Tire Selection AG Tires VS Industrial Tires for Driveway Grading/Box Scraping Compaction Advice?

[ldowney]

Hey guys. I need some feedback and opinions on anyone out there using their tractor with AG tires for grading gravel driveways. With my business, grading and packing gravel driveways is about 40% of my business. I currently have a tractor with Industrial Tires and I can accomplish some compaction with these tires for needed areas like steep inclines. My dealership on my new M7060 tractor is giving me the option of the standard AG tires that come on the tractor or replacing them with the Industrial Tires. Now EVERYTHING else I do with my tractor business, the AG tires would be a huge advantage. Rototilling, bush hogging, pushing snow, ect. Grading and being able to pack down gravel driveways are my ONLY concern with the AG tires.

Is anyone out there using a box blade with AG tires and accomplishing any compaction with their gravel driveway grading?

Thank you.

 

[LouNY]

The ag tires will not do as much compaction as your R4s do,at least until they get mostly wore out.
I work my driveway with my ag tires and it does get compacted a bit,if I'm using my box blade which is rarely,
I usually switch back to my back blade for the final finish dressing.
I also run my blade backwards for the final dressing and it tends to compact while it slicks up the surface.

 

[ldowney]

I do nearly all of my gravel driveways with the box blade. When you grade your driveway, does it just leave groves in the gravel with the R1 tires?

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway. My 2009 M6040 has R1 tires - the rears have 1550# of Rim Guard - I have a 1050# Rhino rear blade on the 3-point - I have an 820# grapple on the FEL. Total tractor weight - 10,100 pounds.

I have R1's on the tractor because I need the traction for projects out on my property and for plowing snow.

There is no question - at the weight of my tractor - the R1's DO DEFINITELY pack down anything I run over.

I run 30psi in the front tires - around 14psi in the rear tires.

Most likely if I ran R4's I would need chains for snow plowing. I HATE CHAINS.........

 

[LouNY]

I do nearly all of my gravel driveways with the box blade. When you grade your driveway, does it just leave groves in the gravel with the R1 tires?

When I'm working my driveway which is quite steep if I am pulling much material uphill the blades cover my tracks.
When I am working it deeply at times the tire tracks are visible in that the blade hasn't completely filled the tire marks.
My finish grading with the back blade spun 180 degrees and pulling it backwards it usually slicks up the surface and compacts it.
When I drive up or down without a blade working, my tires leave a tread pattern that is visible. My tractor itself is a bit over 10,000 pounds
and going down if not in 4wd you can see where the rear tires are pushing to hold back and going uphill if in 2wd there is considerable slip just moving the tractor.
Even with the R1's I could never contemplate using it in the driveway in the winter without chains.

 

[Katahdin]

I maintain 600 feet of gravel driveway and do not leave A1 tread marks behind when pulling a box blade. They will leave tread marks over a freshly graded driveway, but not a driveway that has fully settled after rains and vehicle traffic.

The narrower front A1 tires may leave undesired grooves on a customer's lawn, especially in wet soil conditions, that's the only downside I can think of.

 

[Katahdin]

This was my first and only customer, my Mom's driveway. Bear in mind I'm not a professional and I was pretty new at box blade-ing, but Mom was happy!

 

[Katahdin]

This was my first and only customer, my Mom's driveway. Bear in mind I'm not a professional and I was pretty new at box blade-ing, but Mom was happy!

View attachment 618075
(Several dump truck loads of crushed concrete was delivered and spread with the box blade)

 

[oosik]

Katahdin - It CAN'T be done any better than you did!!! You DEFINITELY have the touch.

 

[Soldier415]

Just did a driveway rehab for my cousin using 3/4" crusher run.

I use the tractor and box blade to spread and smooth, and then I use an 8,500 lb truck driving slowly back and forth across all of it to pack it down. I do the same thing with my 1/4 mile long driveway and it works great.

Since the AG tires will work better for most of your tractor work, perhaps get the R1s and just use a truck for packing it down. I assume you have to haul the tractor to the job site and would have a heavy truck on hand.

A little before and after