Tires Winter use Tires

[Rustyiron]

You guys above, are they the Nokian brand? I understand that their rubber is a softer compound.
The reason I ask is that I have that same tread style (does it actually having a name?) BKT just mounted on the rear and an Alliance on the front.

I think they are an improvement over R1's and are a dream on the road, but in the proper ice conditions .
2 storms ago I had to call for backup just to get out of this driveway. It was up hill and sloped to the right, all solid ice. I spun the tractor 180* with every try nearly missing the deck posts. The salt/sand truck backed down and saved me

 

[RoyJackson]

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.

If you don't mind me asking, what was the cost of the Nokian conversion?

 

[PILOON]

In my area most snow contractors have gone to the Nokian brand.
The one comment is they wear a bit faster, probably due to the softer rubber compound.

 

[BackRoad]

Northern PA...hilly...1 mile gravel drive...about 1/3 of the driveway is a measured 7% slope.

The 1st winter for the MX6000 with new R4s was OK, no major issues plowing using 8' back blade. But was not able to consistently plow while heading up the drive. So I added old-school ladder chains to the rear. Some improvement, but not spectacular.

Now, 450 hours later, the R4 tread has started to wear with a bit of rounded edges. They work great 9 months out of the year...but winter, not so much, and the front tire traction is really non-existent.

And a tractor without traction is really just an expensive bobsled!

I found the concept of grooving or siping tires interesting, yet also concerning, at least for me, due to wasting potential "tire life". It seems like it is actually cutting good usable tread out of my tires.

So instead, I added Euro style OFA-EKO studded chains all around...resulting in an unexpected order of magnitude improvement in traction.

Up, down, sideways, stop, reverse, start on the hill - it doesn't matter!

It will even plow those old hardened 3' snow bank edges (the snow berms built up along the driveway edge from plowing previous snowfalls) while tracking a straight line. Previously when plowing edge berms, the angled back blade would act as a lever, steering the front end of the tractor all over...it was nearly impossible to do.

With the studs, the tractor has become unstoppable!

For me, the greatest snow/ice performance gain is adding studded tire chains to whatever style tires you happen to already have on your tractor.

...//TJ

 

[mo1]

I think for effectiveness in snow, worse to best, it’s R4 construction, R1 ags, turf, chains.
I also suspect that in deeper snow, where your not clearing it, or compacting it enough that there are times R1 lugs beat the turf treads.
Or situations where the increased turf tire contact points can beat chains on a hard surface.

I have found that chains obviously work the best operating over a hard (paved or frozen) surface but second best was ag tires. If the snow isn't deep, the tire tread contacts the underlying surface and ag tires clearly have the best traction on unpaved surfaces and have about as good of traction on paved surfaces as anything else. If the snow is deep, the tires compact the snow and the tread pushes on the compacted snow just like the tires compact loose soil and push on it out in a field. Ag tires clearly have the best traction in this situation too.

I wonder if part of the issue with turf and industrial tires is that they are generally wider than ag tires and give flotation rather than bite in for traction? Traction increases with pressure, and a narrower tire puts more pressure down to the ground.

 

[LouNY]

Northern PA...hilly...1 mile gravel drive...about 1/3 of the driveway is a measured 7% slope.

The 1st winter for the MX6000 with new R4s was OK, no major issues plowing using 8' back blade. But was not able to consistently plow while heading up the drive. So I added old-school ladder chains to the rear. Some improvement, but not spectacular.

Now, 450 hours later, the R4 tread has started to wear with a bit of rounded edges. They work great 9 months out of the year...but winter, not so much, and the front tire traction is really non-existent.

And a tractor without traction is really just an expensive bobsled!

I found the concept of grooving or siping tires interesting, yet also concerning, at least for me, due to wasting potential "tire life". It seems like it is actually cutting good usable tread out of my tires.

So instead, I added Euro style OFA-EKO studded chains all around...resulting in an unexpected order of magnitude improvement in traction.

Up, down, sideways, stop, reverse, start on the hill - it doesn't matter!

It will even plow those old hardened 3' snow bank edges (the snow berms built up along the driveway edge from plowing previous snowfalls) while tracking a straight line. Previously when plowing edge berms, the angled back blade would act as a lever, steering the front end of the tractor all over...it was nearly impossible to do.

With the studs, the tractor has become unstoppable!

For me, the greatest snow/ice performance gain is adding studded tire chains to whatever style tires you happen to already have on your tractor.

...//TJView attachment 731230View attachment 731231

People that haven't used that style of chain do not understand the extreme difference that they make over an other chain.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

If you don't mind me asking, what was the cost of the Nokian conversion?

They are about $2000 as a JD option when ordering a tractor.

At least a year ago, JD did not sell the tires as a part. Buying outright they were $4000 plus for a set IIRC. They use ag wheels, so converting from R4 would be even more money.

 

[Rustyiron]

People that haven't used that style of chain do not understand the extreme difference that they make over an other chain.

Lou I remember calling them "ice magnets" with my first experience. I'll stand by the description and I only have a pair for the front!

 

[Doughknob]

“Turf tires” come in several forms. The “knobbies” form like dirtbikes work well. Other forms not so well.

i have R-4s and with added weight, in 4wd, never have a problem in snow here.