Siping R4 tires and a very generous OTT member.

[RCW]

I bought a groover a couple of years ago to grooved the tires on my tractor and it makes a difference in mud and snow.

Wow, your mud pictures show a lot to me.

Looks like a lot more "bite" in the tracks left by the grooved tires.

 

[D2Cat]

Very nice! How deep did you make the cuts? I'm thinking that 3/16" should be good.

I think they are about 1/4" wide and 1/4" deep. The kit I bought had several cutters in a package. I use the same cutter on all four tires, never needed to change it out.

Grooving is easier when done when tires a warm, either summer sun heat or in shop heater. Just easier to push through. Also, if you groove the tires on the bars, I'd suggest not going completely through to the ends, both starting and finishing. This protects the tire for possibly ripping a piece out of the end if caught on something.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'll give this some thought. I'll finish blocking the lugs the way I show above and then possibly make a cross cut as you suggest. Something like this perhaps.

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I would think you would be safe to do that!
And yes that's exactly what I was thinking!

 

[skeets]

WOW, I think this is just what I need on those damned R4 tires, so they will bite, any thing short of chains is a win for me. I like my B , who ever thought skid steer tire on a tractor was a good idea should be looking for a job! OK rant done

 

[RCW]

I would think you would be safe to do that!
And yes that's exactly what I was thinking!

No experience with it, but I was also thinking a groove down the center of the lug would be helpful. Doesn't seem it would risk tearing the tread.

D2Cat's pictures made me think siping could be beneficial on the fronts of my little BX for snowblowing season.......I chain the backs, but steering can be a challenge.

Have front chains, but am hesitant to put them on. Especially a mild winter like this year.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

No experience with it, but I was also thinking a groove down the center of the lug would be helpful. Doesn't seem it would risk tearing the tread.

D2Cat's pictures made me think siping could be beneficial on the fronts of my little BX for snowblowing season.......I chain the backs, but steering can be a challenge.

Have front chains, but am hesitant to put them on. Especially a mild winter like this year.

Yes it would, I would do a pattern like Mcmxi which will help tremendously with side slip.

 

[mcmxi]

So I played with the heat and cutting depth and went back over the three cuts I showed earlier. Getting the heat right resulted in a much nicer finish and I increased the cutting depth to 1/4". I also made a template to transfer marks to the lugs in the appropriate locations so that I can join the dots and hopefully keep the cuts straight. The template is reversible of course.

I have to say, if I push down on a lug near the outer edge, there's WAY more movement of the rubber compared to pushing down on the factory lugs in the same location. These blocks are now free to move relative to each other in a way that the one-piece lug can't.

 

[Lil Foot]

I bought a groover a couple of years ago to grooved the tires on my tractor and it makes a difference in mud and snow.

Very Nice!

 

[Lil Foot]

So I played with the heat and cutting depth and went back over the three cuts I showed earlier. Getting the heat right resulted in a much nicer finish and I increased the cutting depth to 1/4". I also made a template to transfer marks to the lugs in the appropriate locations so that I can join the dots and hopefully keep the cuts straight. The template is reversible of course.

I have to say, if I push down on a lug near the outer edge, there's WAY more movement of the rubber compared to pushing down on the factory lugs in the same location. These blocks are now free to move relative to each other in a way that the one-piece lug can't.

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Very nice also!
You and I think a lot alike!

 

[mcmxi]

Well, this is borderline addictive! Thanks to @pokey1416 I'm not doing the things I should be doing but having so much more fun! I need to get one of the floor jacks out and raise whichever tire I'm working on off the ground. That would be a lot easier.

Here's what I have for the rear at the moment and after a few cuts on one of the front tires. the camera position makes some of the cuts look wonky but that's an optical illusion. I can't believe how easy it is to use this tool and how well it works. No wonder it costs $500 or so. Thank you @pokey1416 for your generosity.

I'm still not sure if I'll make horizontal cuts. It's still February and there are a couple more months of winter up here in NW Montana I'm sure, so I might use the MX with these cuts and then think about adding more after I've tried the tractor in some slippery conditions. I wonder if these cuts will make the tires quieter/smoother. I feel and hear an odd harmonic at certain speeds due to the lugs on the tires, more so with the R4s on the MX rather than the R1s on the M ... I think anyway.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Looking good!

 

[D2Cat]

So I played with the heat and cutting depth and went back over the three cuts I showed earlier. Getting the heat right resulted in a much nicer finish and I increased the cutting depth to 1/4". I also made a template to transfer marks to the lugs in the appropriate locations so that I can join the dots and hopefully keep the cuts straight. The template is reversible of course.

I have to say, if I push down on a lug near the outer edge, there's WAY more movement of the rubber compared to pushing down on the factory lugs in the same location. These blocks are now free to move relative to each other in a way that the one-piece lug can't.

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You have probably noticed the rate of speed you push the cutter through the tire has an impact of ease of the cut! Slower is easier as it keeps the steel hotter.

 

[Trapper Bob]

Well, this is borderline addictive! Thanks to @pokey1416 I'm not doing the things I should be doing but having so much more fun! I need to get one of the floor jacks out and raise whichever tire I'm working on off the ground. That would be a lot easier.

Here's what I have for the rear at the moment and after a few cuts on one of the front tires. the camera position makes some of the cuts look wonky but that's an optical illusion. I can't believe how easy it is to use this tool and how well it works. No wonder it costs $500 or so. Thank you @pokey1416 for your generosity.

I'm still not sure if I'll make horizontal cuts. It's still February and there are a couple more months of winter up here in NW Montana I'm sure, so I might use the MX with these cuts and then think about adding more after I've tried the tractor in some slippery conditions. I wonder if these cuts will make the tires quieter/smoother. I feel and hear an odd harmonic at certain speeds due to the lugs on the tires, more so with the R4s on the MX rather than the R1s on the M ... I think anyway.


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I think you have crossed the line between engineer & artist. Very nice for free hand & I can see it working great.

 

[jimh406]

Look at the "new" Kubota R4 at 4:10-4:20 and 4:59.

 

[mcmxi]

Look at the "new" Kubota R4 at 4:10-4:20 and 4:59.

Thanks for posting the link. I hadn't got around to watching TTWT's latest video but watched it this morning. I had to laugh when @Kennyd4110 said "I've been grooving my tires for years ... where's my royalties?"

Here's a screen grab of Titan's new R4 Trac Loader II tire.

Perhaps I'll add a horizontal groove to the outer lugs only.

 

[mcmxi]

Looking good!

You might like this then. I've got this down to where I can finish up the grooving since I'm happy with this pattern. I'll add an horizontal cut to the front tire lugs (outer two) as well.

I'll hold off from posting more photos until I'm done with all four tires. This is turning out way better than I ever thought it could or would.

 

[gmbc]

I bought a groover a couple of years ago to grooved the tires on my tractor and it makes a difference in mud and snow.

I purchased a groover a couple years back and did two horizontal sipes per block on rear tires on B2650HSDC, This worked very wel and I noticed better traction in snow as that is where I needed it . I live in Canada. There was a post then of the tractor and sipes in tires.

 

[jimh406]

I purchased a groover a couple years back and did two horizontal sipes per block on rear tires on B2650HSDC, This worked very wel and I noticed better traction in snow as that is where I needed it . I live in Canada. There was a post then of the tractor and sipes in tires.

Here's that thread.

Does tire grooving really work?

Here's an interesting pattern for your grooves. https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/snow-removal/581474d1543863063-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a-img_1266-jpg Saw that before and didn’t like “to the edge of lug” as I was concerned about tear out. It would be interesting to see them after...

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[mcmxi]

I finished grooving the rear tires today and am pleased with how they turned out. I had to remove the rear snow blower and jack up the tractor but it was worth it. I greased both ends of the snow blower driveshaft as well as some other grease fittings on the blower and tractor.

The front tires should be a lot easier to do since they're obviously a lot smaller, and I can raise the front wheels off the ground using the FEL and snow blade. I don't think my situation yesterday would have been avoided if I'd had all four tires grooved. I don't expect miracles from these grooves but hopefully an incremental improvement.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I finished grooving the rear tires today and am pleased with how they turned out. I had to remove the rear snow blower and jack up the tractor but it was worth it. I greased both ends of the snow blower driveshaft as well as some other grease fittings on the blower and tractor.

The front tires should be a lot easier to do since they're obviously a lot smaller, and I can raise the front wheels off the ground using the FEL and snow blade. I don't think my situation yesterday would have been avoided if I'd had all four tires grooved. I don't expect miracles from these grooves but hopefully an incremental improvement.

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That Looks good…it might also give a more visual / measurable indicator of tire wear…not that the tire are going to wear much different, but it sort gives a measurable guage/indicator if you know the depth of the groove…you be able to notice any odd wear patterns (at a glance) too vs just the solid bar tread.