Tire Selection Correct tires for the job with Kubota L4850

[ussofa]

I have a Kubota L4850 4x4 loader tractor in need of new tires. It currently has 10 ply 12:16.5 Altura Gripmasters on the front and Firestone R-4 17:5L-24's on the rear. I want good tires for moving snow and also able to handle a bucket of dirt. How do you know which ones work the best together and will not cause mechanical issues? I don't know how long this type tractor runs before major issues start popping up but the tractor has 1500 hours on it so real expensive tires are probably not the best idea.
Thank you for anyone that could help.

 

[nybirdman]

Kubota's in general will run for many more hours than you have on that machine.If you have R4 rims you will have to stick with R4's;I would look up the factory sized and go with that.I have 1200 hours and needed to replace the fronts at 1000 hours or so,the backs look new(I do some roading also,which is tough on tires).

 

[kthompson]

Good service you should be able to see something like 4 or more thousand hours I would feel safe to say. Have friend who has tractor shop and 10,000 hours on full size tractors he has seen in a few brands.

 

[Jchonline]

I would get a new set of R4s if they have worked well for you up to now. R1s are ag tires, more aggressive tread and thinner. They are for field work or really muddy areas. They will probably work better in the snow as well. They also leave more pronounced ruts and tear up ground easily.

Turf tires are for golf courses IMO ( I will get blasted for this). They are the thinnest tires, but do actually grip well on flat snow or some ice as they have lots of ground contact and generally softer rubber. If you have any rough terrain (rocks, sticks, etc) these are a bad choice. I would pop a tire in 5 minutes on my place....rocks jutting everywhere.

R4s imo are nice compromise. Not quite as aggressive as R1s, but still have tread. Typically built for construction yards, they have thicker walls and are wider (better balance on machine). Mine now are 6 ply and they are holding up nicely in my jagged, rocky terrain. They are also usually leave enough clearance under the wheel wells for chains if you need them.

I would go for the same sizes if you feel the current ones work well. You may want to go through dealer to be sure you get correct fit for the rims.

 

[The Fred]

ANYONE running R4s in snow obviously has never used anything but and need to pull their head from the sand.


R4s are absolutely worthless without chains and if you use them on an icy hill be prepared to go for a ride!

 

[ussofa]

The R4's have worked well so far but due tend to slip on ice while pushing a small load of snow. Nothing a set of chains won't cure.
Thanks for the advice..

 

[crashz]

I bought a set of Titan tires for the rear of the 770. They have a Multi Trac C/S tire that is built with heavy lugs in a truck tire pattern. Works pretty good on snow compared to the stock turfs. They also have a new tire R14T Cross Over that looks pretty good. Supposed to be a combination of R1, R3 and R4.

 

[Oldoak]

That new R14T tire design really looks interesting. If I ever needed new tires for my tractor I would seriously consider going with them.

Titan International - R14T Crossover Tire for Compact Tractors