are my front tires wimpy?

[ovrszd]

I ran over a broken T post stub.

Last Fall I took out 1/4 mile of old fence and brush. I was very cautious about making sure I got the T posts pulled and not just sheared off. I was very paranoid about running over a broken steel post.

 

[ovrszd]

I wouldn't change a thing on that tractor. Nice.

Yeah, I like that too. Overcomes that problem of R1s being so skinny. I would think those tires would handle the loader weight a lot better, especially in uneven terrain. That's what I was thinking about the European style for the front of my 9540.

RFB, are those the factory wheels or did you have to get wider ones??

 

[TripleR]

I owed over a T post with our M8540, but saw it in time on the return trip to avoid it, I have a picture somewhere, I also picked up a part of one with my rotary cutter that fortunately has foam filled tires.

 

[RFB]

Kubo and ovrszd:

The rear tires are Kubota OEM R1 14.9 x 26.

The fronts are 11 R 16 Michelin XM27 Utility & Industrial. They have a R4 carcass and an R1 tread. They are only .5 inches larger in diameter and 1 inch greater in rolling circumference than the Kubota OEM 9.5 x 16 R1's. I have attached some pdf's showing data for them.

The front wheels are Kubota OEM R1 16 inch wheels.

I chose this after much research, and particularly after not enjoying the "water-bed" look of regular R1's with a heavy FEL load. I wanted R1 traction and R4 stability for my duties, and these provide both. I operate them at max psi since I never drive fast. (see the load ratings on the attachment.)

Here is a link for the Michelin page: MICHELIN XMCL tire, the backhoe and telescopic handler tire

View attachment Tractor front tires.pdf

View attachment R1W comparison for Kubota L.pdf

View attachment 300775

Hope this helps.

 

[ovrszd]

RFB, thank you very much for all the info!!!

 

[kuboman]

Thanks for that info RFB. Never knew that tire existed.

 

[kuboman]

RFB, do you mind if I ask what they cost. I priced the standard Michelin tractor tire a while back but did not know about this tire.

 

[ovrszd]

I spent a few minutes in the Michelin website that RFB provided above. It's awesome. With very little searching I was able to determine my OEM tire's specifications such as rolling circumference, which is the crucial issue. Then I searched for an equivalent in metric sizes which is considerably wider.

I found that I can run a 420/65R24 on my factory wheels and not disturb my gear ratios at all. I gain 2.8" of sectional width with each tire. That's a 22% increase.

I'll contact my local dealer and price a pair. Then after I get up off the floor, I'll post what I find. :laughing:

 

[RFB]

RFB, do you mind if I ask what they cost. I priced the standard Michelin tractor tire a while back but did not know about this tire.

No problem: I bought them in September 2010 for my 5030. They were still in excellent condition in 2012 when I bought the 5740 that I had the dealer mount them on the 5740 and put the new/oem R1's on the 5030 for trade-in.

Cost: 887.74 (443.87 each)
Freight: 128.38

Based upon my experience with them I would not want to go back to the oem R1's

 

[kuboman]

Thats not bad at all. I would have expected them to be more. I guess I am off to the tire dealer to check for availability.