Load tires or not?

[escavader]

Purchasing a kubota b with a hoe .having an implement on the back is it really nessasary?my bx was ,but don't know if I needed to.and wondering if it could have led to premature pinion bearing failure (at 1900 hours)due to pushing the extra weight. Around???id like to be able to plug a rear tire if I get a hole too .
So talk me out of it,or into it
You name it I'll do it with this tractor

 

[mddorange]

Loading tires is to give it more weight for traction. If you don't need the weight, then don't do it. I have mine loaded and I keep something attached to the back all the time and I still need more weight sometimes.

 

[Ryansweatt2004]

If your primary use is lawn/light landscaping work then I might not consider loading the tires. If your doing any loader work, ground engaging work or plowing then absolutely get the tires loaded.

 

[art]

The loaded tires are nearly the cheapest rear ballast you can buy. To use the loader carrying heavy loads it might be an advantage. The lighter the tractor the longer the drive train will last. Think of a gear drive car while driving, it is far easier to change the brakes as well as cheaper then it is to replace the clutch.

 

[Wolfy]

I would not want a loader tractor without loaded tires, unless it had a backhoe mounted 100% of the time . Even with a heavy counterweight, sometimes what's in the front bucket is just too heavy and upsets your balance. Having a back tire lift off the ground is both scary and unsafe. The loaded tires will usually prevent that.

 

[Citydude]

I ran over a grounding rod and put a hole in one of my loaded rear tires. I got a little sticky from the beet juice however I got it plugged. I probably lost a 1/2 quart of it. Pack a plugging kit on your tractor if there is a chance of puncturing a tire.

 

[tman1020]

steel weight is my first choice. Can you get some nice heavy wheel weights for it? It's not the cheapest way to go but I think it's the one with the least drawbacks If you take price out of it. Most likely you should have something in the tires or wheels for best & safest performance. Do your tires spin in medium or low gears or does the tractor bounce up in back or get tippy with a good load in bucket?

 

[PhysAssist]

steel weight is my first choice. Can you get some nice heavy wheel weights for it? It's not the cheapest way to go but I think it's the one with the least drawbacks If you take price out of it. Most likely you should have something in the tires or wheels for best & safest performance. Do your tires spin in medium or low gears or does the tractor bounce up in back or get tippy with a good load in bucket?

Now, I think the most cost effective way is loading tires, and it's what the mfg seems to recommend, at least that's my local 'Bota shop's recommendation- even though they would have made more from me if they had recommended iron or steel wheel weights instead.

The hole in the tire thing is actually relatively rare, unless you work in construction sites or sharpen your bushhog blades too much.

Finally, it really only matters if you think you will often be using your loader with your backhoe off.

If you really think that that will be a really rare possibility, then leave 'em full of air, and if you find that you end up wanting the backhoe off when you use the loader (as I think you will because of how cumbersome and looong it will end up being that way), then load your tires.

Thomas

 

[whizdbiz2]

I was able to add about 160 lbs to the rear of my Mahindra just with loading the rears for about $35 from a local tire dealer. Cheaper than iron weights and makes it just about right with a rear blade or the mower on it for loader work (as long as I don't over do it).

 

[IndyIan]

Probably in a B size tractor, unloaded tires won't help smooth out the ride very much, and if you do more loader work than field work I think loaded tires really helps. I have the rears loaded and it allows me to handle 4x5 hay bales carefully without a 3pt attachment. But then this summer I did some haying with my tractor and a neighbors 65hp tractor with unloaded tires in some rough fields and the unloaded tires did absorb the bumps better, also on the road there was a big difference. If I upsize sometime for a bigger tractor, I'd get wheel weights instead of loading the tires.
I'd never load the fronts unless I never got the tractor over 4mph, the minor increase in weight for traction , probably is offset by the reduction flexiblity of the contact patch, and on the road it must ride like a brick.

 

[escavader]

Got them loaded my dealer loads all new tractor rears and a block heater(except bx) for free

 

[griesheimer]

I got into a discussion yesterday with the local Kioti dealer regarding tire loading. He strongly recommended loading the rear tires only, though for 22 years I have operated my Kubota L4200 4WD with all 4 tires loaded. I've never noticed a problem with front wheels loaded, other than a tendency to get stuck in wet soil if I work too soon after winter rains.

I work (FEL) somewhat hilly forested land, and I need all the traction I can get. Can anyone offer experience / advice re front tire loading? I notice that some setups allow front weights to increase front traction on 4WDs. It seems preferable to load front tires, rather than use front weights, because tire loading doesn't add to the front wheel bearing load. It also locates weight at the lowest possible center of gravity.

Comments?

 

[tman1020]

I loaded my front tires before but I used rubber. Some places offer it. It is a little expensive but you will never have a flat. when you replace your tires you will have to cut them off. It was very handy. It does make the tractor ride a bit rougher but not a big deal. And it is very heavy. On my current set up I have not needed it yet.

 

[WranglerX]

IF you have a hoe on it you have equivalent of loaded tire or 3PH added ballast.... I prefer to NOT load tires and put on or take off the approximates 600 ballast box depending on what I am doing with tractor... Bu them I don't have a hoe for tractor either...

Dale

 

[PhysAssist]

I got into a discussion yesterday with the local Kioti dealer regarding tire loading. He strongly recommended loading the rear tires only, though for 22 years I have operated my Kubota L4200 4WD with all 4 tires loaded. I've never noticed a problem with front wheels loaded, other than a tendency to get stuck in wet soil if I work too soon after winter rains.

I work (FEL) somewhat hilly forested land, and I need all the traction I can get. Can anyone offer experience / advice re front tire loading? I notice that some setups allow front weights to increase front traction on 4WDs. It seems preferable to load front tires, rather than use front weights, because tire loading doesn't add to the front wheel bearing load. It also locates weight at the lowest possible center of gravity.

Comments?

My Kubota dealer flat refused to load my front tires when he beet-juiced the rears for me, but I never heard of loading with rubber- it makes a lot of sense when you think about it- likely is higher density, and no flats is awesome.

 

[jeff9366]

I work (FEL) somewhat hilly forested land, and I need all the traction I can get. Can anyone offer experience / advice re front tire loading? I notice that some setups allow front weights to increase front traction on 4WDs. It seems preferable to load front tires, rather than use front weights, because tire loading doesn't add to the front wheel bearing load. It also locates weight at the lowest possible center of gravity.

Few need more traction working downhill.

Working uphill, assuming unburdened FEL, probably 65% of tractor weight is distributed on the two rear tires.

What liquid you add to front tires is pretty limited relative to 1,000 pound weight of FEL.

Front wheels and front axles have a lot of weight on them from a burdened FEL bucket. No need to add additional weight to the front axle through loaded front tires.

Steel or rubber front tire chains may be more effective supplying traction and steering.

IF you have a backhoe you have equivalent of loaded tire or 3PH added ballast.... I prefer to NOT load tires and put on or take off the approximates 600 ballast box depending on what I am doing with tractor... But I don't have a tractor backhoe either...

All four of my tires are inflated with air. However, my Florida land is flat, I operate over turf regularly and you have more power to apply to the ground.

Kioti dealer recommended loading the rear tires only, though for 22 years I have operated my Kubota L4200 4WD with all 4 tires loaded. I've never noticed a problem with front wheels loaded, other than a tendency to get stuck in wet soil if I work too soon after winter rains.

How many engine hours is 22 years? I replace front R4/industrial tires at about 1,600 engine hours.
Cannot chance a front tire blowout with the heavy FEL loads tractor carries.

 

[MechanicalGuy]

Few need more traction working downhill.

Working uphill, assuming unburdened FEL, probably 65% of tractor weight is distributed on the two rear tires.

What liquid you add to front tires is pretty limited relative to 1,000 pound weight of FEL.

Front wheels and front axles have a lot of weight on them from a burdened FEL bucket. No need to add additional weight to the front axle through loaded front tires.

.

Loaded front tires would not add any weight to the front axle at all from a load bearing standpoint. The axle would not know it or feel it.

 

[Henro]

I have been running foam filled tires on the front of both of my tractors, to eliminate flats, for about 15 years.

No issues to report. I think I have about 1800 hours on the larger tractor and about 1300 on the smaller one.

Extra mass of the wheels would not be felt by the front axle when the tractor is parked, but there should be some difference dynamically when things are moving. Still, hard to imagine that filling tires would be harder on the front end of a tractor than installing and using a loader would...

 

[oosik]

My 2009 Kubota M6040 is loaded at the way around. I have an 820# grapple on the FEL - 1550# of RimGuard in the rear tires - 1050# Rhino rear blade on the 3-point. I always have an implement on the 3--point. About 95% of the time it's the rear blade.

Stability & traction.

 

[Diggin It]

I got into a discussion yesterday with the local Kioti dealer regarding tire loading. He strongly recommended loading the rear tires only, though for 22 years I have operated my Kubota L4200 4WD with all 4 tires loaded. I've never noticed a problem with front wheels loaded, other than a tendency to get stuck in wet soil if I work too soon after winter rains.

I work (FEL) somewhat hilly forested land, and I need all the traction I can get. Can anyone offer experience / advice re front tire loading? I notice that some setups allow front weights to increase front traction on 4WDs. It seems preferable to load front tires, rather than use front weights, because tire loading doesn't add to the front wheel bearing load. It also locates weight at the lowest possible center of gravity.

Comments?

My Kubota dealer flat refused to load my front tires when he beet-juiced the rears for me,

My dealer loaded the fronts without question or hesitation, though he did charge for it. Loaded rears for no charge. I have a couple of steeper hills and clay soil that turns to goo when wet. I need to be in 4WD whenever I take the slopes, wet ground or dry. I have the loader bucket on at all times, but not always carrying anything. If I carry a load, I always keep the bucket as low as possible, just above skimming the ground. Loaded R4s make for a rougher ride, and aren't the best on wet/slick mud, but they hold up to the weight.