larger tire options for bcs 852

[jomifo]

Hi all-

I am considering getting larger tires for my BCS 852. I'd like to do this to increase speed and ground clearances. I currently have the 5x10x20 tires. Looks like there are 2 options- 5x12x22 and 6.5x12x23. I figure bigger is better, but does anyone have any thoughts on reasons for getting the 22 inchers over the 23 inchers? Or any other opinions about tire size? Also, looks like the 23 inchers would clear the honda gx390, but looks like they would be around 2 inches from the cylinder. Any concerns with heat there?

Also, thinking about getting the tires foam-filled, which adds 40 pounds per wheel. I mostly use my machine with the sickle bar, 38" lawn mower, or the hay rake. I also occasionally use a del morino brush mower, bio 100, and snow blower. Overall, I don't particularly need the extra weight for traction, but I do like the idea of not having to worry about flats. Just wondering if that is a good enough reason to always be hauling around an extra 80 pounds.

Appreciate any opinions and thoughts.

jomifo

 

[Jens767]

Hi Jomifo

I fully agree with you; when it comes to tire size on a 2-wheel tractor, larger is often better. I have the BCS 740, which is very similar to yours, and I use it for lawn mowing and sweeping. For these two jobs the 6.5x12x23" wheels are a big advantage over the standard 5.0x10x20" wheels, as they give around 15% higher speeds and almost double the ground clearance.

When mowing, I normally run at 3/4 throttle (2700 rpm) in 3rd gear, giving a comfortable speed around 3.9 km/h (2.4 mph). Ground clearance under the Honda GX 390 engine has increased from 11 cm (4 5/16") to 20 cm (4"), which makes a lot of difference, as the engine is much better protected from debris.

I have the 23" wheels mounted as wide as possible, which gives around 3 cm (1 1/4") clearance between tire and cylinder head. I have never had any heat problems, there might be when using the tractor stationary for a long time, for instance when using your chipper/shredder.

Your point concerning extra ballast weight is very valid. The optimum solution is to carry as little weight as possible, but enough to get the traction (and stability) as you need. As conditions often change a lot, this is easily said, but not as easy to do in real life. I use the wheel weights for the 10" rims on my 12" rims, and it works fine. The weights add 15 kg (33 lbs) to each wheel, and has improved traction and stability when mowing.

Depending on the jobs at hand and the implements one is going to use, I think one shall consider the largest diameter wheels practical, and skip the "standard" wheels in the first place. Especially when using the tractor in the front-PTO mode, the extra speed and ground clearance comes in handy.


Best regards

Jens

 

[jomifo]

Thanks Jens for your experiences. I am definitely leaning towards the 23 inch wheels without filling them, since I've never really had traction issues.

 

[farmerboybill]

I'm running 5-12s on mine. They are fine for all the applications I have, including digging potatoes. I've not run 6.5-12s.

Were I buying new tires as you are, I wouldn't hesitate to go for the foam filled. They will increase traction, lower center of gravity, and eliminate flat tires. If you're changing the tire stance often, foam filled would get tiring, though - they are quite heavy.

 

[jomifo]

Thanks farmerboybill. I figured you'd have some good thoughts on this. My first instinct was to go for the foam filled for the reasons you stated, but I guess I just wondered since I don't usually have low traction situations that having the heavier wheels would be uneccesary wear on the tranny.

Does anybody know if any adjustments to the del morino brush mower, bcs 38" mower, and sickle will be needed when going to the larger tires?


Thanks

 

[farmerboybill]

Shouldn't worry about the tranny. BCS makes factory weights for these as well. Once they're mounted, they seldom come off.

For mowing applications, you're probably not gonna be changing wheel stance that often. You'd just set it at the widest that the narrowest implement requires, in your case the 26" or 31" Del Morino mower(depending on which one you own). You'd be more likely to change them if you switching between a rotary plow, power harrow, and plastic mulch layer. These all have different ideal wheel width requirements.

Brush mower has an adjustable frame on the driveshaft. Mount it, put it on a flat surface, loosen the four bolts, set the mower level to the ground, and retighten the bolts. The 38" mower has different holes for the front castor wheels, you may or may not have to change the hole. Sickle mower may need to adjust the skids as it'll point the teeth into the ground more. PTO extensions may help as well. It won't take much for any of those attachments

 

[jomifo]

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

 

[Beemer37615]

I did have a problem with my 853 and 12" tires while running my flail mower and sickle bar mower. The 12" tires increased the downward trajectory of the PTO shaft. The flail mower didn't have enough factory adjustments to raise the flails more than 2 3/4" off the ground. This was a little low for mowing brush. This is because the mower is pointing more downward. The brush mower has more adjustments. But, I'm a flail man. The sickle bar mower has no adjustments and the 12" tires cause the bar to sometimes nose dive into the ground. The 12" tires are great for tilling and plowing and just crossing rough ground. But, I also have the factory 10" tires for mowing. Also, do get your tires foam filled, but get a medium density foam. The medium density gives your tires a little bit of "squish" that helps with traction.

Good to know. Thanks for the info.