Best all around tire for your sub compact tractor!

[NoBiffBetter]

Hey guys, im making this thread to try and help people and to tell people about the Carlisle WT300 tires. These tires were originally made for skid steers and then adapted to sub compact sizing (I think). They are a 4ply tire but they are not your average lug/AG tire. The lugs have smooth edges and rounded corners so that they are MUCH easier on your lawn. This comes in aspecially handy when turning very tightly or say mowing around a tree because they will not leave the lug marks/tear marks like a typical AG tire will. The lugs on the WT300 are roughly 1/8” shorter than the typical AG tires and the lug pattern is also a bit different but yet very similar at the same time. The traction on these WT300’s feel nearly identical to that of a typical AG tire yet they do not quite tear up the turf like an AG tire could.

I bought all 4 of these tires for my 2013 kabota bx2370 and I won’t lie I was VERY hesitant to buy these because the price of 4 of the WT300 tires for my sub compact were 1/2 the price of your typical Kenda or Carlisle R4 lug or turf tires so that made me a little weary, plus I couldn’t find much info online about them but I bought them anyways and took a chance and boy do I love them.


I would add a picture of the tires from Carlisle and a few pics of them mounted on my kabota but I am not sure how to add the pictures from my iphone.

If anybody has interest in these tires or has questions to ask me about them then don’t hesitate to ask because the more info we put out there on the net about these then the More people we can potentially help.

There is not a lot of info online about these tires right now, I know because I tried to research myself and looked for threads about them before I purchased the tires but the very few threads I did find about these tires weren’t a whole lot of help.

I’m making this thread to put it out there that these tires ARE amazing especially for the price! If your looking for a tire that is more aggressive than a turf tire because you need the traction but also a tire that is a ton easier on your lawn/turf then the Carlisle wt300 is the tire for you.

Carlisle did NOT pay me or sponcer me in any way. I just want to get the word out about these tires as I feel many people can benifit. This tire is still pretty new to the sub compact world and not a ton of people have seen them or had the chance to try them.

Let me know what you think guys, thanks!

 

[85Hokie]

Was gonna call your bluff on those.....
I went to the summit racing to find them, and if you are correct - these are very inexpensive tires, only thing I wish is I could find a better than 4 ply for the front end of the BX2370 - the factory tires aint cutting the mustard. Butt load of flats, inner side wall is weak and even with tubes, I am still suffering from tire problems.

I might consider those you mentioned!

for those interested- here are more tires for the BX

https://www.amazon.com/Carlisle-Trac-Chief-Lawn-Garden/dp/B005O5VJNI

https://www.amazon.com/18X8-50-8-18...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WAA29E86Y5HTK84CVSSM

and those looking for rims and TIRES:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H3PCFN/ref=psdc_13789601_t1_B005O5VJNI

 

[NoBiffBetter]

Was gonna call your bluff on those.....
I went to the summit racing to find them, and if you are correct - these are very inexpensive tires, only thing I wish is I could find a better than 4 ply for the front end of the BX2370 - the factory tires aint cutting the mustard. Butt load of flats, inner side wall is weak and even with tubes, I am still suffering from tire problems.

I might consider those you mentioned!

for those interested- here are more tires for the BX

https://www.amazon.com/Carlisle-Trac-Chief-Lawn-Garden/dp/B005O5VJNI

https://www.amazon.com/18X8-50-8-18...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WAA29E86Y5HTK84CVSSM

and those looking for rims and TIRES:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H3PCFN/ref=psdc_13789601_t1_B005O5VJNI

I can totally understand your skepticism as I was feeling the same way. I am however surprised to hear what kind of luck you’v been having with the front tires on your tractor, I have many friends with sub compacts and use a few where I work and have never had issues with front tires getting sliced or punctured to the point where it’s a problem. Sub compacts all come stock with a 4ply tire, so these WT300 tires being a 4 ply fits the bill nicely. The issue is once you start going up higher in ply rating the stiffer your tractor will ride and the more bumps you will feel, not to mention 4ply tires alone can be difficult to mount but a 6-10 ply tire is over twice as hard lol. Almost zero sidewall flex.

I can say that for the money, these WT300 tires are gonna be the best tire you can get for the money, my father has Carlisle AG tires on his sub compact 1 series John Deere, I made all my comparisons from the WT300 tire against the stock 1 series Carlisle AG tires and that’s where I came up with my conclusion in the start of this thread.

Typical AG tires such as the ones sold on the John Deere 1 series will cost you around $480-$550 with shipping, I found 4 Carlisle WT300 and paid only $289 shipped for all 4 on eBay.

I can also tell you that the tires felt the same as the normal AG tires, as in the construction of the tires, the side wall, the density, the rubber.. nothing felt cheaper or lower grade (I mounted all 4 tires myself with my tire machine).

Iv been using these tires for about 6 months now with no issues, I will deffienlty keep you guys posted in the upcoming seasons to how they wear and what not.

Lastly I just wanted to say this... I honestly feel that the ONLY reason these tires are being sold as cheap as they are right now are due to the fact that they are relitivly new to the industry, I mean you can’t even find dealers offering them yet I don’t think. This leads me to believe that Carlisle has a lower price point for these tires to be able to put more of them out in the feild in customers hands so that their reputation on the WT300 series can increase, once this happens I feel that the prices will even out and at that point these tires will prolly sell for around the same price as any typical Carlisle AG tire does.

My thought was, buy them cheap while I can! Lol

 

[NoBiffBetter]

Also let me say that kabota uses KENDA factory tires when they sell their kabota BX series, weather they are AG tires or turf tires they are all KENDA.. Kenda is not a bad company but in my honest opinion, Carlisle is a MUCH better brand with MUCH better reputation.

If you switch to Carlisle tires for the front I would bet that those issues you are having with the front tires will stop as Carlisle uses a better grade rubber than Kenda IMO. This I another reason why I took the gamble with the WT300’s cuz Carlisle is one of the best tire company’s out there. All John Deere sub compact tractors come with Carlisle tires from the factory, in fact even 90% of Commerical lawn mowers and ZTR mowers come with Carlisle pre installed... but most residential mowers come factory with Kenda tires.. so what’s this tell you. Lol

 

[D2Cat]

NoBiffBetter, your tractor is a k-U-b-o-t-a. When you spell the name of the tractor correctly it give you greater credibility.

 

[85Hokie]

Was bored......
was reading the manual on the BX25 for S&G's....

Came across this:

Though the tire pressure is factory-set to the prescribed level, it naturally drops slowly in the course of time. Thus, check it everyday and inflate as necessary .

WTH?

 

[Kubota Newbie]

I just put a set of the wt300's on a Simplicity Legacy, They are a nice tire, nice square profile, and can be had cheap if you find them on sale. That being said, they're not quite as "turf friendly" as billed. With the automatic traction control diff in the Legacy they scuff the turf plenty on turns. I think I can take care of that with wheel weights but so the diff releases a little quicker. Carlisle does sell the same tread design in larger tires for compact/mid range stuff.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

I just put a set of the wt300's on a Simplicity Legacy, They are a nice tire, nice square profile, and can be had cheap if you find them on sale. That being said, they're not quite as "turf friendly" as billed. With the automatic traction control diff in the Legacy they scuff the turf plenty on turns. I think I can take care of that with wheel weights but so the diff releases a little quicker. Carlisle does sell the same tread design in larger tires for compact/mid range stuff.

That’s good man I’m glad you like them, keep in mind that these aren’t turf tires.. they are still a lug tire. The reason for me making this thread was to tell people how much better for your lawn they are than a traditional industrial or AG style tire.. because they are much easier on the lawn than your typical bar/lug tire. Obviously it’s still going to tear your lawn a bit specially depending on your driving style, the weight of your tractor, and other factors.. but from my experience they are certainly better than your average lug tire and WELL worth the money.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

NoBiffBetter, your tractor is a k-U-b-o-t-a. When you spell the name of the tractor correctly it give you greater credibility.

Yah sorry about that, I use my iPhone to post on here, I realized my phone auto corrected it wrong every time I said the work Kubota.. some How it is saved in my wording for my phone so whenever I spell “kubota“ I have to watch it doesn’t correct it. I was in a rush while writing this up and noticed after I posted that it was spelled wrong but didn’t feel like correcting every time I said “kabota” lol

Thanks tho.

 

[Kubota Newbie]

"That’s good man I’m glad you like them, keep in mind that these aren’t turf tires.. they are still a lug tire. The reason for me making this thread was to tell people how much better for your lawn they are than a traditional industrial or AG style tire.. because they are much easier on the lawn than your typical bar/lug tire. Obviously it’s still going to tear your lawn a bit specially depending on your driving style, the weight of your tractor, and other factors.. but from my experience they are certainly better than your average lug tire and WELL worth the money."

Worth the $? Yes, absolutely good value.
Better for the turf? Not really. No real difference in them and the std. traditional bar treads on the cadet in terms of turf damage side by side.
Not that it counts for anything, but they are a really nice looking tire.

 

[85Hokie]

Well Biff,

After poking a hole in my tire, and having a tube placed in it (tire man did NOT want to do it, said it would not hold) and it is not holding .....

I may take you up on that tire ....why? for less that $120 I will have two new tires.....placed on, balanced....ok joke there.....and HOPEFULLY they will NOT @$%@#$# leak!!!!

here is where I plan on getting them from :

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/crr-570046/reviews/

thank you for the info.....

I will report back after I get it all sorted.....

sad thing is - both of my original tires look almost brand new! I guess I can keep one as spare!

 

[troverman]

Also let me say that kabota uses KENDA factory tires when they sell their kabota BX series, weather they are AG tires or turf tires they are all KENDA.. Kenda is not a bad company but in my honest opinion, Carlisle is a MUCH better brand with MUCH better reputation.

If you switch to Carlisle tires for the front I would bet that those issues you are having with the front tires will stop as Carlisle uses a better grade rubber than Kenda IMO. This I another reason why I took the gamble with the WT300’s cuz Carlisle is one of the best tire company’s out there. All John Deere sub compact tractors come with Carlisle tires from the factory, in fact even 90% of Commerical lawn mowers and ZTR mowers come with Carlisle pre installed... but most residential mowers come factory with Kenda tires.. so what’s this tell you. Lol

I would point out that Kenda has a very good reputation in the bicycle world...but American product is better than Taiwan product, so I'm with you there.

That said, these Carlisle tires look like they don't have a lot of tread on them and might wear fast.

I always used to prefer R4 tires...but I'm actually becoming a convert to R1 tires. They just provide unbelievable grip...taking care when turning and using 4x4 can control the issue with ground damage.

 

[mikester]

I put a set of those on my zero turn this year and Im really happy with them. Way better than the OEM turfs.

I dont know how good they would be with a loader tractor as they are only 4 ply. Not meant for heavy loads.

 

[85Hokie]

I put a set of those on my zero turn this year and Im really happy with them. Way better than the OEM turfs.

I dont know how good they would be with a loader tractor as they are only 4 ply. Not meant for heavy loads.

I just got in the ones I ordered - here is a picture of what they look like, seems like a well designed tire.

And for a reference - ALL those tires on the front end of the BX series scut are 4 ply......which is sad! These are 4 ply also, but I hope that the bead will seal and that little bit of air will stay in them!

Ordered these - $89 bucks for TWO shipped! SO if by chance they dont do what I wish, then I will back up ten and punt!

Bottom line - the tires on the front end from Kubota are sad excuses for tires (R4) - other than the HST fan - it is the weakest part on the tractor IMO.

 

[85Hokie]

Well....
ordered Carlisle WT300 tires from summit racing.......$89.00 shipped to my door for both - $10 to place on rim......
Total $100

here are the side by side with RC's
time will tell ifn they work well
thanks NoBiffBetter for the heads up

 

[dalola]

Very subtle differences....I wonder how much difference it really makes? Please continue to provide feedback as you evaluate them in the field. Sure seems like a viable replacement tire. Thanks for sharing!

 

[D2Cat]

Is that difference in RC acceptable (on a 4x4)?

 

[85Hokie]

Is that difference in RC acceptable (on a 4x4)?

I am wondering the same thing ....doing the math.....the OEM is 95.3% of the new tire, or another way of looking at it is that the new tire is 4.9% larger than the old one.....

if I release some air ....like to 15 or 14 psi, I will check that RC.

Largest difference is that the newer tire does NOT have those edges like the OEM - all the grip is centered, almost like an AG based tire, I went out in the very soft yard and cut donuts and had very little rip up on the front end.

If they just hold air ....I'll be impressed!

 

[NoBiffBetter]

"
Worth the $? Yes, absolutely good value.
Better for the turf? Not really. No real difference in them and the std. traditional bar treads on the cadet in terms of turf damage side by side.
Not that it counts for anything, but they are a really nice looking tire.

You say there is no real difference between the WT300 and a traditional R4 on turf but there are two key main differences that make a big difference with these tires on turf vs an R4... #1 Is that the WT300’s have their lugs made so that they are rounded on the edges.. this helps to not tear into your lawn when turning tightly around a tree or when mowing.. a typical R4 will bite and tear into the lawn because it has pointy corners in its lugs. #2. The lugs on a Wt300 are shallower so that they aren’t as aggressive/tall as a typical R4 tire which again helps the tire to be easier on your lawn than a traditional R4..

But everything else you said I agree 100% with.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

I put a set of those on my zero turn this year and Im really happy with them. Way better than the OEM turfs.

I dont know how good they would be with a loader tractor as they are only 4 ply. Not meant for heavy loads.

For a ZTR you only want 2ply in most cases... 4ply in my opinion is a little too stiff for a ZTR which was why I didn’t get these tires for my ZTR and only put them on my bx.. I wish they made these in 2-ply cuz if they did I would get them for my ZTR as well. Almost all sub compact tractors come factory with a 4 ply tire and minors bx’s are no exception from my research and the WT300’s are a 4ply tire as well so that’s why they are a great match for a sub compact, not to mention they have the right tire sizes for the kubota BX and most other sub compact tractors.

I have had over 700lbs in many occasions on my front forks and have never had any issues with my tires squatting or anything like that.

I’m glad to hear your loving them on your ZTR tho, maybe I’ll give them a shot on mine...