16.9-30 vs 18.4-30 Tire for JD 5410 Tractor in N. Michigan

[5030]

My ongoing philosophy is...

If the rear tires are coming off the ground, lighten the load on-in the bucket because, tractors have no suspension compensation so when the rears come off the ground, it only takes a wee bit more to cause SERIOUS pucker factor and or an upset.

 

[ericm979]

Ballast on the rear hitch will help a lot. As would wheel weights or loaded tires. What pressure are the rear tires at? I lowered the R4s on my Branson from 25 psi to 15 and it's an improvement in traction on our sandy soil.

 

[CoyPatton]

The tractor only had a 3 point hitch empty bale spear on the back. I have a box blade, maybe I'll put that on the back and see how well it does with some weight on the back.

Personally in dry sand, I would expect to experience sand slippage under all conditions. Loose soil in general allows slippage. Moist sand (not wet) will reduce slippage.

 

[CoyPatton]

The tractor only had a 3 point hitch empty bale spear on the back. I have a box blade, maybe I'll put that on the back and see how well it does with some weight on the back.

Personally in dry sand, I would expect to experience sand slippage under all conditions. Loose soil in general allows slippage. Moist sand (not wet) will reduce slippage.

 

[Rmart30]

whats the optional radial tire sizes? The radials usually have a flatter tread profile putting more tread width to the ground. Or could install R14's.

 

[JLinOK]

If I am on an uneven surface, especially if I am going uphill, I lock the rear diff. with the pedal back from the accelerator. That usually does the trick. Stopped or just inching withe the clutch will help it engage. Naturally, I engage the front axle as well.

 

[kenhar]

Wider tires on snow and ice will lessen your traction unless the tire gets to soft ground where it can dig in. Good traction in ice and snow comes from weight per square inch on the tires. That's why the old VW bugs could go about anywhere on their narrow tires.

 

[houdel]

What kenhar was saying. Sand and snow are two different things with different needs for optimum performance. Sand essentially has no bottom so you want a wide tire to float on the sand and good traction blocks to pack the sand for added traction instead of digging down and burying the tire. That is why the four wheeler Jeep types air down their tires when they go from road to sand, to have a wider footprint on the sand. Snow is just the opposite. Snow is wet and slippery so the tire just slides over the snow instead of gaining much traction when floating on the snow. For snow you want a narrow tire to dig down to the road surface and get it's traction from the underlying surface. Your best bet is to get the wider tires if you really need them for the sand, but keep the narrow wheels and tires for wintertime snow operations.

 

[RayIN]

The tractor only had a 3 point hitch empty bale spear on the back. I have a box blade, maybe I'll put that on the back and see how well it does with some weight on the back.

Check out Goodyear/Titan R14 drive tires.

Mounting my 6' box blade makes a world of difference in drive tire performance for my tractor; and my R1 tires are ½-full of calcium chloride solution. Then again; 2,000# in my FEL

transfers a lot of weight.

 

[sixdogs]

I did a similar switch on my JD5520 but used a higher end Firestone tire and got phenomenal results. I floated over sensitive areas like septic systems and had much improved pulling power in the field. Pictures of that tractor and tires are posted here so search if interested. Impressive tires and pics.

I like Firestone radials and on a similar Kubota tractor I had I used the lower cost, entry level Performer radial. One of them developed a flat spot after sitting over the winter and Firestone gave my dealer a hard time about a warranty replacement. I was told they didn't want to do it despite low hours.

The dealer finally took it in trade and I got a new tire. Bottom line is that I "love" Firestone radials but maybe just "like" the Performer radial. Check it out. Also, if you do get them, inflate to maybe 20 or 22 psi over the winter when they could develop a flat spot. I also kept mine inflated to maybe 17-19psi in the summer. FYI