puncture resistance of ag vs ind tires

[LouNY]

Ha, ha - thank goodness for different ideas and alternate methods - right Lou.

Very true, just finished looking at the long range forecasts and contemplating when to drag the chains out of the barrel and mount them up.
Hate to do it too early but it's nice to do it in dry and warmer weather rather then in a snow storm. :laughing:

 

[oosik]

Yuck - chains. I used them on my first tractor - Ford 1700 4WD. They were excessively heavy - tough to get mounted just right and made the little Ford ride like a COB. They were V-bar and when mounted on all four wheels the little tractor could climb right up the side of a building.

Most fortunately - the Kubota is heavy enough - 10,100 pounds - that I've never needed chains. I don't get massive snow depths nor drifting here. Most I've ever had - a total winters accumulation depth of 32". And that is the MOST ever in 37 years out here. Normal will be 14" to 20".

I always waited until its was colder than a witches tit and we usually had a foot on the ground with more coming. That probably on the reasons I dislike chains. No heated barn or garage to install chains here.

 

[ovrszd]

And after all my time I've come to the conclusion that bolted on weight is better then liquid in tires.
Also I have no use for R4 tires, if R1's are not appropriate go with turfs add chains for when traction is needed.
Different ideas for different people.

How about cost difference between liquid and cast weights?

 

[ovrszd]

In regards to chains. Weight of the vehicle has the opposite effect as imagined. When ground conditions warrant chains this becomes more critical with a heavier vehicle. Chains are for times when there is minimal ground surface to provide traction. This is most needed when stopping or changing direction. Both are more complicated with a heavier vehicle.

 

[Diggin It]

I can lift just about 3200 pounds with the grapple. Anything over 2500 pounds NEVER get over 6" off the ground -

How do you know the weight? Straight question. Do you estimate, or is there a scale display on the dash?

 

[oosik]

overszd - I asked the local Kubota dealer about the cost of dealer installed RimGuard on a brand new tractor like my M6040 I purchased in 2009. He said - well, I can sure give you todays price but nine years ago - figure $3 a gallon, installed. I've got 67 gallons per tire - 134 gallons - $400 dollars for the RimGuard that adds 1550 pounds of ballast.

Diggin it - how do I know the weight of the logs I lift and the big 'ol boulders. Well - on the web there are log weight charts. Enter species - Ponderosa pine - enter average log diameter - butt = 38 -- top = 36 average log diameter = 37" length = 10' Log chart says - - 3260 pounds I would not lift this one - cut in half and handle it that way.

Rocks are a bit more difficult to figure - there are charts on the internet - rock weight charts. But my rocks - mainly - look to me to be a mix of material. Some granite, some basalt and many times something swirled thru that looks like chocolate ice cream. My rocks are all round or oval or oblong. So I do rocks like I do logs - distance around the biggest way, distance around the smaller way. Look at the rock chart and try my best to figure it out.

Before I had my farm wagon I had to transport the logs and rocks quite a distance. Many were more than a mile. Now I put them in the farm wagon and pull them home.

Safety is my motivating force here - and I REALLY have no desire to break anything.

 

[LouNY]

How about cost difference between liquid and cast weights?

Iron has a higher initial cost, it has a lower maintenance cost, The ride on rough fields is better with iron, the pull and power applied to the ground is better with iron especially at faster speeds (5-10mph). Road hauling is better with iron compared to liquid. Repair time there is no comparison, I can have a flat broken down and a tube repaired and be back in service before the left over fluid fill has been recovered, and if it was tubeless I can be back at work before the pump and barrels are ready to be used.

As far as chains go for my winter use on my driveway alone without chains my 11,000 pound tractor would be on its side and over the banks, no if's an's or but's.
As soon as a tire slips and spins on wet heavy snow on hills you are done.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I purchased 12 ply industrial rears for my 4610 su for the added puncture resistance. They were loaded and worked great. I personally like AG's better but industrials can be had in heavier plys. I actually got 18 ply aircraft tires for the fronts. Life was good.

Gensco sells heavy plied AG's. That would be an option for you on a used tractor. Industrials are probably your best bet on a new tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

Iron has a higher initial cost, it has a lower maintenance cost, The ride on rough fields is better with iron, the pull and power applied to the ground is better with iron especially at faster speeds (5-10mph). Road hauling is better with iron compared to liquid. Repair time there is no comparison, I can have a flat broken down and a tube repaired and be back in service before the left over fluid fill has been recovered, and if it was tubeless I can be back at work before the pump and barrels are ready to be used.

As far as chains go for my winter use on my driveway alone without chains my 11,000 pound tractor would be on its side and over the banks, no if's an's or but's.
As soon as a tire slips and spins on wet heavy snow on hills you are done.

Iron is generally $1 per pound, my fluid was .15 cents.

Ride quality in a rough field would be hard to quantify.

Traction difference would be very hard to quantify.

I road my tractor frequently at 25mph and notice no adverse effects.

My tires are tubeless. Fixing a small leak doesn't require draining fluid.

Guess it's whatever you feel most comfortable with.

 

[Soundguy]

Reading all the replies, thanks.

I'll try to do one post to address some of the responses.

1, Sure, I love iron weights.. many of my tractors have dedicated bolt on iron weights. In my area they are over a dollar a pound.. to get the counterweight I needed in bolt on weights, I'd likely have to add anther year of financing to go for it. The fluid is essentially coming bundled in the price, so it's a no brainer on that issue. I'm getting the liquid because it's already bundled and there is no option to unbundle it that I know of.

r1 vs r4. sounds like for size/weight sidewall and puncture resistance, r4 is the way to go.. and with my conditions not being extreme all the time, I'm not sacrificing much on the traction side vs making up for loader work, which this tractor will be doing mostly.

The idea of chains.. ugh.. I will pass for sure on those.