Hey guys when I bought the MX5100 I opted for the R4 tires instead of the R1's. Mainly because the R4's are quite a bit wider, and I was doing alot of grading lots when I first started. Now for the past couple of years I have been doing more land clearing and field mowing and I have noticed the R4's kinda suck. When moving dirt or pushing into a big pile of brush the R4's like to spin. I have them filled with water and I was going to hang some weight from them but was wondering if I should go with a whole new set of R1's before getting the weights because they are different rims. I know it will probably be costly, so just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on if the cost will be worth the improved traction if any, or would it even be worth it?
Swapping r4's for r1's
- Thread starter kub3700
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85Hokie
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Ag's will do better in the mud/dirt, as for weight , hang it off the 3 point, the further back the weight the more leverage the tires will have, 200 lbs ON the tire is NOT the same as 200 lbs hanging off the 3 point....huge different.....
think of your old days playing on the see-saw......fulcrum and levers.....
I have a 600+ lb boxblade!! and im still needing more traction. Can you put to much weight on back? ie: 500+lb of water per tire, 600+ boxblade, and an additional 300lbs per wheel in weights would that be to much?
North Idaho Wolfman
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You can load the tires and the axle with no problem, I think personally it will only add a small gain in traction, changing tire type will give you the greatest gain in traction.
You have a MX5100. 3Pt hitch = Rear lift (at 24"/610mm):2,310 lbs
I have a L275 and this is what I use:
I have R1's and approx 350lb in each rear tire = approx 700lb total. For my usage, this has proven to be inadequate. I have been attaching an implement to the 3pt for extra weight. Then made a counter weight out of an old cast iron boiler filled with 200 lb of concrete for a total of approx 850lb. This does a good job anchoring the tractor to the ground and improves traction.
85Hokie
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Change your tires, load them when you change them, then start adding the weight.......
Like Wolfman said, the tires will be the secret to this solution.......the rest is easy and fairly cheap, tires will be an investment!
85Hokie
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sure....but obviously you will need to switch all 4 and make sure the ratio is close to what is was before...... for four wheel drive to work well
North Idaho Wolfman
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In your case yes you can.
Normally you can find tires of the same dia.( 24 in rim), but the width of your industrials are much greater, so that can be a problem, but I think I found a tire that would work for you.
16.9-24, careful in buying as that size comes in R1's and R4's.
you tire now 17.5L-24 and the 16.9-24 both take a 15" rim.
Then we play the RC (rolling circumference) game:
Your tractor came stock with either:
Agriculture (R1)
Front 9.5-16 RC 98
Rear 14.9-26 or 13.6.28 both RC 154
Industrial tires (R4)
12-16.5 RC 98
Rear 17.5L-24 RC 145
What that tells me is that you could get away with keeping the front tires as both the AG and ID are the same RC.
The 16.9-24 is RC 154 so the same as the other R1 tires so it will work.
That tire should give you killer traction is everything, it just might ride a little rougher than the R4's.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-16-9X24...=BI_Heavy_Equipment_Parts&hash=item35d9f5c469
Normally you can find tires of the same dia.( 24 in rim), but the width of your industrials are much greater, so that can be a problem, but I think I found a tire that would work for you.
16.9-24, careful in buying as that size comes in R1's and R4's.
you tire now 17.5L-24 and the 16.9-24 both take a 15" rim.
Then we play the RC (rolling circumference) game:
Your tractor came stock with either:
Agriculture (R1)
Front 9.5-16 RC 98
Rear 14.9-26 or 13.6.28 both RC 154
Industrial tires (R4)
12-16.5 RC 98
Rear 17.5L-24 RC 145
What that tells me is that you could get away with keeping the front tires as both the AG and ID are the same RC.
The 16.9-24 is RC 154 so the same as the other R1 tires so it will work.
That tire should give you killer traction is everything, it just might ride a little rougher than the R4's.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-16-9X24...=BI_Heavy_Equipment_Parts&hash=item35d9f5c469
Last edited:
Wolfman, thank you for the information. Do you know what is the lowest psi I can run the R4's at?
North Idaho Wolfman
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20PSI, if your lowering the pressure for better traction, you're probably not going to notice any gains.
The composition of the tire doesn't work like lowering the pressure in a car/truck tire.
One thing you could do to improve traction would be to have them grooved, but that is probably going to be as pricey as changing tires.
Another option it to get a set of chains for them, why it's not the quietest or smoothest option it will give you great traction, just get a set of diamond cleated chains.
The composition of the tire doesn't work like lowering the pressure in a car/truck tire.
One thing you could do to improve traction would be to have them grooved, but that is probably going to be as pricey as changing tires.
Another option it to get a set of chains for them, why it's not the quietest or smoothest option it will give you great traction, just get a set of diamond cleated chains.
Kub,
one very important thing hasn't been mentioned yet so I will.
Have you ever stopped to think that maybe what you're doing with your tractor is just a bit much more that what it was intended for? Can't tell you how many times I've seen people working on a jobsite with a tractor or loader that in all reality needed a bulldozer to do the job right.
Not being an a$$ but reality of conditions sometimes isn't easy to see since you get a little deeper into a job you're doing and don't realize other conditions change and it's time to put the shovel down and get out the backhoe for instance. Fortunately now what you're doing is only cause a loss of traction where most seem to keep butting their heades up against the wall as they have flat tires or worse destroying them on stumps etc doing a job that the equipment wasn't designed to do.
Big industrial loaders don't have R1 Ag tires on them and the most aggessive tread is the L2 desgn which is exactly the same as an R4.
Al
one very important thing hasn't been mentioned yet so I will.
Have you ever stopped to think that maybe what you're doing with your tractor is just a bit much more that what it was intended for? Can't tell you how many times I've seen people working on a jobsite with a tractor or loader that in all reality needed a bulldozer to do the job right.
Not being an a$$ but reality of conditions sometimes isn't easy to see since you get a little deeper into a job you're doing and don't realize other conditions change and it's time to put the shovel down and get out the backhoe for instance. Fortunately now what you're doing is only cause a loss of traction where most seem to keep butting their heades up against the wall as they have flat tires or worse destroying them on stumps etc doing a job that the equipment wasn't designed to do.
Big industrial loaders don't have R1 Ag tires on them and the most aggessive tread is the L2 desgn which is exactly the same as an R4.
Al
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If you want maximum traction from your tires, put on a set of radial R-1's. Go with a good name brand, not a no name E-Bay special, it will be worth it in the long run if you are using your tractor for income. Radials can be run at lower pressures to increase the foot print of the tire giving more traction.
I paid the option to get my L3800 with R4's.....found they sucked and paid again to get R1's (with new wheels). Lesson learned....and I'll *never* own another tractor with anything but R1's. They are great everywhere from mowing the front yard to working in the woods to being in mud deep enough to scrape the floorboards.
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Kub,
exactly my point friend, if you can't run with the big dogs you gotta stay on the porch. All things considered that's where you're at right now not being able to get the power you've got to the ground. My thoughts are that once you change the tires it might get the job done for now but the next project you tackle you'll probably be needing a bigger gun.
It's a fine line to keep in balance and what I've learned from watching the best of the best operators against the one's who shouldn't be allowed to pick up a #2 shovel, is that slowing down and taking a better approach to the job and sometimes it's as simple as taking a smaller bite at the task at hand.
Al
R-1s will help a lot with traction, loaded with wheel weights will also help. But absolutely the best thing for loader work will be hanging more 'counter' weight on the 3 pt hitch!!! That size rig needs at least 1000 lbs to really help.