Turf tires killing grass

[Eagleview]

Are you certain the front and rear tyre sizes are correct for that tractor and the tyre pressures are correct ? Any mismatch in tyre size or tyre pressures will cause "winding up" and cause that damage . Also make sure the diff locks are not engaged .

 

[mikester]

Thanks guys. This was mostly just straight driving. I did have it in 4WD and it occured to me that it might be an issue, but as I said it was mostly straight. I made several trips down a trail with a full loader. The ground was pretty dry. My neighbor drives all over his lawn, a lot more than I do, and I don't see the tracks.

Here are two shots showing the damage. In the first, I only traveled twice over the grass. In the second, I probably made 20 trips.

View attachment 558318View attachment 558319

If you only do this once in a while it will bounce back don't worry. If you have to drive there constantly it will get compacted and the grass/weeds will take longer to recover.

If you are expecting golf green turf then its the end of the world and it's time to move to a condo.

 

[csquared63]

If you only do this once in a while it will bounce back don't worry. If you have to drive there constantly it will get compacted and the grass/weeds will take longer to recover.

If you are expecting golf green turf then its the end of the world and it's time to move to a condo.

I'm not a "grass" guy—my lawn area is full of clover and some other weeds. I think I was just surprised how quickly the trails wear down with so-called "turf" tires. Since I don't drive the tractor on the lawn or trails much, I just wondered if it was the filled tires and overall weight of the machine. It seems it's a combination of many things, and just what happens. ;-)

 

[csquared63]

Are you certain the front and rear tyre sizes are correct for that tractor and the tyre pressures are correct ? Any mismatch in tyre size or tyre pressures will cause "winding up" and cause that damage . Also make sure the diff locks are not engaged .

Interesting. I switched from the stock R4s several years ago. The guy that I purchased the tires from also put new rims on because of the differential. I will double-check the front pressures. The rear tires have minimal air because they're filled. I don't believe the diff locks are engaged. Thanks for your input!

 

[csquared63]

Looking at your pics it is obvious that that is a well travelled trail and not a typical lawn.
Shucks constant walking would even wear down a path like that.

It was just well traveled that day, though. I don't often drive the tractor on the lawn or trails.

 

[csquared63]

Is the grass really dead or just disinterred (Pulled up and out)? Or, are the tires leaking and the salt or other solution affecting the grass?

Swap out your tires with a neighbors and see if the grass is being saved and their's killed ( ! ).

I drive my 1070 on the lawn all the time with loaded ag tires and loader mounted. Grass is healed in a few days.

I think the grass/weeds are just flattened and dried out. No leakage of fluid. I suppose it'll bounce back, but it just seemed like it should be able to take a bit more travel.

 

[hawkeye08]

I drove my tractor all over my lawn when I sprayed it a few weeks ago. I can see the tracks, but it did not kill the grass. If I drive in 4WD with load in bucket the same path a few times in the hot part of the summer, it certainly leaves a path..

 

[aczlan]

Thanks guys. This was mostly just straight driving. I did have it in 4WD and it occured to me that it might be an issue, but as I said it was mostly straight. I made several trips down a trail with a full loader. The ground was pretty dry. My neighbor drives all over his lawn, a lot more than I do, and I don't see the tracks.

Here are two shots showing the damage. In the first, I only traveled twice over the grass. In the second, I probably made 20 trips.

View attachment 558318 View attachment 558319

Looking at the second picture, it appears that you may have pushed the plants into the wet/muddy around and if you stay off of it for a week or so, it may recover.

Aaron Z

 

[npalen]

You run up and down the same patch of grass in your slippers and you will get to dirt soon enough.

Turf tires are more a gentler alternative to Ag tires than a tire that won't harm turf at all.

Sounds like a path to the outhouse.

 

[RalphVa]

Turfs grip better in turning than R4s do. I've had both. Turfs will rip up the grass more in turns because they grip.

I recently made quite a few trips across my front lawn in bringing in 9 or 10 FEL loads of soil from out front. I made sure to vary where I went each time. If you go over one spot too much, even with R4s, you'll rip out the grass or compact the soil so that grass won't grow.

Try growing plantain in compacted areas. It likes to grow in the compacted soil/turf around my compost pile and on the one trail going down the back hill. In fact, I just bought some plantain seed and sowed it into seed protector mat going down that back hill.

Ralph

 

[PILOON]

Sounds like a path to the outhouse.

LOL, good description, thought the same thing.

 

[tractchores]

Could also be compaction. I have that issue on a hill where it's naturally very loose soil. It has compacted where I drive and after a year different grass now grows in the tracks (presumably something that is ok with the compaction). Unfortunately there probably isn't a great fix other than maybe seeding it with some other grasses to see if something will grow. I would try a high traffic lawn mix

 

[CalG]

If there wasn't that darn loaded tractor spinning those turf tires, the grass would do just fine!


;-0

 

[smstonypoint]

Try growing plantain in compacted areas. It likes to grow in the compacted soil/turf around my compost pile and on the one trail going down the back hill. In fact, I just bought some plantain seed and sowed it into seed protector mat going down that back hill.

Ralph

Am I correct in assuming you are referring to broadleaf plantain? I just checked and found that 50+ seeds are listed at $1.99 (Organic Plantago Major Broadleaf Plantain 5 Seeds) and 50+ narrow leaf plantain seeds are listed at the same price (Ancient Medicinal Plant Narrow-leaved plantain Plantago).:shocked: I am now a multi-millionaire. :cool2: Well, I still have to collect the seeds from the plants on my farm and find buyers at that price.

I had thought that broadleaf plantain was a native plant, but it is native to Eurasia according to Plantago major - Wikipedia. It appears that Native Americans called it "white man's foot." I learned from an agronomist they called white clover the "white man's path." So, it seems that wherever Europeans settlers went, broadleaf plantain and white clover were sure to follow.

Steve

 

[mikester]

Am I correct in assuming you are referring to broadleaf plantain? I just checked and found that 50+ seeds are listed at $1.99 (Organic Plantago Major Broadleaf Plantain 5 Seeds) and 50+ narrow leaf plantain seeds are listed at the same price (Ancient Medicinal Plant Narrow-leaved plantain Plantago).:shocked: I am now a multi-millionaire. :cool2: Well, I still have to collect the seeds from the plants on my farm and find buyers at that price.

I had thought that broadleaf plantain was a native plant, but it is native to Eurasia according to Plantago major - Wikipedia. It appears that Native Americans called it "white man's foot." I learned from an agronomist they called white clover the "white man's path." So, it seems that wherever Europeans settlers went, broadleaf plantain and white clover were sure to follow.

Steve

LOL buying "organic" plantain seeds...

Half my lawn is now plantain - if your dig it all out you can have it for free.

I hate the stuff. When the grass stops growing during the dry season all you see is skinny plantain stalks with flower/seeds standing about 8 inches higher than the mowed grass. When you try and cut it with the mower they just lay down flat and pop up again after you pass over them. Worse weed than dandelions.

I also have "organic" dandelion seeds I can sell you only $0.99 a hand-full. I scrape them from my radiator grills after mowing.

 

[smstonypoint]

LOL buying "organic" plantain seeds...

My plantain seeds (both broadleaf and narrow leaf) are "organic" and "non-GMO," so my seeds are better.

I suspect you don't have kudzu in Canada, but I once saw kudzu seeds offered in a seed catalog -- kudzu was described as a "fast-growing vine."

Do you have dallis grass in Canada? Like narrow leaf plantain, it does exceptionally well in dry weather and it tends to "pop up" after mowing.

Steve

 

[csquared63]

Half my lawn is now plantain - if your dig it all out you can have it for free.

I hate the stuff. When the grass stops growing during the dry season all you see is skinny plantain stalks with flower/seeds standing about 8 inches higher than the mowed grass. When you try and cut it with the mower they just lay down flat and pop up again after you pass over them. Worse weed than dandelions.

I used to hate plantain too, until I found that crushing a leaf and rubbing the juice on mosquito and black fly bites completely killed the itch! It is a tough weed, though.

 

[RalphVa]

Am I correct in assuming you are referring to broadleaf plantain? I just checked and found that 50+ seeds are listed at $1.99 (Organic Plantago Major Broadleaf Plantain 5 Seeds) and 50+ narrow leaf plantain seeds are listed at the same price (Ancient Medicinal Plant Narrow-leaved plantain Plantago).:shocked: I am now a multi-millionaire. :cool2: Well, I still have to collect the seeds from the plants on my farm and find buyers at that price.

I had thought that broadleaf plantain was a native plant, but it is native to Eurasia according to Plantago major - Wikipedia. It appears that Native Americans called it "white man's foot." I learned from an agronomist they called white clover the "white man's path." So, it seems that wherever Europeans settlers went, broadleaf plantain and white clover were sure to follow.

Steve

Yes, broadleaf plantain. You can treat bug bites. You can also make and nice drink from the leaves with some pineapple. Never could get mine as good as the local "herb" lady did when she gave us some.

Ralph

 

[Texasmark]

Are the tires hot? I know if a vehicle comes on my place and runs across the pasture, having just come in from the highway and having traveled 10 miles or so, especially in the summer, the tires will leave a dead grass trail.

 

[Creamer]

Are the tires hot? I know if a vehicle comes on my place and runs across the pasture, having just come in from the highway and having traveled 10 miles or so, especially in the summer, the tires will leave a dead grass trail.

Holy crap that would be a fast tractor to have the tires heat up that hot.