Ballast Filled R3’s for lawn

[WinterDeere]

One of the dreaded perennial topics, I’m sure... but with a twist I haven’t seen specifically addressed on TBN.

I have a new JD 3033R with 320R loader and 61” HD bucket, and it is mighty light in the rear. So light it easily spins tires trying to just get itself uphill or into my shed, even with the bucket empty, without engaging 4wd.

I have a ballast box from my old machine that I will use with this new machine, they both specify the same box and weight, although I also had iron wheel weights on my old machine. I’m trying to decide the best way to add ballast to the new machine, given the following:

1. 100% of the activity for which I use this machine has me driving somewhere across my lawn.

2. At least half the total use for this machine is directly lawn care, either spreading fertilizer and top dressing, spreading grass seed, harvesting walnuts off the lawn, or aerating.

The tires are R3 Turf, and the mechanics at my dealer seem to be under the impression that a filled turf tire won’t likely leave any impression on the lawn, and suggested I fill with Rim Guard. They said R4’s when filled will be **** on the lawn, but the turfs when filled stay as cushy as unfilled. I’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions on this, and have trouble believing them on this, it seems to me any time you reduce air space in the tire you’re going to make it a lot stiffer at the same pressure.

Complicating this is the fact that the parts of my lawn where I do a lot of work in colder weather can be pretty soggy, I often bring water to the surface under the tires, even without ballast in the tires.

Has anyone here ever seen or run liquid ballast in their turf tires? How’s the effect on the lawn? What’s the effect on zooming around the lawn at speed with a hopper full of fertilizer on the back, when you have 700 lb. tires?

 

[ovrszd]

Do you mow with this tractor?

If not, load the tires. If so, don't load them and rig up a QH on the tractor with your 3pt equipment modified to fit it. When you need ballast, pick up the box. When not, park it.

 

[TractorGuy]

Re: Filled R3痴 for lawn

How did your old tractor do with the iron weights on the wheels? Did it also have turf tires?

I'm not a fan of loading tires for all the obvious reasons. For loader work you may want to add wheel weights in addition to using the ballast box. Sounds like you could benefit from wheel weights while mowing also.

My 4310 with Galaxy turfs is also light in the rear but my land is pretty flat. I do have one hill to climb and sometimes I have to put in 4WD to mow up the hill. Other than that I am getting by without wheel weights or tire ballast. I did make a 1200 lb 3pt ballast for when I use the loader or grapple.

My Galaxy turfs will rip up some grass just from turning sharp or stopping/starting too abruptly. The Galaxy tires were actually defined as golf course tires by JD.

I am thinking I will one day make some wheel weights from barbell sets but my other to do list is a page and a half long so not sure that project will ever make it to the fabrication stage.

 

[Diggin It]

Terrain ......


If you're relatively level, I'm not sure I see a need for filling. For one thing, it will make the ride a lot stiffer than air filled turfs. I got my R4s filled mainly due to my hills and the need for stability with the BH even on level ground. Filled tires won't squat (as much) under load.

 

[ruffdog]

Can the OP remove the FEL until there is a use for it? How often would that be? I kept the loader off my TC33D unless I had some work for it.

 

[WinterDeere]

Re: Filled R3痴 for lawn

Can the OP remove the FEL until there is a use for it? How often would that be? I kept the loader off my TC33D unless I had some work for it.

About 75% of my use for this machine is the FEL. The other 25% is lawn work, like fertilizing, over-seeding, and aerating. The FEL work is probably 70% moving logs and firewood, and the remainder is moving mulch or topsoil.

If you're relatively level, I'm not sure I see a need for filling. For one thing, it will make the ride a lot stiffer than air filled turfs. I got my R4s filled mainly due to my hills and the need for stability with the BH even on level ground. Filled tires won't squat (as much) under load.

My property is hilly. In fact the back yard is one giant hill from the house down to my firewood lot at the back property line. I've never measured the max slope, but it's enough that I've lost control and freewheeled down the hill on the one occasion I forgot to engage 4wd when heading downhill with a load in the bucket of my old machine.

How did your old tractor do with the iron weights on the wheels? Did it also have turf tires?

Old machine also had turfs, and I had one set of wheel weights installed. But the ratio of loader lift capacity to tractor weight is nearly doubled on this new machine, versus the old machine. Also, that ~700 ballast box nearly equaled the lift capacity of the old machine, while only being one-third of the lift capacity on the 320R.

I'm not a fan of loading tires for all the obvious reasons. For loader work you may want to add wheel weights in addition to using the ballast box. Sounds like you could benefit from wheel weights while mowing also.

My 4310 with Galaxy turfs is also light in the rear but my land is pretty flat. I do have one hill to climb and sometimes I have to put in 4WD to mow up the hill. Other than that I am getting by without wheel weights or tire ballast. I did make a 1200 lb 3pt ballast for when I use the loader or grapple.

My Galaxy turfs will rip up some grass just from turning sharp or stopping/starting too abruptly. The Galaxy tires were actually defined as golf course tires by JD.

I am thinking I will one day make some wheel weights from barbell sets but my other to do list is a page and a half long so not sure that project will ever make it to the fabrication stage.

No mowing with this machine, but I can't even make it up the hill that is my back yard with a small firewood trailer without anything in the bucket, unless I go to 4wd. I definitely need some weight on the rear!

Do you mow with this tractor?

If not, load the tires. If so, don't load them and rig up a QH on the tractor with your 3pt equipment modified to fit it. When you need ballast, pick up the box. When not, park it.

No mowing, I have a zero turn for that. But I do pattern the entire lawn many times per year with fertilizer (6x per year), seed (1x per year), aerator (1x or 2x per year), and walnut harvesting (~12x per year).

 

[Woody65]

I have a JD 4300 with filled turf tires (R3). No problem going across the lawn. I do hills all the time but always put it in 4wd when on hills.

 

[WinterDeere]

Excellent, thanks @Woody65! I just looked up spec's on your 4300, and it's almost identical to my 3033R in weight and HP. What are your uses for this machine? Any impact at high speed? I could see myself driving this machine on-road at 18 mph to some of the places where I do work or harvest wood, within a mile or two of my house.

 

[Diggin It]

Re: Filled R3痴 for lawn

My property is hilly. In fact the back yard is one giant hill from the house down to my firewood lot at the back property line. I've never measured the max slope, but it's enough that I've lost control and freewheeled down the hill on the one occasion I forgot to engage 4wd when heading downhill with a load in the bucket of my old machine.


No mowing with this machine, but I can't even make it up the hill that is my back yard with a small firewood trailer without anything in the bucket, unless I go to 4wd. I definitely need some weight on the rear!

Sounds pretty much like my place. That's the main reason I got R4s loaded, all four of them. Get used to being in 4WD and Lo most, if not all of the time. It can get mighty unpleasant right quick if you don't.

 

[RalphVa]

I had filled R3s on the 4010. The rears were kinder to the lawn, but the fronts grip better than R4s and can tear up the lawn in turns; whereas, the R4s mostly skid, often requiring turning brakes to make a turn.

The R3s gave problems with the FEL, leaking, coming off rims, etc. Never any problems with the R4s. Just a VERY HARD ride with them.

Ralph