Ballast Loaded Tires - any down sides?

Jay4200 · Apr 8, 2011

I forgot about the getting a flat part. I picked up a nail in one of my rears this summer. As soon as I noticed myself riding crooked, I lifted the back end with the 'hoe stabilizers, then popped off the wheel and rolled it to my porch. There, I popped the bead, pulled out the tube through the gap and stuck on a bicycle tube patch. I aired the tire back up, rolled it back to the tractor, put it back on and was back in business. Total elapsed time ~15 minutes (including sending "The Boy" to the corner store for the patch kit) and total cost was $2 for the tube patch kit. $800 to fix a flat? Krike'...I can get a brand new tire AND fill it for less than that! Even $200...I wouldn't even consider it.

I seem to remember thinking, "dang glad I didn't ever fill these things - I don't think I would've even tried to unmount/mount a 500 pound tire. No way - would've killed myself. Yea, now I remember why I didn't want to load my tires.

JayC

JDgreen227 · Apr 8, 2011

Jay4200 said:
I forgot about the getting a flat part. I picked up a nail in one of my rears this summer. As soon as I noticed myself riding crooked, I lifted the back end with the 'hoe stabilizers, then popped off the wheel and rolled it to my porch. There, I popped the bead, pulled out the tube through the gap and stuck on a bicycle tube patch. I aired the tire back up, rolled it back to the tractor, put it back on and was back in business. Total elapsed time ~15 minutes (including sending "The Boy" to the corner store for the patch kit) and total cost was $2 for the tube patch kit. $800 to fix a flat? Krike'...I can get a brand new tire AND fill it for less than that! Even $200...I wouldn't even consider it.

I seem to remember thinking, "dang glad I didn't ever fill these things - I don't think I would've even tried to unmount/mount a 500 pound tire. No way - would've killed myself. Yea, now I remember why I didn't want to load my tires.

JayC

Can you tell us what you used to pop the bead with...have never had to remove a tire bigger than those on my JD 318 rears from a bead, I remember now what a b---h it was to loosen those little tires, what does it take for a big one? Clamp, or hammer and wood block?

caspar3259 · Apr 8, 2011

I haven't gone back through the postings to double check, but it seems that folks who vote against loaded tires have never had them. Most people who have them are glad they do!

-Jeff

dmay · Apr 8, 2011

caspar3259 said:
Thanks for all the comments. The tractor I'm looking at is a Kubota L3800, so HP in the mid-30's and weight around 2600 (w/o attachments, I presume). Most likely R4 tires.

The main work will be clearing snow and maintaining driveway & road. Some leveling and tree/stump removal. No lawn work. Attachments are likely to be FEL, backhoe, box blade, maybe rear snow blower, maybe front blade. I still work at my desk job, so it will be a weekend warrior most of the time.

Your primary roles and attachments will benefit from loaded tires, so load them up. Standard on that tractor is R1. With no lawn work planned I would stick with R1.

caspar3259 · Apr 8, 2011

dmay said:
Your primary roles and attachments will benefit from loaded tires, so load them up. Standard on that tractor is R1. With no lawn work planned I stick with R1.

Not to change the thread topic, but the dealer suggested R4 would be better as they "would not tear up the dirt driveway / road" as much as R1s.

Is there a consensus that R1s provide better traction in snow and dirt than R4s? Is there ever a consensus on this forum? :laughing: Maybe I should ask if it's generally accepted that R1s provide more traction than R4s...

Seems to me that R4 give more rubber in contact with the ground, but R1 has "bigger tread" that digs in more. I can see the traction winner going either way.

-Jeff

TripleR · Apr 8, 2011

caspar3259 said:
Not to change the thread topic, but the dealer suggested R4 would be better as they "would not tear up the dirt driveway / road" as much as R1s.

Is there a consensus that R1s provide better traction in snow and dirt than R4s? Is there ever a consensus on this forum? :laughing: Maybe I should ask if it's generally accepted that R1s provide more traction than R4s...

Seems to me that R4 give more rubber in contact with the ground, but R1 has "bigger tread" that digs in more. I can see the traction winner going either way.

-Jeff

Gee, come to think of it, I don't think that has ever been discussed on here, wonder why.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...isons/183932-ag-tires-vs-industrial-tire.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...isons/199728-do-you-like-your-industrial.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ating/145913-ag-bar-tire-industrial-tire.html

And the list goes on.

dmay · Apr 8, 2011

caspar3259 said:
Not to change the thread topic, but the dealer suggested R4 would be better as they "would not tear up the dirt driveway / road" as much as R1s.

Is there a consensus that R1s provide better traction in snow and dirt than R4s? Is there ever a consensus on this forum? :laughing: Maybe I should ask if it's generally accepted that R1s provide more traction than R4s...

Seems to me that R4 give more rubber in contact with the ground, but R1 has "bigger tread" that digs in more. I can see the traction winner going either way.

-Jeff

R1 = dirt
R3 = lawn
R4 = compromize

Your not doing lawn work so no need to compromize.

Think of all the really BIG tractors running R1's heading up and down driiveways, roads, across lawns, hay and dirt fields every day. Somehow all avoiding not to tear things up. I used to own a Massey 265 with loaded R1's and drove across my lawn pulling equipment every time I needed to get out to the hay field or horse pasture. I never tore things up.

knightrider955 · Apr 8, 2011

Only downside is crazy weight if your gonna haul it anywhere. My loaded tires add 1700 lbs to my tractor that already weighs 5000 lbs plus my 2200 lb trailer. My yukon didnt want to haul it and really felt unsafe. Plus the tongue weight killed it. I had to buy a Ford F-350 with a V-10. Thats how much I love my tractor lol.

art · Apr 8, 2011

You seem to be needing back forty work done for the bulk or more then 95% of the time from your description.

From that I still stand on the wheel weights but thats your choice.

Not to many people get to have as many makes and models to play with that I do.
I had two B-2910 tractors to play with in winter conditions in the same season. Both with loaders and aftermarket cabs complete Kubota outfits and on my paved driveway. One with industrial tires and one with turf tires both with unloaded tires. The one with industrial tires was the easiest to use as it would spin out when pushing large amounts of snow(well more then a bucket full) the one with the turfs would actually pick the front tires off the ground while pushing!!!! I do scape it bare, after all what do we clean the driveway for but to make it bare!!!

I've done this before with other tractors, the turf will give better traction on driveway do to more tire on the ground. I didn't have an oppertunnity to try ag tires although I'd say they would be more like the turfs then industrial do to the tires flexibility.

Now back to your issues, The industrials will give better traction on good going then ag tires do to the larger foot print and bar angle, they also would tend to rut less with constant drive over. The ag tires will give you more traction in adverse conditions. The skinny bars will drop in further then an industrial tire and will and flex more.

Industrial tires on compacts are almost like loaders! They are on most compact tractors sold.

I've heard that the calcium is a better ballast then cast for side hills, we sell a lot of compacts with cast as well as big farm tractors with cast and central NY is loaded with hills! We will often have to demo because of pucker factor on the terrain we have here and we have always done well!!! We do stress good balance!!!

We still load tires for those that feel the need as well as fix them$$$$