Mowing R-4 tires and grass cutting

[Yankee]

I mowed for several years with a 7610 with R4s and a RFM. No rutting or marking except in one perpetually soft spot, but even a mower left ruts there. I also run the tractor over my current lawn with a FEL and box blade all the time to get to the back of the property without problem when the lawn is reasonably dry. The slight marks left are gone by the next day. My zero turn mower does about the same as far as marking goes. Just watch your turns, stay out of four wheel drive, and stay off when the soil is wet and soft. Golf courses manage to maintain beautiful fairways with far heavier equipment.

 

[KU Gator]

Tires are a topic that stirs up a lot of passion on this site. I don't have that much of an opinion. I guess if I was mainly going to use it to mow my 3 acres which is essentially a big yard and just use the FEL as a motorized wheel barrow, then the turf tires would probably be best. I bought the tractor mainly for our other property and need more traction when using the FEL, box blade, and rear blade, so the R4's do better for that although the ag tires would be better yet. So the R4's end up being the one set compromise for me and probably most of the users. To Buckeyefarmer's point, I have a couple of areas that tend to stay wet when we get much rain, so that is the only place I get that much tracks, but actually the neighbor tracks his up as bad or worse with the ZTR tires spinning.

The MMM on the 2X20 series is also pretty easy to remove or replace. You have enough ground clearance even with it up that you don't have to pull it off, but the drive over feature makes it pretty easy. Maybe 5 minutes.

 

[Usta]

My lawn is so sloped that I need to mow in 4WD so I dont slide down the slopes. The front R4 tires when turning in 4WD do heavy scuffing.

Here is the link to my earlier post.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/165061-mixing-front-back-tire-tread.html

 

[ModMech]

I guess my over-riding feeling is....

If you have a "LAWN" and like your lawn, then Turf tires would be the best bet. If you simply have a grass covered yard, even a nicer one and it's not wet or soft then R4s should be just fine (even R1s on a true "farm" yard).

 

[toddrdmd]

ModTech, that is exactly what I have. A decent grass covered yard. Sounds to me like the R-4's will serve me best all around, but i'm still listening.

 

[defed]

i mow w/ a ford 600 (approx 3000 lbs?), 3 pt 6' finish mower, and loaded R1's. hardly ever notice much in the way of marks. if the ground is wet, then the grass is usually too wet for me to mow anyway. i DO leave marks from the tri rib fronts tho if i turn too sharp and fast.

 

[Brent C.]

I mow with a GL3240 HST 72" mmm with turfs. This tractor is fairly heavy but with the displacement of the turfs there is little track. Previously I had a B2710 with R-4s and got along mowing fine as well. I will say after having both sets of tires I prefer the turfs. Good luck.

 

[BizDoc]

I have used both turf and R-4s, both leave marks. Both will cut the turf. When the turf is wet, the lugs will tend to leave deep lug marks, just go slow and don't turn sharply. However, I do have to say, I changed from turf to R-4s hoping for more bite in snow, I don't think I had any better success with the R-4s than the turf, so If I had to do it again I'd probably keep the turf, but in my experience neither has been any better on grass, both leave marks. Just turn slowly.