Ag tires vs R4

[LouNY]

Even dry fields have the occasional sharp rock or other bit of sharp whatever else, so why not use tires that have been developed for use on construction sites ?
BTW, if mowing a dry field is the ONLY application then there are far better machines for far less money than a 5100 lb tractor.

The "brush hog a dry field" is a single application in a specific condition.
The advantages of R4s in so many other applications and conditions makes them a superior choice.
R1s are NOT rated for loader use - do a bit of arithmetic if you have the time.
At a guess your hyporthetical 5100 lb tractor with loader can lift and carry a ton, possibly a metric ton.
That load is cantilevered out a few feet in front of the front tires, just do the beam/lever/fulcrum arithmetic to figure the load on the front tires, then go to the tables (or look on the sidewalls if you are already stuck with R1s).

So why WOULD you use R1s ?
{other than that a sales droid said they would be OK}

Salespeople do what they do, they SELL and whatever they have on hand is exactly what you need (double positive resulting in a negative coming right up) Yeah, Right.

I would turn that around why would you want an R4?
If it's on a lawn get turf,
If it's in a field get R1's R4s in a farm application were you are going out every day to work evn just fixing fence in a pasture.
A good rainy day job if the grass has any moisture on it any kind of a slope you are stuck or chewing up and destroying sod and chancing sliding down hill into what ever is at the bottom of it.
Traction in fields is R1's.
On pavement or hard packed gravel you can have your R4's.
My R1's seldom rut up fields if they do leave ruts with R4's you would be stuck if lucky.
As far as R1's not handling a loader the 125 Puma has over 9000 hours on it with well over half of those working the loader almost every day of the year.

 

[Oldoak]

Wow...learn something everyday. I have been involved in farming most of my life, ran loader tractors feeding 400+ cows twice a day, loaders cleaning out barns, and countless other chores on tractors with R1 radials and here I have been doing it all wrong. I guess those 175 hp loader tractors should have had R4 tires. Thanks for the correction. lol. I think I will stick with R1 radials. With R4 I would have been sliding everywhere in manure and wet feed. I have only had 1 tractor with R4 tires for loading retail mulch, which was a perfect application on mostly dry concrete all day.
Maybe the Steiger 550 needs R4 tires.

My sentiment exactly!

You, me, and the rest of the real farming community. :laughing:

 

[jbrumberg]

".... You, me, and the rest of the real farming community."- Oldoak.

I've read some decent posts here and some of dubious quality. I do not want to add to possibly another food fight.

I am not a farmer, but I am surrounded by real working farms for the past 42 years. Every tractor out here wears R1's. The only exception is one owner/operator 2 miles down the road who has one tractor with R4's dedicated to road/highway work.

 

[arnoldziffel]

To Reg: Thanks for your frank comments.

I'm curious, what other, more affordable field cutting machines should I consider please?

Thanks