Turf vs Industrial Tires

[kwright]

Here I am, the new guy, and asking a lot of questions already...

Anyway, wondering about the relative merits of Industrial tires. I'm considering a TC21D FWD, with a loader and finish mower (probably belly - though not decided).

Uses: 80 percent relatively flat finish mowing w/some manuvering required, 10 percent loader work such as cleaning out the barn, moving soil around and such, and 10 percent rotary cutting mostly tall field grass.

My soil type is heavy clay, though most of the time the tractor will be on grass, except in parts of the pasture.

My dealer recommends Industrial tires as he indicated they may be the best compromise for my use. My initial thought was to go with Turf tires. I want to verify the dealer's position though as the specific tractor I'm looking at already has Industrial tires on it and I want to make sure he's not simply avoiding the work of changing them.

Thanks...

 

[Bird]

kwright, R1 (ag) tires for traction, turf tires for minimal turf damage and soft ride, R4 (industrial) tires for a compromise. I have R1 tires, but would go with the R4s if I had it to do over; they're getting more and more popular. Should be a slighly rougher (stiffer) ride than the turf tires, but more puncture resistant. Some other folks who have them can tell you more about the R4s, but I'd say your dealer is giving you good advice.

Bird

 

[Hawgee]

Don't forget the Bar Turf tires. I've seen these on the golf course. They are a little more aggressive than the turf and not as much as the R4's. What I have looked closely at is the dealers cost for the 4 rims and tires as a add on. The total cost is a little better if installed at the time of purchase. If there was a chance you might want a different set down the road, then order the cheaper set.

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

 

[victor]

Kwright, I came very close to purchasing the TC21D, but went with the TC25D. At the time of closing the deal the subject of tires can up. He gave me the choice between Ag, R4 and Turf (no extra cost for one or the other). Looking at his New Holland book with him the replacement cost of the R4 and turf tires were about the same. The Ag were slightly less. I went with the R4 as a compromise for use in the garden etc.. When field mowing I don't notice tread marks. However, if you are going to be doing a lot of sharp turning in tight areas the R4s will tear the sod more than the turf tires would tires.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I hate the R-4s!
Of course I also hate the R-1s!
R4's lack the mud bogging ability, and R-1s leave the areas I want to mow a mess. I guess if I hate them (or love them) each half the time I'm probably OK with either!

I would think 80% mowing would make you go for the turfs. That was my plan with the BX2200 I bought, then found it was such a great tractor for landscaping, and still a touch big for some of my around the house mowing, that I bumped it up to actual tractor status and bought a JD mower for the house. The BX will still do the big mowing, in the areas where I can run the "baby Ags" kind of a cross between R1's and Turf tires but not R4s. I picked up a set of wheels and tires for $300 so I have still have the option of switching if I want. The "baby Ags" don't really look like what the "bar-turfs" look like so I don't know what they are REALLY called. They don't hurt the ground much away from the "manicured" lawn and probably would be OK there if turning radius' was increased.

 

[JimBinMI]

kwright,

I have the turf tires on my TC18. My main use for the tractor is about 80% finish mowing although I have used it to spread fill sand for the barn foundation that I had built last summer, also using a rear scoop bucket to remove sod and top soil, and using a rear blade for snow removal (though not much snow last winter). I have not been dissappointed with the turf tires at all. I even moved some of the top soil to some low spots on my lawn, forgot to take it out of FWD and did not tear up the turf. My tractor weighs close to the same as the TC21D. I also told the salesman when I bought it that I eventually wanted to rotary cut about 4 acres of field and he said that the turf tires were better quality than some other companies offer...don't know if it's true, never compared. I have not even scratched the tires with what I've done so far and would buy the same turf tires again.

Good Luck, JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[EddieW]

When I was looking, I sure thought the Boomers had the best looking turf tires. I have the R4s on a 3000 lb tractor and I can tear the yard up as much as I want depending on how sharp I turn. You have to be very careful with the R4s. I have also been doing a lot of loader work and am not sure the turfs would have given enough traction. I can sure spin the R4s in FWD.

 

[Kelvin]

Based upon your planned usage, I'd say that you'd be happy with the Ag tires 80% of the time, R-4 tires 85% of the time, and turf tires 90% of the time (either way you'll be happy most of the time).

Since I wanted to spend more time on finish mowing (and also because I found a decent deal), I switched my little 4wd Kubota B7100 from Ag to turf tires. So far I am very pleased and don't think that I'll ever put the Ags back on (except for snow-moving operations, maybe). I have some pretty steep hills that I mow.

Other people may correct me, but I think another advantage of R-4 tires is that they are usually 6-ply, whereas the Ags and turf tires (for compacts and sub-compacts) are 4-ply.

Mowers: Can you maneuver around in and do the needed chores in the barn with the mid-mower installed? If that is reasonably feasable, then I would say that the mid-mower may be your best mower choice. That would allow the rear to stay free for other implements (rotary mower, scraper or box blade). I am not familiar with the TC21D, but you need to know whether the mid-mower can be "locked" in the up position and whether the rear PTO can be operated independently of the mid-PTO (mid-mower). Based upon many posts on this board, the advantages of a 3pt mower (mostly ease of installation and maintenance) outweigh the advantages of a mid-mower (mowing maneuverability; tractor & mower stores in less space if you usually keep them connected).

Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Unless you're driving backwards, a rear finish mower seems in some cases to be self defeating. It's bad enough using a mid mower so the front tires can push the grass down, the heavy rear of the tractor should finish the job so the rear mower only cuts a middle strip between the tires. I wish I could afford one of those mowers with the mower suspended in front of the driver, but that unit is REALLY limited to just mowing.

 

[stvman]

Kwright , If there are no jagged rocks on your property or brush stumps that will chew up the tires I would go for the turf tires . I live in NH and the granite is everywhere in my case r4's are my best choice...