R1 vs R4 Tire Selection

[Rockin' G Ranch]

I have a Kubota L4740 HST 4x4. It has 17.5L - 24 R4 tires on the rear that are worn. I need to buy new tires but I am not sure what the best selection is. Most of my work will be bushhogging, preparing fields for food plots and FEL work. I also do some work in my yard tilling for my garden and leveling dirt. I do very little driving on the road. I know the R4 would do less lawn damage but I'm not sure how well they work in the field. Also what size would be best? I have seen 14.9 - 24, 16.9 - 24 in ag tires along with the 17.5 - 24 in R4. Also, should I get 6, 8 or 10 ply? Is any brand better than the others? Should I get tubeless or install tubes? Sorry for all the questions but these tires are very expensive so I want to be sure I get what I need.
Please offer your suggestions. Thanks.

 

[lungdoc]

My understanding is R4's are better for FEL work and bushhogging due to stiffness of sidewall and toughness to penetration respectively. The R1's are better for ground engaging work especially in loose or muddy conditions.

 

[houstonscott]

Titan | America's Best Since 1898

This site might help you decide.

HS

 

[Rockin' G Ranch]

Titan | America's Best Since 1898

This site might help you decide.

HS

Thanks for the response. My current tires are Titan Grizzleys. I visited the site but it didn't offer tire recommendations. I'm hoping some of you have used both and various sizes and have a favorite for my type of work. Thanks again.

 

[LD1]

Just to be clear, are you just replacing the rears???

And also, when swapping from r4's to R1's, usually the the rim is different, as is the over all height, which will screw up your 4wd. So unless you plan on 4 new tires AND 4 new rims, it might be best to stick with what you have. Are you satisfied with the tires you have now (other than them being worn out?)

 

[johnrex62]

It doesn't sound like you will be doing much in soft dirt, where the R1s will shine. I would save the rim money and stick with the R4s unless you were really dissatisfied with them.

If you are just looking to experiment, I would suggest haunting craigslist or auctions and look for a bargain on some used wheels (tires and rims) to play with. Just remember to swap the full set, front and rears so your ratios will stay in synch for the 4wd.

 

[TripleR]

Pretty much what johnrex62 and LD1 said. While you can mix tires, you have to be careful and as mentioned may cost a bit. We have a MF375 with turf/orchard on the rear and ag on the back.

Maybe not an apples to apples comparison, but my 5030 has Industrials and our M8540 has Ags and the only time you can really tell the difference is in mud.

Now if you are going to be running in loose dirt a lot doing heavy pulling, I would go with Ags.

I just put a new set of Titan Industrials on the 5030 and got 8 ply.

 

[Sockwell]

I have the same basic uses and went through the same scenario with a L5740. The tractor was ordered with R4's but was delivered with Ag tires. I thought long and hard about keeping the Ag tires until I found the difference in load rating. The front Ag tires have a maximum load rating of 1390 pounds. The R4 front tires have a max. Load rating of 3500 pounds. That's a big difference for loader/grapple work. The dealer is coming tomorrow to swap them out.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have R1's and my uncle has R4's and he has 7 more HP. I can flat out work him any day of the week in the woods, snow, or fields. As for loader work we both have them and I can not tell any difference in 8 years for me and 7 years for him. We both mow our yards and I can honestly say my R1's do no more damage than his R4's and the few times he has gotten stuck in the woods or trails he has done lots of damage. I have yet to be stuck.

I would go for R1's unless cost of rims becomes a factor. Yes, R4's look cool but that is where it ends for me. Just look at what real farmers use, that tells the story for me.....

Chris

 

[TripleR]

I have R1's and my uncle has R4's and he has 7 more HP. I can flat out work him any day of the week in the woods, snow, or fields. As for loader work we both have them and I can not tell any difference in 8 years for me and 7 years for him. We both mow our yards and I can honestly say my R1's do no more damage than his R4's and the few times he has gotten stuck in the woods or trails he has done lots of damage. I have yet to be stuck.

I would go for R1's unless cost of rims becomes a factor. Yes, R4's look cool but that is where it ends for me. Just look at what real farmers use, that tells the story for me.....

Chris

I live right in the middle of a bunch of "real farmers" and yes, their field tractors have Ag tires, but their utility tractors usually have Industrials. Our renters had their JD 4610 with eHydro and Industrials out here repairing a washout. Their field tractors are JD 7000 and 8000 Series.

We have all types and I have found for multiple use, just about any tire is going to be a compromise in one area or the other.

One thing not mentioned is type of soil, we have really hard clay in most places, if we had soft ground/sandy loam our results may be different.

We don't have snow often enough for it to be a consideration, but if we did, I would probably have to get some chains.