Mowing R-4 tires and grass cutting

[toddrdmd]

Do the R-4 tires on compact tractors mark up the grass alot when cutting your yard with the MMM mower? I have 3 acres to cut and I do not need my yard looking pristine although I dont want ruts or tire marks everywhere. Im looking at a Kubota B2920.

Todd

 

[ModMech]

We have about 2.5 Ac of "lawn" and Turf tires on our B2410. It leaves gentle ruts in the lawn from mowing even with no accessories, weights or weighted tires at a low 10 psi of tire pressure (to spread the weight out as much as possible).

Based on my experience with our CUT, I would not want to mow a lawn with R4s and I'm not thrilled about doing it with turfs on a 1500# tractor either, but it's the best thing we have.

 

[MMagis]

It depends on your soil, and of course moisture. I drive R1s across my yard all the time with no marks at all.

 

[devildog1]

Todd,
I have loaded with Rim guard R-4's on my B3200 TLB and run a Woods 72" Finishing mower to cut my 2 acre lawn.It will leave tracks as It's the nature of the beast because It weighs quite a bit with the 504 front loader which I leave on. I do remove back hoe because it adds to much weight.Tracks do go away if you time your mowing and don't mow when wet or to damp.If your concerned maybe you need to look at the BX 23 TLB Series. I did have a BX@# with a 60" mmm and it worked fantastic, but I wanted more horse power. And also a large FEL for spreading dirt and hauling wood, or snow removal in the Northeast winters.
DevilDog

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I've driven B3200 FEL, B7800 FEL and L3240 FEL across my yard (not lawn) all with I/R4's loaded rears and never left marks. Dump trucks loaded with dirt will leave marks on mine for awhile. Someone drove down the side of my drive with one tire on the grass in the snow this winter and left marks for several weeks but I think they are gone now. Depends on your soil.

 

[KU Gator]

I have a B2920 & R4's. If the ground is pretty wet, like right now for us, it will leave tracks. You also have to be careful when it is wet to not turn too sharp and not in 4wd as that will definitely leave marks in the grass. I also have a garden tractor with turf tires so I use it to mow sometimes, but mainly because I have it and don't want it to just sit. But the marks from the B2920 will normally go away within a day unless it was really wet. Worst case, you may have to wait an extra day. Compared to the J.D. garden tractor, the B is faster and more comfortable. I have to watch out though as you are sitting up higher and have about ran into a branch or two. Turf tires would probably be a little better on the grass both because they would dig in less and because they offer more floatation so they spread the weight better. When cutting the grass, I always remove the FEL. It takes some weight off, plus saves me from banging it into stuff. Removing or re-installing the FEL after you have done it a time or two takes probably on a couple of minutes.

 

[toddrdmd]

Thanks KU. I want the MMM on the B2920 because my JD garden tractor is sooo slow. What kind of speed can you do and still maintain a quality cut?

 

[KU Gator]

In this area the grass is mainly a thin blade fescue on the yards. I cut mine during the summer usually once per week, so it is not extremely heavy. I can cut it in High on flat ground if I really want to but usually in the mid gear with the pedal all the way down. Even in high, the cut doesn't really suffer. It you hear the HST wine if you go up any incline though. I don't really know how long it takes, but I would guess the 3 acres takes about an hour and 15 minutes or so. The only area I trim with the push mower is one of the two ditches down by the road. I won't take the garden tractor in there either. Also around the grandkids swing set. When I unloaded the B off the trailer I immediately set out to mowing (new toy and all). The neighbor who had the same JD garden tractor couldn't stand it and got a ZTR. But that didn't help him much when we had 11" of snow on Christmas day.

I know you had some questions on brush hogs. Frankly the MMM is pretty heavy duty and unless you truely have some rough area, ie brushy, rocks, etc, that MMM is a lot easier to use. I have the brush hog because we have another 11 acres for recreational property.

 

[toddrdmd]

You've been I great help to me KU. Thankyou. I believe Kubota is running 0% for 60 mo right now so I'm going to jump of the B2920. Still up in the air about the tires though.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I mow with my L3130 with R4 tires, no marks in my yard. I can't imagine a B series leaving tracks, unless the yard is wet in nature.

 

[Yankee]

I mowed for several years with a 7610 with R4s and a RFM. No rutting or marking except in one perpetually soft spot, but even a mower left ruts there. I also run the tractor over my current lawn with a FEL and box blade all the time to get to the back of the property without problem when the lawn is reasonably dry. The slight marks left are gone by the next day. My zero turn mower does about the same as far as marking goes. Just watch your turns, stay out of four wheel drive, and stay off when the soil is wet and soft. Golf courses manage to maintain beautiful fairways with far heavier equipment.

 

[KU Gator]

Tires are a topic that stirs up a lot of passion on this site. I don't have that much of an opinion. I guess if I was mainly going to use it to mow my 3 acres which is essentially a big yard and just use the FEL as a motorized wheel barrow, then the turf tires would probably be best. I bought the tractor mainly for our other property and need more traction when using the FEL, box blade, and rear blade, so the R4's do better for that although the ag tires would be better yet. So the R4's end up being the one set compromise for me and probably most of the users. To Buckeyefarmer's point, I have a couple of areas that tend to stay wet when we get much rain, so that is the only place I get that much tracks, but actually the neighbor tracks his up as bad or worse with the ZTR tires spinning.

The MMM on the 2X20 series is also pretty easy to remove or replace. You have enough ground clearance even with it up that you don't have to pull it off, but the drive over feature makes it pretty easy. Maybe 5 minutes.

 

[Usta]

My lawn is so sloped that I need to mow in 4WD so I dont slide down the slopes. The front R4 tires when turning in 4WD do heavy scuffing.

Here is the link to my earlier post.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/165061-mixing-front-back-tire-tread.html

 

[ModMech]

I guess my over-riding feeling is....

If you have a "LAWN" and like your lawn, then Turf tires would be the best bet. If you simply have a grass covered yard, even a nicer one and it's not wet or soft then R4s should be just fine (even R1s on a true "farm" yard).

 

[toddrdmd]

ModTech, that is exactly what I have. A decent grass covered yard. Sounds to me like the R-4's will serve me best all around, but i'm still listening.

 

[defed]

i mow w/ a ford 600 (approx 3000 lbs?), 3 pt 6' finish mower, and loaded R1's. hardly ever notice much in the way of marks. if the ground is wet, then the grass is usually too wet for me to mow anyway. i DO leave marks from the tri rib fronts tho if i turn too sharp and fast.

 

[Brent C.]

I mow with a GL3240 HST 72" mmm with turfs. This tractor is fairly heavy but with the displacement of the turfs there is little track. Previously I had a B2710 with R-4s and got along mowing fine as well. I will say after having both sets of tires I prefer the turfs. Good luck.

 

[BizDoc]

I have used both turf and R-4s, both leave marks. Both will cut the turf. When the turf is wet, the lugs will tend to leave deep lug marks, just go slow and don't turn sharply. However, I do have to say, I changed from turf to R-4s hoping for more bite in snow, I don't think I had any better success with the R-4s than the turf, so If I had to do it again I'd probably keep the turf, but in my experience neither has been any better on grass, both leave marks. Just turn slowly.