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Tread vs grip on your tractor

6K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  lost in wisconsin 
#1 ·
Curious as to tread experience. I would assume that on soft ground the order of decreasing grip would be Ag tires, industrial tires then turf tires. Have users found this to be accurate? Is a turf tire the most likely to slip/ spin? Just curious, but we did have a conversation about tearing up the lawn mowing with industrial tires as opposed to turfs.
 
#2 ·
I had turf tires on my original sub compact which was a 2210. I work in the woods with my tractor along with mowing my 3 acres of “lawn”.

The turf tires is one of the reason I traded it in so quickly - not good at all in any kind of mud. plus I got lots of flat tires from multi flora rose and jagger bush thorns.

My 2520 has R4’s - work great in the woods and never any issue mowing the lawn.

If they were made I would have switched to the newer hybrid type radial tire they have now for the 1 series when I had to replace my front tires a couple years ago.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
My 2520 has R4’s - work great in the woods and never any issue mowing the lawn.

If they were made I would have switched to the newer hybrid type radial tire they have now for the 1 series when I had to replace my front tires a couple years ago.
They are made, just don't know what the availability is. Goodyear/Titan has a hybrid out that is a bit closer to the R-1 than the other hybrid R-3. It comes in bias or radial, and best of all, it is made in a size to fit the 2520/2720's 17.5 inch rear wheel, as well as the 12" front wheels. I haven't called my local Titan dealer yet, but if I can get a set for anything close to reasonable, I'm gonna get rid of my R-4's and put on a set of these:
Tire Automotive tire Synthetic rubber Auto part Tread



For the time being, I'm modifying my R-4's with one of those cutting/siping tools. I'll post what I'm doing here and my rationale for the changes I'm making.
 
#3 ·
For me the worst part of turf tire was I was turning the compost manure pile.. I have not a chance to try with anything other than turf, which would spin tires in a heartbeat even if I’m in 4wd. Not sure if industrials would be much better, especially when the area is wet. OTOH I am able to get on the lawn earlier in the damp spring without instant damage.
 
#4 ·
The industrial tires I have are good on solid ground or relatively firm mud. In slop and especially on any kind of icy surface, they aren't very good. It's a trade off for me as they are more puncture resistant and excellent in the woods. That inflexibility probably hurts traction.

If I was just going for traction I would see if there is a VF or IF tire to fit.

Treefarmer
 
#7 ·
I only saw them about a week ago, in somebody's thread here. I'm going to call tomorrow and check availability and prices.

I bought one of the tire cutting tools, like GTT started the "pass it forward" thing with a couple months ago. I may cut some grooves in the tread blocks like the videos show, but what I have already done to my front tires is alter the tread blocks.

The R4's on my 2520 are an older style, the chevrons have less angle than newer ones do, and the blocks are wide. Below : top picture is my 2520 tire, bottom is the R4 on a 1025R. Note the angle and length of the tread blocks and how much more open space there is on the newer style tire.
Land vehicle Tire Vehicle Tractor Automotive tire
Tire Automotive tire Tread Auto part Vehicle


My thoughts are that the chevron is too short and there isn't enough open space between them near the center of the wheel. R4's are designed for extended use on hard surfaces like many commercial machines get, and traction in soft ground suffers as a result. My plan is to remove some of the horizontal portion of the lug to extend the chevron for improved grip, as well as self-cleaning ability. I've noticed that the tread packs up worse near the center of my tires when I get in mud and sticky dirt.

I started with my front tires because they were easier. The pattern is identical to the rear tires. I used a hacksaw to mark the tread blocks where I would remove a portion. The mark is parallel to the forward edge of the chevron, and by removing a portion of the lug, extends the space between the chevrons toward the tire center, much like the lug on a R-1 tire. The tire cutter has many different width cutters available, I ordered a 1/2" cutter in addition to the 1/4" cutter that comes with the instrument/tool.
Wire

Antique tool


I made two passes on each section of block I decided to remove, and then cleaned up the cuts with a Dremel tool and small sanding drum. I may cut grooves in the tread blocks later, like the videos show. I have no idea if the plan will increase traction; I feel that removing a portion of the center of the tread blocks will also place more weight on the outer parts of the lug, allowing them to bite better, but who knows? I'm not a tire engineer. Certainly it won't hurt to try.
Automotive wheel system Auto part Rock Metal

Auto part Pipe
 
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#11 ·
I just got off the phone with a local tire store, they ordered a set of the R14T's in bias 6-ply in my sizes (14-17.5 rear, 23x8.50-12 front) and they will be here Thursday. Mounted price for two front and two rear is $930 incl. tax. I can live with that, I figured it would be twice as much, frankly.
 
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