Best tyre tread for concrete yard work?

Mith

Active member
I'm doing an increasing amount of work on the hard stuff, mostly concrete paving. This is proving a little hard on the front tyres especially, but also the rear tyres. With the loader they'll only wear faster. I'm probably getting a couple 100 hours out of a pair on the front.

I'm about to upgrade to some more heavy duty rims and bearings on the front, and also to a larger size, so now is a good time to change the tyre type too.
I still go offroad too, so I'll be keeping the AGs on the rear. 2WD tractor, so I can have a different tyre on the front.

I'm assuming turf tyres are softer rubber than say R1? The R1 tread is a little bumpy ride though, and not much surface area for traction. R4 I can imagine is a happy medium, but there isn't anything happy about the price of R4s, about 2x the price of the R1s, which are a little more expensive than turfs.

Any thoughts on tread type, ideas to minimize wear?

Thanks
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
R4's are made for just that type of work. So much rubber surface on them. I can see why they are so much more. They added 700 dollars to the price of my tractor, since the tractor was priced with R1's.
With the price difference you might try R1's to see how they wear. But I'd guess the R4 would last twice as long, hence twice the price.
R4's are sure easier on the yard. Especially turning and all. R1's on the front will leave a mark easier than any other tire.
 

Mith

Active member
I did hear something about R4s having a thicker sidewall to support more load. I figures that as long as the other types of tyres have the correct load rating then there isnt really any advantage there.
I'm still pretty torn. Youve convinced me that R4 would be the correct choice, but the cost is pretty prohibitive.

Aside, is R3 turf? I think I recall, or is it R2? And whichever one it is, what is the other?
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I don't know the R2 vs R3, but visiting my local Kubota dealer some of the B7500's had a different type of turf tire. A little more agressive than your standard turf. Had I seen that option when I was buying I might have tried them .....but as it turns out I use the tractor for much more than I first envisioned so I'm glad I have the R4's. I have to deal with Hawthorne trees like Bob and the thorns on those get 2 maybe 3 inches long. They are frightning looking. And I have multiflora everywhere. When I'm brush hogging I'm sure even the tougher turf would get a flat. So all worked out for the better. :D :beer:
 

lb59

Member
I'm doing an increasing amount of work on the hard stuff, mostly concrete paving. This is proving a little hard on the front tyres especially, but also the rear tyres. With the loader they'll only wear faster. I'm probably getting a couple 100 hours out of a pair on the front.

I'm about to upgrade to some more heavy duty rims and bearings on the front, and also to a larger size, so now is a good time to change the tyre type too.
I still go offroad too, so I'll be keeping the AGs on the rear. 2WD tractor, so I can have a different tyre on the front.

I'm assuming turf tyres are softer rubber than say R1? The R1 tread is a little bumpy ride though, and not much surface area for traction. R4 I can imagine is a happy medium, but there isn't anything happy about the price of R4s, about 2x the price of the R1s, which are a little more expensive than turfs.

Any thoughts on tread type, ideas to minimize wear?
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R1 tread not much surface area for traction.
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Thanks
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AGs don't depend on surface area for traction - it's the cleats.
Picture a cog on a cog railway!
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Mith

Active member
On concrete surface then the contact area is what is going to matter for traction, that's why racing slicks are used, or so I understand.
So the way I'm thinking AGs aren't going to get as much traction on concrete as turfs say.
 

lb59

Member
So the way I'm thinking AGs aren't going to get as much traction on concrete as turfs say.
Yep on concrete that would be different.
It would take a lot more than the lugs on an ag tire to dig down through it; more like a jack hammer LOL.
 
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