R4 Tire direction

rk1475

New member

Equipment
L3800HST,FEL,WT Box, R4 Tires, WR Long Grappler, Landpride Brush Hog, Snow Plow
Feb 25, 2013
10
0
1
Brimfield,ma,USA
I had to replace the front wheel and tire on my L3800. The tire is an R4.

After mounting the wheel and tire on the tractor, I noticed that there is a "direction of travel" arrow on the tire. And of course my tire had been mounted the wrong way (according to the arrow).

Should I have the tire remounted according to the arrow or is this not such a big thing, The tractor is used in the woods and at slow speeds.
 

85Hokie

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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,269
2,104
113
Bedford - VA
I had to replace the front wheel and tire on my L3800. The tire is an R4.

After mounting the wheel and tire on the tractor, I noticed that there is a "direction of travel" arrow on the tire. And of course my tire had been mounted the wrong way (according to the arrow).

Should I have the tire remounted according to the arrow or is this not such a big thing, The tractor is used in the woods and at slow speeds.
Even despite it not being a big deal being on backwards.....who mounted it? Why a new rim too? I would take it back to them and remount the tire - even though a novice might not be able to tell which side on a small rim like that, I would tell them IT IS mounted backwards.....and have them redo it - with a smile on your face!:) I am sure that they can and will do it - for free!
 

olthumpa

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L275
May 25, 2011
1,501
2
38
Maine
I had to replace the front wheel and tire on my L3800. The tire is an R4. . . . . The tractor is used in the woods and at slow speeds.
I do not know what your definition or woods is - how hilly - how rocky - how much mud -etc. I would want as much traction as I could get!

A real life example:

This past August I was helping my cousin and a friend, fell, drag out, buck up, split and stack 20 cords (4x4x8)of wood. We had at our disposal 1) Kubota M4500 gear W/R1, 1) L3830HST W/R4, 1) L3830 gear W/R1. Of course, the M4500 is in a different class. The L3830 are a close match to your L3800. We had a lot of rocks, routs, mud, and hills. the L3830hst with R4's was useless for pulling out logs, constantly getting stuck, unable to pull the hills even without a load. The other two did not have a problem. The L3830HST W/R4, was relegated to yarding work. All operators had 30 to 50 years of experience.

Of course, this is just my experience.

Good luck.
 

coachgeo

Well-known member

Equipment
L225 w/woods Few Mowers & Back Blade, D722 in Motorcycle (Triumph Tiger), LMTV
Nov 16, 2012
2,460
32
48
Southern OH
....the L3830hst with R4's was useless for pulling out logs, constantly getting stuck, unable to pull the hills even without a load. The other two did not have a problem. The L3830HST W/R4, was relegated to yarding work. ....
Was there any ballast in the L3830's R4 tires? Granted an R1 is better in such conditions.... would think they're not much better unless the R4 has really really stiff side walls, and as an industrial tire the R4 may well have that. Might be that with R4's... if they do have stiffer sidewalls that one should run them with less air and or/ with more ballast than they would with R1's. Least that is how the old off-roader in me see's it. I don't have much tractor seat time.
 
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olthumpa

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L275
May 25, 2011
1,501
2
38
Maine
Was there any ballast in the L3830's R4 tires? Granted an R1 is better in such conditions.... would think they're not much better unless the R4 has really really stiff side walls, and as an industrial tire the R4 may well have that. Might be that with R4's... if they do have stiffer sidewalls that one should run them with less air and or/ with more ballast than they would with R1's. Least that is how the old off-roader in me see's it. I don't have much tractor seat time.
The rear tires were loaded/ballasted on all three tractors. This was not the first time we had run the two L3830 side by side. The R4's have always fell far short in mud and wet rock and roots also in uncleared snow. Other traction conditions, they preformed similar.

Again, just my experience.
 

Bulldog

Well-known member

Equipment
M 9000 DTC, L 3000 DT
Mar 30, 2010
5,440
73
48
Rocky Face, Georgia
Was there any ballast in the L3830's R4 tires? Granted an R1 is better in such conditions.... would think they're not much better unless the R4 has really really stiff side walls, and as an industrial tire the R4 may well have that. Might be that with R4's... if they do have stiffer sidewalls that one should run them with less air and or/ with more ballast than they would with R1's. Least that is how the old off-roader in me see's it. I don't have much tractor seat time.
When it comes to traction it's night and day difference between R1 / R4 tires. Ballast or not the R4 tires are in a completely different playing field. They have their place but mud ain't it.

IMHO if you are using it for a tractor it needs R1's, if you use it like a TBL it needs R4's.
 

TripleR

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BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Sep 16, 2011
1,911
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38
SE Missouri
:D not if one is right and one is wrong...... if both wrong.... different story.
Yep, I read tire(s) instead of tire; sorry about that, I'll delete it as irrelevant then delete this once read.
 

number9

Member

Equipment
L3800HST, 4x4, LA524
Apr 25, 2013
199
11
18
KY
If it was my tractor, if it ain't mounted right, who ever mounted it needs to correct his half assed mistake and mount it right.

And *YES*, R1 trump an R4 in the traction dept easily. About like a mud tire vs a street tread on a pickup. Cost me $1,200 to learn that first hand.


...
 
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uglyboy

Member

Equipment
TG1860G
Mar 8, 2013
87
0
6
St. George, Ontario
don't be so hard on the tire installer...
if I take a single wheel in to have a directional-tread tire mounted, I will have to tell the installer if it's from the left or right side of the tractor.
from the OP's comments, I doubt this information was conveyed, although the installer should have asked.
It certainly is worth taking it in to have it mounted properly.

Pete
 

rk1475

New member

Equipment
L3800HST,FEL,WT Box, R4 Tires, WR Long Grappler, Landpride Brush Hog, Snow Plow
Feb 25, 2013
10
0
1
Brimfield,ma,USA
don't be so hard on the tire installer...
if I take a single wheel in to have a directional-tread tire mounted, I will have to tell the installer if it's from the left or right side of the tractor.
from the OP's comments, I doubt this information was conveyed, although the installer should have asked.
It certainly is worth taking it in to have it mounted properly.

Pete
The tire and rim were bought from the dealer already mounted. The basis of my question was see if there was any known drawbacks regarding handling, traction or wear that would cause me to have to have the tire remounted immediately.
 

ShaunRH

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L3200
May 14, 2014
1,414
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Atascadero, CA
Well, on the plus side for the R4's, they don't leave that tell-tale tractor tread mark all over your property, but that also means they aren't getting the traction. They are meant for road work and light off road traction. Anything deeper than a couple inches, and is soft, they can slip.

I have R1's on mine, but that's a happy coincidence. I would've taken the unit with R4's on it and just dealt with the issues.