I don’t think anyone is bashing the brand we are discussing the issues we have. That’s the point of forums to discuss the good, the bad, and to answer questions. I wouldn’t want to be on a forum that just worships a brand, what good does that do?
Kubota Quality
- Thread starter jrmorgan
- Start date
I think the size of the tires ( thus the contact patch) makes a big difference with R4's. I do a lot in the woods and I wanted to stick with R4'S because the heavier sidewalls. On my old B7510 with the 12*16(if I remember correctly,) R4'S even loaded with RimGuard I had traction issues. On my LX I got the same size tires that they use on the standard L series 15*19.5 R4'S again loaded with RimGuard. Difference is unreal on the B I never took it out of 4wd on my LX can use 2wd most of the time. Example plowing snow now is done in 2wd 95% of the time. ( Mid-michigan area)
It would seem the R4s on the B2601 are skid steer tires and are super for that intended purpose, but not for a tractor, and the book calls for 40 PSI. Mine are loaded, and my fat arse in the seat should be no problem, but they are way to hard and will not grip, the BX has R4s and that little pig will go just about any place in 2WD, but it is a different R4 compound and bar configuration.
Try running them with about 30psi. The secret is to get more of a contact patch.
You can gauge the effective of this by one of Two ways ( this is a tip I use on the track day car).
jack up a tire & put a clean sheet of paper down under the tire while on a very smooth surface and slowly lower the tire down so it doesn't "bounce".
Or you can color a couple of the bars (Kids sidewalk chalk works well) all the way across the tire and drive far enough that it transfers to the payment.
Looking for 2 things....
1). Is the contact patch of the tire all the way across the tire? - If not lower the tire pressure till it does.
2). do you have at least 2 rows of tread in contact with the ground? - Limited what you can do here lowering the tire pressure helps but the circumference of the tire matters more than tire pressure. This is where bigger diameter tires really help.
If you have a backhoe on the back for example perhaps 40psi is what you need but if you do not have anything more than a back blade or something else that is less than 4-500 pounds you might find that you can let quite a bit of air out of the tires and get a better contact patch - thus better traction ( it's cheaper than buying a different set of tire!). Yes R4 rubber is hard and that hurts in the winter some but you might find playing with the tire pressure helps more than you thing it would.
Kubota in the recommendations in the owners manual has to account for the heaviest loads to error on the safe side.
I my case on my LX2610 I run about 35psi in the fronts and 30 in the rear. I could go less in the rear but when I have the stump grinder on it's perfect. Also I am dealing with lots of sticks, branches and an occasional small stump and tire puncture is a bigger concern for me in MY use case.
Hope that helps you.
dirtydeed
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Wow, you guys are running way too much air in your rear tires (IMO). I run about 35 in the front and 12-15 psi in the rears at all times (even with backhoe on). I'd think you aren't getting much contact patch at 30 psi and would certainly wear the centers of the tires out quickly. No way I'd run 30 lbs in the rears without a mouth guard. I'd be chipping teeth if I did. YMMV
Depends on the machine, size and what ya do with it. Like my truck, I may change pressures in accordance with what I'm doing. Empty- 65f/ 55r. Towing the toy hauler- 80f/ 80r. Most of my tractor time is loader/ grapple. So the fronts are at max per manual and the rear are 10 less. The fronts squat enough under load and I want the footprint in the rear. Our dirt is soft.