Tire choice

rcrcomputing · Apr 12, 2005

I'm reading some posts and I fear I may have gotten to aggresive on my tire choice. (the dealer not delivered tractor yet, though he has them mounted already)
I told him R1 and while getting stuck etc is my biggest concern, I'm wondering if you think it's not a good all-around choice.
My ground is not soft. My yard is not a prize "lawn". And that part that is nicer, should generally get the riding lawn mower. That said, I guess I'm asking those that chose R1's if they regret thier decision?
Also, I would NEVER try to change the deal if he special ordered the tires or rims. Am I worried about nothing?
Will I never be able to mow grass for neighbors?

OffBalance · Apr 12, 2005

Well, he may have another customer who just ordered R4s, and is wishing he could really have R1s, so it doesn't hurt to ask! Let the dealer know that you will take the R1s since that is in the contract, but that you really want R4s. Maybe he can help work out a trade with the next customer that wants R1s.

_RaT_ · Apr 12, 2005

R1's without a doubt offer much better traction then R4's when used on most surfaces with the possible exception of pavement. You can also dig holes much easier because of the tread when you spin the tire. The front tires also wear considerably quicker and the stock tires are typically have fewer plys and don't handle loads as well as stock R4's. All those though should be secondary factors for your tire choice. If you need the traction because of your soil type be it because of your geographic location where rain fall is year round making wet soil, you pull ground engaging implements in such soils etc., R1's are the choice I think you should make as you will become agitated with the poor traction of R4's. If your like me where our summers are dry, your soil drains very well, your problem is not traction, then R4's may work very well. The stock tires are unquestionably tougher then stock R1's. If you want R4's, the dealer can typically swap them out very easily although they do cost more. I have been very happy with my R4's. I have a neighbor with the identical tractor but he has R1's. Using his tractor with the loader it becomes apparent that the R1's on the front of it do not take fully loaded buckets of material nearly as well.

rcrcomputing · Apr 12, 2005

I do have areas I worry about getting stuck in. However, I don't want to have ruts and I certainly don't wish to hamper the load handling capability. So the R1 is an Ag tire, what is an industrial tire?

tillboy2001 · Apr 12, 2005

R4 industrial has a similar tread pattern to the R1 ag tire, but the R4 has more of a flat surface than the R1. The R1 will bite into the ground more for better traction.

I have the R4's and were it not for being a little concerned about messing up the lawn, I would go for the R1's if I had to do it over again. I've had issues with slipping in the grass with my R4's (but only on hills and if the soil is soft/damp). The R4's get packed with mud pretty fast when I'm doing loader work and spin...but they do clean out very fast once you're out of the mud. I think overall I'll be just fine with the R4's and I like the fact that they're a very tough tire. I worry about stray nails (from the old timers that used a few areas as a dump in the past) and thorns on our property...but not nearly as much with the R4's. Personally, now that I've had the chance to get around the yard with the heavy John Deere 4120 (440 lbs of rear wheel weights, loader and finish mower attached), I think I'd still be ok with R1's if I didn't do anything stupid. I really don't need to be in the lawn much when it's damp anyway.

R3 Turf - R1 Ag - R4 Industrial Comparrison Photo

rcrcomputing · Apr 12, 2005

I thought it might help to describe the usage of the tractor.

brush hog - 15%
pulling down trees - 15%
leveling with bb - 20%
FEL work - 20%
finish mowing - 10%
bh work - 20%

Maybe this will help you, help me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

tillboy2001 · Apr 12, 2005

Since you'll be doing a lot of pulling on trees, doing loader work and leveling work...if it were me, I'd go for the R1's. Since I don't do a large amount of heavy loader work and our tractor is already very heavy, the R4's work out fine for me. I drug a huge root ball (tree stump with lots of soil still attached) through light snow, damp ground and rolling hills and it didn't spin at all (in 4 wheel drive).

RalphVa · Apr 12, 2005

You probably made the right choice, R-1s, for what you want to use the tractor for. I went with turfs on my JD 4010 because of my experience with both turfs and R-1s and chains on my Gravely. Also, I have to go across my lawn A LOT with both tractors. Both R-1s and chains dig a lot when they lose traction. I found that the turfs have as much traction until they lose it and don't dig when they lose it, in general. On bare dirt, the R-1s or R-4s would have more traction than turfs though, and it won't matter much when they start to dig.

Bird · Apr 12, 2005

Purely personal opinion, of course, but I've only had the R1 (Ag) tires and that's what I'd want in your situation, so in my opinion you've already made the right choice.

rcrcomputing · Apr 12, 2005

You guys have made me feel much better. While I was prepared for the hard truth, it seems the R1's might be better for my use and possibly my "personality". I like mean aggressive stuff. as evidenced in my pickup truck.
Tonka Toy

Soundguy · Apr 12, 2005

I think you may be ok.. since you don't have soft / golf course lawn.

I have r-1 on most of my tractors.. I run around all day in my pasture with no prints fron the r-1 ag tires. My front tri-ribs on the medium sized tractors tend to print.. especially on my tractor with a front end loader.. but then.. that's got alotta weight up front on some 6.00x16 tires..

Can't beat the traction and durability of a r-1 tire, compaired to turf tires.. etc. ( price too! )

Soundguy

chatcher · Apr 12, 2005

The choice between R1 and R4 can get complicated by factors other than tread design. The sizes chosen by tractor manufacturers for similar size machines are often very different. For instance, on the Kubota L3130, the R4 tires seem huge compared to the relatively skinny R1's. On the JD 3x20's, the standard R4's look smaller than the R1's. Another difference is price. According to the the New Holland price list for my TC35DA, the R1's, available in two different sizes, cost more than the R4's. I think this is the opposite for most other brands, but I don't know about Kioti. Also on the New Holland, the R4's are considerably heavier. My R1/R4 choices were:

R1 7x16 6-ply Front/13.6x24 4-ply Rear, 468 lbs, $2,195 MSRP
R1 8x16 6-ply Front/14.9x24 4-ply Rear, 515 lbs, $2,636 MSRP
R4 10x16.5 6-ply Front/17.5Lx24 8-ply Rear, 616 lbs, $1,879 MSRP

It was an easy choice for me, especially since the tractor I wanted was in stock with R4's on it!

Other brands will have different size choices and different prices, but my point is that there is more to the choice than just "R1 or R4". Look at the sizes offered as well.

My new TC35DA is the first tractor I've had with R4's, and compared to my old Ford 601, I would agree with what others have said about digging - I don't know which tire is more likely to spin, but once spinning, the R1 tends to dig a hole a lot faster. I don't know which is more likely to get stuck or unstuck, but it will take longer to bury the R4's in a hopeless situation. I'll definitely take four wheel drive with R4's over two wheel drive with R1's! Also, the dents in my soft yard with the R4's are not as deep as with the R1's and tend to disappear more quickly.

Pick what you want at first, because changing later is very expensive!

tillboy2001 · Apr 12, 2005

The 4x20 series John Deere's have much wider R4's than R1's. I was surprised just how wide they are. R4 tire manufacturer on the 4120 we bought is Titan.

REAR
R4 Size:
17.5L-24 8PR R4

R1 Size:
13.6-28 4PR R1

FRONT
R4:
10.00-16.5 6PR R4

R1:
8.00-16 6PR R1

Unclebuck257 · Apr 12, 2005

About two months ago I got my new Montana 5740C, and when I ordered it, I ordered it with R-4's. I've got 50 acres, some of which is pretty hard ground, with rock, and some that is that black gumbo type ground when wet. I had a Kubota, 4WD, previously with R-4's on it and never had any problems with traction, anywhere, even when going through the drainage area to one of my tanks. Those R-4's wore like iron and I never had a flat with them. The Montana is also 4WD, and has Titan R-4 tires.

One of my main considerations on choosing R-4's again was not only my past experience with them on my place, but also the fact that I mow an additional 60 acres up the county road from me. Those R-4's will definitely wear better while on the county road, going to that other 60 acres too.

Choice is yours, and I'm sure you'll get good wear out of either. I just personally prefer the R-4's because I believe they get better wear.

KiotiJohn · Apr 13, 2005

( R4 tire manufacturer on the 4120 we bought is Titan.
)
Titan is also the maker for Kioti's R4s. They make these tires for skid steers as well. Actually, I guess they're all skid steer tires. They sure do wear better on hard surfaces as someone said. John

KENB · Apr 13, 2005

I had a hard time deciding between R1s and R4s. I went with the R1s and am glad that I did. Haven't had any problems with the loader full of heavy clay. I know now what my problem was in making the decision between these two tires. I simply liked the way the tractor LOOKED with R4s. When you buy something new, you're inclined to think about LOOKS. The R1s do not LOOK as good as the R4s, but I am really appreciating the traction that I get out of the R1s in the wet muddy conditions.

rcrcomputing · Apr 14, 2005

( I had a hard time deciding between R1s and R4s. I went with the R1s and am glad that I did. Haven't had any problems with the loader full of heavy clay. I know now what my problem was in making the decision between these two tires. I simply liked the way the tractor LOOKED with R4s. When you buy something new, you're inclined to think about LOOKS. The R1s do not LOOK as good as the R4s, but I am really appreciating the traction that I get out of the R1s in the wet muddy conditions. )
I think you may be right. I'm still a bit uncertain, but am staying with the R1's for now. If I regret it later, I'll post back to the group.

LBrown59 · Apr 20, 2005

To me if it don't have A/G tires on it it's not a tractor.
LOL

SkyPup · Apr 20, 2005

( To me if it don't have A/G tires on it it's not a tractor.
LOL )

I agree 100%. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

AG R1's on our L-3130 pull like an ox

IND R4's on our TLB L39 pull like a sheep.....

BTW, Goodyear recently sold its Agricultural-Industrial tire division to TITAN, that is why you see TITAN tires on some Kubotas, Kioti, etc. now OEM.

HRS · Apr 20, 2005

Well, this is what I think about the tires offered.
* I've been out on a field pulling a heavy set of harrows while running R4's. They did the job, though I could actually see the tires slipping as they tried to grip.
* I've been out on the same field with R1's. They claw away and nothing stops them, period.
* I've got a 3 acre yard that needs to be mowed and I don't plan on doing it with little lawn mower forever.
* I don't want to settle with the R4's, because I won't the beast to come alive when I'm in the field doing real work.
* As crazy as it may sound, I've priced a separate set of turf tires to go on a tractor of interest if I were to purchase tractor with Ag tires. Would cost me an additional $1,200. That's rims and everything.
* Lawn mower at Sears, Lowes, or Home D. will cost about $2,000, easy.
* So you've guessed what I'm considering.

So you are pulling down trees!!! Be careful. I helped my dad do a little of that back when I was a teenager. Had the cable come loose one day, and the hook zipped over the hood of tractor. When it hit the ground, it buried itself over a foot deep. We were lucky that day.

Good luck.