So, I bought a L300F--i think it has the original tires and one of the front one leaks. I'm going to be parking this in rural area with no electricity, so no air compressor, so I think I'll just buy two new tires so I can focus on getting to work when I go out there. It has the old school ribbed tires in the front. I like the look of a more aggressive tire, is there any sense in getting these on 2wd? are there any advantages to the ribbed tires? I guess there is, which is why they went with them from factory but what are they? Is there any disadvantage to me not going with the same ones on my rig?
Ribbed-for her pleasure.
- Thread starter texican
- Start date
They are used to bite into loose soil and allow it to steer where other styles will float and slide more when trying to turn
Thanks. My place is mostly forested. as opposed to open "farm" with pasture, crops, etc. I'll be dragging some logs out of the woods, bush hoggin briars that have grown up for years etc. Should I get a tire that is more suited for that type of work/terrain than the ribbed ones?
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
There are only two reasons to have front wheels on a 2WD tractor: 1) Keeps the front from dragging the ground; 2) Steering. They have no utility whatsoever for forward traction or braking because there’s no power to them and no brakes on them.
For 1, pretty much anything will work. For 2, the ONLY direction they need tread to provide resistive force is sideways. Thus the rib design. The fewer the ribs the “more aggressive” in a 2WD front tire design.
I have experienced, when mowing in 2WD with my R4 shod L, those R4’s on the front provide less steering traction than the single continuous rib fronts on the old 2WD Ford and Farmall, so I have to do more brake steering to turn out of a ditch, up a slope, etc. In 4WD, those R4 fronts are pulling through the turn so they provide great turning traction in 4WD. Hard, dry dirt or pavement doesn’t matter if they’re R1’s or slicks.
Bottom line, on a 2WD tractor if you go with a front tire designed to pull (R1, R4, R14) you’re going to be doing more brake steering in wet grass, mud, fluffy field dirt, etc. than if you stick with ribbed fronts designed for the steering requirements of a 2WD.
10-4. Thanks. That makes a ton of sense. Thanks for the breakdown. I'm going to buy a new set of the Goodyear 5.00-15 that are currently on them. You prob saved me a headache.