Hoye Turf Kit - people who use it or turf tyres - Advice needed.

[RichardDLee]

Hello,

Hoye have given me all the information to replicate the Hoye Turf Kit over here in the UK.

It would involve 315/75/16 4x4 tyres on the rear, Maxxis Bighorn or similar and some 23/10.50/12 on the front. Some kind of Carlisle Titan Turf or Kenda Terra Trac possibly.

I want to swap wheels and tyres as I am mainly on grass and the R1 wheels just eat it up especially when wet. I am hoping that the turf will allow me to float across it.

I do still however want to still use the loader for sand, compost, horse manure and sometimes for a bit of digging. I will also want to use the rototiller which means pulling it in the mud.

Am I asking too much and I will be swapping wheels for loader and tiller work or will it be harder but possible?

Or should I buy r4 tyres? Anyone know if you can get R4 tyres for the stock wheels?

Surely the 4x4 tyres on the back will be reasonably good even in the mud?

Let me know your thoughts or even better how you have found the turf kit if you have it.

I have attached an Image of the shed I am building for my tractor and attachments and garden equipment. Its going to be clad in Larch when its finished.

Thanks.

 

[California]

I'm not sure about getting stuck transporting the rototiller out to where you will use it, but as soon as you put it in the ground it is like 32 wheel drive pushing you forward. No worry about getting stuck in the middle of a pass, rather, you need to keep the tractor in gear to prevent being pushed forward.

Turfs and occasional tire chains might meet all your needs. 4x4 with the differential lock should keep the tractor moving anywhere, but work that entails a full load in the bucket might need this assist. I would try this before trying r4's.

 

[aczlan]

If you can get them, look at the Carlisle All Trail, in 23X10.50-12 its rated for 835 lbs/tire (or 1670# for both tires).
The tread is gentle enough to not tear the grass up much, but it has a lot more traction than a regular turf tire.

Aaron Z

 

[4570Man]

I have a B7100 with turf tires, and a L3240 with r4s. The B7100 weighs about 1200 pounds, and does "float" in the yard. The L3240 weighs 8,500 pounds, and actually does well on the yard if it is dry. I don't think the traction of the turfs is that bad. I can't really give a turfs vs r4s comparison because of the weight difference.

 

[284 International]

I haven't done what you're trying, so cannot even speak from anecdotal experience. But I have a fairly sound basis to compare tire types. I have swapped from turf tires to R4s on a 2 wheel drive loader-equipped YM240. With turf tires, the tractor was fairly worthless in terms of pulling a disk, box blade with rippers lowered, or other high-draft tasks. It was very difficult (Read: Nearly impossible) to back out of a hole with the bucket loaded. With R4s, it works markedly better. That's not to say it performs as if it were 4 wheel drive, but it is better. I suspect the larger void pattern allows the tire to grip better in heavier soil, as I have, because I have a similar (But 4 wheel drive) machine with R1s, and it works better yet. The ability to use the front axle to pull makes more difference than the tire type, in my experiences.

My concern is that you seem to have dramatically conflicting interests: the traits that would give the ability to operate on wet grass/sod without causing damage, like low weight, wide, soft, smooth tires, with low inflation pressures are diametrically opposed to heavy weight, aggressive, self-cleaning tread patterns, and intentional design factors that encourage some slippage. I don't know how to counsel you on that, but have a couple observations.

If it is truly muddy, apart from a few specific conditions (For which, ironically, your machine was originally designed), there is really no need or benefit to till, plow, or otherwise work the soil. As California pointed out, the tractor really just serves as an anchor to allow the tiller to attack the soil, and a turf tire equipped 2 wheel drive machine will work fine, particularly in appropriate conditions.

As with many other things, operator skill and technique make a huge tremendous difference in the quality of the results. If working out of a heaped pile, while it is tempting to try gouging the bucket into the pile and lifting a vast heap out all at once, it is much easier on the equipment and usually faster to fill the bucket in a shallow scoop through the slope of the pile, much like a backhoe bucket is filled. I would suspect that your machine will work well with automotive mud tires if you are careful, especially since you have 4 wheel drive. Manure, compost, and sand are fairly soft and easier to load into the bucket. A good box blade with rippers is your friend when trying to dig a hole with your bucket; teeth on the bucket help too.

I think if you operate under proper conditions, and with the right technique, you will be very satisfied with the improvements it makes in how roughly it treats your lawn. Make sure you are in 2 wheel drive, don't turn sharply or travel at higher speeds, and keep off the lawn when it is wet for best results.

You could consider filling the rear tires with ballast, too, for some extra grip, at the risk of deepening the grooves your machine leaves in the lawn, though it probably won't tear the ground up.

I really like your shed, too. Good luck, let us know how it works out for you!

 

[Scotty Dive]

I have the Hoye turf kit and like it was said before I try to avoid very muddy conditions as it just makes matters worse. What I did is had the tires loaded and I run 4 link chains all year long. It works very well on turf and if I do some loader or dragging work on the sloppy parts of the property I can get out if it gets slippery. The other thing about the turfs and having them loaded over the r1s is that my tractor is much more stable and I don't have to have hang something off the 3pt for counter weight all of the time.

 

[RichardDLee]

Thanks everyone, I think for the most part having 4WD and getting a 4x4 tyre and a more aggressive front tyre as suggested will suit my purposes.

I hadn't thought of the tiller pushing the tractor along but of course it does.

I didn't want to spend the money on new wheels and then find that I don't use them and stick the r1's back on again.

I think if I stick to careful driving and invest in a box blade as well i should be well served for the next decade or more by my Yanmar.

The turf tyres maybe don't at first appear to suit loader work but if you have to travel over grass to empty the loader and you do it repeatedly you end up with 2 small canals through your grass. It doesn't look good and I want to avoid that happening again. I will keep the R1's and I would think it is pretty easy to swap the wheel over, 15 minutes to change them all? Anyone know?

I have got all the corners up to full height on the shed now and I will hopefully be finishing the blocks tomorrow and moving onto the roof in the week.

Thanks.

 

[4570Man]

If the tires are loaded it would be a pain to change the tires. I think it would take longer to change then 15 minutes even unloaded. The back tires on my tractor weigh over 600 pounds each.

 

[California]

These little tires aren't as heavy as that. 16 inch turf tires should weigh less than the 16 inch highway tires on a pickup. Loaded might add 100 lbs, still manageable.

 

[clemsonfor]

your not changing them in 15 minutes without a lift to easily lift you an ich or so up in the air. Jacking and blocking the tractor would take a few minutes and then even with air running nuts off and on will take a few mins. But on my ym2000 the rear has bolts not lugs so its a bit tricky to line the tire up.