scut ride comfort while mowing, R4 vs turf vs R14

Dmacleo · Sep 11, 2021

z, especially with the airless tires, great for wheelies though

honestly I like them all.
just I can mow my lawn, 5 minutes later till garden, 5 minutes later start rotating 25yd compost pile with one machine.
where most of my "lawn" hay and clover the pto driven mower uses less fuel than any of the 30+hp z units I have used. course blades being 1/4" thick and weighing a ton helps a little there LOL
no right answer, got to use what works best overall for your specific situation.

GeneV · Sep 11, 2021

Dmacleo said:
neighbor has turfs on his, played with it a bit and was small difference between them and r4 I had at the time on mine on open field.
but as stated my lawn is old pasture, tires cant really offset ruts that well. and turfs spun a lot and put me in dangerous positions.

Ok, well that answers it a bit then. How low do you go with the tire pressure?

Also, I notice you mentioned having a stand-on mower, I heard those are better on slopes than z-turns. Not that I'm in the market for another expensive machine, but those things look pretty cool.

cdaigle430 · Sep 11, 2021

I cannot attest to the R4 or R14 but my GC2410 with turf tires has a better ride than my Husqvarna 24hp yard tractor. I dont use my GC for mowing because it will compact the ground over time and kill the grass.

To soften the ride on my yard tractor I did reduce the tire pressure.

Dmacleo · Sep 12, 2021

GeneV said:
Ok, well that answers it a bit then. How low do you go with the tire pressure?

Also, I notice you mentioned having a stand-on mower, I heard those are better on slopes than z-turns. Not that I'm in the market for another expensive machine, but those things look pretty cool.

I never bothered experimenting with tire pressure due to my terrain.
friend I work part time for just (3 months ago) got rid of a scag 61" 37hp kawisaki.
I honestly did not like it, was good for field work when bush hog is overkill. I didn't have a lot of time on it however due to my shoulders I was able to handle it. course needing 2 knees replaced meant standing was the issue then LOL

GeneV · Sep 12, 2021

Ok guys, I mowed today with my craftsman garden tractor, paid more attention to why it's a more pleasant experience than with the massey. Simple answer, w/o thinking I hover over the seat some on bumpy areas, with my legs acting as shock absorbers. The seat is lower on the garden tractor, which allows for that.

oosik · Sep 12, 2021

JMHO - if you are looking for "ride comfort" on a tractor - you are looking at the wrong type vehicle.

My Kubota M6040 weighs - 10,100 pounds. On rough terrain it rides rough - rides smooth on the smooth stuff. It has no suspension - no air ride seat - R-1 6 ply tires all around. It's a tractor.

GeneV · Sep 12, 2021

oosik said:
JMHO - if you are looking for "ride comfort" on a tractor - you are looking at the wrong type vehicle.

My Kubota M6040 weighs - 10,100 pounds. On rough terrain it rides rough - rides smooth on the smooth stuff. It has no suspension - no air ride seat - R-1 6 ply tires all around. It's a tractor.

Oh, there's always room for improvement, Oosik. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Hermio · Sep 13, 2021

I used to mow with a Kubota 4WD 16 Hp tractor with R1 tires. Turf damage was minimal. Ride was a bit rough. But now I use a ZTR. Much faster mowing, and no need to break out a push lawn mower for tough spots. However, a ZTR has trouble with wet or highly sloped conditions. I have to wait for a few days dry weather before I can use it. I now have a larger 50 Hp Mahindra for bush hogging and tree farm work. I do not mow my lawn with it.

F250orelse · Sep 13, 2021

I’ve been mowing with my 3046r cab with R1 tires loaded and it rides a lot better than the r4’s did loaded. R4’s to me just felt bouncy the whole time. I had them on my first tractor as well and never liked the ride. My r1’s flex a lot better.