Tire inflation

[Toddxyz]

Trying to check my tire inflation going by the manual on my Mahindra 2126 tractor. The chart says:

rear 12.4 x 16 industrial 2094 lbs @ 20.3 psi
front 23x8.5-14 industrial 1477 lbs @ 34.8 psi

I guess this means you can run at less than the 20.3 or 34.8 but the tires will then handle less weight. There are no minimum pressures stated on the tires or in the manual.

There is no pressure range on the tires but both front and back indicate Max pressure of 35 psi. But going by the manual, it says to use 34.8 psi for the front tires (again, think this is for maximum weight capacity?) which is only 0.2 psi less than the 35 psi max pressure.

Would they really have you running a tire this close to max pressure?

My tractor is basically new and I am getting it set up for some snow plowing for the first time and putting chains on front and rear. Was planning to deflate all the tires a bit, put the chains on, then bring the pressures back up to normal pressure. Just not real sure about what pressures to use given the above. Would appreciate a little insight on this matter.

Thanks

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

welcome to the world of tractors.
Experienced users often treat tire psi definitely not like people treat tire pressures on road vehicles.
It becomes a real art for experienced tractor users.
For Ag. use we drop pressures to ensure best traction based on field conditions on a given day and the type of work to be made. Transferring max. hp to the ground while minimizing slippage and max. fuel economy is key.
If you intend to do industrial type work you might choose to double your psi. Loader work for example needs higher psi or risk tire blowouts/damage.
Snow blowing? better drop your psi or you end up with lots of slip / poor traction. etc..
So no definitive number on my yard site. On my 33hp with loader i will run 35 psi on the front when doing loader work, half that when blowing snow or doing field work. Bigger tractors more consistent as they don't change tasks as drastically.