Thinking of changing R4 over to R1

[bspeedy]

R4s only have the traction of worn down R1s.

This ^^.

Had R4's on my first tractor and changed to R1's. No use for R4's. I tear up grass worse with R4's spinning than I do with R1's gripping.

1500 is probably reasonable for that setup.

You can load them yourself with WS fluid. Takes a while, but cheap.

 

[jeff9366]

I would try RUBBER TIRE CHAINS before changing wheels and tires.

LINK: Google

 

[schmism]

If you have a mid mount deck you might check with the dealer first. Most CUT that have MMM have to use R4 tires as the R1's are just a fuz larger and will interfere with the deck.

 

[ovrszd]

Assumption on my part. He has a B3030 for "turf" work so don't think he's too worried about turf damage. Also assuming he'd do his MMM work with the 3030.

Only advantage you might be losing is durability. R4s are a tougher carcass and less prone to punctures than R1s. Totally depends on your uses though.

Good luck on selling your R4 stuff. Who would the prospective buyer be?

 

[dstig1]

R4s have much higher load capacity that R1s. R1s have much better grip in slop. Neither is anything I would call good on ice or slick snow. I rolled a tire off the rim on my R1s lifting a heavy log. My R4s on my new tractor could care less what I lift, as long as the loader will lift it. Both of them were very slippery without chains on ice or snow when plowing. Those were the main reasons I went with R4s on my new tractor. I already knew R1s were weak on load, and that they were not great in the winter. So I went for the extra load rating of r4s and bought chains (which I had to on the old tractor in any case on the R1s). R1s will leave deep impressions in soft or semi-soft ground. So will R4s, just not as deep. If you plan on a lot of turf work, I guess I would get turf tires, but I have no direct experience there. Just seems to make sense.

 

[rScotty]

R4s have much higher load capacity that R1s. R1s have much better grip in slop. Neither is anything I would call good on ice or slick snow. I rolled a tire off the rim on my R1s lifting a heavy log. My R4s on my new tractor could care less what I lift, as long as the loader will lift it. Both of them were very slippery without chains on ice or snow when plowing. Those were the main reasons I went with R4s on my new tractor. I already knew R1s were weak on load, and that they were not great in the winter. So I went for the extra load rating of r4s and bought chains (which I had to on the old tractor in any case on the R1s). R1s will leave deep impressions in soft or semi-soft ground. So will R4s, just not as deep. If you plan on a lot of turf work, I guess I would get turf tires, but I have no direct experience there. Just seems to make sense.

I agree with all that. Something that nobody has mentioned is how much tire choice depends on the type of soil you have. I tried R1s here, but they did nothing good for us, and as dstig says, the lugged Ag tires can have problems carrying heavy loads in the rough or on hillsides. That rough surface stuff is where the industrial tires are worth having. We have R4s on everything except the old Ag tractor - it has R1s, partly because it came with them (used) but mostly because we like to have something around with a couple of feet of ground clearance. The little mowing tractor has turfs, the other 3 machines are expected to work hard and so they have R4s. We definitely prefer the R4s, but then the land here is all sandy and rocky with lots of snow and ice. There is no clay, loam, or mud or sloppy stuff at all. Well, I guess snow could qualify as sloppy stuff, but within a day or so it turns into snow over ice and no tire will grip on ice. That's when we put on chains. In the non-snow months I do expect to run over lots of rocks and branches - and that's another area where the R4s shine.

I'd say that tire choice depends mostly on your ground. R1s for mud and plowing in wet soil. If you have to work in the mud - particularly if it is mud with clay - then R1s are the only thing that make sense. You simply have to take your chances with the reduced load and stability of the R1 fronts with a loader.
If the criteria is durability and load-carrying in abrasive terrain then the choice is R4s. You can try R1s or R4s in snow - or even turfs for that matter - they work about the same in snow. But once a snowfall turns to snow over ice then it's time to break out the chains regardless of what kind of rubber tire is on the tractor. We use cross-link chains that stand above the lugs. There is no concrete or blacktop here.

And of course there are always the exceptions....larger TLBs have to have R4s just because no other tire can stand up to the weight of the machine itself - add load plus terrain to that equation and there isn't much other tire choice.
luck, rScotty

 

[LD1]

Will have to change the rims indeed.

The AG tires are narrower, so is the rim. The rim is also adjustable and usually R4 rims are not.

Have you considered doing just the rears? Double check the size differences on the R4's vs R1's as to not screw up the 4wd ratio. But the higher load rating and wider R4 front is a big benefit for FEL work. And the fronts dont really add that much traction to the whole package.

I have a MX with R1's. I wish I had the 12-16.5 R4's on the front. Because the 9.5-16 R1's are skinny, sink / cut ruts easy when doing heavy loader work. And as I said, dont really offer much for traction. And the size difference is negligible. Close enough not to effect the 4wd. I wish I could find someone around here with a MX looking to do a R4-R1 swap as you are. I'd trade even up for similar wear and get them half way to their goal.

 

[Oldoak]

Most problems with rolling R1 tires off the rims are caused by under inflated tires, cheaper 4 ply tires instead of 6 or 8 ply tires, or exceeding the rated capacity of the tractor and FEL.

In the real world, heavy industrial applications, many all terrain heavy duty forktrucks are equipped with R1 tires. I have used them and see them quite often being used on natural gas drilling pads here in PA. There's more to industrial tires than just R4 or R1 design.

 

[dstig1]

Will have to change the rims indeed.

The AG tires are narrower, so is the rim. The rim is also adjustable and usually R4 rims are not.

The R4 rims on my Grand L are adjustable. FYI I have them set at the widest setting.

As to the offroad equipment note, that may be the case, but we are talking about compact tractors here and what is available for them may well be different...

 

[brown40]

I want to do same on my l5030, but never did.

+1 on wishing I had R1's when I'm churning up the garden or sliding across the lawn... then it dries up and I guess they're good enough!