Wheel Loader Tires on Tractor?

[Suburban Plowboy]

The front tires on my Kubota L3710 were not looking great, and one came off the rim a couple of times. They have a lot of cracks.

I decided to get new front tires.

The original tires were Goodyear turf tires, and I found out they were rated at 1000 pounds, which seemed ridiculous for a tractor that will lift at least 1500 with the loader. Also, it seemed to me that smooth tires were a bad idea for a 4-wheel-drive machine. Maybe I'm wrong.

I got myself some Carlisle tires. Now that I have them, I am seeing indications that they are really loader tires, so the manufacturer apparently had things like Bobcats in mind.

Has anyone else here used loader tires for tractor fronts? I'm wondering if there is any down side.

I don't care about marking up grass, since this tractor is used in the woods and my pasture.

 

[Roadworthy]

If you have a four wheel drive tractor the biggest concern is matching the overalll circumference to the original. Deviating very far will cause excessive wear in the drive mechanism. Beyond that it doesn't matter if you're running racing slicks.

 

[WinterDeere]

Do note that not all turf tires are equal. Lots of 4wd CUT's configured for turf come with 4-ply rated tires up front, which are not really suitable for loader work. But these sizes are typically also available in 6-ply rating, which should meet or exceed the requirements outlined in your loader manual.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

The tire dude said only one of my old tires had a tube. Wonder how that happened. I guess they both started out tubeless and one developed a leak they couldn't fix.

 

[JJT]

~10 years ago I changed the front tires on my L3710 to skid steer tires. Same height and circumference, but close to twice the psi and number of belts and load capacity as the OEM tires. No issues, I'm a happy camper. The skid steer tires where in stock, OEM's were not.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I wonder if I should run a lower psi on a tractor than a wheel loader.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I wonder if I should run a lower psi on a tractor than a wheel loader.

They need to stand up. Tire has pressure suggested on sidewalls.

 

[npalen]

The industrial tires on my Mahindra 3015 (30HP) are so stiff that can leave all the air out of the rears and they will still stand tall. Found that out when loading on a a 60" width trailer with sides. Had to let the air out to get it on and off the trailer. The downside is that it rides like a lumber wagon with 10 PSI.

 

[4570Man]

A skid steer tire is a much heavier duty tire than the average tractor R4 tire. As long as the size is correct I wouldn’t hesitate to use them.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm not sure I see the advantage of running skid steer tires on a tractor. I mean, sure they work... but serious overkill, and hell of a stiff ride for anything other than a 100% dedicated loader application.