Tires Diff between R1 and R4 tires?

[jandpp]

Title says it all. Can anyone tell me the difference?
thanks

 

[gerard]

R1's are your general agricultural tire. Deep v bar pattern, best in muddy conditions and deep snow. R4's, generally called industrial, also have a bar pattern but the bars tend to be closer together and flatter. The R4's will cause shallower impressions on soft lawn than the R1, usually have more plies and stiffer sidewalls (a plus for heavy loader work), cost more but will load up easier in snow and mud.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Gerald gave a good description. Since you are probably new to tractors you are likely to be satisfied with R4s. But if you were used to the general superior traction offered by R1s you would need a good reason to settle for R4s.
larry

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Larry, have you ever run out of power or traction with your 7520? I have R4s on my 7520 and I run out of power before I run out of traction. My only gripe with my R4s is that I wish that they were as tall as the R1s.

 

[SPYDERLK]

It depends what gear. At 12000# including the 2000 90% fill liquid in the tires I can run out of power using the hydraulics pushing and lifting in second gear. The added downforce traction and hydraulic HP will bog the engine. In 1st there is always power to spare if Im above 1500rpm. Your tractor should be a little heavier, but is geared lower due the tire dia. Im surprised you would ever run out of power ina low gear unless youre on pavement or maybe hardpack.
larry

 

[jandpp]

Thanks guys. One of my tractors has turf tires. The latest one I got has R1s. Both have loaders. I like the better traction with the R1s but they churn up the dirt/frozen mud around my barn. I was wondering if R4s were something in between. This sounds like the case although R4s are closer to R1s than turf tires.

jim

 

[Willl]

R3 TURF
R1 AG
R4 Industrial-Multi-purpose

 

[TripleR]

My son and I were recently mucking out an old pond with our L5030 with R4's and M8540 with R1's and was surprised how well the R4's did. Naturally the R1's worked better, but we did have to take it out from time to time and run it down the field road to clean the treads. Once R4's and R1's were mud packed there wasn't any difference in traction.

Overall I am happy with the R4's on the L5030 and R1's on the M8540; don't really know that only people with little experience choose R4's.

 

[Ford tractor]

Thanks guys. One of my tractors has turf tires. The latest one I got has R1s. Both have loaders. I like the better traction with the R1s but they churn up the dirt/frozen mud around my barn. I was wondering if R4s were something in between. This sounds like the case although R4s are closer to R1s than turf tires.

jim

R4's will fill with mud and turn into slimy slicks with near zero traction. They also will swallow straight link chains in between the lugs and be worse with the chains than with out them. (You'll need the more expensive H-bar or ring chains so that won't happen). Side hill traction on snow is also poor with R4's.

 

[TGF]

R4's will fill with mud and turn into slimy slicks with near zero traction. They also will swallow straight link chains in between the lugs and be worse with the chains than with out them. (You'll need the more expensive H-bar or ring chains so that won't happen). Side hill traction on snow is also poor with R4's.

I have never experienced this. I have R4's on my tractor, which is very light to begin with, I do not have chains. My tractor was purchased first and foremost to be a snow beast. Last year was the heaviest winter in 30 years in NE, and it has zero problems. This is scooping heaping buckets of snow and pushing a 64 inch snow blower. Put it in 4x4 and away we go. It can drag a 72 inch box blade full with wet sticky clay without issue as well. I also used it to pull logs and dead fall out of the woods in soft soil without issue. R4's work pretty well and give sufficient traction for all conditions I have encountered. I have never gone swampin though.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

It depends what gear. At 12000# including the 2000 90% fill liquid in the tires I can run out of power using the hydraulics pushing and lifting in second gear. The added downforce traction and hydraulic HP will bog the engine. In 1st there is always power to spare if Im above 1500rpm. Your tractor should be a little heavier, but is geared lower due the tire dia. Im surprised you would ever run out of power ina low gear unless youre on pavement or maybe hardpack.
larry

I run out of power while disking, usually up hill with the soil in just the right conditions when that occurs. First gear low range there is always power, but that is not a working gear for disking. I have only been stuck 2 times, both times because of the shorter R4 tires and getting hung up on the draw bar undercarriage.

 

[slowzuki]

Another vote, R-4's terrible on snow or ice. Turf's much better. R-4's not as good as R-1's in field work. Much wider than R-1s, less ruts.

 

[wny770]

My new T1510 came with R-1's as I requested. The R-1's were way too aggressive for what I wanted. Mowing, snow removal and pulling a few logs from the woods. The R-1's were murder on the grass mowing the fields. I should have known better. I have larger tractors (60 horse) with R-1's, but only 2 wheel drive. Well, I switched to R-4's (loaded). Before I switched tires, I was paranoid from reading peoples horror stories about R-4 tires. People say R-4's on a four wheel drive are that bad in snow??? Come on now... Here in Western NY snow belt, most of the compacts have R-4's. Everyone gets their drive plowed. We measure snow in feet when it comes off the lake. R-4's that bad in mud??? Tell you the truth, pulling logs, I couldn't tell. Then again, I don't drive through a foot of mud. Do R-1's have better traction? Of course they do. Can I plow a foot or two of snow or pull an occasional log from the woods with my R-4's? sure I can. That's just my take... worth less than 2 cents....

 

[Don87]

Last winter, my neighbor used his Yanmar backhoe to clear my paved driveway. I watched as he slid sideways down the driveway.
I also watched as he slid sideways down his own gravel driveway an hour later.
I didn't like the performance of the R4's, so I got turfs when I purchased my Massey. I also ordered tire chains.

 

[First one]

Around the house R-4's are nice and easy on the lawn. Throw some chains on, and there good in the woods and good for pushing snow. I can see if you were in the woods working the R-1's would give you a little more ground clearance, but the R-4's do have more ply. I think R-4's are a good all around tire.

 

[CharlieTR]

I agree with "Ford Tractor".
R4 in dense clay can end up with no traction at all.

 

[TripleR]

I agree with "Ford Tractor".
R4 in dense clay can end up with no traction at all.

Like I said in an earlier post, I had two tractors in the same conditions, one with R4's and one with R1's and once they got loaded up, both were slick and had the same traction until we took the R4's out on the road and slung the mud loose. Under the right conditions any tire becomes a "slick". It is just hard to make an "always or never" statement on tires.

I do however agree if mud is a steady diet, I would opt for R1's.

Of course you could compromise and do like we did and put R1's on the front and Turfs on the back of one of our tractors.

 

[slowzuki]

R4's are fine in snow until you get ice or wet snow that glazes when compacted. Its frustrating to watch a 2wd car drive up something that your 4wd tractor with diff locked can only get part way up before sliding backwards and sideways back down.

Chains solve this but then you can't really drive on pavement.

 

[DarrylH20]

I have never experienced this. I have R4's on my tractor, which is very light to begin with, I do not have chains. My tractor was purchased first and foremost to be a snow beast. Last year was the heaviest winter in 30 years in NE, and it has zero problems. This is scooping heaping buckets of snow and pushing a 64 inch snow blower. Put it in 4x4 and away we go. It can drag a 72 inch box blade full with wet sticky clay without issue as well. I also used it to pull logs and dead fall out of the woods in soft soil without issue. R4's work pretty well and give sufficient traction for all conditions I have encountered. I have never gone swampin though.

Same here, love mine

 

[grnspot110]

My JD 790 has R4's, a good compromise for me. If I was only going to mow with it, I would want turfs. If I was only going to use it at the farm I would want Ags (R1's), but since I use it for both, the R4's were my best option! ~~ grnspot110