Tire options

[presnewt]

I have a Steiner 440 with dual bar tires. They are the original tires (7-8 yrs of use) and a few have been punctured and I am considering getting new tires. I am considering the field trac tires. Most of my use is mowing slopes and damp areas on a farm (no snow use). I think the field tires may be less puncture prone but am not sure about traction on slopes and ability in mud. What are your experiences and suggestions. BTW, I recently added a Kubota M5500 and so far I really like it for anyone out there looking at one. Just stay away from their Kubota insurance, it is expensive. Thanks.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I have similar tires on my Ventrac 4500Y. The first pair (factory-installed) lasted ten years. The second pair (installed by my Ventrac dealer) are now coming up on one year old. The tires have performed well. Most of my use entails mowing on slopes and moving snow. I have never lost traction on my slopes, and they are fairly steep. (The house is set into the side of a hill, near the top of the hill.) Traction in snow is good. The only time that I lost traction was on a 14° slope on my paved driveway, when there was ~ one quarter inch of ice on the pavement, covered by about ten or twelve inches of snow. No tire could grip that stuff except one equipped with chains. The tires are fairly gentle on grass, but if the soil is really mucky, the cylindrical "cavities" in the tread can get plugged, and some grass plants might go along for the ride.