Trying to decide which tires for B3030 or B7800

[crazyal]

I've pretty much ruled out the R1's because of their load rating.

All of the replacement R1's I found that fit the B3030, B7800, and the new B2920 have a max load rating of 715 lbs. The B3030 weighs in at 1852 lbs dry, figure at least 50% of that weight is on the front tires (though I suspect it's a bit more), which is 926# + loader at 400# (I bet it weighs more, though) comes out to 1326 lbs. Max load rating for the R1's is 1430#. That basically leaves nothing for a bucket full of materials.

The R4's on the other hand, are rated for a combined max load of 2980 lbs, so it looks like I'm going with the Industrial tires, and chains if I need them.

I'm not quetioning your work but I have to wonder if you got it correct. I doubt Kubota would sell a tire package that couldn't handle the maximum lift capacity of the bucket but then again maybe they have a reason for doing this. Have you checked with your local dealer?

Personally I like the R4 in harder soil conditions. I find once you lift a full load up with the FEL the front tire traction becomes much more important. When using the FEL to plow into and lift a pile of dirt the R4s tend to clog up unless the ground is hard. I think if I was to spin them a little bit they would clean out but they would also dig down. I often will have to use the BH extended out a ways to get more traction to the rear tires. If your ground is a little on the soft side and you have plans of using your FEL the ags might not be a bad way to go.

 

[bandit67]

I doubt Kubota would sell a tire package that couldn't handle the maximum lift capacity of the bucket but then again maybe they have a reason for doing this.

I wondered this myself. However, I mentioned that all the REPLACEMENT R1s that I was able to track down have that low load rating. Even if the factory tires have a higher load rating, what happens when you need to replace the tires? It often times seems rare that the dealer can get tires from the factory as priority goes to the new machines they are producing. I've found this to be the case with a couple of different mfr's, including Kubota, in the past.

I don't want to be held over the barrel like that - not be able to get replacement tires, and then be forced to shell out even more money to also buy new rims that would fit the R4s, which may be the only replacement tire I could find that met my loading requirements.

May as well just go with the R4's and a set of chains or two and avoid the potential future hassles.

I have yet to see one of these small machines on the dealer lot out here with R1's - they all come in with R4s, so I can't go see for myself if Kubota is actually putting on a higher load rated R1 tire.

 

[Racer71]

What is wrong with "Skinny" ag tires? If you are looking for traction they will work great. I have the ags on my L3400.

 

[Northland]

I have R4's on my B7800 and I am very happy with them. I live in the mountains and use my B7800 for trail work and skidding fire-wood out of my 20 acres of hilly maple forest. I understood the R4's were better then Ag's for loader work-I use a bucket grapple a lot.

We get a lot of snow (18" since last night- ). I found the R4's were not good for plowing snow so last winter I bought 4 link v-bar chains for the rear tires. The traction was much improved on my drive-way but the tractor would slip side-ways on decline and it always wanted to go straight ahead. So, this year I put 2 link v-bar chains on the front tires (reversed the tires and rims for more clearance).

With this combo I can climb right up my every growing snowbanks, the tractor steers easily and I no longer slip side-ways.

I love my B7800 with the R4's and chains

 

[Northland]

What is wrong with "Skinny" ag tires? If you are looking for traction they will work great. I have the ags on my L3400.

I agree. All the old 4x4 trucks had the high skinny tires on them when I was a kid and they had great traction in the snow. Maybe not as much floatation as the new wide tires though.

 

[teeravis1]

I would go with the Industrials. I have done quite a bit of dirt work, and a lot of snow removal and they work great. My drive has a fairly good slope, and even when it is an ice patch under the snow I can still push up the drive quite a ways before the snow builds up to much and I get stopped, all I do at that point is lift the bucket a little bit before I am stopped spinning on the ice and I push right on up then just catch what I left behind on the next pass. In fact my drive is glare ice right now under the snow and last night I cleaned off about 8 inches of snow, and had not a single issue with getting stuck.

 

[LBrown59]

Get it with AGs and make a real tractor out of it.

I've narrowed down my choices to a B3030 or B7800 (or possibly the new B2920 once I can check one out).

In the mean time, I have to figure out what tires to go with - Industrials or Ags.

My property is sloping, mountain terrain, with plenty of rocks, decomposed granite, tree stumps, trees, and various old fence hazards.

The tractor will be a TLB setup, will pull a landscape rake, will be used to plow snow with an FEL mounted 6' front blade, and will pull a brush hog, all over the entire property. I will utilize the FEL to it's limits, moving full loads of dirt, rock, stone, trees (new and dead), etc. (heavy stuff) around the property, thus subjecting the front tires to the stresses of turning, on hills, with a full load. And I will be moving quite a bit of snow - nice light, fluffy powder in the winter, and heavy wet stuff in late spring, both on paved and gravel drives.

I don't have to worry too much about tires destroying a manicured lawn.

I've heard a lot of arguments for and against both types of tires and their traction pros & cons, and I realize that different size tractors warrant different arguments.

I wonder if the Ags available on those small tractors can handle the loads on the front end, and all the rocks they will encounter on the property. I don't think oversized Ags are an option on those little machines, so upgrading the fronts might be difficult and/or cost prohibitive.

I could easily run chains on the Industrial tires if they would handle the terrain and loads better than the Ag tires would. Could I just run front chains on the Industrials if I used the backhoe as ballast during snow removal, or when I needed a little extra traction?

I'm all for saving money and getting Ag tires that will give me better traction, but they need to be durable enough to handle the terrain I have.

Any thoughts from owners of those 2 machines (or similar sized machines) that have either Ags or Industrials, and might use their machines on similar terrain would be appreciated.

 

[Buster57]

I have had R4s on all my tractors and since I go on pavement 1/4 the time it
is the only way to go.

I put the 3 point attachment system from a B2910 on my B7800. Adjustable stabilizer bars with telescopic attach. That is really the only feature of the B2910 or B3030 I had to have. The Wife always wants me to do this or that and easy change of implements is essential.

I am exceptionally pleased with my B7800 and since I changed the 3 point (last week) I think I have the best of both worlds.

 

[bandit67]

Another option is the $200 Pat's Easy change quick-hitch setup - I took it off my subcompact before I sold it, and if I can get it back from my neighbor, it's going onto the new machine. I may need to buy another set, as I'm not sure he wants to give mine up.

 

[Buster57]

Forget about the R4s-Northland I want your dog!