order them with cast centers. Both of my Kubota's came from the factory with cast centers.

 

[JethroB]

Air filled tires at the needed pressure for the load they are carrying have more give and a better ride then liquid filled tires do.
When half filled with liquid or filled to the level of the valve stem you have reduced the volume of air, it can not have the amount of comprehensibility of a tire with just air.
I prefer cast iron over filled tires, it does cost more initially.

Thanks Lou, that’s my thinking. Water doesn’t compress. A softer ride with R-4‘s is what I’m after. It’s a mowing tractor 90% of the time on flat ground. No loader needed in the past four years on an identical open station. Air ride seat is back ordered.

 

[JethroB]

Depends on exactly what tires it has on it.

SR

R-4’s. Left that out. A better softer ride is my #1 goal. Sciatica sucks

Thanks.

 

[LouNY]

Usually R4's are a higher ply rating then R1's or turfs.
Yes, Sciatica is a royal pain in the....
Your air ride seat should help a lot.

 

[CobyRupert]

Pressure is pressure, but volume is volume.
Imagine a tire deflecting 1/2 way to the rim.
With only air, there’s lots of other space to take up the air when the volume decreases when the tire compresses without the pressure increasing much and giving a hard ride.
Even with water in them, the normal deflection is usually so little and the air pressure above the liquid is low enough that you’re not going to notice a difference if filled. How fast are we talking? As noted, tire types are more of a variable.
2 cents, mileage may vary.

 

[LoneStarLandMan]

I added h2o & rv antifreeze- with a $6 part @ TSC, funnel, & garden hose -same labelled tire pressure- a few months back.
No noticeable ride diff; I do get better traction in wet, pulling, and obvious improved ballast w/ FEL-grapple
How much do they charge for adding water- hourly service $$ ??
It is worth it for performance; I would not think you'd get more comfort; it is a tractor, not a sports car.....but you could spend a pretty penny & get a Lamborghini Tractor, I hear they ride smooth

Hello all,
Kubota dealer has suggested loading the tires with water (at no charge) on the cabbed L5460 that is to be delivered later this week to improve the ride. This tractor will replace the identical open station I currently have. He knows I have back issues. The air ride seat is on order so it will be installed later. Note I do not intend to have a FEL any time soon. Good thing as loaders are back ordered for 6-8 months . Plain water is standard in this area.

My question to those with experience, which provides a softer ride, loaded tires or air only at a lowered pressure? R-4’s.
Thanks.

edited 8/30 2 pm

 

[dcarman]

Hello all,
Kubota dealer has suggested loading the tires with water (at no charge) on the cabbed L5460 that is to be delivered later this week to improve the ride. This tractor will replace the identical open station I currently have. He knows I have back issues. The air ride seat is on order so it will be installed later. Note I do not intend to have a FEL any time soon. Good thing as loaders are back ordered for 6-8 months . Plain water is standard in this area.

My question to those with experience, which provides a softer ride, loaded tires or air only at a lowered pressure? R-4’s.
Thanks.

edited 8/30 2 pm

Go for the weighted wheels. They will have the same air pressure but the added weight will reduce bounce that will affect your back directly. Weight fluid is heavier than water by the way!

 

[LouNY]

air is compressible, fluid is not