Tire Selection R3 Turf vs. R4 Industrial on CUTs

[forestcreature1]

Have you considered chains for the snow season with turfs?

I suspect that since you are fertilizing your lawn, you care about what it looks like [smooth, green, etc.]

I don't generally mow until 3 or 4 days after a rain [usually w/ a 3046r cab with rear wheel weights]

R4's will leave compacted ruts in wet grass/soil & tear/cut when turning [mostly the front, and even in 2wd].

The degree will vary with weight & moisture content.

On a side note - my MF 2605h 2wd will cut a furrow in a lawn even when lawn is not wet with it's front wheels. [the R1 rears do leave a footprint]
Weight is over 5k & yes, I do occasionally mow the yard with it [the deere is not much lighter w/ R4's due to the wheel weights & cab/loader mounted]

Is there anyone close by [or maybe a dealer demo] that has R4's for you to try out on your lawn?

Then you would see on your soil type if it makes a difference to you.

I mostly mow pasture, then the yard, which is somewhat more level than the pasture.

I do not have a lawn [lawns to me imply golf course (the semi rough part)] where things are irrigated/sprayed/tended.

 

[forestcreature1]

Have you considered chains for the snow season with turfs?

I suspect that since you are fertilizing your lawn, you care about what it looks like [smooth, green, etc.]

I don't generally mow until 3 or 4 days after a rain [usually w/ a 3046r cab with rear wheel weights]

R4's will leave compacted ruts in wet grass/soil & tear/cut when turning [mostly the front, and even in 2wd].

The degree will vary with weight & moisture content.

On a side note - my MF 2605h 2wd will cut a furrow in a lawn even when lawn is not wet with it's front wheels. [the R1 rears do leave a footprint]
Weight is over 5k & yes, I do occasionally mow the yard with it [the deere is not much lighter w/ R4's due to the wheel weights & cab/loader mounted]

Is there anyone close by [or maybe a dealer demo] that has R4's for you to try out on your lawn?

Then you would see on your soil type if it makes a difference to you.

I mostly mow pasture, then the yard, which is somewhat more level than the pasture.

I do not have a lawn [lawns to me imply golf course (the semi rough part)] where things are irrigated/sprayed/tended.

 

[Texasmark]

Agree. You answered the only disadvantage (chains used when needed) but that disadvantage could plague any tire.

 

[check 6]

Good tread, I have always had turf tires on previous tractors but I’m going with r4 this time as it is not my primary mower. I have noticed with turf tires on small tractors there is lots of sidewall flex in the front tires when using the front bucket. R4’s I’m told have a stiffer sidewall ... we shall see

 

[WinterDeere]

Have you considered chains for the snow season with turfs?

Yes, I have heavy-duty 2-link chains for the rears and standard 2-link chains for the fronts, for my 855. However, they suck for use on the driveway (asphalt), their only useful purpose is on the lawn in snow, or in the woods when it’s muddy. I just hate installing and removing them, particularly those HD rears, particularly after they’ve been caked in mud. Also, the chains I have won’t fit a 3R, and they’re not cheap to replace. So, I was hunting for a compromise tire, that might have me ditch the chains altogether.

However, it’s not a huge issue. If it’s not to be, and I end up sticking with turf tires, I’ll just replace or modify my existing chains to fit the new tractor.

R4's will leave compacted ruts in wet grass/soil & tear/cut when turning [mostly the front, and even in 2wd]. The degree will vary with weight & moisture content.

I’ve read the same, but have also read some conflicting responses. Are you saying this based on having actually owned R4’s and used them on a lawn, or are you also basing it on what you’ve read and been told? I ask because the tread really doesn’t look so aggressive that I’d really expect a lot of tear/cut when turning, but I’d hate to buy them and learn the expensive way that my assumptions were wrong.

On a side note - my MF 2605h 2wd will cut a furrow in a lawn even when lawn is not wet with it's front wheels. [the R1 rears do leave a footprint]
Weight is over 5k & yes, I do occasionally mow the yard with it [the deere is not much lighter w/ R4's due to the wheel weights & cab/loader mounted]

If I go with the 3033R, and fill the rear tires as the dealer suggests, I could be around 4600 lb. This is one of the few factors that has me on the fence with this machine, considering a 2032R as possibly a better choice for lawn use. The 2032R is 500 lb. lighter, and I’d likely be fine with just the ballast box at it’s rated loader, probably no need for filled tires given the limited capacity of the 220R loader.

Is there anyone close by [or maybe a dealer demo] that has R4's for you to try out on your lawn?

Dealer is close, but I don’t anticipate they’d let me bring home a new machine to try.

I mostly mow pasture, then the yard, which is somewhat more level than the pasture.

I do not have a lawn [lawns to me imply golf course (the semi rough part)] where things are irrigated/sprayed/tended.

Note that I am not using this machine for mowing my lawn, I have a ZTrak for that. But I am using it for seeding and fertilizing the lawn, and all of my firewood movement and storage has me driving around on the lawn.

I have noticed with turf tires on small tractors there is lots of sidewall flex in the front tires when using the front bucket. R4’s I’m told have a stiffer sidewall ... we shall see

Most (almost all OEM) turf tires are 4-ply rating, and yes, these squash quite a bit under the weight of a loader. However, you can buy 6-ply rated turf tires, and I think even 8-ply rated in some sizes. I’ve been running 6PR turfs on the front of my Deere 855 the last five yeas, and while I don’t know how they compare to R4’s, they’ve been plenty stable under the weight of my loader.

 

[Texasmark]

Good tread, I have always had turf tires on previous tractors but I’m going with r4 this time as it is not my primary mower. I have noticed with turf tires on small tractors there is lots of sidewall flex in the front tires when using the front bucket. R4’s I’m told have a stiffer sidewall ... we shall see

Apparently you haven't had 4 ply turfs on your machine; forget the brand but I could go out and get it. I have a pair on my 2400 weighing in at 1800# plus FEL wt and put 33x12x16s on the rear. They could hold up the tractor rear with no air. I bought them sight unseen thinking that turfs would be soft sidewalled, especially 4 ply. Not so. Sidewall is as stiff as the 6 ply 12 x 16.5 R4s that came on the machine.....moving along with this. So I go out and buy a set of 8x16 R1s 4 ply and mount them on the 16" wheels I bought for the turfs and I can run them at low pressure and get a soft ride and much better traction. I think they are Carlisle brand....really nice tires....all of the tires were high quality, just the mfgrs. of the first two must have figured that tractors do dirty work and so they need lots of rubber in the sidewall for protection.......

 

[WinterDeere]

Apparently you haven't had 4 ply turfs on your machine; forget the brand but I could go out and get it. I have a pair on my 2400 weighing in at 1800# plus FEL wt and put 33x12x16s on the rear. They could hold up the tractor rear with no air. I bought them sight unseen thinking that turfs would be soft sidewalled, especially 4 ply. Not so. Sidewall is as stiff as the 6 ply 12 x 16.5 R4s that came on the machine.....moving along with this. So I go out and buy a set of 8x16 R1s 4 ply and mount them on the 16" wheels I bought for the turfs and I can run them at low pressure and get a soft ride and much better traction. I think they are Carlisle brand....really nice tires....all of the tires were high quality, just the mfgrs. of the first two must have figured that tractors do dirty work and so they need lots of rubber in the sidewall for protection.......

I suspect the rear end of an 1800 lb machine is too light for the 4 vs 6 ply rating to matter much at all on a 33x12 tire. Try the same comparison on your little front tires, while using that loader, and you will see a difference, especially when the tire gets low on air. I’ve actually done this comparison on my machine.

 

[Texasmark]

I suspect the rear end of an 1800 lb machine is too light for the 4 vs 6 ply rating to matter much at all on a 33x12 tire. Try the same comparison on your little front tires, while using that loader, and you will see a difference, especially when the tire gets low on air. I’ve actually done this comparison on my machine.

Fronts are rated at 35 psi and they get it. Thanks.

 

[WinterDeere]

Fronts are rated at 35 psi and they get it. Thanks.

I think you missed what I was saying. I was responding to your statement:

I have a pair on my 2400 weighing in at 1800# plus FEL wt and put 33x12x16s on the rear. They could hold up the tractor rear with no air.

 

[jjp8182]

Haven't had turf tires on my tractor so I can't comment on that, but with the soil I have (which is pretty much a clay/loam with low organic content that tends to drain relatively well) I haven't really had issues when the ground was dry (i.e. when walking around on it I don't sink in or cause damage). However, from about late November through early/mid spring everything pretty much turns to soup around here at which point I completely stay off the tractor and out of the yard (won't even walk on it).

To be clear my lawn is really more of a yard than a lawn as I generally don't mow the grass any lower than 4-4.5 inches, and it does have undulations/rough spots (as well as bare spots due to the shade from the trees, and a few high wear areas). However, my "pastures" which are mowed with the same setup (and have the same terrain/soil) are very comparable to the rough on a nice golf course, or a preseason grass football field. There also isn't much slope at all across the entire property (I'd be surprised if it's much more than 1%-2% anywhere other than the right next to the road).

As has been pointed out 4WD will increase the potential for damage (especially when turning), so I generally try not to use 4WD (unless absolutely needed) just due to my understanding of how 4WD works on compact tractors (in that the front tires are actively pulling & spinning slightly faster than the rear wheels).

Having said all that, when I have inadvertently caused damage it's been been minor and easily fixed with a rake or a boot. Unless of course I've completely broken my own "rules" - which are: don't take the tractor out into the lawn if I shouldn't be walking on it, don't use 4WD unless truly required, if the ground is wet enough to be spongy/slick or get my boots muddy then the tires will pick-up bare soil and potentially turf (though I have managed to drive -in 2WD- straight through standing water in puddles a fair number of times without causing turf damage/removal), and don't follow the exact same path multiple times in a row (which I'd say is probably applicable for any type of tire). Healthier, thicker turf also seems to be more tolerant with the root structure acting a bit like a fabric than a bunch of loose particles.

Others may have different results/experiences (especially on different ground conditions), as well as different rules/criteria as I put a relatively large amount of pressure to the ground through the ball of my foot when walking compared to most people (or even many machines).

Also for consideration, while it's not a direct apples to apples comparison; in the two years I've been mowing my yard with my L3560 (which is in roughly the same weight range as the original question) I've actually seen the lawn recover in areas where a smaller riding lawnmowers (with turf tires) had previously caused damage.

Not sure how helpful this has been, but I figured I'd share my experience of using R4s for mowing and yard/lawn work on the type of soil/terrain/turf I have. ....oh, and I have never removed the loader from my tractor, but instead added wheel weights to help shift the weight distribution further aft.