getting better snow traction with R1 tires

[airbiscuit]

Try the fronts first as a test. Call the supplier and see if they have something that might work for the rears.

From their website:
SOFTCLAW RUBBER TIRE CHAINS
For a limited time, our chains are available for a discount on Amazon. See if your size is included. If you don't see your size, Contact Us to see if one of the listed sizes will fit your tire.

I wonder if either of these sizes might work (They would overlap the sides more than the correct size).
13.6 - 24 $238.00
41 x 14.00 - 20 $200.00

 

[nfisheremti]

i'll probably have to call

 

[amhicks21]

Ive been plowing commercial properties for 5 years with an l6060 so chains and studs arent an option for me either. Ive loaded all 4 tires, use a 1000lb weight box, and most importantly use turf tires. Its gross weight is probably right around 7000lb and runs out of hp way before it runs out of traction. I'd say its very comparable to the pushing power of a 3/4 ton truck however doesnt turn as well with a heavy blade of snow because of the low front weight. think that no matter how much grooving and siping you do on r1's you wont be happy because its a hard tread compound and it just wont have the edge surfaces you'll need. The most important thing to consider about snow traction is that snow always has more traction against itself than it does against rubber so a good snow tire will always have many edges to mechanically grab snow. If you do some research on vehicle snow tires, you'll see this is what siping provides and i can testify personally to the efficacy of siped winter tires having 2 identical cars with one having winter and the other having summer tires.

My personal opinion would be to keep an eye on craigslist/marketplace for a set of turfs, fill em with washer fluid and use them as dedicated snow tires. Not sure how it is where you are but pretty frequently I see people selling tractor tires for cheap because they dont fit their particular use. Ive even seen people looking to trade one for the other. I really dont think you'll ever be happy with those r1's.

 

[crazyal]

My tires are not filled. I do have ~200lb of wheel weights on each tire.

Tractor is 2600 + ~900 for the loader +~500 for the snowblower (1970's FarmKing), +200 ballast each rear tire +me (~200) for a total weight of ~4k

Katahdin: I grew up in Bridgeton, ME. I know Scarborough. It's flat. In comparison to PC Utah, Bridgeton is flat. ****, Bethel is flat.

While R1s and R4s have some things in common. R4s do have a lot more rubber, thicker shallower lugs, and many more of them. I would say 2x the number of lugs. I'm very afraid of chunking the tread. If I do chunk them, then I'd have to run on chunked treads. While R1s are cheaper, and I might be able to afford to replace a tire, why would I do that? If I'm going to get new tires, I'll get Hakka T1s or at least R14s.

The problem is you don't have 4000lbs. When your blower is on the ground that's 500 lbs less. Your loader is also transferring weight to your front wheels which don't have a diff lock. I think you would be surprised to find out how little weight you actually have on each rear wheel. That means they aren't helping as much as they should.

Then there's the physics of your 3pt hitch. When pushing with it the forces actually try to lift the rear of the tractor slightly when the lower arms are down. That's also going to defeat you. You went from a tractor that's lower to the ground to one that's higher and more susceptible to lifting.

I don't think you're going to be happy with tire chains, even the rubber kind if you want to travel at the top speed your tractor can go at. That means either loading the tires you have now and hopefully that will help, getting new tires, or trying to add sips. The reason why so few people add sips to R1s is because the treads aren't as wide. That will mean not a lot of area to make them.

 

[nfisheremti]

I spent a good hour and a half siping the front tires with a razor knife. 8, ~3/8" deep sipes per lug, 30 lugs per tire, both fronts. Looks like we'll get enough snow tonight for me to go out in the morning. I gave them a test on an icy patch on my driveway, and they seemed better, but that's a really subjective test. I'll let you all know if it seems better in a longer, more practical test.

 

[aczlan]

I don't think you have enough weight. I'm reading the L3800 only weighs 2600 pounds or so. I don't know if that includes the loader, but if you're floating the loader its not helping with weight for traction.

I'm running R1s with a 3500lb LX, plus 900 lbs for loader (floating only snow plow), 800lbs liquid in rear tires, 755lbs rear snowblower = Almost 6000lbs weight on the R1 Tires and no traction problems.

I agree. Need to load the tires or otherwise add more weight.

Last year Walmart was selling RV antifreeze for $1/gallon and I bought a bunch to load the tires on our tractor with.
That made a big difference.
You might also look into loading your tires with beet juice, it's very heavy.

Aaron Z

 

[nfisheremti]

the last few storms passed either to the north or the south of me. but i finally got to make a couple of runs the other day. siping the fronts definitely improved the grip. it wasn't perfect or 100% better, but i was able to run a few driveways that i always slid on, much easier. a few i didn't slide on at all. i think i will spend a few bucks on a actual siping tool, since cutting them by hand was pretty tedious, and i think an actual tool would create more uniform sipes, i'll do that in the rear, maybe adding deeper grooves as well making the R1s vaguely R14ish.

 

[airbiscuit]

I'd like to see pics of your sipe pattern. I would think either horizontally l (radially), or in the middle off the tread bar /would work best.

 

[nfisheremti]

i went horizontally perpendicular to the direction of travel. i'll try to get some pics a little later. snowing pretty hard right now. i'm waiting for a break in the storm to go do rounds. about 6" so far, we're expected to get another 6-8, but i don't want to let it get too deep and trap my customers (or worse, make them do their own).

 

[crazyal]

Did you groove them or sip them? Hopefully doing all 4 tires is enough to get you where you want to be.