Tires Better tires from China?

[Brad_Blazer]

I noticed that all of the tractors seem to have the same style of ag tires. It looks like better styles are available over there:
http://www.globalsources.com/si/6008801333512/ProductDetail/Agricultural-machine/product_id-1000304946/action-GetProduct.htm

Are the manufacturers resposive to upgrade requests?

Brad

 

[ToolManRick]

I will probably upgrade to an "R" tire once I wear down the originals, but I think the hard part may be finding the correct rims. Anybody know of a source of rims?

 

[F100Panel]

I thought the supplied bar tread tires had to much bite for front end loader work & found I was riding the clutch a lot. Switched to turf tires that spin easier making it easier on the front differential without riding the clutch. Found trying to load with the tractor in 2 wheel drive with the Ags wasn't working too well either. As bucket lifted, rear tractive power was lost. The turfs are a nice compromise & unless working in a real quagmire, the difference in traction from the Ag's to the turfs has not been a factor to me.. For some one regularkly working in mud they'd likely want to stay with the Ag's.. I've seen posts on this site from people with the R4's who weren't too happy with them in mud either.. Just my $.02 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifworth...

 

[JohnS]

Not only are finding the right rims an issue, but if you want to use 4wd, finding front wheel/tires that match the current drive ratios, is a problem. I remember a few dealers saying they found rims/r4s that worked, but then the price was more than most would pay. But the rims/tires were sourced in USA.

 

[JohnS]

I can't say I do any planned work in the mud, but do have to cross it to get where I need to go. Clay soil and a little rain, can make things slippery, very quickly, then just add some hills for a little measure! At one time R4s looked to be a great idea, but since I have found some of those mud holes, and read some of those posts, I'll stay with the ags. If I had turfs, I would have had to visit my neighbor farmer, to come pull me out with USA IH. All that China tractor, not worth a darn talk to hear for the next year! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I don't believe that just anyone with ags can switch to turfs. It is a possible gear ratio issue. I believe that the Jinma 200 series that use the drum style brake vs disk, the ratios are close enough to switch. But need to check with dealer.

I thought I saw a post somewhere about the turf sidewalls flexing with heavy fel loads. Have you seen that? Maybe just an under inflation issue.

So far I have been happy with how the chinese rubber tires have held up. Given some of their rubber issues on hoses, I was concerned for awhile.

 

[F100Panel]

It was I who referenced the turf tire sidewalls flexed with a full bucket..they did with the Ag tires too..... I now run the turf tires a little overinflated @32psi.... With a hoe on the back for extra counterweight I get along good.... Mostly my fault for maxing out the bucket with every trip rather than take a little less each trip.... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[SevenCorners]

F100 how much did you have in the bucket? I have had my bucket all the way full with large stones and my ag tires never flexed turning going downhill....

 

[ToolManRick]

Been drizzling here for two days now so work outside is pretty yucky. In my boredom I jacked up one side of the tractor, engaged the 4W lever and did a free spin test to get a pretty good idea of what my rear to front ratio is. After rotating the rear tire 10 times the front tire ended up going around 15 3/4 times or a ratio of 1:1.575. Checking the rolling radius of the tires I came up with 1:1.56 or pretty darn close. Just raising or lowering the BB or FEL would change that some. So, whatever I do in the future if I do change my tires to R4's I'll have to keep that rolling radius in mind. If any of you dealers have info on R4 rims/tires I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[JohnS]

Rick,

Thanks for doing the measuring. I just noticed you have a 204. The older 204s did have interchangeable turf - ags, but the 254/284s were not. Could you post your front and rear tire sizes? From the numbers you posted, they seem to be right on. I have been told that you want the front wheels to slightly lead the rear, so that the gears won't lock.

I have long wondered why the factory does not have a r4 wheel/tire option. This would be the most cost effective solution. While I am convinced that I need ags, r4s would be very good for many people, especially ones that do yard and field work. I have heard rumors a couple of times, but yet to see any pics on a Jinma.

 

[CSH]

I just took delivery of Farmpro 2425 five weeks ago. When I was mulling over the purchase in August, my dealer indicated that Homier would soon offer the R4 option. He didn't think it would be significantly more. When he called me last month with the price for an R4 equipped machine, I didn't think twice about getting ags. I have a "yard" and not a "lawn", so I can live with the potential turf damage that ags can inflict easier than forking out an extra $1800 for R4s. My dealer doesn't think he will be selling too many tractors with this option.

 

[F100Panel]

One of my main hobbies is keeping gravel on the driveway. I tailgate spread as much as I can off the truck but for getting that center higher to get the water to run off to the sides ( theres a term for that center hi point but at the moment I'm brain dead & can't recall it..) I'll bring down some full buckets from the stockpile & drop it out of the bucket to rake off with the wheels adjusted on the yorke rake to give me that center swell...... CROWN!!!! Thats what I was trying to say.... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif When doing that I have the tractor in lowest possible gear & drive into the pile & while the turf tires spin I raise the bucket.... Bucket comes out mounded spilling out over the top. GUILTY!!! Too full to be safe & I know it but when going 600 feet from the stockpile to point of use every trip saved helps. As stated I really ought to cut back on how much I put in the bucket.... On the + side, The Koyker loader handles it easily... Wider front tires would make a tremendous difference. There is a post on here somewhere showing a yellow Jinma custom from a dealer with wide front tires likely wheels & tires supplied by Titan tire as customs. When things slow down over the winter I'll contact Titan Tire & inquire. Right now I just have too many irons in the fire... I have a Jinma 284 crate comming in a few weeks & likely won't get to assemble that till late spring.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Forgot to mention, with the AG tires one MUST ride the clutch when really working to fill the bucket... If you power into the pile with the Ag tires & lift up on the bucket as the weight hits the Ags the tractor front wheels STOP spinning & the tractor either lunges forward or stalls the tractor hopefully not spitting out the front differential in the process....

 

[ToolManRick]

Hi JohnS.

The AG's on there right now are 8.3 x 24 on the rears and 6.0 x 12 on the fronts. Danged if I can recall what the rolling radius was from "crush". I think your right about the front tires leading the way IIRC. I don't really have a lawn either, it's green with a wide variety of grass and weeds. I guess my thinking about the R4's is due to the weather. When it rains I have to wait 2-3 days or I make permanent tracks is this lovely red clay. I like the AG's for sure working in the woods and garden and that's mostly what I do. Turfs would never get it on my property, but it's nice to have the right shoes for the job.

 

[bluechip]

A casual (therefore probably not reliable) measurement of the diameter by tape measure of the front and rear tires of JM200 series with 6x12 and 8.4x24 and 6x16 and 9.5x24 shows a remarkable similarity in rolling ratio. I suspect the gearbox innards use the same ratio.
If anyone has a 254/284 with turfs, I would suspect them to be teh same size used on the 204s. I have ordered some and they are due in a few weeks, but I am really expecting the same turf tires we ahve installed on 184s and 204s.

 

[SPIKER]

to measure the rolling circumfrence take a white chaulk and mark the side wall of tire, and make a MARK on the garage floor both using a straight edge, then drive forward untill the marks are dead center on the floor again and mark the floor then measure the distance from mark A to mark B for both front and rears. this is the rolling circumpress of the tires as ther is sidewall compression that will actually make a bit of difference but only in the fraction of an inch thing but it sure is easier than attempting to get a tape around the tire! lol.

Mark M

 

[bluechip]

I just measured the diameter of the tire, from the ground to the top of the tire to compare, all three tractors I measured, the small tire 200 series, the JM254 and a 204 with turfs.

 

[ToolManRick]

I have one of those handy-dandy laser levels and shot a level line from the floor to the center of axle (rolling radius). This time I got 18.5" on the rear and 12.00" on the front. That ratio is 1.54 or a little short of the 1.575 I got actually rotating the free spinning tires. Ideally... if the front measured 12 the back should be 18.90 to keep that 1.575 ratio. I know for sure from the bumpy tread I could roll the tractor a little and come up with completely different numbers.

The O.D. of the rear tire is 39.00 and 25.5 on the front for a ratio of 1.53, but front tire actually crushed .75 inch and the rear a full 1.00 inch. My guess is different tires will crush differently and that makes for some guess work on what diameter tires you'd actually need.

Spikers method of rolling circumference is more accurate because it averages out the tread bump, basically turning the tire into a smooth disc.

All way to complicated for me. Guess I'll stick with my AG's until one of you dealers comes up with a recommended tire set.

 

[F100Panel]

Coincidental with the debate on Ag tire vs. Turf Tire vs. R4's scroll up to the Owner Operator post section & check out the "Interesting but stupid" post... Post had nothing to do with tires, just operating on pretty steep grades but in the pictures supplied the guy has a pretty spiffy Kubota, backhoe on the back making real nice extra weight over the rear tires.... The rear tires are R4's with...........tire chains......in the summer.... R4's, middle ground? Maybe.. Cost efective? I dunno...... I can tell you I've had 10 ton 4x4 front end loaders here at the house with near new R4 type tread tires that I've had hung up in the mud trying to climb not much of an incline & in the snow they were near helpless without tire chains trying to push snow... I'm sure R4's have their place. I'm POSITIVE I'm NO expert on the subject but I just threw out my take on my experiences & observations on the subject... The most cost effective way out in my mind is Turf tires for the finished lawn & tire chains when ya need'em or in my case, switch back to the Ag's that originally came on the tractor if I plan on working in the wet. www.tirechains.com would be my first choice. They have a X pattern criss cross chain called Duo-Grip that even gives lateral traction preventing you from sliding down an incline sideways in the snow, something that happens with regular chains /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif