Mowing Belly mower + R4 tires

[lhobson]

When I bought my 790 years ago I wanted R4 tires. I wanted to maintain my 1 acre of lawn and the other rough acres around my home. R4s seemed a good choice. Ag tires would chew up my lawn and turf tires seemed a little wimpy for the tough terrain in the other acres. Well, I couldn't get the R4s because the belly mower wouldn't fit with them. It had to be turf or ag tires. I went with turf. The problem I'm seeing is the front turf tires don't bear up well under a full load of dirt in loader. They want to squirm on their rims. It's almost like the sidewalls aren't strong enough for the weight. My manual says my 4WD front tires are either 6.00-12 or 25x8.50-14. My rear tires are either 12.4-16 or 13.6-16.

1. Can someone either explain to me exactly what the numbers mean or point me to documentation that will give an explanation? I understand car tires. These numbers are a bit of a mystery.
2. Is it possible to step down to a slightly smaller R4 tire so I can have my belly mower and R4s ? I know that getting the rolling ratios between the front and rear on a tractor wrong can have dangerous consequences.

 

[lhobson]

By squirm I mean the tires tend to buckle on the rim. I actually lost air pressure once. I'm not sure the tires were at maximum PSI, but I had just got the tractor back from the service department and the tire pressure had been checked. So ag tires have one set of measurements and turf tires another. What about R4s ? Do they have yet another set of tire specifications ?

 

[dieselram]

What Deere did there seems stupid to me, thats why I did not buy a 790. Most guys with compacts opt for the R4s. They are great for about everything including mowing and loader work which most of us have. I have seen very few 790s with ags and a belly mower. I would like to see a 790 and 990 hydro also, not like these 3E series. Checked one out, not impressed at all. Kubota did a hydro with the L2800, 3400 and now the big 4400 (like a 990) That is why I went orange awhile ago, but i'm back to green!

 

[dieselram]

True, when they first came out like with the 650, 750 and so on. There is no reason the could not have designed a mower deck around the r4 tires for the 790. I think they would sell a pile of them if they were a hydro or had the option, and you could but on a belly mower with the r4s. It would still be a no frills machine that has a proven track record. Like I said I would have bought one in a heartbeat but I wanted a no frills hydro so I bought the Kubota L2800. I also think Deere has too many models, Kubota got it right with the standard Ls and then grand Ls- keep it simple and always offer a hydro! Their new HST plus tranny is also a great invent. I **** near bought one. Even their GST is better than Deere's manual in the high-end models, like a power reverser with powershift!

 

[lhobson]

So I was surfing the web and hit this page.

John Deere 790 with R4s and belly mower

It appears to be a 790 with R4s and a belly mower. I will investigate.

 

[dieselram]

Looks like it to me!

 

[lhobson]

I got an Email from the selling dealership.

"Louis you are correct Deere states clearance issues with the R4 tires
These are factory Titan tires I re drilled the mounting brackets to allow the deck to be moved fwd for the rear tire clearance
With the front tires turned all the way to the left very minor tire rub at the front of the deck does not effect mowing

Thanks
Dan Boisel
Commercial/Consumer Sales
JD Equipment, Inc.
1662 US HWY 62
Washington Court House , OH 43160
740.335.2071 Office"

 

[AKfish]

I went to an 8-ply trailer tire to replace those "wimpy" front turfs on my JD 970! They would roll off the rim on a turn with a load in the bucket -- instant flat!!

'Course the trailer tires didn't offer very much tractionwise and I finally went to another set of tires and rims for winter, etc. So, I'd change-over my tires on the tractor just like my truck - every fall and spring.

AKfish

 

[lhobson]

I had that exact same thing happen. When I tried to explain this behavior to my Deere service department manager she gave me this "deere in the headlights" look. (Pun intended.) She didn't think this could happen.