Mowing Lawn Damage between a CK3510 and NX4510

[dbolong]

I am considering both of these tractors. I have quite a bit of yard that I maintain. This may be a silly question but due to the much bigger size/weight of the NX4510 would I be better off with the CK3510 if I do any finish mowing or just traveling through the yard. Obviously AG tires are out.

Just curious if anyone has experience as to how much actual difference it could make.

 

[ritcheyvs]

I use a finish mower on my DK45s, with loaded industrial (R4) tires; probably about 6000 lb total. I sometimes mow the front yard with this rig. I only notice tire depressions when the ground is wet.

 

[DieselBound]

It's an issue of "ground pressure." Footprint matters here. If you run turf tires you're going to have the least ground pressure (sacrifice traction). It's total weight divided by total contact area of tires. It's a rough measure as turning and rising and dipping can shift more weight between wheels, resulting in more weight on less contact area. Obviously, you don't really want to be operating in 4wd. (I've got a Polaris and it's single wheel drive unless I lock the rear; when in 4wd it'll only operate if there's slippage on the rears; this all results in the ability to keep from tearing up the ground- I get a LOT of rain here.)

 

[4570Man]

I'd say ground pressure is pretty similar and that's the biggest factor. There're both going to destroy the yard when wet, and they're both going to drive across the yard mostly unnoticed when it's dry.

 

[Threepoint]

On my NX4510HST/cab, I have the big Titan turf tires that Kioti offers. Even when the ground is wet (but not spongy), I barely leave tracks on the lawn and paddocks. If turf tires would work for your other tasks, I'd say you wouldn't notice much difference between those two tractors on your lawn.

I'll disagree a bit with Dieselbound's comments on surface contact area. I think we have to distinguish between ground pressure (which I would call "point load') and the overall friction coefficient the tire surface imparts. They are related, of course, but can be very different depending on the ground condition and tread type. Given the same weight over the axle, an AG or R-4 tire can assert a greater ground pressure per square inch at the points of contact (technically measured and expressed as "ground reaction force"). Yet, because less tread area is making contact, there can actually be less overall traction. A good example is on hard-pack snow and rough ice. I plow a fair amount of snow on an access road and residential driveways. The turf tires (R-3s) have considerably more traction than R-4s in those conditions, and way more than R-1s.

 

[DieselBound]

Major equipment manufacturers all seem to list ground pressure.

Traction, well, if you don't have it then that means that something is giving. That "something" is what the tires are on. A loss of traction = torn up ground. Yes, deeper lugs and a loss of traction means the biggest mess. And if your lugs get traction you might cause less damage than turf tires that are losing traction (though, if you're really loosing traction you're not going to be going far- the lugs, on the other hand, will go farther, all the while making indentations- I DO understand that it's not cut and dry)

One of the reason why I stated that weight shifting around has a big impact is because if you're turning (especially abruptly) OR you're traversing a hill you're more likely to do more damage to the ground. (there's also stopping and starting, also some weight shifting; and, towing stuff etc. etc.)

I probably operate on wetter ground than most anyone else here. I have plenty of experience getting stuck!:laughing: Yet, I manage to get a lot done, which means that somewhere along the way I happen to get a lot of traction too.

 

[Threepoint]

Yep, I agree. Interesting stuff. And once the higher-profile lugs on the R-1s and R-4s (even though fewer in number) sink in a bit, the friction coefficient goes way up over R-3s, assuming the footing has a least some firmness. I think this is largely because the horizontal GRFs begin to play a greater role in propulsion against the sides of the lugs as the tire rotates.

The hardness/softness of the tire composition can also be a factor. The Ags and R-4s tend to have a harder composition, a plus for resisting punctures.

 

[DieselBound]

Yes, once past the lugs then you have more surface area.

When I've been stuck - R4s (they do a great job of that!)- I REALLY wish I had Ag tires. But, I'd really tear things up with Ags. I don't look to operate my my tractors if it's been raining. And during the rainy season I'll rarely get enough days w/o rain to dry things up such that I can run the tractors (though the Kubota would tend to get the nod, if I figure it's up to the task, power wise). My "pony," Polaris (Brutus), is the machine that gets the most work when it's wet out (only 2k lbs and the tires and the ground pressure is fairly light- even so I don't stray from the established, more solid pathways).

 

[kthompson]

I have used a small Case that weighed somewhere about 4 to 5000 pounds and a Kubota M6800 both with loaded ag tires and finishing mower in my yard with no problem. You will get more damage from sharp turns with the front tires. Now I will not put a tractor of such weight on wet yard. You can have rutting with normal lawn mower if lawn is wet enough. Now if you will be using fel you have narrower tires with a heavy load that will be more likely to left foot print.

 

[DieselBound]

Ha ha... Yeah, I had my NX just off the edge of my driveway, pallet forks and retrieving a pallet load of wood that I "thought" I could fetch. Front sank in. Rear lifted up (rears ballasted), no attachment on the rear; rear tires were on the edge of the gravel driveway, but not enough traction. You should have seen the "foot print" that that left! Had to fetch the truck to winch out the NX. Stuck in my driveway! I was totally embarrassed! (new "big" tractor; new idea- storing wood in pallet crates! I've managed to mostly deal with these issues, but early on I wasn't very impressed!) Fortunately this was the only time I have gotten the NX stuck. Hoping to never encounter getting stuck like I did with a tracked vehicle! (excavator- epic stuck!) Give me any piece of equipment and on my property I can find a place where I can get it stuck...