Ags or R4's in heavy timber country

[dknarnd]

ROW tractors/logging equipment may have the tread pattern of a R1 tires but are 12-24 ply tires.

This is where lots of people may get confussed because this quote is true about the tread pattern and ply of logging equipment.

My opinion on tires is such that if you intend on running your tractor across any part of your lawn that you care about don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing FEL work then don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing road maintenance type chores don't go with R1's; if you are doing field work then go with R1's; for timber I would take my chances with R1's.

 

[ridgerunnerinwv]

This is where lots of people may get confussed because this quote is true about the tread pattern and ply of logging equipment.

My opinion on tires is such that if you intend on running your tractor across any part of your lawn that you care about don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing FEL work then don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing road maintenance type chores don't go with R1's; if you are doing field work then go with R1's; for timber I would take my chances with R1's.

Right on !!!

 

[Boondox]

This is where lots of people may get confussed because this quote is true about the tread pattern and ply of logging equipment.

My opinion on tires is such that if you intend on running your tractor across any part of your lawn that you care about don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing FEL work then don't go with R1's; if you are primarly doing road maintenance type chores don't go with R1's; if you are doing field work then go with R1's; for timber I would take my chances with R1's.

Gotta disagree with that blanket statement simply because so much depends on your local conditions. I went with R1s because, as much as I wanted the width and the durability of R4s, on my hillside farm with all the clay R4s do little but load up and spin. And I routinely run my L4630 with aggies across my lawn; the only time there's any damage at all is after a soaking rain when the ground is soggy. I also use those aggies for heavy FEL work, including moving bucket loads of gravel and moving granite boulders the FEL can just barely pick up.

I don't think there is a tire and tractor combination that excels in every condition TBNers might run into. For me, considering the heavy work my tractor does, if there was a way to run R4s I'd be all over it. But I'd rather have traction.

Pete

 

[jbrumberg]

I tend to agree with Boondox. Although I am lighter and have a smaller "footprint" my soil compaction is probably similar with my weighted tires. I have to be careful on the "lawn" and my driveway especially when it is wet. I do not mind the
R-1's "imprint" on my gravel driveway during winter snow removal with my FEL- it provides more traction once the gravel freezes. NE clay and my hillside necessitates R-1's for my uses. Jay

 

[machmeter62]

Gotta disagree with that blanket statement simply because so much depends on your local conditions. I went with R1s because, as much as I wanted the width and the durability of R4s, on my hillside farm with all the clay R4s do little but load up and spin. And I routinely run my L4630 with aggies across my lawn; the only time there's any damage at all is after a soaking rain when the ground is soggy. I also use those aggies for heavy FEL work, including moving bucket loads of gravel and moving granite boulders the FEL can just barely pick up.

I don't think there is a tire and tractor combination that excels in every condition TBNers might run into. For me, considering the heavy work my tractor does, if there was a way to run R4s I'd be all over it. But I'd rather have traction.

Pete

I totally agree with Pete, if traction is an issue, R-1's are the best. I also drive across the lawn with them, but wouldn't use them for mowing. R-4's are a poor choice for loader work, unless you are on a hard surface; they struggle in wet or soft conditiions!!

 

[dknarnd]

Well I drive across the lawn all the time also and they don't bother the lawn, what I was implying was driving acosss the lawn as if to mow; making turns.

 

[AndyMA]

Anybody every think of using true forestry tires like Firestone makes?

see: Firestone Ag

Andy

 

[Varmintmist]

The problem in timber is float.

You need to float across the roots or you are damaging the trees, if you are digging the roots out just by passing over them, you are cutting your profits. If you are digging out seedlings by driving past, you are hurting your forest.

I run R4's for that reason.

R4's do not clean, they plug. R4's stink for transversing a less than dry slope sideways, they have little lateral grip.

I run a light set of chains off of dump truck duals. I had to add some to make them reach around. The cross pattern gives me a just enough cleaning, lateral traction, and fwd and reverse traction to make just enough traction in mud, snow, dry, wet, whatever without getting to much tear.

 

[flusher]

This 9-page paper by Ken Brodbeck (Firestone) has a lot of good tractor tire info germaine to this discussion.

http://asae.frymulti.com/data/pdf/6/crt2004/Lecture28.pdf

 

[Iowachild]

This 9-page paper by Ken Brodbeck (Firestone) has a lot of good tractor tire info germaine to this discussion.

http://asae.frymulti.com/data/pdf/6/crt2004/Lecture28.pdf

And the info is still just as good as it was back at post 30 of this thread!