Yet another wheel and tire thread…..

PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
UPDATE1: See Post #30 for a major fitment issue with the 8-16 tires on my rims!


Been lurking. Now making my first post.

I recently picked up a 1978 B7100 with almost 3300 hours. Overall it’s pretty good, just a few of small things.

one major thing is tires! They’re all weathered, and the rears are very worn, while the fronts aren’t too bad. This causes some binding in 4x4.

wheels aren’t pretty, definitely have had some rattle can over rust, but should clean up if I try.

Of course going stock tires is easiest. But I love the look of LSMurphy’s 9.5x16 setup, and also like the look of R4’s.

Use case: right now I’m using the ever living crap out of my little tractor on my little 1/4 acre lot. Completely re-doing our back and front yards. From the French drain up (except my patio). After this, it will get used for shuffling boats, and moving firewood. I have a hill in my front yard, side and back yard are level. (The hill in the front is just barely too much to side-hill). It’ll also probably help friends out from time to time.

The fact that I’m going to be on a manicured lawn has me thinking R4. But the traction issues I’ve read makes me think I should stick with R1, and maybe just put some plywood down in the high traffic spots when I move firewood.

Then begs the question, keep stock wheels and clean them up, or go new? I’d like to be into this as little as possible of course, because I don’t know if I’ll be keeping the tractor longer than a couple years. (I very well may, but it’s going to depend on how much I use it after our major landscaping is done). But I also want to make the right purchase for my use.

whatever I do, I’ll be filling the tires for sure. Need more weight.
 

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woodman55

Well-known member

Equipment
L6060HSTC, RTV 1100
May 15, 2022
724
516
93
canada
Nice looking old rig.

Have you considered the new R14's, lots of people seem to like them. I don't know if you can get them in your sizes.

As far as your rims go, I would just redo your rims. But just like the rims, tires are more of a personal choice, than right or wrong.
 
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fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,311
4,001
113
Eastham, Ma
Been lurking. Now making my first post.

I recently picked up a 1978 B7100 with almost 3300 hours. Overall it’s pretty good, just a few of small things.

one major thing is tires! They’re all weathered, and the rears are very worn, while the fronts aren’t too bad. This causes some binding in 4x4.

wheels aren’t pretty, definitely have had some rattle can over rust, but should clean up if I try.

Of course going stock tires is easiest. But I love the look of LSMurphy’s 9.5x16 setup, and also like the look of R4’s.

Use case: right now I’m using the ever living crap out of my little tractor on my little 1/4 acre lot. Completely re-doing our back and front yards. From the French drain up (except my patio). After this, it will get used for shuffling boats, and moving firewood. I have a hill in my front yard, side and back yard are level. (The hill in the front is just barely too much to side-hill). It’ll also probably help friends out from time to time.

The fact that I’m going to be on a manicured lawn has me thinking R4. But the traction issues I’ve read makes me think I should stick with R1, and maybe just put some plywood down in the high traffic spots when I move firewood.

Then begs the question, keep stock wheels and clean them up, or go new? I’d like to be into this as little as possible of course, because I don’t know if I’ll be keeping the tractor longer than a couple years. (I very well may, but it’s going to depend on how much I use it after our major landscaping is done). But I also want to make the right purchase for my use.

whatever I do, I’ll be filling the tires for sure. Need more weight.
Tires weathered?
My 1951 Ford 8N front tires were 50 years old before I replaced them,....and they still held air.
Buy a can of tire black!
Those wheels certainly look like they will clean up nicely.
If you can prime and then spray enamel, it will be a vastly superior job over using rattle cans.
Avoid TSC "Majic" paint!
 
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JimmyJazz

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Aug 8, 2020
1,094
643
113
Pittsburgh, Pa
I can't address the issue of the 4x4 binding but those tires don't look so bad to me. Might take a long time to wear those out completely on a 1/4 acre. Also, you may not need to engage the 4 wheel drive for your tasks. My newer B2601 also exhibits what might be considered binding in tight turning circumstances. I wouldn't worry about the tires. Good luck.
 

PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
Nice looking old rig.

Have you considered the new R14's, lots of people seem to like them. I don't know if you can get them in your sizes.

As far as your rims go, I would just redo your rims. But just like the rims, tires are more of a personal choice, than right or wrong.
I’m definitely leaning towards a strip, prep, and repaint of the old rims. That’s way cheaper.

I have not seen the R14’s. I’ll look into those! The biggest thing I want is better matched rolling circumference, and grip, without tearing up my yard.

I can't address the issue of the 4x4 binding but those tires don't look so bad to me. Might take a long time to wear those out completely on a 1/4 acre. Also, you may not need to engage the 4 wheel drive for your tasks. My newer B2601 also exhibits what might be considered binding in tight turning circumstances. I wouldn't worry about the tires. Good luck.
the rears have maybe 1/2” of tread left in the center. Front and rears don’t match either. Even Driving in straight lines when I take it out of 4x4 it’s very difficult. 4x4 definitely required for what I’m doing right now dragging dirt.
 

Dieseldonato

Well-known member

Equipment
B7510 hydro, yanmar ym146, cub cadet 1450, 582,782
Mar 15, 2022
728
437
63
Pa
So take the take r14 with a grain of salt. It's not an official tire tread.
Galaxy
Carlisle
We should actually consider getting a sticky going for tires as the "r14" tread had been coming up a lot recently.
Any way, I have ran a lot of tractors with "r14" tread style and radial nokians. I'm a big fan. I have galaxy and Carlisle's on my B7510, would have went with the Carlisle front and back, but couldn't get then for the front. Been very happy with traction when I need it and how easy they have been on the yard.
 

PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
So take the take r14 with a grain of salt. It's not an official tire tread.
Galaxy
Carlisle
We should actually consider getting a sticky going for tires as the "r14" tread had been coming up a lot recently.
Any way, I have ran a lot of tractors with "r14" tread style and radial nokians. I'm a big fan. I have galaxy and Carlisle's on my B7510, would have went with the Carlisle front and back, but couldn't get then for the front. Been very happy with traction when I need it and how easy they have been on the yard.
Galaxy has some fronts that would fit (6-12), but neither has the 8-16 I need for the rear.
 

Vigo

Well-known member

Equipment
B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
Yeah, i can SEE the 4x4 binding issue just looking at those pics!!

I have a 6100, a 7100 parts tractor which i have driven, a 7100 im selling, and fixing another 6100 for a friend. Between all of them i've driven on quite a few tire setups on basically identical 4wd tractors.

I think the main question is, do you think you'll ever need mud traction? If not, there's really no reason to stick to R1s. This is not to say that r1s don't do well on other surfaces, but.. so do other types of tires. The only thing R1s really stand out on, on a LIGHT tractor, is mud. On almost any other surface you'll do equally well with other tire types, and probably be less likely to leave turf damage. Generally these little tractors don't weigh enough to push those r1 tire lugs down into any other surface than mud, and on everything else they just ride along on top.

I've had the opportunity to do an interesting comparison with my tractors:
  • my 6100 w/fel, 22x10x8 ATV front tires, 29x12.5-15 r3/turf tires
  • 7100 w/ 3x55lb front weights, 6-12 r1 front tires, 8-16 r1 rear tires
Both pulling 60" box blade on the same dry dirt, same day.. The 6100 did MUCH better. The additional weight up front of the FEL vs the 165lb of front weight, made more difference on the front tire traction in 4wd, than the r3/turf tires were giving up vs the r1s on the rear of the tractors. And that's if the turf were doing any worse at all, which i sort of doubt! So I wouldn't be married to r1 or even to a very aggressive tread, IF you don't plan to operate in mud very much.

Honestly, knowing what I know from my tire experiences on these tractors AND what i know as an ASE Master Tech (automotive technician) who's a bit of a tire snob and has studied tires pretty extensively vs most people, I would...

Buy 265/75-16 snow tires for the back and fill them with whatever kind of ballast liquid you like, and a 23" diameter ATV tire for the front. That tire size on the back works out a little on the tall side, but unlike a car or truck you don't have to run very much pressure at all and they will sag down into the right ballpark just fine. You can do 245/75-16 if you're worried about it, but im not.

The thing about snow tires is that they have highly flexible tread which is designed to create many gripping edges when it's deflected. Snow tires actually grip about the best on loose surfaces (other than rocks) of all automotive tires, but on cars there are major downsides which keep them from being used outside of winter. Flex=internal friction=heat and cars/trucks will overheat snow tires when it's not cold leading to chunks of tread flying off after hitting 'melty temperatures' during hard maneuvers. A <1500lb tractor with a max speed of 9mph will NOT overheat a truck tire, even a snow tire, under ANY circumstances. So a snow tire is basically a turf tire, except unlike a turf tire you'd find on a riding mower, it's actually a high performing design with a lot of engineering and manufacturing prowess put into it, and since it's still designed for a truck-like weight and pressure rating (at least in that tire size) it will still be VERY durable and puncture resistant when operated at very low pressures on a very light tractor.

So there's my 'left field' recommendation! If anyone made a 12+" wide snow tire I'd put one on the back of my 6100. I will put snow tires on the back of my little 2wd Case 444 which has 8-16s on it. And snow tires get REAL cheap in the middle of summer on Amazon, so you should be able to get them for the same price as 8-16 tractor tires or less.
IMG_8576.JPG

BAA4BD40-2E7A-4D1A-9833-23848621E401.jpeg
 
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PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
Yeah, i can SEE the 4x4 binding issue just looking at those pics!!

I have a 6100, a 7100 parts tractor which i have driven, a 7100 im selling, and fixing another 6100 for a friend. Between all of them i've driven on quite a few tire setups on basically identical 4wd tractors.

I think the main question is, do you think you'll ever need mud traction? If not, there's really no reason to stick to R1s. This is not to say that r1s don't do well on other surfaces, but.. so do other types of tires. The only thing R1s really stand out on, on a LIGHT tractor, is mud. On almost any other surface you'll do equally well with other tire types, and probably be less likely to leave turf damage. Generally these little tractors don't weigh enough to push those r1 tire lugs down into any other surface than mud, and on everything else they just ride along on top.

I've had the opportunity to do an interesting comparison with my tractors:
  • my 6100 w/fel, 22x10x8 ATV front tires, 29x12.5-15 r3/turf tires
  • 7100 w/ 3x55lb front weights, 6-12 r1 front tires, 8-16 r1 rear tires
Both pulling 60" box blade on the same dry dirt, same day.. The 6100 did MUCH better. The additional weight up front of the FEL vs the 165lb of front weight, made more difference on the front tire traction in 4wd, than the r3/turf tires were giving up vs the r1s on the rear of the tractors. And that's if the turf were doing any worse at all, which i sort of doubt! So I wouldn't be married to r1 or even to a very aggressive tread, IF you don't plan to operate in mud very much.

Honestly, knowing what I know from my tire experiences on these tractors AND what i know as an ASE Master Tech (automotive technician) who's a bit of a tire snob and has studied tires pretty extensively vs most people, I would...

Buy 265/75-16 snow tires for the back and fill them with whatever kind of ballast liquid you like, and a 23" diameter ATV tire for the front. That tire size on the back works out a little on the tall side, but unlike a car or truck you don't have to run very much pressure at all and they will sag down into the right ballpark just fine. You can do 245/75-16 if you're worried about it, but im not.

The thing about snow tires is that they have highly flexible tread which is designed to create many gripping edges when it's deflected. Snow tires actually grip about the best on loose surfaces (other than rocks) of all automotive tires, but on cars there are major downsides which keep them from being used outside of winter. Flex=internal friction=heat and cars/trucks will overheat snow tires when it's not cold leading to chunks of tread flying off after hitting 'melty temperatures' during hard maneuvers. A <1500lb tractor with a max speed of 9mph will NOT overheat a truck tire, even a snow tire, under ANY circumstances. So a snow tire is basically a turf tire, except unlike a turf tire you'd find on a riding mower, it's actually a high performing design with a lot of engineering and manufacturing prowess put into it, and since it's still designed for a truck-like weight and pressure rating (at least in that tire size) it will still be VERY durable and puncture resistant when operated at very low pressures on a very light tractor.

So there's my 'left field' recommendation! If anyone made a 12+" wide snow tire I'd put one on the back of my 6100. I will put snow tires on the back of my little 2wd Case 444 which has 8-16s on it. And snow tires get REAL cheap in the middle of summer on Amazon, so you should be able to get them for the same price as 8-16 tractor tires or less.
View attachment 82947
View attachment 82948
I don’t plan on running in mud much… soft ground, yes, but mud shouldn’t be an issue.

do you think the snow tire sizes you recommended will fit on the 8-16 R1 wheels ok?

will ATV tires hold up to FEL use?
 

Dieseldonato

Well-known member

Equipment
B7510 hydro, yanmar ym146, cub cadet 1450, 582,782
Mar 15, 2022
728
437
63
Pa
Yeah, i can SEE the 4x4 binding issue just looking at those pics!!

I have a 6100, a 7100 parts tractor which i have driven, a 7100 im selling, and fixing another 6100 for a friend. Between all of them i've driven on quite a few tire setups on basically identical 4wd tractors.

I think the main question is, do you think you'll ever need mud traction? If not, there's really no reason to stick to R1s. This is not to say that r1s don't do well on other surfaces, but.. so do other types of tires. The only thing R1s really stand out on, on a LIGHT tractor, is mud. On almost any other surface you'll do equally well with other tire types, and probably be less likely to leave turf damage. Generally these little tractors don't weigh enough to push those r1 tire lugs down into any other surface than mud, and on everything else they just ride along on top.

I've had the opportunity to do an interesting comparison with my tractors:
  • my 6100 w/fel, 22x10x8 ATV front tires, 29x12.5-15 r3/turf tires
  • 7100 w/ 3x55lb front weights, 6-12 r1 front tires, 8-16 r1 rear tires
Both pulling 60" box blade on the same dry dirt, same day.. The 6100 did MUCH better. The additional weight up front of the FEL vs the 165lb of front weight, made more difference on the front tire traction in 4wd, than the r3/turf tires were giving up vs the r1s on the rear of the tractors. And that's if the turf were doing any worse at all, which i sort of doubt! So I wouldn't be married to r1 or even to a very aggressive tread, IF you don't plan to operate in mud very much.

Honestly, knowing what I know from my tire experiences on these tractors AND what i know as an ASE Master Tech (automotive technician) who's a bit of a tire snob and has studied tires pretty extensively vs most people, I would...

Buy 265/75-16 snow tires for the back and fill them with whatever kind of ballast liquid you like, and a 23" diameter ATV tire for the front. That tire size on the back works out a little on the tall side, but unlike a car or truck you don't have to run very much pressure at all and they will sag down into the right ballpark just fine. You can do 245/75-16 if you're worried about it, but im not.

The thing about snow tires is that they have highly flexible tread which is designed to create many gripping edges when it's deflected. Snow tires actually grip about the best on loose surfaces (other than rocks) of all automotive tires, but on cars there are major downsides which keep them from being used outside of winter. Flex=internal friction=heat and cars/trucks will overheat snow tires when it's not cold leading to chunks of tread flying off after hitting 'melty temperatures' during hard maneuvers. A <1500lb tractor with a max speed of 9mph will NOT overheat a truck tire, even a snow tire, under ANY circumstances. So a snow tire is basically a turf tire, except unlike a turf tire you'd find on a riding mower, it's actually a high performing design with a lot of engineering and manufacturing prowess put into it, and since it's still designed for a truck-like weight and pressure rating (at least in that tire size) it will still be VERY durable and puncture resistant when operated at very low pressures on a very light tractor.

So there's my 'left field' recommendation! If anyone made a 12+" wide snow tire I'd put one on the back of my 6100. I will put snow tires on the back of my little 2wd Case 444 which has 8-16s on it. And snow tires get REAL cheap in the middle of summer on Amazon, so you should be able to get them for the same price as 8-16 tractor tires or less.
View attachment 82947
View attachment 82948
I'm going to preface with I'm not insulting you with anything I say, nor do I intend to do so.
Do you have any experience with ground engaging equipment out side if a box blade?
I do, lots actually. R1 tires preform the best with ground engaging equipment. Ie plowing, tilling ect.
I also happen to have light weight tractors with cat 0 3 point attachments. Haven't tried snow tires. But I've tried lots of different less aggressive "turf" styles and never been able to pull a 10 or 12" mulboard plow. with r1 tires Even then they need weights to get full traction. When they are set up right they are a dream to use, and not having 4x4 to rely on, set up is everything. Rear and front of tractor need weighted to match the load. Rear for traction, front to off set the attachment weight and keep the front tires planted.
Most of the issue people have with traction is running the wrong air pressure, or too high a Ply rating for their weight.
The atv/light truck/passenger tires are actually a pretty decent choice for our small tractors in the lower Ply rated tires, but I've yet to see any automotive style truck tire perform off road quite like an r1.
If we take ground engaging equipment off the table, then I can see them being a good option.
I have a set of 15" wheels for the rear of the 7510 that I've thought about getting snow tires for, just for plowing the driveway and lane, but I'm going to wait and see how the Carlisle version of r14s do before hand.
 
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Vigo

Well-known member

Equipment
B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
do you think the snow tire sizes you recommended will fit on the 8-16 R1 wheels ok?

will ATV tires hold up to FEL use?
Yes. Again the downsides of having a tire 'wider than the wheel' are mostly only downsides for cars and trucks, but not really a downside for a tractor. I actually have some 285/75-16s on the stock Kubota 16" wheels on my parts tractor (although i really only put them on those wheels to see what they would look like swapped onto my Case).

As far as ATV tires holding up to FEL use... apparently! 😂 I had those concerns when i was deciding what front tire to put on my 6100. It had 20.5" trailer tires on the front when i got it, which was basically making it 2wd in terms of how useless they were for traction. I considered the more mainstream options but decided the absolute biggest factor i was after, was the least tread touching the ground. However much weight is on a tire, divided by how much rubber is actually touching the ground, gives you your 'surface pressure'. The more surface pressure, the more traction (at least on a hard surface). It also means more leaving marks aka 'turf damage' but i don't have turf and the ground here is extremely hard. The ATV tires i picked actually had less tread touching the ground at a time than R1s, which i figured would give the best shot of traction. So far I've been pleased with that aspect. As far as their weight capacity... I was 50/50 on whether it was going to work or not. But im constantly maxing out the stock hydraulics of my loader and have had no issues whatsoever. The worst things I've done to them was pull ridiculously heavy things uphill, in reverse, while trying to turn. Like a loaded 18ft trailer, and a John Deere 720. Both times the tractor was pushing backwards with the front tires hard enough to start lifting the rear end, so all ~1500 lbs of the tractor plus whatever weight was on the loader, and attempting to turn was having the tire flex sideways under the rim a good 2-3 inches. I thought for sure they were going to pop at that point, but they didn't and I haven't worried about it since.

I hate to write too many essays in one thread but weight capacity of tires mostly has to do with heat buildup. Tires usually have max amounts of weight, pressure, and speed written on them, but not together and not in such a way that the relationship between them is explained. Weight causes sidewall flex, which only happens under the wheel. So as a tire rolls the sidewall is flexing back and forth as it passes under the wheel. The internal friction, plus whatever friction is being created between the tire and the ground, causes heat buildup in the tire. The 'proper' air pressure in a car is mostly derived from the amount of pressure that will keep the sidewall in a 'happy' amount of flex, while not ballooning the tread outward such that it wears unevenly. So you run the pressure that lifts the weight enough that the sidewall doesn't flex too much. There are videos online of people popping tires with sheer air pressure, and even the flimsy lawn tractor tires get up near 100psi before popping, and car/truck tires can get well over 200psi. In a car, speed can cause the heat to accumulate faster than it dissipates, eventually leading to tire failure. On a tractor, speed is not a factor. The only way you'll overheat a tractor tire is by rolling on it nearly flat for a long time (too much flexing, and since tractor tires can be REALLY old they'll often split at the sidewalls at this point) , or spinning it on the ground for a long time. Both rare. So even if we're over the 'weight capacity' we're not spinning it fast enough to overheat it from internal friction, and we're not putting enough pressure in it to pop it, and we're not doing tractor burnouts.. so it's fine! The limits on tires are basically 'this is the max weight the tire can hold at the max speed and pressure listed elsewhere on the tire'. If you go slower, you can get away with more weight and less pressure.
 
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Vigo

Well-known member

Equipment
B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
I'm going to preface with I'm not insulting you with anything I say, nor do I intend to do so.
Do you have any experience with ground engaging equipment out side if a box blade?
I do, lots actually. R1 tires preform the best with ground engaging equipment. Ie plowing, tilling ect.
I also happen to have light weight tractors with cat 0 3 point attachments. Haven't tried snow tires. But I've tried lots of different less aggressive "turf" styles and never been able to pull a 10 or 12" mulboard plow. with r1 tires Even then they need weights to get full traction. When they are set up right they are a dream to use, and not having 4x4 to rely on, set up is everything.
I'm lucky I bought a 4wd tractor in the first place. I had no idea how much work/finesse it would take to make a very light 2wd tractor do anything until i got my Case! As far as ground engaging, i don't do any farming and very little gardening so far, and i have a backhoe and a 3pt trencher for actual digging. I do fill up the 60" box blade with dirt and use the rippers very often. I also have a regular 3pt 'back blade/angle blade' i use occasionally. I have never run a tiller or an actual plow, although technically I have one of each that need fixed up before use.

I understand a plow is somewhat limiting in that you want to preferably have it cut at a consistent depth. I know for my box blade, when using either the blade or the rippers, you can cheat a little 'weight gain' by pulling up on the 3pt when the blade/rippers have dug a little, and it pulls down on the rear tires as if you'd added that much weight to the tractor. That comes up constantly as the difference between moving and sitting still when you're pulling a box blade that's 'too big for the tractor'.. and with the FEL it's nearly the same. If you just point the bucket edge at a dirt pile and drive into it, it doesn't go that well. But you use the dirt to give you more traction! When i get the bucket edge into a pile a little bit, i usually start lifting the loader, which drives the front tires into the ground with 500 more lbs (max lift on the loader) but usually doesn't break up and lift the pile. That extra traction drives me a little deeper, and then im curling the bucket up which also puts more weight on the front tires, and i go a little deeper, and i end up with a full bucket partway up the pile and sometimes have to reverse to get the loader to actually lift because I've got the rest of the pile still sitting on top of my full bucket. Diff lock is usually used in this scenario too. So i agree about your setup point, but at least with box blade and FEL there are ways to use both to make the tractor 'heavier' so it will keep moving, and that's been working out great even with my rear turf tires. I do have a 4wd B8200 with r1s all around and just the backhoe on it weighs as much as a bare B6100, and that thing WILL push harder in 2wd on R1s than my 6100 pushes in 4wd, but it's weighing down enough on those r1s to get those paddles digging down in the dirt and leaving serious ruts, whereas the 6100/7100s ive been on with R1s basically never push down hard enough on their tires to get those paddles digging in on dry ground. My friend's b6100 im fixing up has a 750lb backhoe on it and still doesnt get those r1s digging in. But my ground here is very hard and dry (frequent drought).

Sorry for all the words, guys. I've probably said all the important things I have to say about tires on a b7100 now, so i should be done with gigantic posts in this thread.
 
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PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
Well, I may have found a set of turf wheels and tires which makes this a good bit easier to find options based on other info on the forum here. R4 or R1 style turf sized tires, which will give me lower ground pressure but still have traction once my yard is finished. 🤔
 

Vigo

Well-known member

Equipment
B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
If you're talking about traction on grass, traction and 'turf damage' go hand in hand. NOTHING gets good traction on grass without tearing up the grass. About the best you can do on grass without destroying it is really wide turf-style tires with a bunch of weight on them, but even then if you drive on the same spots repeatedly the grass will turn brown and die from the abuse. I know what a lot of people on the 'garden tractor' forums do is use turf style tires and then put chains on them when they need to do pushing and pulling stuff. I personally think that's more of a hassle than just having two sets of wheels&tires and swapping them, but it's an option. You have 4wd BUT you also have a loader and no power steering, so putting wide tires on the front is a recipe for unpleasantness when you need to turn while carrying a heavy load.

I slapped together a "plow" last night and tried it with the (filled) turf style 8-16s on my 2wd Case 444. I needed to change the angle of the top link to get it to dig any deeper but it was just a 5 minute test run to see if it would break before i had to run out for the evening so i didn't get that far (but it didn't break!). I personally think this style of tire gives decent traction but i think they are either discontinued or rare and expensive these days. This is the tractor I'm going to try snow tires on.
plow.jpg
 
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Dieseldonato

Well-known member

Equipment
B7510 hydro, yanmar ym146, cub cadet 1450, 582,782
Mar 15, 2022
728
437
63
Pa
If you're talking about traction on grass, traction and 'turf damage' go hand in hand. NOTHING gets good traction on grass without tearing up the grass. About the best you can do on grass without destroying it is really wide turf-style tires with a bunch of weight on them, but even then if you drive on the same spots repeatedly the grass will turn brown and die from the abuse. I know what a lot of people on the 'garden tractor' forums do is use turf style tires and then put chains on them when they need to do pushing and pulling stuff. I personally think that's more of a hassle than just having two sets of wheels&tires and swapping them, but it's an option. You have 4wd BUT you also have a loader and no power steering, so putting wide tires on the front is a recipe for unpleasantness when you need to turn while carrying a heavy load.

I slapped together a "plow" last night and tried it with the (filled) turf style 8-16s on my 2wd Case 444. I needed to change the angle of the top link to get it to dig any deeper but it was just a 5 minute test run to see if it would break before i had to run out for the evening so i didn't get that far (but it didn't break!). I personally think this style of tire gives decent traction but i think they are either discontinued or rare and expensive these days. This is the tractor I'm going to try snow tires on.
View attachment 83062
Had a set of 23x10.50r12 like that on an old sears suburban. They were pretty decent as far as a turf tire. Haven't seen them in years.
As a side note I do with Carlisle still made their HDAP tires. They were awsome tires. Kinda aggressive turf tires more like an all terrain tire for your garden tractor/lawn mower. Did very well in the snow, decent in dirt/mud and didn't destroy grass as bad as an r1.
 
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PNW-Redleg

New member

Equipment
1978 B7100
Jul 3, 2022
25
8
3
Utopia of Portlandia
Ok… we’ll I think I’ve come to a conclusion based on how I’m going to use the tractor….. this sounds lame after all the chit chat.
But I’m going to replace the R1’s with R1’s, and use those for the rough work, and use the turf tires I picked up for my lawn work. I think that’s probably the best option in my case.

i can’t seem to find good R4 options even tho I spend a lot of time on pavement, so it’ll just have to be R1’s on pavement when the R1’s are on.

Now to decide (quickly) on which R1’s. Carlisle farm specialty are the top of my list right now based on price. Still need to dig tho to see if there’s another option that will work better on pavement when I am on pavement.
 

Dieseldonato

Well-known member

Equipment
B7510 hydro, yanmar ym146, cub cadet 1450, 582,782
Mar 15, 2022
728
437
63
Pa
Ok… we’ll I think I’ve come to a conclusion based on how I’m going to use the tractor….. this sounds lame after all the chit chat.
But I’m going to replace the R1’s with R1’s, and use those for the rough work, and use the turf tires I picked up for my lawn work. I think that’s probably the best option in my case.

i can’t seem to find good R4 options even tho I spend a lot of time on pavement, so it’ll just have to be R1’s on pavement when the R1’s are on.

Now to decide (quickly) on which R1’s. Carlisle farm specialty are the top of my list right now based on price. Still need to dig tho to see if there’s another option that will work better on pavement when I am on pavement.
Don't know your location, buy miller tire had very good prices when I got tires for my B. The only downside is I got Carlisle for the rear and had to get galaxy for the front due to not being able to get the right size in Carlisle brand. More or less same tread pattern so it didn't really matter. Cheers on yoir new tires can go wrong with a std r1 pattern, you know exactly what to expect with them.
 

Vigo

Well-known member

Equipment
B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
Hey, R1s are the standard for a reason. Yeah they won't be ideal on pavement but it's also unlikely you're going to be pushing on anything hard enough on pavement to spin 4 tires. Usually all the stuff you need maximum traction for is dirt related. I think having 2 sets of tires is a good option. Now being on pavement means a lot less margin for error in the size relationship between front and rear tires for the 4wd system. I would totally avoid using 4wd on pavement unless you start spinning, then put it in 4wd, get that little bit of travel done, and shift it back out of 4wd before continuing. We can only get away with the imperfect relationship between front and rear tire sizes because dirt allows enough slip to make it ok. Pavement will put serious stresses into the system if the front/rear ratio isn't spot on.
 

Dieseldonato

Well-known member

Equipment
B7510 hydro, yanmar ym146, cub cadet 1450, 582,782
Mar 15, 2022
728
437
63
Pa
Hey, R1s are the standard for a reason. Yeah they won't be ideal on pavement but it's also unlikely you're going to be pushing on anything hard enough on pavement to spin 4 tires. Usually all the stuff you need maximum traction for is dirt related. I think having 2 sets of tires is a good option. Now being on pavement means a lot less margin for error in the size relationship between front and rear tires for the 4wd system. I would totally avoid using 4wd on pavement unless you start spinning, then put it in 4wd, get that little bit of travel done, and shift it back out of 4wd before continuing. We can only get away with the imperfect relationship between front and rear tire sizes because dirt allows enough slip to make it ok. Pavement will put serious stresses into the system if the front/rear ratio isn't spot on.
Seems kubota favors a little lead foe the front to begin with too. Sage advice.