Snow Turf or Ags on asphalt for snow?

[chim]

My only experience with turfs was on a Cub 154 Loboy (looks like a Cub Cadet on steroids) which was a 2WD. Any travel in snow required chains. With chains it handled a front blade well.

Now I have a Ford 1210 w/ Ag tires and a B7500 w/ R4's. Both have rear blades (5' on the Ford, 6' on the Kubota) and do very well in 4WD without chains. For really deep snow or moving piles, the FEL on the Kubota comes in real handy..............chim

 

[ronjhall]

Charliebrn
I have used turfs on my tractor since new. I had a 2WD Farmal tractor with R3's. It would get stuck very easily. Of course it would have been better if it had FWD.
Here is a picture of my tractor after moving 18" of snow with Turfs. Some drifts were up to 3'.

 

[JWE]

I’ve had my BX2200 (with Ags) since December of last year, so I only have one winter of experience to draw from. I live on a hillside in SW Pennsylvania and I have to drive about 100 feet up a steep hill to get to my driveway. I was initially concerned that I would need chains to get up the hill. As it turns out, the Kubota has no problem climbing the hill, without chains, even with a foot of snow on the ground. If there is more than a foot of snow I drive down the hill to a lower road that boarders my property and take neighborhood roads to get to my driveway. Once I reach the roads or driveway I have no problem removing the snow without chains. The deepest snow that we had last year was around 18 inches.

I am a little surprised that there are such wide-ranging opinions on the effectiveness of Ags vs. Turf tires. I have had Ags and turfs on tractors before and when I had turfs I always needed chains in the winter. I thought that the opinions would be overwhelmingly that Ags provide better traction except for dry pavement or ice (that is my experience); and that chains will always improve traction especially in icy conditions. I perceived that in most circumstances chains are not necessary if you have 4WD (looks like I’m wrong on that perception). After reading the comments in this thread I think that the only way to know for sure is to try it out with your equipment, in your environment with your operating characteristics. In my case I have concluded that chains are not necessary but Ags are essential.

John

 

[frank_f15]

i don't have Filled tires nor weights, but the one thing that comes to mind is that filled tires and the extra weight is there all the time, where as weights can be removed when the conditions warrent.

 

[kevincook]

I have an L3010 with turf tires and have not problem at all clearing my driveway. I actually think that they perform better than the R1 or R4 tires do on icy conditions because of all the extra edges from the tread. This is what makes all the new automobile snow tires grip so well on ice. The R4 tires are definitely tougher and the R1's will definitely perform better in the mud but I think the turf (at least my Goodyears) will work best on a slick driveway.

These work for me. http://www.goodyearag.com/tires/highflotation/softrac.html


That being said....I wouldn't trust any of them if I had any real hills to deal with. I would put chains on and be really safe.

I had a two wheel drive L175 with Bridgstone Turf tires that had no traction in the snow. I put chains on and they worked great. I did spin the tires a several times when I wasn't being careful but it didn't do any damage to the asphalt. It left a few white streaks on the driveway that faded away in a few months.


These didn't work for me. http://www.goodyearag.com/tires/biasrear/allweather.html


Your BX is considerably lighter than my tractor and that will make a big difference. If in doubt order a set of chains for your rear tires...they are inexpensive and will work better than anything else.


Good Luck.

 

[drcollie]

I have Turfs on my BX22 and traction is never an issue when plowing or clearing with the FEL, even in the worst snow conditions. I do keep the Backhoe on the rear for weight, however.

-Duane C.

 

[r0GuE]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Curious Rogue, did you get ags for the front also, or just the rear? And did you get them via a dealer or ????
Ron )</font>

All 4 - from a dealer!

 

[Jim_Becker]

My BX2200 had turfs and they were "ok". My BX22 has the bar-turfs and there is a HUGE difference in traction during the winter months without sacrificing my lawn in the summer. (The bar tires do not tear up the lawn unless it is really, really wet...and I stay off it at that point anyway)

I don't miss the turfs one bit...