What are the biggest front tires I can use?

[coosa]

I've got a Fredrickson 2210db with a FEL that I have posted about several times here. We are in an extreme drought here in AL and I've been taking advantage of it by doing a lot of work around the creeks on my property. I've made some crossings and dug out in front of culverts and just made things a lot neater.

But I keep getting stuck because of those small front tires. I hit a soft spot and the front tires sink because they are so small and then I have to spend time getting out. I can usually push myself out with the front bucket, but it got so deep today I had to use the winch on my golf cart to get out - chained the cart to a tree if you are wondering how that worked.

This little tractor would be a lot more useful with big tires on the front. I've only seen them that were slightly bigger than mine; looks like there would be clearance issues if I tried to go really big. This thing would be a mini skidder if I could match the rear tires. I know the front and back have a pretty narrow range for what will match, so it probably isn't worth much discussion, but thought I'd ask. I'm sure you guys know.

Anyone got any ideas for using much bigger tires?

 

[winston1]

Turf Kit - Read Description! - Free Shipping*: Yanmar Tractor Parts

 

[pmsmechanic]

I wanted wider front tires (27x8.5x15) for my JD 955 when I had it. I bought some 12 inch rims with the right bolt pattern from John Deere and made them an inch wider. I mounted a set of 26x12x12 tires on the rims and haven't looked back. When I buy replacement tires I look for the largest 26x12x12 that I can find to match the height of the factory 27 inch tires.

Now the rims and tires are on my JD 4410 and work equally well there. I eventually ended up putting tubes in the tires as my welding wasn't totally airtight.

Hope this helps you out.

 

[coosa]

Yes, that's great info. As I understand it, I can go wider without much of an issue, but I can't go taller, or at least not much taller or I'll throw the ratio with the rear tires out of whack. Is this correct? Is there any guide on how much taller I could go, or is it best to keep it exactly factory size? Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[coosa]

This is kinda what I had in mind.

 

[bcp]

Tractor tired are grouped by RCI (rolling circumference index), and tires with the same RCI are given a group number. A tire can be replaced with any tire with the same RCI or group number without messing up your drive ratio. (Other factors may have to be considered, though)

I believe you can increase the diameter of all four tires if you keep the same RCI number difference between front and rear.

Tire suppliers should have this information, and charts are available online, too.

Bruce

 

[winston1]

Although models specs vary a little I believe most of the old ymXXXXD Yanmars recommend 1 to 4% front wheel pre run.

 

[90cummins]

You need to be careful here!
My Ford 1720 4x4 came with Ford supplied turf tires that were grossly miss-matched.
If I was going straight on hard ground it would bind within several feet and bog the tractor down and if on snow they would kick snow back towards the rear.
On one occasion it popped it out of 4x4 shortly after I got it.
After that I was very careful to engage /disengage when not needed.
When the front turf tires needed replacement I decided to resolve the issue by taking some measurements.
First I aired up the tires to the max psi then I drove it back & forth on in my garage until I could feel the driveline binding.
I then released air from the front tires and found that the more I released the farther it rolled with no binding.
I continued to do this until I could drive it full time with no binding while going straight.
I then measured the diameter and also measured how far it rolled for the fronts to complete 1 revolution.
Then I went to an on line tire site and looked at tire dimensions and found an automotive tire that was the correct overall diameter.
I bought 2 tires, installed them and all binding was gone.
My advice to you if you are considering a tire change is to check your tractor before you buy anything and make sure you purchase the correct size rather than take someone's expert advice.
If your tires work fine then simply find a tire that is a little wider but no taller, now is the time to find and install the tire that works correctly.
If you can't find the perfect tire & they are larger or smaller than needed you can adjust the F&R tire pressure to obtain the perfect front & rear tire ratios for zero binding.
90cummins

 

[coosa]

90Cummins, thanks for the great info. That's what I was trying to find out, and it sounds like my tires are matched well now; I've never had any binding. I thought there was a wider range for matching the front and back, but it must be pretty narrow.

I can't even change the oil on this thing without a disaster happening, so I guess I better leave the tires as they are. Thanks to all who responded.

 

[clemsonfor]

Yea I would not touch the tires, there is a small diameter window that will work, I think its less than 2"s probably on your size tractor.

If your getting a small 4wd tractor stuck where your going you might ought not be there, reconsider your decision or come back when its drier.