I had R4's on my backhoe (case 580C) and liked them for that application. Traction was not too big of an issue as you could always pull yourself out with the hoe when you got in trouble. The tires were thick ply, quite durable on jobsites and good on the road. Outside of industrial applications, which they were designed for, I believe many people are poorly served with R4 tires. If you can swing it, a much better option is to have (2) tractors. The one you use on your lawn with turfs, and R1's on the other. This way you make no compromise on traction in mud, snow, or loose ground. R4's are only slightly better than turfs in these conditions so if you can only afford (1) tractor and need to use it on your lawn, you should probably just get turfs until you can save up enough for a second machine with R1's.
R4's are USELESS!
- Thread starter Deadman
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flusher
Super Member
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Deadman said:
Not surprising. The tread pattern on an R4 is a compromise to get the tire to work on both soil and road surfaces (backhoes, construction equipment). The R1 tread design is optimized for agricultural applications on soil.
rope1
Member
Somewhere in this thread I heard someone mention lowering air pressure in the r4's. What kind of air pressure is everyone running in their tires and what benefits are you seeing? I know front tires need to have rated psi for fel work, but what about the rears?
My R4 tires have served me well and they look cool too. You obviously got the wrong tires for your particular application. That doesn't make all R4's "USELESS". Maybe a more fitting statement would be, "The R4 tires I selected for my tractor are useless in my application. I should have selected a tire better suited for my application. I'm sure that the different tire mfg's interpretation of the R4 tread design varies somewhat. Maybe it's just a particular mfg's R4 tire that slips to excess.
John
John
Last edited:
The reason why I say they're useless i because on our JD 2520, all we had for choices were TURFS (yeah right!), and R4's.....so obviousely we took the R4's in HOPE that they'd be more of a tractor tire than a Slick. Only problem is our 2520 is LESS capable with R4's, than our 2210 was with Bar tires! (thats pretty sad 
)
)Deadman I agree, useless on tractor , R-4s backhoe and heavy equipment. R-4s are also dangerous on hillsides, wet grass and pretty useless for ag. use. I have owned tractors and several backhoes most of my life (close to 70) I can't belive I was dumb enough to buy a new tractor with R-4s.
Timber
Veteran Member
I personally love my R-4's. I grew up on a farm and my Dad was an AG farmer by trade. My life however is different. My use it for overall property maintenance. I was more interested in an indestructible tire. Running over glass and sapling stumps and General clearing. Like is was said already, you put your equipment together based on your application. It has nothing to do with the tire being useless, you just made a poor choice
pat32rf
Veteran Member
My last tractor (a 20hp)had ags..I installed chains for snow work. Current 4300JD came with R4s, didn't want them but the dealer couldn't find ags so he split the cost diference. Once I aired down to 15psi and loaded them with WWAF I soon learned that they didn't dig holes like the ags, in fact they had a lot better floatation in the bush. I still installed chains and now have the best of all worlds. Sure it takes time to install them tightly but well worth it. With close to 3000hrs they have the edges worn off but I bet I would be looking for a set of new ags by now...I don't do field work but spend most of the time in the bush or snow clearing, with a bit of paved road running. If the road is dry the chains come off, but in most cases I am on the road to get somewhere to clear snow so the road is snow packed.
My comments regarding fronts and rears needing to match due to size differences was for a larger tractor. Point is, ask your dealer. They can tell you the exact rotation distance required for all tire sizes and styles, and can make the comparison.
R4's would be great for durability, but traction is first on my priority list. Everyone's needs differ. Most are sold with R4's and ags can be dificult to find unless ordered new.
R4's would be great for durability, but traction is first on my priority list. Everyone's needs differ. Most are sold with R4's and ags can be dificult to find unless ordered new.