Winter Tire Pressure for Plowing

[je1279]

For those who use a plow or a snow pusher on a LX2610 sized tractor in the winter, what tire pressures do you run front and rear? Looking to maximize traction and steering while maintaining appropriate pressures for the weight of the loader/plow and ~500lbs of rear ballast.

 

[jimh406]

I have an L2501. I don’t change my pressure depending on the season. Maybe I could, but I run chains on my R4s.

 

[je1279]

I don't run chains and have R14's. I ran the recommend (max) pressure last year and was good for the most part but just wondering if airing down a bit would improve both traction and steering.

 

[Jake_in_AK]

So I am very new to tractors- just got my first one this fall, a Lx2610- sadly open station for me, no cabs avilable at my dealer in time.

So far, I've left the pressure as reccomended on all four tires, but I also have all four filled (3/4) with -65f rated windshield fluid, and have chains on my rear tires.

I haven't yet run into traction problems while out plowing, and usually when I have it has been that I've put too much down pressure on the loader arm mounted blade, preventing me from turning correctly.

Having said that, I've also only had about 5 inches of snow so far this winter- it has been too cold to snow much yet. I've just been happy that with the winterizing package the dealer sold me on, it has still been starting up even at -38F so I can move bales of hay for the horses.

I dont know if reducing tire pressure with liquid ballast is a great idea, but the chains I've got on the rear have so far been adequate for my uses

Edited to add: i am also running the r14 tire tread. Had to put on wheel spacers to fit the chains, but kinda wanted spacers anyways for stability on slopes when moving hay around.

90%+ of what my tractor does is move hay bales and plow snow- if we didn't get the size bales we do, a smaller tractor would probably fit our needs better- as it was we needed the ability to lift ~900lbs and so went the lx2610 route

 

[je1279]

I'm likely overthinking this as I do with everything. To satisfy my curiosity I'm going to try 25psi in the front (if I need to put the bucket on I'll go back to max) and 20psi in the rear. I definitely agree that too much down pressure will make the steering difficult but I always will give it a couple bumps up so the edge is just barely touching the ground. I have a section of concrete walkway that I need to maintain as well otherwise chains in the rear would solve any traction issues.

 

[SDT]

For those who use a plow or a snow pusher on a LX2610 sized tractor in the winter, what tire pressures do you run front and rear? Looking to maximize traction and steering while maintaining appropriate pressures for the weight of the loader/plow and ~500lbs of rear ballast.

I do not adjust air pressure seasonally on any of my tractors, includinig my B3350 with R4s which I use to plow snow with Kubota FEL mounted hydraulically angled blade and rear ballast box. I have a full set of chains, properly fitted for it but have never needed them with the ballast box filled with bagged playground sand.

Not sure what the recommended rear tire pressure for the R14T tires is but they balloon so badly that reducing pressure a bit might help considerably.

Do not reduce pressure too much. You certainly would not want to roll one off of the rim, especially if loaded.

I would not do anything to the fronts.

SDT

 

[Tx Jim]

I think 20#s in rear tires will not allow cleats to contact surface 100% therefore loosing traction easier

 

[je1279]

I think 20#s in rear tires will not allow cleats to contact surface 100% therefore loosing traction easier

Yeah I'm going to play with it a bit and fine tune as needed. Manual calls for 30psi in the rears (R14's) so I'm hoping that 10psi less will give a better footprint. Could probably go down to 15psi but wouldn't want to go any less than that.

 

[RCW]

Like SDT, I don't adjust pressure.

Grew up on a dairy farm, and we spread manure year 'round, plowed driveways, etc. Never adjusted back then either. Those were 2WD tractors with chains.

 

[Orange man]

My new L2501 has R14 tires and I cant believe that they call for 44 psi in the fronts, they are really rounded at that pressure, the more I look at them the more I want to go back to R4. I would like to drop pressure down too but not sure how that would work with a load on them. Will be watching to see what you are told.

 

[SDT]

My new L2501 has R14 tires and I cant believe that they call for 44 psi in the fronts, they are really rounded at that pressure, the more I look at them the more I want to go back to R4. I would like to drop pressure down too but not sure how that would work with a load on them. Will be watching to see what you are told.

Agreed.

I investigated R14Ts thoroughly when they were first introduced but decided in favor of R4s due to the ballooning issue.

SDT

 

[Orange man]

When I bought the tractor it was still in the crate and tires were wrapped up in plastic so didn't see the tractor with tires until delivered. Dealership said they will swap them when they get a set of R4 in stock. I will be taking them up on that offer.

 

[je1279]

I must say I was very happy with how the loaded R14's without chains and 500lb ballast box performed last winter but I'm always trying to get the most out of everything. I deflated both the fronts and rears for the mowing season and it definitely smoothed out the ride a bit. I'm not looking for maximum traction, just looking to maximize winter traction with my existing setup.

 

[Orange man]

I can see where the R14 would work well in snow, and dropping pressure should make them even better.

 

[Jchonline]

I'm likely overthinking this as I do with everything. To satisfy my curiosity I'm going to try 25psi in the front (if I need to put the bucket on I'll go back to max) and 20psi in the rear. I definitely agree that too much down pressure will make the steering difficult but I always will give it a couple bumps up so the edge is just barely touching the ground. I have a section of concrete walkway that I need to maintain as well otherwise chains in the rear would solve any traction issues.

Just dont let the tires flatten with whatever you are lifting on the FEL or 3PT (usually a front tire/FEL issue) and you will be fine. I think my loaded rears are 20 psi. I leave them that way all year. However I just picked up a rear blower so I don’t plan on pushing a whole bunch of snow any longer.