Now That R14 Tires Have Been Out For A While

[CADplans]

If you want ride quality, the biggest factor is the amount of iron between the hub where the wheel mounts, and where the seat bracket is.

By FAR, this is the smoothest riding tractor i have ever used, that includes several 125+HP JD cab equipped tractors.

It is as close to a LazyBoy recliner as you can get,,
I attribute the smooth ride to the 5 figure number of pounds of tractor weight, more than anything.

I owned this tractor for more than a decade with dry rotted, almost solid old tires,
and now, for many years with new tires,,
The ride did not change when the tires were replaced.

As far as inflation of the tires, I had the rear tires professionally installed,
the guy (he was 65+ years old) explained, you do not care about pressure.
The correct inflation is when 2 bars fully are in contact with the hard ground.

He inflated the tires properly. I measured the distance from the concrete floor to the top edge of the wheel.
Now, I simply use a tape measure to monitor tire inflation,,
No tire pressure gauge needed, no rotating the tire to get the stem "up",
no tampering with the tiny valve in the stem, that might start leaking if you actuate it with the pressure gauge.

I have the wheel height dimension penciled on the wall in the shed right where I park the tractor. for both the front, and the rear tires.

 

[N80]

All this discussion of R1, R4, R14,, and turf tires,,,,
it is like the tractor owners think they can switch from one type to another,,,,,,

On a 4WD tractor, you risk damage by simply changing from a Firestone to a Goodyear tire, in the EXACT same size.

The type of wheel used also has a major impact on rolling circumference,,

I have 2 different tractors that I have investigated changing from one RX tire to the other RY kind of tire,,
in both cases new wheels are required,,

Has anyone factored in the cost of new wheels in their evaluation of tire type??

It is my understanding that the whole purpose of the R14 was to provide an R4 like tire but with better traction that would fit on OEM R1 wheels.

 

[LouNY]

I don't know what people are talking about when they mention "ride quality". Really? You go fast enough on a tractor to be concerned with ride quality? I never "road" my tractor, and when I am repairing my road, I sure ain't flying down the road. Ride quality has never been of any concern to me.

To me ride quality is when working in fields.
When you spend several hours a day in the tractor seat ride quality is important.
With non-filled tires it is amazing the difference in ride quality between radials and bias tires,
when both are properly inflated. Adding liquid fill will adversely affect the ride quality.
And yes we road our tractors frequently but if the ride quality is good in the field it is usually good on the road,
occasionally while roading I've had a tractor that felt spongy and bouncy and actually had to slow down a bit till it got the poggoing settled down.

 

[CADplans]

It is my understanding that the whole purpose of the R14 was to provide an R4 like tire but with better traction that would fit on OEM R1 wheels.

The tires might fit the wheel, but, the match that is difficult to make is the proper ratio of tires to the reduction in the tractor differentials of a 4WD tractor.

If one of the tires is a smaller (or larger) diameter, the gear ratio is thrown off, when operating in 4WD.
The tractor then "skids" whichever tire has the least traction.

How many threads have there been on TBN titled:
"I can not get my tractor out of four wheel drive!"

??

That is because the mismatch winds up the drivetrain to such high torque, the shift lever can no longer move.

Then, there is the excess wear on the drivetrain to discuss,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[k0ua]

Ok, obviously ride quality IS a concern for many of you because you operate your tractors much differently than I do. I can see and appreciate that. It has just always been a very low concern for me and my operation.

 

[N80]

The tires might fit the wheel, but, the match that is difficult to make is the proper ratio of tires to the reduction in the tractor differentials of a 4WD tractor.

If one of the tires is a smaller (or larger) diameter, the gear ratio is thrown off, when operating in 4WD.
The tractor then "skids" whichever tire has the least traction.

How many threads have there been on TBN titled:
"I can not get my tractor out of four wheel drive!"

??

That is because the mismatch winds up the drivetrain to such high torque, the shift lever can no longer move.

Then, there is the excess wear on the drivetrain to discuss,,,,,,,,,,,,

Right. But people put new tires on their 4wd tractors all the time that aren’t the same brand. I help my farmer neighbor do this from time to time. He buys whatever is cheapest. Does a fair amount of road time too.

So yes, you have to get the right size and it has to match the OEM spec. Nothing new about that.

My point was that the R14s were designed to fit on R1 wheels.

The problem for me is that as far as I can tell they do not make a front that matches my tractor. I have not checked on rears because my rear tires are okay. Do they make a front/rear combo that maintains the proper front-to-back ratio AND fits my OEM wheels? I don’t know and probably won’t go down that rabbit hole until the rears are shot.

 

[diesel466]

The R14 tires on my Kubota L series use the same rims as the r4 tires, the r1 tires use a completly different size wheels.

 

[N80]

Maybe I am mistaken but when I watched the video announcement about the R14s I thought the presenter said they made them to fit on R1 wheels. I thought that was the breakthrough feature of the tire. So maybe I got it completely backwards.

If so I hardly see what the fuss is about. Making an R4 with a little more traction does not seem like such a big deal.

I suppose that's why I don't see anything like my tire size. Oh well.

 

[LouNY]

A lot of will depend on your tire size as an example a 14.9-28 can be had in an R1 Ag, or a R4 industrial,
you can convert to metric radials such as a 400/80 or a 480/70 or even a 14.9R28,
and if you look hard enough even an R3 turf tire.
All that matters is the rim diameters and widths to a mounted tire with the correct rolling circumference or loaded radius

 

[pmsmechanic]

A lot of will depend on your tire size as an example a 14.9-28 can be had in an R1 Ag, or a R4 industrial,
you can convert to metric radials such as a 400/80 or a 480/70 or even a 14.9R28,
and if you look hard enough even an R3 turf tire.
All that matters is the rim diameters and widths to a mounted tire with the correct rolling circumference or loaded radius

Also there are RCI chats available online that give the rolling circumference index of various sized tires. The charts let you mix and match tire sizes quite easily.