Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Cutting / Groving / Siping R-4 for snow

[gladehound]

I'm wondering about the Rubber composition. Will it be too hard to get a proper grip?

Rubber composition is just one characteristic of tire that can contibute to good snow traction. Tractor tires are generally poor in this category. That's why you need to rely on biting edges and holding snow with grooves to get that snow on snow traction so you are not relying on the tractor tire's very poor (for snow and ice), rock hard rubber compound.

Good car snow tires have very soft and porus rubber and that type of rubber can actually get decent traction on ice. But this type of rubber wears quickly and would probably tear appart too easily for a tractor application in the summer.

 

[teg]

Have you thought about trying to "re-face" your R4 lugs? ...putting on a sharp "edge" on the sides of the lugs? Actually, I guess with a the new tire, the edge of the lug was somewhat raised. Guess you can't get that new tire grip.... without buying new tires :ashamed:

 

[gladehound]

Guess you can't get that new tire grip.... without buying new tires :ashamed:

I think you can do MUCH better than new tire grip by adding multiple biting edges that are sharper than edges are new. Just because an edge is rased doesn't mean it's sharp. The edge on a ski is sharp and it is just a 90 degree angle. Yet it can cut you.

You could "reface" the lugs but I wont bother because the large gap between lugs will just wear that new edge down quickly. The edge of a groove will stay sharp much longer.

We've had multiple snows since I did the initial grooves and they've worked great. But I'm thinking if I do need more traction I will do the fronts. I have only about 20-30% tread left and the little front tires my tractor takes are cheap. So if I destroy them (which I don't think I will) I'll just by new ones. would rather experiment on these old ones so that when I get new ones and want to cut them I'll have a little experience with fronts.

 

[MF RED in MT]

Hey gladehound, your tires look good, :thumbsup:. I do not know anything about siping/groving tires, but have a question for you: Have you given any thought to putting a XXXXXXX pattern across the lugs, ? KC

 

[Don87]

Hey gladehound, your tires look good, :thumbsup:. I do not know anything about siping/groving tires, but have a question for you: Have you given any thought to putting a XXXXXXX pattern across the lugs, ? KC

Good question, I was going to ask the same thing. Seem like it might help with forward, backward, and potentially sideways traction.

 

[flyinlow402]

Amazing. I have spent several hours this afternoon looking at grooving irons and techniques to do this to my 790 Deere, then stumbled across this thread. I'm glad to hear that it works.

 

[Usta]

I ordered the Ideal Heated Knives 250W Grooving Iron from PitStopUSA.com
Should arrive UPS Wednesday. I think it will help my front R4's. All I need to do is design a pattern. Not much to work with though the lugs are only three quarter to seven eighth inch wide.

 

[gladehound]

Hey gladehound, your tires look good, :thumbsup:. I do not know anything about siping/groving tires, but have a question for you: Have you given any thought to putting a XXXXXXX pattern across the lugs, ? KC

You should try it and let me know how it works! Since my traction issues were with going strait not sliding sideways I made my grove perpendicular to the direction of travel. But your idea makes sense for all direction traction.

Usta - I might do the fronts to. Same issue, small lugs. So I was thinking of making the groove so that it doesn't break the edge of the lug anywhere. That should help maintain lug strength.

 

[MF RED in MT]

You should try it and let me know how it works! Since my traction issues were with going strait not sliding sideways I made my grove perpendicular to the direction of travel. But your idea makes sense for all direction traction.

Sorry, I will not be any help trying this XXXXXXXX pattern out since I have no traction issues, . I was just thinking out loud for others that need help, :thumbsup:. KC

 

[chevy292]

I did this on my 1970 chevy plow truck. It never leaves the farm so I'm not worried about tire wear/life. I have a wide set of off-road tires on it that were terrible in the snow. The center of the tire was solid all the way around, and the outer edges of the tire were mildly aggressive. I carved a 3/8" groove across the center section every 4" and I cut a 1/4" groove through all of the outer lugs. It made a HUGE difference. That was probably 7 years ago and the tires are still holding up great. Granted they see nothing but snow in the winter and gravel in the summer. I work the truck pretty hard and haven't chunked out any sections of tire.