Tires Ag tires & heavy loader work

hayden · Mar 3, 2002

I was doing some research on tires and discovered that the front tire weight capacity for Ag tires is considerably lower than R4s.

On a larger Grand L, for example, the Ag front tires are 8.3-16 6 ply and have a load capacity of 1200 lbs each. The R4s are 10-16.5 6 ply and have a load capacity of 3500 lbs each. That's a big difference.

How do ags work for heavy loader work?

A 4610 with loader weighs in at about 5000 lbs. If ony 30% of the tractor/loader weight is on the front wheels that's 1500 lbs. With a loader bucket full to capacity you can add 1800 lbs, all of which I think goes on the front wheels, and now you have 3300 lbs on the front tires that together can only carry 2400 lbs.

What gives here? Can Ags really stand up to loader work?

Bird · Mar 3, 2002

Peter, I'm afraid it is a fact that R4 tires are made for heavier loads, but it's also a fact that folks with Ag tires all over the country are using front end loader with no problem. Of course, you probably want higher air pressure in those front tires when doing heavy loader work. I prefer 16 psi in my front tires without the loader, but 24 psi when I'm using the loader. I neglected raising the air pressure one day and in slowly turning with a heavy load, I rolled the right front tire bead loose from the rim and lost all my air./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif No damage, but had to lift that wheel off the ground to get the bead to re-seat and air it up.

rmcess · Mar 3, 2002

Bird,
I have rolled the front tire loose with turf tires doing the same thing. I have to admit I never even thought of raising the pressure. I just went with lighter loads, especially when turning sharp was required. Now I have a smaller BX and it may not be an issue since the loader will not lift as much.
I have not put the BX through the paces yet to know.
Rich...

Boondox · Mar 3, 2002

Ditto here, Peter. I run 28psi up front when lifting maple logs for stacking or cutting.

Pete

hayden · Mar 3, 2002

What's the max pressure allowed? 28?

At full pressure, are the tires struggling to keep their shape?

I know when I went from TUrf/bar tires, which have turf front tires, to R4s I notices a huge difference in how the tires held up to heavy loader loads. In both cases I was running at max pressure.

Charliebrn · Mar 3, 2002

I solved the problem by filling my front turfs with gel (Agco's Soft-Fill). No more flats, no more worrying about the bead, and still have a nice ride. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird · Mar 3, 2002

Peter, maximum pressure will depend on which tires you have. My B2710 only has 4 ply tires, so the 24 psi is the maximum recommended and the weight capacity is listed on the tire at 725 pounds. The Operator's Manual does recommend maximum pressure when using a FEL or with front end weights. I imagine with a maximum load in the FEL, I may have more weight on the tires than they're rated for, but I've never had a problem. I haven't read any of the manufacturers' detailed recommendations, but know that most car and pickup tire manufacturers say you can go 10-15% over the maximum pressure listed on the side of the tire if the load justifies it.

WoodDawg · Mar 3, 2002

<font color=blue>turning with a heavy load, I rolled the right front tire bead loose from the rim</font color=blue>

Is that a more common problem with <font color=orange>orange</font color=orange> tractors or are all brands just as likely to have that happen. The reason I ask is before I bought my TC40 I rented an L3010 and had that happen to me. I had to be very careful when turning with the bucket full or I would bust the bead loose (pretty easily). With my TC40 I have never given it a thought. Sharp turns with the loader full, no problem.
Mark

Bird · Mar 3, 2002

Mark, I don't think it'll make any difference what color the tractor is; just a matter of which tires, how big a load, how sharp the turn, and how much air pressure./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I've seen it often enough that you would think I would have known better. The only ones I've actually personally known of it happening on, besides my Kubota, were Case, International, and John Deere (just haven't been around Ford/New Hollands enough/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif).

Of course, tractors aren't the only thing that it happens to, either. I let a front tire get a little low on my Cub Cadet lawn tractor (riding mower) once and rolled it off on a turn, and my brother rolled his off his Cub Cadet so many times, he had both front tires foam filled./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

WoodDawg · Mar 3, 2002

Thinking about it, I believe the front tires on the L3010 turn sharper than my TC40. I maybe that puts more side force on the tires and breaks the bead easier. Or maybe it is the R4's on my TC40 that are just more resistant to it. I worked both pretty hard!
Mark

Boondox · Mar 4, 2002

Yeah, my max is 28, though I've gone as high as 32 on occasion. And at full pressure with a heavy FEL I notice a slight bulging of the sidewall when going over ruts, etc, but nothing I'd call struggling.

There have been times, working in the forest with small stumps here and there, that I've wished for the beefiness of R4s, but you just can't beat the traction of aggies. Maybe instead I should wish for ags with additional plies.

Pete

Anonymous Poster · Mar 4, 2002

I have AG tires on my L3000 , I noticed one day while using the loader that my tire looked like it was going to come off the rim , I think if you are working it hard anything less than 22-24psi is asking for trouble. I keep mine at around 30 /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

rmcess · Mar 4, 2002

Charliebrn,
Thanks for the tip on the softfill./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Rich...

Charliebrn · Mar 4, 2002

You're very welcome! I take it you are doing that? If so, front, rear or both?

JeffInDaUP · Mar 4, 2002

I had trouble with my front tires loosing their seal. I assumed they were loosing their seal because the air slowly leaked out and there was not enough pressure to keep the seal. What I did was use inner tubes on the front tires. It's worked great, there are no leaks, and I havn't had any trouble with the seals.

Is using tubes bad? I don't see any other posts about tubes.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

Youare · Mar 4, 2002

A fellow a couple of miles up the road from me had one of the Grand L series Kubota's with a FEL. He bent a front rim on it while moving a load of hard pack, fine crushed stone.

He traded up to an M-series Kubota because of the type of work he was trying to do, and has had no more problems.

I have not had any problems with my L3000 with a full bucket of sand. The tires looked a little squat, they have at least 28 PSI in them. I am not accustomed to making sharp turns with a full bucket of material. My old Ford did not have power steering./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Randy

rmcess · Mar 5, 2002

Charliebrn, On the softfill
Not sure yet depends on the price.
Rich...

dlc · Mar 5, 2002

Could you put industrials on the front and ags on the rear? My thinking is that the large rear ag tires will have plenty of load capacity and provide the primary source of traction. The R4s up front will give the increased load capacity without sacrificing so much overall traction since they are a smaller part of the traction equation.

I pose this as a question because I don't know if this is a reasonable thing to do or not. It just popped to mind. Maybe the TBN luminaries can weigh in.

DLC

hayden · Mar 5, 2002

I can double check, but I think the circumference of the ags and R4s are different such that mixing will mess up the lead/lag when in 4WD. The ratio of the front and rear tires circumference has to match the front/rear drive gear ratio or on set of wheels will be trying to travel faster than the other and bad things happen.

RSeymour · Mar 6, 2002

Jeff,
I've seen numerous references to using tubes in front tires.
When I used to have a Jeep (CJ 5) and run in the sand dunes, we always used tubes so we could run at 3 to 5 lbs. of pressure and not loose our tires. By the way, my father-in-law has is summer home in the Channing area.