SCUT with AG Tires Question

[polarred21]

YES. another AG vs R4 tire thread.

I was comparing tires at the MF dealer recently and he had identical SCUTS with R4's and AG tires. I wish I would have looked at the brand a little more closely now.

I know people say AG for best traction, but these AG tires did not look aggressive at all compared to the R4's.

Look at this attached picture, these are just random internet pics.

Tell me what I'm seeing here, I have one at the bottom with R4's and the rest are AG tires. Are these just regular R1's?

I slapped a Kubota in there as well, and those tires are different and more aggressive.

Thanks

 

[mcfarmall]

I remember when I was a kid looking at Kubotas and Yanmars at the county fair. Those all came with R1 rice tires. The lugs were over 2" tall. Looks like the R1's in the picture are a toned down version to be gentler on turf yards. In my book, if the lugs are straight and in a 45 degree pattern it's an R1. If the lugs are shaped like a check mark and kind of square, then they're R4's. Of course the sidewall designation will supercede my thinking.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Yes the ag (R1) tires on SCUTS are not as aggressive as the larger ag tires. The lugs are definitely not as tall. I have had the R4 tires on both my SCUT and on my compact tractor. Never had any traction issues that 4 wheel drive did not take care of. It really depends on your terrain and what you are trying to do. On a SCUT, I do not think it would make a remarkable difference.

 

[oosik]

Center picture, left hand side. We ran those tires on our Jeeps when I lived in AK. They were Goodyear Terra Tires. Two ply - very soft - excellent for flotation. The tire was 15"wide - run on 12"W X 15"T rims. The tread would wear so fast - we trailered them to where we went off-road. At that point you would swap tires and go like mad out thru the muskeg.

 

[RjCorazza]

I don't have them, but I have heard of them being referred to as "Bar Turfs".

 

[bigtiller]

I remember when I was a kid looking at Kubotas and Yanmars at the county fair. Those all came with R1 rice tires. The lugs were over 2" tall. Looks like the R1's in the picture are a toned down version to be gentler on turf yards. In my book, if the lugs are straight and in a 45 degree pattern it's an R1. If the lugs are shaped like a check mark and kind of square, then they're R4's. Of course the sidewall designation will supercede my thinking.

Rice Tire info from a Deere sales manual web site.

R2 is a tread type used typically with cane and rice or other crops grown in wet muck or flooded fields. Tread depth of R2 tires is approximately twice as deep as R1 tires. R2 tires also have the widest spacing between lugs to allow mud to shed easier. The wide-spaced lugs can show extra wear and cause problems with vibration when roading. R2 tires may not pull as well as R1 or R1W tires in drier soil conditions found in most row-crop applications.
Typically, tires with R2 tread should be matched on the front and rear of a tractor while R1 and R1W treads can be mixed or matched on the same tractor to meet requirements or preference.

 

[Imold]

R1 tires are more aggressive then the R4ç—´ tires thatç—´ why I went with the R4s on my GC1705, less damaging to the yard but a bit more traction then the turfs. It was a toss up between R4 and Turf tires being it was mentioned that Turf tires are a bit better then the R4s in snow but again to me that is just hearsay until I try them both in snow myself plus I also bought chains.

 

[DMW]

The biggest difference is the space between the lugs. The R4s will fill with mud/dirt and become slicks, The R1s are better at self cleaning.

 

[mini14]

I have turf front tires and r1 rears and drive over lawns regularly with little to no damage. My tlb is not 4wd. I've been in very muddy situations and haven't gotten stuck yet. I have a skid steer with new titan 2000 r4s. You can't drive over a wet lawn ever. It's also 7000lbs.

 

[polarred21]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I need to get a closer look next time when I'm near the dealer (30 miles away).

I think we can all agree that the AG tires in my pics are NOT as aggressive as R4's.

I'm still researching and I'm sure R4's is what it would be, but it will be on a small property and on hilly lake front terrain, so I need the best traction. Not worried much about the turf.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I need to get a closer look next time when I'm near the dealer (30 miles away).

I think we can all agree that the AG tires in my pics are NOT as aggressive as R4's.

I'm still researching and I'm sure R4's is what it would be, but it will be on a small property and on hilly lake front terrain, so I need the best traction. Not worried much about the turf.

You will need the bar/AG type then for the bite to get traction in pure drive/pulling as well as in side traverse hill conditions. R4 will be a major mistake regardless of the aggressive look.

 

[oosik]

Do not be fooled by what the tires LOOK like. Far and away - an R-1 ag tire will be more aggressive & give better traction than an R-4. R-4 is heavy lug, designed for industrial use( back hoe or front end loader ) where tire wear is most important.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Those all came with R1 rice tires. The lugs were over 2" tall.

Actually those are R2 tires.

We run a few Tractors and all our combines with those. A lot of our harvest time is in the mud with our rice and such.

 

[hube2]

I'm replying here instead of the other thread. The tires in question are Carlisle Tru Power.

Since your interested in tires for traction on hills, this was one of the reasons that I wanted AG tires on my tractor. I only have 1.5 acres and it is all hill with the exception of where the house is sitting and about 15 feet behind the house that needed to be leveled (cut out of the hill) to put the house in and an area at the back of the property that hired a guy with a bulldozer to cut out of the hill and level off in order to put in my solar panel array. From the road to the back of the property the average angle is 15 degrees (not 15%). There are places that are less, not many, but there are places that are more, some approaching 45 degrees. I mow on slopes that would make some people pee themselves and I've been doing this for 20+ years. My driveway is also pretty steep.

Below are some images I have that can give some idea of the slopes on my property. The JD tractor is what I used to use. The JD had filled tires because without being filled it could not make it up the hill without spinning the turf tires and even with it filled tires and ladder style chains it would spin all the way up the driveway in winter.

I don't know how steep your hills are, but if they are anything like mine I would recommend AG tires. Or I would say to go with something like Versa Turf R14s discussed in the other thread.

 

[hube2]

Just wanted to add, one of the reasons that everything I ever use has filled tires is for stability on the hill and not just for the added traction. The tires in the JD were actually 100% fill, very little air just to get them up to pressure. Without filled tires I doubt it would be safe to operate anything in some of the places that operate a tractor. On the new tractor I have also added 2" spacers in the back to improve stability. So if you have steep hills I would also recommend filling tires and setting your wheels as wide as you can in addition to having an aggressive tread.

 

[polarred21]

I appreciate your response! Your property sounds exactly like our lake property described above about 60% wooded at 1.5 acres with only one spot leveled for the house. I intend to measure these average slopes one day with an angle finder and a 2 x 4.

Also sounds like you are satisfied with these R1 Carlisle Tru Power tires for your use. Not much snow here in NC for me to worry about, mainly yard, dirt, and woods. I'm betting that R14 would be best when I purchase but R1's should also do well.

Thanks again.

 

[hube2]

I'm betting that R14 would be best when I purchase but R1's should also do well.Thanks again.

I am actually a little bit jealous of those Versa Turfs, which are also by Carlisle. The lugs are at the same angle as an R1 but they thicker and the gaps between the lugs are wider than and R4. The groves across the lugs would improve lateral traction. My only question about them would be how hard the rubber is. R4s are generally harder than R1s because they are meant to last longer on harder surfaces, but this is also a factor in why they have less traction in some conditions, not just the tread pattern. I'm going to have to see if any of the ATV places around me have any of these that I can look at or maybe try to find more information. I'm sure that the tires I have will last me several years, but depending on what I find I may replace all 4 of them when the fronts wear out.

If you don't get a lot of snow and your not concerned about tearing up anything then I think you'd be happy with R1s. Like I said in the other thread, the only thing I find wanting is lateral traction in snow on the front. To be honest I have not seen where these tires tare up my lawn, but I guess that depends on the lawn.

 

[oosik]

It would be good to consider weight of the vehicle also. I have R-1's on my M6040. As I now have the tractor set up, it weighs - 10,100#. I don't roll across my lawns with my tractor. I would not roll across my lawns if it were shod with R-4's.

 

[hube2]

It would be good to consider weight of the vehicle also. I have R-1's on my M6040. As I now have the tractor set up, it weighs - 10,100#. I don't roll across my lawns with my tractor. I would not roll across my lawns if it were shod with R-4's.

Yes, my tractor only weighs about 2,000# with the FEL, filled tires and chains on it, maybe a bit more. My assumption is that most SCUTs weigh about the same. I would not roll across my front or side lawn with a 10,000# vehicle either, but mostly for fear of damaging my septic system.

A long time ago I used to bale hay on this lot with a full sized tractor, so I guess it also helps that I know what the ground can bare. Except for carving out a couple of flat spots it's still a hay field that only looks like lawn due to years of mowing.