Hi All,
I having been talking to people a lot of people about R4's....... And the main thing is how gentle they are on grass. I believe that they are gentle enough for finish mowing and do not rip up grass. Almost all the people that i talked to said they rip up grass. Is that true or are they think of R1's????
As you can see from the replies, you really can't overgeneralize something like this... it really depends on circumstances. For example, R4's on a little tractor like a BX usually won't take huge divots, but R4's on a Grand L are a whole different matter... if the ground is soft, you'll leave ruts and tread marks anywhere you go... maybe not as much as R1's, but it will still be noticed. Been there, done that with both sizes of tractors.
And it depends on what you consider to be your "grass". If your place could be mistaken for a fairway at the country club, you're probably not going like running anything with R1's or R4's over the lawn. But if you keep things mowed but use a rough cut bush hog type mower like I do (think pastures, orchards, etc.), a few scrapes, ruts and clumps only add to the character of the place.
Coincidentally, I just spent two hours this evening giving 4 acres its first mowing of the season with the L and a 6' Befco rotary cutter. FEL removed, 2wd and cruise control with the brake pedals unlinked so I can do brake turns (you know, the kind people say you can't do with a Kubota HST tractor :confused2
. Worked great but the R4's on wet grass left a nice 1/2 donut mark in the field at each pivot turn, which will probably be unnoticeable by the next mowing. Been doing it like this for 8 years now.
The R4's can be OK on a highly finished lawn depending on: a) if the ground is basically dry when you mow, b) if you're using a lighter tractor, c) if you don't need 4wd for safety on slopes or whatever and d) if you operate the equipment with a gentle touch.
