How many would buy turfs again??

[buckeyefarmer]

I am a no compromise type, so I will only buy turf tires for my lawn tractors and R1's for my field tractors. I once bought a backhoe with R4's and they were good for that industrial use but in my opinion they are bad for on the lawn or in the field which makes them a bad choice anywhere I use a tractor. Anyone who uses R4's on a lawn or in a field will suffer some dissapointment as that is the cost of compromise.

R4's have not been a problem at all on my lawn, however they don't work in the mud.

 

[lawn_king]

I had turfs on both my B's (7500 & 3030) and have them now on my 3540. They are great multi purpose tires and the only way to go I M H O .

 

[hazmat]

If you plan to mow the lawn, get the turfs. I had turfs and R4s (loaded) on my TC18. The R4s would tear up my sandy/silty loam soil wet or dry (especially wet). I started with R4s and bought some turfs the next season (got a great deal on some "takeoffs"). On my new B3030 I went loaded turfs and have not yet regretted it. Changing the wheels was a royal pain in the rear plus a space suck.

I've generally found that if it is wet enough to get stuck in the mud with turfs, that it is too wet to be doing any work with the tractor in that area. If you have a "road" that floods, it's time to think about regrading it for better drainage.

Some claim better loader performance (less squishing) with the R4s vs. the turfs. I've found this is very application specific - on my TC18 the front turfs were a little soft. On the B3030, they are plenty strong. You may want to check out the load / ply rating on the tires.

 

[Charlesaf3]

The r4s don't tear up my sandy soil dry, but the are hard on it wet, or even damp. Might be because my drainage is suberb as I'm basically 2" of topsoil over a dune.

I do wonder whether I'd have been better off with turfs for the b3030, but I think the answer is "sometimes" and r4s were a good compromise for me. But sounds for many who don't do lots of woods/loader work turfs would be ideal.

How well do loaded turfs work? Does that pose any noticeable lawn issues?

 

[crashz]

My tractor is mainly used for mowing small fields once or twice a year. Never in the mud and rarely on a lawn. The turfs are original equipment, almost 20 years old.

I had to repair a leaking tube in the right rear, and while the tire shop had it open I counted 18 patches! So my next tire on this or another tractor will be R4s.

 

[TheFlatlander]

How well do loaded turfs work? Does that pose any noticeable lawn issues?

I have had unloaded turfs and now loaded turfs and there doesn't seem to be any noticeable lawn issues to them. Very nice when using the FEL. But the loaded tires are really heavy. Allot more than you will anticipate when taking them off for the first time. Very difficult to put back on if your tractor is like mine that uses bolts to install instead of the rim slipping on over studs.

 

[lawn_king]

Turfs work well for snow. I had my titan turfs on my B3030 HSDC loaded with rim guard & it was a nice set up for snow!

 

[ChuckinNH]

Thanks for all the constructive input! It seems that the camp is somewhat divided, and I think that Hazmat's comment about all turfs not being created equal for multipurpose use is very well taken. My soil is clay based, and can get pretty slick on top when it is wet so I wimped out, and ordered R-4's on the B2320 I'm ordering. I do have the Simplicity Legacy that I can mow, and do some chores with when the ground is tender, but overall, I think I'll need the extra toughness in my woods. Now, if it works out that way, life will be good.

 

[RalphVa]

Remembered another reason for me to stick with turfs. Any other tire would likely raise the tractor height enough to where it might not go underneath my garage doors with non-folding ROPS.

Ralph

 

[Ductape]

Chuck, where are you buying your new tractor? By chance is it the dealer down my way?