How are my turf tires going to handle this job?

[Jerry#1]

I've got a nice John Deere 1070 with an aftermarket steel cab and a FEL. It's rated at 39 hp. I use it primarily for moving snow with a back blade. It's got excellent turf tires on it and they work well in the winter, but this year I want to buy a box blade for improving the one mile of dirt road at our cabin neighborhood. The road is sandy loam with some gravel on it that we've applied over the years to keep it firm.
I'm think of buying a 72" King Cutter Pro box blade from our local farm store just for road maintenance, but I'm wondering how the turf tires will work at pulling that load? I've got about a 72" rear tire width on the tractor, so I figured the 72" box blade would be a good match.
Any opinions on this set up? Will the turf tires dig in or lose traction? Would chains be a good option? Opinions on the King Cutter Pro? Thanks in advance.

 

[Billrog]

Your tires will be fine .

 

[CalG]

I run Turf tires and cross link chains year round. Snow plow up front on one, Snow blower up front on the other.

 

[Halftrack]

Your turfs will do fine, especially if you have 4wd. I used a 2wd, 24 hp, with turfs and a 5.5' rear box and could fill it every time. A little weight transfer using the 3 pt lift will make a big difference.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I have loaded turfs, FEL, and 4x4.... I also use 2 link, V bar ladder chains in winter... The only limiting factor seems the weight of the tractor and attachment of the season.. Having way more power than traction.. This is not the fault of the turfs.... Any tread pattern would be like this..

 

[CalG]

I have loaded turfs, FEL, and 4x4.... I also use 2 link, V bar ladder chains in winter... The only limiting factor seems the weight of the tractor and attachment of the season.. Having way more power than traction.. This is not the fault of the turfs.... Any tread pattern would be like this..

I run weight all winter!

Amazing what 200# will do on a small tractor. 800# on the the larger one set's it SOLID!

 

[oosik]

Give it a try. If it does not work you can add chains or go to a different type tire or add more weight to your tractor. About 99% of the time you will have more power than traction.

BTW - Welcome to TBN Jerry.

 

[dodge man]

Turfs are terrible in the mud, otherwise they are fine. Just don’t do it when it’s wet.

 

[Rich B1]

I have a smaller tractor with turf tires, 4WD, and a box blade. I run out of traction if I am not careful with how much material I am moving. The tires aren’t the limiting factor.

 

[shooterdon]

Weight is your friend.

 

[Billrog]

Took this pick a few wks. ago fairly steep climb with loaded turf tires but no counter weight. When it's wet gumbo clay you keep the tractor in the garage.

 

[Jerry#1]

Give it a try. If it does not work you can add chains or go to a different type tire or add more weight to your tractor. About 99% of the time you will have more power than traction.

BTW - Welcome to TBN Jerry.

Thanks for the welcome. Actually I'm a returning member, and have enjoyed this site for years.

I agree with your comment, and chains are an option I'm considering anyway for year round use. Thanks again.

 

[kevin37b]

Your tires will be fine . You will have to learn the box blade !

 

[OpsPops]

I cleared residential snow over 5 winters just outside of Winnipeg Manitoba with Kubota tractors.
Started with a BX24 and graduated to a B3030HSDC.
I had great success with the loaded turf tires on the BX24, and when I got the B3030, the weight of the FEL and rear snow blower were more than sufficient to get the job done...even on glazed and wind packed snow.

 

[Blue Mule]

R3 Turf tires are actually preferable unless you're in deep mud like in the photo above.

More biting edges, more surface contact, more pliable sidewalls, it all adds up to more traction.

R4s are terrible, and R1s are only good if you're in that mud that was pictured in the post above me.

 

[Bobrown14]

Stay outta the mud with turf tires and if you feel sporty, be sure you have a snatch strap for your pickup truck.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Took this pick a few wks. ago fairly steep climb with loaded turf tires but no counter weight. When it's wet gumbo clay you keep the tractor in the garage.
View attachment 741090

As soon as that started, I’d go back to the house and wait for dry weather. It’s taken me too long to get grass and gravel holding everywhere to tear it up like that.

 

[oldpilot]

I can't imagine plowing snow with turf tires, or indeed going into my woods, which tend to be on the wet side.

 

[Billrog]

Bill that was only a short stretch of a mile or so of trail that was dry.

I have a long steep driveway as long as it's cold I can plow going up as well a down with no chains. Unfortunately there's always wet snow falls and times when it's glare ice so I use rear chains with cross links every second link. This was before I had the chains made and the conditions were good.

 

[Vigo327]

I have an interesting 'back to back' experience to share.. I have a B6100 tractor with 29x12.5-15 turf/r3 rear tires, and a b7100 which i bought to resell, with 8-16 R1 bar/ag rear tires. The tractors are pretty close to identical despite the model difference, BUT the 6100 has an FEL while the 7100 has 3 x 55lb front suitcase weights.

I also have 2 60" box blades (one came with the 6100, one came with the 7100). The 6100 with turf tires pulls the 60" box blade better than the 7100 on dry ground.. but that's not all. The box blade on the 6100 I added 115lbs to, which is almost a 30% weight gain on the implement.

So the 6100 with turf tires pulls a heavier box blade, better than the same tractor with r1 tires. I attribute some of it to the weight difference between the front end loader and the suitcase weights which is probably about 200lbs, but.. the main point is that turf tires are NO handicap on dry ground.