Tire Choice (R1 or R4)

[KENB]

I am about to buy a new Mahindra 4110 with a loader. Does anyone have a recommendation for the tires I should choose?
It makes no difference to the price of the Mahindra if you go with R4 or R1 tires. I live in Texas. No snow here. Tractor would be used for around the farm use only. No lawn work needed. We would use the tractor w/ loader for dirt/rock hauling, bush hogging, digging with a backhoe possibily, digging a "ford" type creek crossing. Some dealers tell me get an AG(R1) tire, some say with a loader you should get Industrial(R4) tires. Some say with a loader get the AG tires. Who knows??? We have some sand, some black mud, some rocks around here. The R4 tires are wider and look better to me, but the R1 is all that I have ever had. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[art]

The R-1 will clean better and penetrate in the mud better then the R-4. The R-4 will have a larger foot print on the sand and won't penetrate it as much as it has better floatation. The R-4 does have stronger sidewalls and tread surface to resist stone damage. That's the difference! ops! I almost forgot that the R-4's do to the heavy structure doesn't flex as much and gives a rougher ride.

 

[Zork]

I've seen that the ag. tires might slice more easily than the industrials in rocky areas. I think that if you aren't doing much work that is dependant on preserving the area in which you work, then I would definitely suggest the ag. tires since there is more of the opportunity to grip than an industrial. Some that I've talked to said that they should have gone with the ags. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Franz

 

[AndyMA]

Definately R1's for the environment you describe. I run in a similar environment and run R1's on all my tractors. No comparison as far as traction.

Andy

 

[lwh]

R1 are best choice for most tractors and offer best traction under most conditions. R4 have large fan clubs on bulletin boards. R4 have flat profile and straight, stiff sidewalls and are relatively inflexible so they work good on pavement and hold up better under very heavy loads.

 

[PineRidge]

I have used R-1 and R-4 tires and for the work that you describe R1 would work best for you. If you were mowing then I might comment otherwise but since that is not the case the R-1 would work well for you.

 

[zuiko]

I would say R1s. I was worried about them marking up the lawn (even though I don't mow with it, I still drive it on the lawn plenty) and it hasn't been a problem. Don't really see a downside with them.

 

[del]

I've used the R1's for loader work in the woods and on hard
ground. Very rarely have I had any flats, maybe 1? on the
rears 1 on the fronts. Still have lots of tread after 1300
hours but have some chunks out of lugs.

Tractor weighs about 5000 pounds including 1100 in the backhoe
and about 1200 in the loader?

They are excellent in the mud and because of the wheel design
I was able to mount them in such a way that the rear track
is very wide. Tractor is very stable even though it has a
pretty heavy overhead protector (FOPS).

I have R4s on another TLB, they were all that were offered
without some head scratching. They clog up pretty quickly
with mud but don't mess up the pasture like the ags can.

Tractor weighs 6300 pounds, rides nice. Nice wide footprint
helps tractor stay (up).

I've seen the ag tires on my other tractor just about squirm
off the rim with proper air pressure and a load of gravel in
the bucket. The R4s are rated to haul much more weight.

I have a smaller tractor that also has R4's as it will also
be used for mowing. In an ideal world I will get a set of
Ags for it maybe if the R4s can't handle the work.

Currently saving my pennies to be able to afford the "ideal
world".

I've also seen some tires on a tractor that were I think
R4s but looked completely different then the typical almost
treadless R4s you see on Deere, Kubota etc. The lugs were much
deeper and seemed farther apart so they might be the best
of both worlds. I haven't researched it but I THINK they
said Michelin on the side.

del

 

[frank_f15]

for what u describe i would go with the R1 although i have R4 and am happy with them. Rest assured that no matter which one u deceide on at sone time or another u are going to wish u had the other! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Moon]

If it wasn't for mowig I'd have R1's. R4's are a good comprimise for me. But in mud / black muck the R4's will fill quickly with muck and not be worth a darn. So I'd have to recommend the R1's for your new tractor.

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> for what u describe i would go with the R1 although i have R4 and am happy with them. Rest assured that no matter which one u deceide on at sone time or another u are going to wish u had the other! </font>

Frank I couldn't have said it any better. The grass is always greener on the other side, or is it? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[jinman]

I recently did a lot of work in a little creek full of sand and was really glad I had R4s. The extra floatation kept me from quickly sinking into the deep sand. My neighbor with a smaller Kubota and R1s found out he could not even drive in the sand without getting stuck. I had to pull him out once.

In wet, slick, gummy clay, I don't think anything less than steel tracks is gonna help. I have brand new ag tires on My Ford Jubilee and they fill up with mud too.

I'd say that if most of your jobs require higher flotation, go with the R4s if not, go with the R1s. Neither one of them will protect you from mesquite thorns. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Neither one of them will protect you from mesquite thorns. </font>

Thorns how well I remember them. Fond memories of many trips to the tire repair facility to get the many flat tires repaired so that I could finish the day’s work. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

If you have them on the property whatever you get R-1 or R-4 add some type of liquid tire sealant. It will save you a lot of headaches.

 

[slowrev]

I have followed this post and did not find mention of Long Bar/Short Bar or other variants of tractor tires mentioned. There are more varieties out there than just R1 and R4. Some have different angles on the bars, etc. Anyone have better info on this ?

 

[keeney]

<font color="green"> In wet, slick, gummy clay, I don't think anything less than steel tracks is gonna help. I have brand new ag tires on My Ford Jubilee and they fill up with mud too. </font>

My experience is that chains are helpful in clay. The chains move around slightly and tend to stay clear enough to get some traction.

- Rick