Weight of CK30 on Lawn

[KiotiJohn]

I'll have to go with what seems a majority. Get the R4 tires and go with the CK30. From what friends with similar soil compostion tell me, a tractor of half the weight will mark up the yard a lot when it's really wet on that clay, so you may as well go ahead and get the one you want and just be careful about when you mow.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you mow with the tractor in 4WD, you'll stand a better chance of tearing up the soil. Best to stay in 2WD when mowing nice lawn.

I think, if you don't have TOO many obstacles, that a rear finish mower would serve you quite well, and would be less costly. You'd be surprised how well you can cut with one once you're mastered the turns and foward/reverse movements, being careful to realize that you have a long machine and that one end goes the oposite way really quick when you turn.

I don't have the same soil you have, mine being mostly sandy, but except for the extremely saturated grounds of the last month, I've almost never had any marking problems with my R4s on the CK20HST, even with the backhoe on. Now, it's so wet that my ZTR ruts things up and that's only about 500 pounds I think.

John

 

[getut]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One thing to keep in mind is that if you mow with the tractor in 4WD, you'll stand a better chance of tearing up the soil. Best to stay in 2WD when mowing nice lawn.)</font>

Its very common to see this statement, but I have found I actually tear things up much worse if I am NOT in 4 wheel drive. When I use my RFM around trees and tight areas where I end up heel/toeing the HST pedal frequently in nearly one spot, every time I transition from forward to reverse, the back tires dig up chunks when all the weight shifts to the front wheels and I try to back up. If I put it in 4 wheel drive then it does fine.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Its very common to see this statement, but I have found I actually tear things up much worse if I am NOT in 4 wheel drive. )</font>
In my case, it's when I'm turning sharply in 4WD that I get the tearing of grasses if I'm in 4WD.
I could see where you could get some wheel spin in the conditions you state if you're not really carefully easing into the pedal, but who is when doing that kind of work? Certainly not me. I'm out there trying to get the job done in a hurry.
Most of my mowing is not on lawn, it's more brush cutting, and I HAVE noticed at times that I tear up some grass when I'm backing into trees in and out quickly, and need to get into 4WD, but otherwise, I stay in 2WD to avoid the turning tears that come from the difference in rolling rates between the front and rear. You don't get any of that too? I'm probably going too fast!
John

 

[enteringshirley]

Boy you guys are losing me with all the different tire types.
Kioti lists the 3 available tire types as: "Ag", "Turf", or "IND" tires.

Does IND = R1 or R4?

 

[DK35vince]

IND = R-4