Newbie here. Which tyres do I want for my new SCUT (Kubota BX1880)?

[tallguy104]

Hi all. Tractor newb here. This will be my first tractor, buying it primarily for mowing our hilly 3 acre property.
It's mostly sheep paddock that I want to mow, to help control some of the weeds before they go to seed. About half this paddock is quite steep (20-25 degrees...have checked this with a tilt meter).
Also want to use the tractor to do an occasional little bit of earth moving with the front end loader, and will also do some roto-tilling for planting crops.

So the BX1880 is available with either Turf tyres or Bar (ag) tyres. the BX1880 doesn't have the option of the industrial tyre, only the larger (e.g. BX2380) models do.

So do I want turf tyres or bar?

 

[WranglerX]

I have a MF GC 1715 SCUT, with R4 tires (Industrial Tires?) and I find it sort of in-between real aggressive tread and turf tires..... I would shy away for real aggressive treads unless you are willing to do a lot of clean up after you put tire tracks every where....But it also depends on how soft or hard your ground is...My summer ground is like a rock, my winter ground is like quick sand (little exaggeration about quick sand there)...

There is this threads already started some time ago....

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/332974-r4-vs-bar-turf.html

Dale

 

[tallguy104]

Warm climate here, so no snow. The ground is fairly fertile basalt soil, with a good covering of grass mostly, can get a little wet and slippery but I can wait till it dries before using the mower.

Most other threads seem to deal with how well they work in snow.
For me it's really about mowing steep grassy slopes. Would most people use turf tyres going up and down grass slopes in a little tractor like this? Or am I really likely to need the aggressive bar tyres to get traction?

 

[sea2summit]

I had turf tires on my BX and they did horrible with pinch flats if I did any loader work off of a lawn. Not sure if ag tires would be better or not/

 

[i7win7]

So the BX1880 is available with either Turf tyres or Bar (ag) tyres. the BX1880 doesn't have the option of the industrial tyre, only the larger (e.g. BX2380) models do.

True using online build tool. Talk to dealer about R4 tires, R14 tires may now be available.

 

[Bavarian]

I would tend to steer you towards the R1. I personally am a big friend of turf tires but only for my application on flat land. Turfs may not be doing well on your hills except it's bone dry. You don't want to go for a slide either on a tractor. Industrial tires seem to have poor side stability.

 

[rademamj1]

If it was my new BX1880, I would make life much simpler and get the turf tires. I have found my R4 industrial tires are very aggressive on the landscaping, leaving ruts and ripped up lawns.

Initially, I appreciated the improved traction from R4's and as my land tasks moved from clearing land to mowing and landscaping, I found myself constantly making repairs on the permanent ruts.

 

[dougtrr2]

I have turf tires on my BX24. I go up and down some pretty steep slopes. I don't do it when its wet, but I keep it in FWD/LO and haven't had any problems. I have moved quite a bit of dirt and haven't really felt like the turf tires were holding me back. Again I keep in in FW/LO and don't feel like the tires are my limiting factor. Keep in my that a BX is no a commercial loader. It is best suited to moving loose material or skimming dirt.

Doug in SW IA

 

[dodge man]

Like already said turfs bite pretty good as long as it’s dry and they stay clean. If it’s wet and they get a little bit of mud not so good. If you aren’t picky about your grass I’d probably say get industrial tires.

 

[CobyRupert]

As I understand it, it’s a sheep paddock OP wants to mow, not a lawn he’s trying to maintain as a putting green. I’m sure the sheep rut up the paddock as much as R1 (“bar/ag”) tires would.
R1’s will provide superior traction on hills compared to turfs, no question.
I’d be afraid of going for an unplanned ride if I tried mowing 25 degree hills with turfs. Not safe.