What tires to get on my first tractor?

Burt Gummer · May 19, 2008

This is my first post and I'm looking to buy my first tractor and let me just say that this site is the absolute best place on the net for info on tractors. I've learned a lot just looking around.

I've looked at JD, NH T2310, Kubota L4400, and Kioti and all of the salesmen tell me that their "industrial" tires are just as good as the ag tires for traction because they are wider, (but they are also the tires on the tractors they all stock and need to sell.) I'm looking to buy around a 40 HP tractor with 4 wheel drive and FEL to clear 15 acres of grass, brush, and blackberrys. I have another 10 acres of woods to thin out and open up. There are some low spots that hold water and part of the land is on a lake. After this initial clean up I want to have a little half acre garden and maybe a couple of cows. I have a fine JD mower for my lawn so there is no reason to fear the ag tires messing up the lawn-thats not a factor. So, any reccommendations on tires? Those industrial type look cool but I would think they woul be easier to get stuck.

I'm sure his thas been asked before but I went back 8 pages and didnt see anything on it.

RollingsFarms · May 20, 2008

Burt Gummer said:
This is my first post and I'm looking to buy my first tractor and let me just say that this site is the absolute best place on the net for info on tractors. I've learned a lot just looking around.

I've looked at JD, NH T2310, Kubota L4400, and Kioti and all of the salesmen tell me that their "industrial" tires are just as good as the ag tires for traction because they are wider, (but they are also the tires on the tractors they all stock and need to sell.) I'm looking to buy around a 40 HP tractor with 4 wheel drive and FEL to clear 15 acres of grass, brush, and blackberrys. I have another 10 acres of woods to thin out and open up. There are some low spots that hold water and part of the land is on a lake. After this initial clean up I want to have a little half acre garden and maybe a couple of cows. I have a fine JD mower for my lawn so there is no reason to fear the ag tires messing up the lawn-thats not a factor. So, any reccommendations on tires? Those industrial type look cool but I would think they woul be easier to get stuck.

I'm sure his thas been asked before but I went back 8 pages and didnt see anything on it.

I personally would go with AG tires without question, simply for the ground engaging work you'll be doing and working in wet spots and the woods. if youre looking for a 40hp tractor, I'm assuming you're talking about engine and not pto hp?

PAB_OH · May 20, 2008

Ags, no question.

I too wanted the R4's because they looked so swell

. Get what you need not what looks cool. You'll be very happy if you do.

All you have to do is look down the middle of the tire standing behind the tractor. If you look at the ags, not only are the voids between treads larger (easier for mud to fall out of) but there is also a relatively small area that the treads coming from either side overlap. This allows the tire to bite better (easier to sink into the soil). The R4's have a pretty larger area that overlaps. I've seen some that almost look like an AT tire for pickups

NO GO IN MUD!

BTW, wide tires don't give you traction generally. They allow the machine to float by decreasing ground bearing pressure. If you want to float across mud/soft terrain get wide tires. If you want to GO get ags.

Good luck, and of you buy orange, make sure to get the right shade!

awaldrep · May 20, 2008

I bought a Mahindra 4110 with fel 2 weeks ago and my dealer talked me into the industrial tires, telling me only 5 4110's had been sold in the united states last year and it was almost impossible to get one. I gave in and now regret it. The industrial tires do look good, but they pack up with mud and become slicks very easily. I would definitely NOT!! make the same decision over because now I am probably going to replace the industrials with ag's out of my pocket.

Farmwithjunk · May 20, 2008

If R4's provided just as much traction as AG tires, don't you suppose you'd see more of them on ag tractors? R4's wear a little better. They hold up to abuse just a little better. They achieve those results at the expense of their ability to self-clean in mud and a loss of traction compared to ag's.

You can PROBABLY get by with R4's, but with your intended uses NOT being as a "lawn tractor", I'd personally go with the R1's.

jbrumberg · May 20, 2008

Burt Gummer:

Welcome to TBN

! I agree about the R-1's for your intended uses. I would weight them and get the highest ply rating that I could. I will advise that R-1's will go better forward in goo than in reverse. I know of some 4WMFWD tractor operators who do a lot of woods work with their tractors who have reversed their front R-1's to help with backing out of mud. Good luck on your tractor search and acquisition. Jay

Diamondpilot · May 20, 2008

R4's are a joke for most work. They are ok if you only plow your driveway with light snows and do things like mowing or bush hogging. Get the R1's. Its a tractor. Look at the root word, traction.

Chris

RobJ · May 20, 2008

Ags! For sure..

daTeacha · May 20, 2008

I'll join everyone else in "welcome" and in saying to get Ags. When I bought my DX29 it had R4s on it. I just asked the dealer to switch them out for the largest and ply rating Ags available. He was happy to do it and it saved me $200 over the cost of the R4s. Definitely look at ply ratings and get the most available for your tractor -- it makes a difference in sidewall and tread resistance to being punctured by something in your woods.

I would consider wheel weights instead of loading the tires if your ground is full of stuff that might hole a tire. I've never had a puncture with mine, but it would make it a lot messier if they were filled. The filling also reduces the flex of the tires some, making a rougher ride and less ability to wrap around a rock or something. When I had the tires on my former tractor loaded I was amazed at the difference in ride going down the driveway. It was jarring to my somewhat touchy back.

canoetrpr · May 20, 2008

I've got industrials. They are a compromise tire. Not as good traction as ags but better than turfs. IMHO you would be fine with industrials for your uses - cutting brush, grass etc. 4WD helps a lot with getting stuck - DON'T compromise on that.

That said, I think I was paranoid about making ruts in my pasture when I got the R4s. I've found that R4's will rut up really wet ground without a problem so if I care about tearing ground up, I don't go there in early spring.

I too would go with ag in your case and probably will for the next machine myself. R4s do look cool though

wolc123 · May 20, 2008

Wow, 9:0 in favor of R1's and no one has even mentioned the tired old argument that R4's have greater puncture resistance for woods work. See if you can talk those confused salesman into letting you try out some R4's and R1's in the mud. I will be #10 for the R1's. R4's are best only for the industrial uses for which they were designed. If you can afford seperate machines with R1's for off the lawn and turfs for on the lawn, you are far ahead of the poor folks who are stuck with the R4's and must suffer some lawn damage and a near complete traction loss in mud or snow.

EastTexFrank · May 20, 2008

OK, let's make it 11-0. We have 2 tractors at the farm and I have 2 at the house. The farm tractors have Ag tires and the house tractors have R4's. There is absolutely no doubt that if you are worried about grip, get the R1's. I have never stuck the house tractors but I've been close a couple of times and mud will clog up those treads. Never had a problem with the ag's on the farm tractors except for the time my S-I-L ran the M5700 into the lake. That was less of a traction problem than it was a flotation problem.

DmansPadge · May 20, 2008

Ags (R1) no doubt. I've had both on the the same frame tractor and the R1s are definitely better for traction... which is sounds like you'll need.

johnk · May 20, 2008

Just to change the thought process,,,,, Get turfs and add chains.... Probably would give more traction than the ags... Just a thought of what you need and want.Just a little expansion to your thoughts. If it were me I would get AGs. That's what I have on my tractor and glad i do....

groundcover · May 20, 2008

Get the ags and don't look back !

IslandTractor · May 20, 2008

For the OP's stated purpose (no lawn and wet spots to deal with), I would agree R1s would be best. However, I do think that the tone of this thread is a bit too tough on the R4s, especially if mounted on a 4wd tractor. I have R4s and while admittedly I work in rather dry sandy rocky soil, my work is largely clearing land and it is nice to not worry about punctures. R4s also give you a bit more stability on slopes as they are both wider and lower than R1s. I do sometimes wish for extra traction as I can spin all four wheels in dry conditions but I think extra ballast will be a reasonable solution for that issue. Again, R1s seem best for the OP but R4s have benefits over R1s in some situations too.

machmeter62 · May 20, 2008

R-4's will give you a better ride on a hard surface, longer life there too; less footprint on soft surfaces. The rears aren't adjustable for stability on hillsides like R-1's, and cost more money also. I vote for the R-1's for your environment.

AKfish · May 21, 2008

I've had R3's, R4's (currently) and R1's. If it's gonna be wet and muddy --- put on your R1's. Get 8-ply's if you can.

AKfish

AndyMA · May 21, 2008

Definately Ags. Don't worry about life. I've run Ags for 1200-1500 hours and had to change them. Plenty of tread left, the tires just dry rotted due to age.

Andy

dknarnd · May 21, 2008

Another vote for R1's... when I purchased I went with the upgrade to wide R1's with wheel weights then I also loaded them up. Wouldn't have it any other way.

As was mentioned earlier when you load your tires you will loose significant flex in your sidewalls making for a stiff ride, but I felt the tractor was useless with the additional weight of the loaded tires.