Tires Winter use Tires

[LouNY]

I've been running the Nokian highway snow tires for several years on numerous vehicles and I have found
them to be an excellent tire.
If I were to retire the Branson I would be more then willing to try there tractor tires.
But unless I cut a rear down on something I don't see me replacing the tires on her the R1's will suffice.
Of course I also run chains all winter long going on the 7th season with this set of Aquiline Talons they are getting
some wear on them so sooner or later they will be replaced. Of course my backup tractor has the same size tires
and same style of chains so I will likely be switching them from one to the other after this season. And that saves that expense.

 

[Paystar]

Funny, but I have no problem with R4's on snow and ice. Last winter my 2013 B2620 started getting hard to steer on ice because the original R4's have some wear and the lugs don't have nice sharp square edges any more, so I put fresh new R4's on and no issues. Just proper air pressures and throttle control.
I plow and snow blow up this hill no problem.
And my driveway has about 30 foot drop over 200 feet.

 

[chim]

I'm sold on grooved R4's but admit to having fantasies about Nokian tires.

I've had a 2WD with diamond turfs (no go on level ground without plowing. Added chains and it was almost unstoppable)

R1's on the 4WD Ford 1210 and it moves lots of snow with a rear blade.

R4's on various Kubotas (B7500, L3200 & current L4240). They worked OK on the B7500 and L3200. Snow removal was with rear blades, loader and the L3200 had a rear blower for a couple years. After grooving the tires on the L3200 it went much better. Here's a post from a couple years ago after grooving the L4240's R4's and a shot of the L4240's tires:

Snow Equipment Owning/Operating - Cutting / Groving / Siping R-4 for snow

Watcha gonna do with all of them "fishing worms" :)........

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[LouNY]

^^^^^^
Paystar;

Amazing to me it must be different snow conditions.
I wouldn't even consider trying to plow without chains.
My hills and our snow and you would be a toboggan headed down hill,
without chains.

 

[RoyJackson]

... but admit to having fantasies about Nokian tires.

So do I!!

 

[Cougsfan]

Where I live there isn't any tire that will work in the winter without chains. I think turf tires work quite well with chains because the chains don't fall between raised treads like they do on R1's and R4's. However when winter is over the turf tires may not work nearly as well as the other tire choices in many applications. I don't think any type of tire is perfect. You compromise something no matter which one you choose. It is just a matter of what you are willing to compromise in your situation.

 

[screamin400]

I am running Nokians

 

[RoyJackson]

Where I live there isn't any tire that will work in the winter without chains. I think turf tires work quite well with chains because the chains don't fall between raised treads like they do on R1's and R4's. However when winter is over the turf tires may not work nearly as well as the other tire choices in many applications. I don't think any type of tire is perfect. You compromise something no matter which one you choose. It is just a matter of what you are willing to compromise in your situation.

I agree...I'd prefer R1's or R2's when mowing my 3-4 acres of field...just don't have the money to buy the wheels and tires to swap.
That said, the first year we lived here, I mowed with a 4400 with R3 Turfs and no problems.
But, as you'd written, if you do use chains, it's easier to mount them on R3 Turfs

 

[Paystar]

^^^^^^
Paystar;

Amazing to me it must be different snow conditions.
I wouldn't even consider trying to plow without chains.
My hills and our snow and you would be a toboggan headed down hill,
without chains.

I don't know? But I have never had loaded tires or chains. We get on average 13.5 feet of annual snowfall. But admittedly most years it gets cold before it snows. Only the last two years have we had lots of rain/freezing rain between cold and snowfalls. I use the loader and a rear snow blower.

Maybe you get more wet snow?

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

Does anybody have any experience with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI tires?
I have R4, and they lack both traction and side grip. Often the tractor goes where it wants to when I am blowing snow, and I have to back up a bit and lift the snow blower off "float" position to get me going where I want to, as in staying on my driveway.

I have the tires shown in the clip posted by RoyJackson. My tractor is the same as what is in the clip (JD 4066R, Nokian tires, cab...) I use a front mount 6' wide blower and a 3ph mounted pto driven hydraulic pump.

The first winter I used R4 tires and had the same issue you described. R4's worked well on flat, level driveway. Not so well on hills. or in turns. Horrible on trails for snowmobile pavilion...the R4s had little lateral traction and the tractor would slide sideways and get stuck.

This is the second winter for the tractor, and it now has the Nokians. I LOVE the tires. They are even better than a previous tractor (JD 110 TLB) with R4's and front chains.) Drive, brake, and steering measurably improved with the Nokians. Very, very seldom do I have the lift the blower because of traction. "Non-snow" tractor use is general rural property owner stuff. Loader with bucket/grapple,forks and a 7' ABI TR3 "rake on 3ph for driveway and trail maintenance, some land clearing... The Nokians do fine year-round...and no chains to install/de-install.