Tires BX tires

fishman · Apr 2, 2001

O.K., maybe we're beating BX topics to death here, but how about at least one more.

I notice that the BX literature lists "turf" and "bar" tires as the only two options. Not being able to see one close up, I am curious as to how agressive the bars are. Would they be best classified as "ag" or "industrial"? To everyone, which type did you choose and why? I know TresCrows has an opinion on this one /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

Bird · Apr 2, 2001

curious as to how agressive the bars are. Would they be best classified as "ag" or "industrial"?

How about somewhere in between; at least that's the way they looked to me. Your local salesman told me it's like riding a rub board on their hard gravel parking lot./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Of course, he's probably more accustomed to driving big ag tractors and for your use, I think you'd want the bar tires.

Bird

Roy · Apr 2, 2001

(I was hoping to find a link with a picture of the bars, but couldn't).

Noticed this when I was at my dealer last week…. They had probably 10 BX's, and only one had turf tires. Last summer, I estimate 9 in 10 had turfs. I would assume that a dealer would stock what's selling.

Why did I go turf? First, at the time, both 2 prototypes I saw had turfs. Since I couldn't test drive one with bars, I didn't want to risk a change in handling (one of the items that impressed me right away).

Secondly, at the time I believed that almost all of the tractor use would be for mowing. Didn't realize how fun playing in the dirt would be. If I had to do it today, I would probably go with bars.

Roy

Snell · Apr 2, 2001

Roy,
Attached (if I do this right that is) is a picture of a BX1800 with bar tires.

TresCrows · Apr 2, 2001

OK, OK, Fishaman I knew you wanted to hear from me /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I got the bar type. I think they are somewhere in between the industrial and true ag type. I have found they do not tear up my lawn as long as I mow without the FEL etc on and stay off the yard after a rain. Having never used the turf type I cannot comment but I suspect they will not be as tractive during FEL and /scraper work. J

TresCrows · Apr 2, 2001

OK, OK, Fishaman I knew you wanted to hear from me /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I got the bar type. I think they are somewhere in between the industrial and true ag type. I have found they do not tear up my lawn as long as I mow without the FEL etc on and stay off the yard after a rain. Having never used the turf type I cannot comment but I suspect they will not be as tractive during FEL and /scraper work. The BX with bar tires is 22.54325% more productive than a BX with turf tires /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.J

Charliebrn · Apr 2, 2001

I have the turfs. First of all, the dirt here is clay, which compacts easily. Secondly, my primary use is mowing. I actually expected problems tilling, plowing snow, and using the FEL, but to my surprise, it hasn't been an issue. Maybe it's this hard clay, but I haven't yet had the situation where wheel slip has been a major problem. Though i can imagine where different soil would benefit from the Ags, for me personaly, the turfs are fine and I wouldn't swap them for the Ags. I like having the flexibility to run across a damp lawn without worrying about the ruts.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2001

I will echo Charliebrn's post. I have the turfs, as 75% of my use is mowing lawn. I'm interested to know if anyone has purchased a set of mounted tires for a BX. I would be interested in having a set of ags for the fall, winter, and early spring, if they could be purchased for a reasonable price.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2001

Why not go with both? I ordered a set of extra wheels and baby ags for $300. We bought the BX as primarily a mower, thinking it would be pretty unuseable as a work tractor. After using it for a short while in real world applications, decided to get a dedicated mower (JD Garden Tractor). Although the mower comes off the BX fairly easy, I didn't want the hassle of taking it off every week to mow or not mow. It's far to usesable as a "real" tractor. (and too much fun). We use it to clean up the mess I make with the bigger Kubota, and go places where nothing else can. The baby ags, or bar tires as Kubota calls them are ags but the lugs are not as deep, they are angled like traditional ags, not like the R4s. They are little harder on the ground if it's wet of course. And for R4 versus the R1's on the bigger Kubota, the R4's are tearing up the ground with my 6100 pound Kubota far more then the R1's on my 5000lb NH. I'm even careful to take it out of 4WD.

I recently began using a bad road for hauling a bunch of big logs on the front forks. Towards the end the goo got pretty bad, the R4's never let me down, much to my amazement.

del

Roy · Apr 2, 2001

Snell; Thanks… it shows the tire pattern perfectly. Is that yours?… It's too clean. You got to get out of the snow and into the mud! If you need mud, I'll send you some /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

TresCrows The BX with bar tires is 22.54325% more productive than a BX with turf tires. You may of underestimated. I think the bar classification means pressure, in isobars, and the turf means try-un2-retain-friction. So, by my calculations, that would give us a 1-googleplex-to-one ratio /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

(To other Turf owners… I am happy, but now with so much time a-digging, realize life could be even better yet. If mowing was my primary purpose, turfs would suite me fine).

Del Didn't realize that an extra set was economically feasible, now I got another item for my wish list!

Roy

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2001

Roy, wish I could get a set of ags mounted on wheel for my L35 for $300 set!

del

Roy · Apr 2, 2001

For the L35, probably closer to $300 per tread!

Roy

richfromPA · Apr 2, 2001

hey,
mine will hopefully be ready for pickup wednesday. it is a bx2200 with the bar tires. i will call them like others, baby ag's. im sure they will do the job. i choose them cause i have steep mowing and some snow and other loader work
rich

richfromPA · Apr 2, 2001

hey Tres Crows,
i like your percentile comparison. i know if i get on my new bx2200 which i wont have til wednesday, i will have applied 4X more weight to the seat than my 7 yr old son will.
rich

Russ · Apr 2, 2001

I got turfs on my BX. Its used mostly in finished areas where i dont want to tear up the grass or leave tracks like the bar tire are more likely to. An extra set of bar tires would be nice to have for better traction during heavier FEL and Box Blade work. Can't take full advantage of the avaialble HP with the turf tires but they meet my needs more often than not.

Russ

skent · Apr 3, 2001

I'm not sure what you would call them. . . my salesman said they were semi-bar. They come in a wider width, and have bar treads, but more of them. I have found they do not tear up grass (unless you really try to spin) and yet they have a fairly respectable bite in loose dirt and gravel. Take a look at the attachment (sorry, the tires are a little dirty - but the tractor is shinin').

fishman · Apr 3, 2001

Skent,

That looks like a good compromise. Did you have to pay much extra for those when you bought your tractor or did you buy them after the fact?

skent · Apr 3, 2001

I was seriously looking at the BX2200 and the JD4100. I couldn't get the JD dealer to talk to me (he only wanted to sell >80K Ag Tractors) and the timing for the tractor was going to be May of 2001.
But while on one of my many visits to the bota dealer (back in Aug 2000), the sales manager said "Did you see the repo we just got in?". I looked at it , (B7300) made a offer, haggeled and ended up getting it. It still had warrenty left and the price was great. It did have terf on all four when new, the previous owner had the tires put on by a non-Kubota dealer. I guess he wasn't happy with the terfs on the back. Like I said though, they are Goodyear and should be available.

Roy · Apr 3, 2001

Fishman; Turf, bars or aftermarket tires are all 1,000% better than what you got now. My arms are getting tired just watching you have to push that wheelbarrow around all day! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Roy

fishman · Apr 4, 2001

Roy,

Is that 1,000% based on an objective analysis of the facts, or is it based solely on opinion?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif In any event, I totally agree. Maybe some kind soul out there will see fit to offer me a good deal on their gently used kubota./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif