Now That R14 Tires Have Been Out For A While

[clarksvilleal]

...

About the tires? Do those R14s mash the grass down in front of a finishing mower worse than R1s? R1s have minimal contact surface area to the ground and don't mash things down as bad as R4s did. I expect it's the same with R14s. I like running a mower with R1s, you can't tell where the tractor wheels even ran.

So here is my experience with the R14 tires and grass wear (not exactly what workinonit was referring to, but I'll get to that evenutally below) after a couple of weeks with the tractor:

So far, after mowing the grass several times, never when soggy wet, I haven't seen any signs of unusual grass wear caused by the mowing itself.

However - and this is a BIG however - just yesterday I noticed a pair of very visible wear strips in the grass leading up to and beyond a gate in the deer fence that surrounds my fruit and vegetable crops. Previously, with the B2910 and its big turf tires, ruts did develop over a number of years for just perhaps a few feet on either side of the gate. Now, however, after less that 3 weeks, it appears that I am killing the grass over a much longer run leading - maybe 20 feet or so - leading up to the gate, and a similar length run on the other side of the gate, just by driving over that same path a few times a week.

This was disappointing. I do have another gate on the back side of the fenced-in area a couple of hundred feet from the garage where I store the tractor that I can use as an alternative entry point. I may start doing that to keep the side yard near the garage from looking unsightly, as it is starting to do. That will be a minor nuisance, but short of paving the path from the garage to the gate I don't see any other way to avoid killng the grass with the R14s, as it sure looks like is happening.

As for mashing the grass down in front of the finishing mower -- in my case a 72" Kubota belly motor -- that does not seem to be a big problem, at least no more so than the turf tires on the old B2910. I'm not sure if the R14s are much better in that regards, but they definitely are no worse.

 

[Creamer]

So the R14s are not a softer flotation type tire? They are more stiff like an R4?

 

[Creamer]

Same goes for New Holland and Kubota. I find that my Deere dearler staff is knowledgable about most things they encounter periodically. What they lack on is being educated on the new things Deere offers. I suppose that happens at a primarily Ag location.

About the tires? Do those R14s mash the grass down in front of a finishing mower worse than R1s? R1s have minimal contact surface area to the ground and don't mash things down as bad as R4s did. I expect it's the same with R14s. I like running a mower with R1s, you can't tell where the tractor wheels even ran.

Turf tires, due to more ground contact area, do not press the grass down like an R1 or R4. I am surprised you use R1s as they have the highest ground contact pressure of any of these style of tires,

 

[IndyJay]

So the R14s are not a softer flotation type tire? They are more stiff like an R4?

As I understand it they use the same carcass as the R4. Stiff side wall.

 

[workinonit]

Turf tires, due to more ground contact area, do not press the grass down like an R1 or R4. I am surprised you use R1s as they have the highest ground contact pressure of any of these style of tires,

That's counter intuitive. If you are mashing with more area regardless of the pressure you are mashing more grass down. I get that what I am mashing I'm doing with more force but my surface area is much less than the other tires. I use R1s because I do many other things besides cut grass but even with that I probably would still use them. I have zero issues with mashed grass when I mow. No one around here uses turf tires. I have someone that's going to give me a new set but I won't put them on. They can't possibly do any better than what I'm using.

 

[Creamer]

That's counter intuitive. If you are mashing with more area regardless of the pressure you are mashing more grass down. I get that what I am mashing I'm doing with more force but my surface area is much less than the other tires. I use R1s because I do many other things besides cut grass but even with that I probably would still use them. I have zero issues with mashed grass when I mow. No one around here uses turf tires. I have someone that's going to give me a new set but I won't put them on. They can't possibly do any better than what I'm using.

You are confusing force with pressure. With R1s the force is concentrated in the area of the lugs only and therefore the pressure on that grass is much higher than if turf tires would be used to spread out the force. The less pressure on the grass the quicker it snaps back. This is why most lawnmowers use turf tires. Personally I use AT101s because I find there is too much slippage with turf tires on newly cut grass which releases a little moisture. The pressure on the turf tires is not enough to get cleats to bite through a nice thick grass cover.

 

[lman]

You are confusing force with pressure. With R1s the force is concentrated in the area of the lugs only and therefore the pressure on that grass is much higher than if turf tires would be used to spread out the force. The less pressure on the grass the quicker it snaps back. This is why most lawnmowers use turf tires. Personally I use AT101s because I find there is too much slippage with turf tires on newly cut grass which releases a little moisture. The pressure on the turf tires is not enough to get cleats to bite through a nice thick grass cover.

Which tractor do you have the AT101's on?

 

[workinonit]

You are confusing force with pressure. With R1s the force is concentrated in the area of the lugs only and therefore the pressure on that grass is much higher than if turf tires would be used to spread out the force. The less pressure on the grass the quicker it snaps back. This is why most lawnmowers use turf tires. Personally I use AT101s because I find there is too much slippage with turf tires on newly cut grass which releases a little moisture. The pressure on the turf tires is not enough to get cleats to bite through a nice thick grass cover.

Actually, I'm not confusing anything. I understand the division of force, I'm simply bringing surface area into the discussion, which generally is never mentioned. I think the question of how much tire treads affect grass is a function of the type of grass. I cut bahaia and cetipede whci I think is affected less by tractor tires than other grasses.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I just want to put my own two cents in on this. I have found that tractor tires is actually a very deep subject and there are many factors that one has to take into account before making their final selection. It's rarely an easy choice given all the mixed terrain and use types most people are faced with.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I bought a new MX 5400 this spring with R-4's. My first go around with them when everything else I ever had was AG tires. I REALLY LIKE THEM... tractor seems so much more stable and less bouncy.

 

[DerpDerp]

If you have them, how are the R14's are in the snow, and how are they holding up in general? Any complaints in general?
I was going to go R4 and groove them but seen R14 was a option and went with them instead, now Im wondering if that was a good call (and I could probably change back still)
I will be using the tractor mainly as a snow machine.
After watching all the youtube videos I could find and reading comments, it seems like people say there is a nice traction improvement over the R4's in the snow....which is my main concern.

 

[Texasmark]

Just got a new tractor for the wife and let the dealer talk me into R14s, must admit they looked good on the tractor. Always had R4s which works 99% of the time for the work that she does with the tractors. Only time R4s did not work was in snow and deep mud which I do not experience very often, only one snow over an inch in 12 years.

Back to the R14, after 15 hours of mowing and moving dirt, I wish I had the R4s mounted. The R14s may have marginally more traction on grass but tear it up more and can dirt a hole quicker in the dirt, but the one thing I cannot seem to fix is the bouncy feeling on sloped or rough ground. I had rears loaded and aired up to the OM pressures (around 30 psi) but wow, they look rounded and very little tread touches the ground. I lowered the pressure down to 25 psi for a week which really did not improve anything and finally down to 20 psi this week. At the lower pressure they feel even more bouncy but they do look better and have a better contact patch. I may try 15 psi just round out the experiment.

The R4s always felt rock solid, really did not tear up the grass, and worked well enough in the chert dirt I have around my property. I will give the R14s the summer but will likely look for a set of rims and get R4 mounted as even the wife says the tractor feels unstable mowing our sloped property and has stated flatly that she will not be doing much mowing if it does not get fixed .

To each his own. My aspirations are exactly opposite from yours and my back agrees with me! I've spend thousands of dollars and have piles of seats including air compressor operated, and long travel suspension types purchased, whereby I have tried to solve rough ride problems on my tractors and running soft sidewall tires at low pressures works for me. It blows my mind that a tractor weighing 1800# comes OEM standard with a set of 12x16.5 6 ply, stiff sidewall, R4 rears rated at 2500+# each......and they all are doing it.

 

[Creamer]

To each his own. My aspirations are exactly opposite from yours and my back agrees with me! I've spend thousands of dollars and have piles of seats including air compressor operated, and long travel suspension types purchased, whereby I have tried to solve rough ride problems on my tractors and running soft sidewall tires at low pressures works for me. It blows my mind that a tractor weighing 1800# comes OEM standard with a set of 12x16.5 6 ply, stiff sidewall, R4 rears rated at 2500+# each......and they all are doing it.

I have to agree. My Ford has 13.6 x 16.1 diamond tread flotation tires that i run at about 10 psi. Definitely a nice ride!

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

whereby I have tried to solve rough ride problems on my tractors and running soft sidewall tires at low pressures works for me. It blows my mind that a tractor weighing 1800# comes OEM standard with a set of 12x16.5 6 ply, stiff sidewall, R4 rears rated at 2500+# each......and they all are doing it.

So I take it your are running turfs?

I have to agree. My Ford has 13.6 x 16.1 diamond tread flotation tires that i run at about 10 psi. Definitely a nice ride!

Just to be clear, you are running turfs?

 

[Creamer]

Just to be clear, you are running turfs?

They are actually a high flotation implement tire with diamond tread that has limited traction but then I rarely pull anything heavy and when I need assistance I engage the front wheels and I have plenty. What i have found is that the high flotation tire ran soft has a lot of footprint which gives adequate traction for my 28 hp except when you get on something like ice or mud. the mud it will float over nicely but don't try to pull anything through. On ice I can spin cookies continuous if I want to so it is a lot of fun.

The tractor came with the house and was equipped this way and it has worked very well so I have not changed. I do a lot of work in the woods and the diamond tread has very little thin wall so i have never had a stick problem. But when i push snow I need to use momentum and finesse instead of just pushing.

 

[hornett22]

Just got a new tractor for the wife and let the dealer talk me into R14s, must admit they looked good on the tractor. Always had R4s which works 99% of the time for the work that she does with the tractors. Only time R4s did not work was in snow and deep mud which I do not experience very often, only one snow over an inch in 12 years.

Back to the R14, after 15 hours of mowing and moving dirt, I wish I had the R4s mounted. The R14s may have marginally more traction on grass but tear it up more and can dirt a hole quicker in the dirt, but the one thing I cannot seem to fix is the bouncy feeling on sloped or rough ground. I had rears loaded and aired up to the OM pressures (around 30 psi) but wow, they look rounded and very little tread touches the ground. I lowered the pressure down to 25 psi for a week which really did not improve anything and finally down to 20 psi this week. At the lower pressure they feel even more bouncy but they do look better and have a better contact patch. I may try 15 psi just round out the experiment.

The R4s always felt rock solid, really did not tear up the grass, and worked well enough in the chert dirt I have around my property. I will give the R14s the summer but will likely look for a set of rims and get R4 mounted as even the wife says the tractor feels unstable mowing our sloped property and has stated flatly that she will not be doing much mowing if it does not get fixed .

I run 10-11 psi in my rears (R4) filled with washer fluid. I have had no issues and I'm in East Tennessee and use the tractor commercially. I'm on rocks and hills constantly.

I'd lower your pressure more. I run 30psi in the front.

 

[warrendeere]

thats exactly why i want r14 tires, not as hard and brittle as the R4 Tires, and they also seems to float and ride much better. I cannot stand how Hard R4 Tires are, they offer zero cushion over bumps to the tractor or the operator, and it feels absolutely terrible.

 

[Texasmark]

If I were to need to replace my turfs, I would consider them.. If they were available in the correct size..

The biggest complaint I seem to find is the R 14 is not available in all sizes.. And the fact it is not available as a radial pattern tire in only a smaller number of sizes...

My question was ...what seems so special about the R 14 as a radial ??....
The overwhelming answer seems to be quality of ride of a radial is better....

This is on a tractor, over a yard, pasture, or wood land and a radial tire giving a better ride is a concern ?? ??
I don't get it.... But that seems important to some....

Ride is my main concern......to each his own!

 

[Texasmark]

thats exactly why i want r14 tires, not as hard and brittle as the R4 Tires, and they also seems to float and ride much better. I cannot stand how Hard R4 Tires are, they offer zero cushion over bumps to the tractor or the operator, and it feels absolutely terrible.

The other thing is the !@#$%^&*()_+ mfgrs put a pair of 12x16.5 R4s, rated 2750# each on new 25 hp tractors weighing 1800#. Up the HP and size goes up exponentially. So you figure you'll get a turf and get some smoothing out....wrong. Titan turfs come in with the same stiff sidewall. R1 is the only thing comfortable.

 

[Williy]

I don't go fast enough to bounce around on R4's
and am very comfy with them. I have no desire
to race someplace to bounce around and be
uncomfortable. I'm very happy with my setup.
But then again everybody is not happy with
just puttin along.

willy