Tractor tires - R4 vs R14

I have an option, both cost the same for the new tractor. R4 or R14, kioti CK3510SE Cab, used for snow wprk, brush hogging, firewood work in woods, mowing the yard.....


Leaning r14 but would love to hear of your experience.

 

R4 is a 6 ply tire.

I believe the R14 is 4 ply only.

Nice to have that stronger tire at times....for "brush hogging" and definitely for "firewood work in the woods".

 

I'm not sure how big of a tractor you are looking at when you say "mowing the yard". If you have a tractor small enough to mow a "lawn" with like a mid-mount/belly mower then it doesn't really matter, anything but turf tires will tear up the lawn and turfs will too at times. If you have a lawn mower in addition to your tractor, use that for 99% of your mowing. A tractor with a bucket, or a compact tractor, is not the best choice for lawn mowing. In my opinion, a zero-turn mower is best for lawn mowing which come with turf tires.
If you are talking about mowing fields, road edges, etc. with a brush hog, flail mower (better choice) or a rear mounted finish mower, I'd go with R1 tires. In my opinion, they are better in the woods, better in the snow, better in wet/mud conditions and while they will tear grass if you turn sharp in 4WD, but most tires will under that condition anyway.
I use my Massey for mowing around my field edges, woods trails and unfinished areas with my flail mower. Everything else gets done with a zero turn mower. It's much faster and is strictly designed for mowing efficiency.

 

Do you have direct experience with r4 or r14? 35 hp tractor, will be used for everything, ags are simply not an option.

 

Yes I do; R4's. I found them to slip easier and therefore cause more damage overall than the R1's. I had a 33 HP Massey Ferguson prior to my current one. I used to use it for mowing along the driveway , but it was not optimal. I can literally do the same mowing with the zero turn in less than 1/3 the time with a smaller deck. For mowing the lawn, I'm afraid you may be disappointed. I have a fairly large "lawn" that I maintain around the house; maybe 2 acres(?) and I wouldn't want to use my current (for sure) tractor, or my 33 HP that I had prior. It's too much a PITA to maneuver around a relatively big tractor around the house, garden, pool, etc. Prior to my zero turn, I used a 14 HP IH Cub Cadet garden tractor with a 55" deck. This is (I assume) much smaller than what your tractor will be as it was smaller than the Kubota BX series and that was OK. Just FYI, I ran ag tires on the back of that. Being 2WD I had lawn tires on the front but I never tore up the lawn with that combination and I never broke traction when it was wet like turf tires do. For lawn mowing though, a zero turn has no equal even though the tires do slip and burn the lawn a lot. For me, the time savings is well worth it.

 

I can only comment on r4 tires on a 30 hp loader tractor going on 12 years now.
I don't mow but I have extensive experience with driving on lawns and I find them quite acceptable. If the ground is really soft it will leave dents but not to bad.
I've pulled really long things out of the tires, things I'm surprised didn't go through.
Many hours spent crunching through the woods, over brush, thorns in the mud ect.
They "road" really well, smoothly with little wear.
They work well enough for pushing snow and they stay clean and don't pack up. However your like bambi on ice.
I feel that they are more robust looking than r14 tires and I would think more durable in the long run.

 

I've never ran anything with R14s so I can't comment on them. My dad has R4s on his 30HP Kubota. They aren't good at anything. Not good in mud...don't get good traction skidding logs...not good at not tearing up the yard. They may be good on hard surfaces, but there isn't a lot of "firewood tractor work" being done on hard surfaces.

 

R4s are terrible for traction in mud and snow. I have not run the R14s. I like Ag R1s on my larger tractor and a zero turn or rider for mowing grass. I just ordered new Ag R-1s on rims for my tractor, and will be selling my R-4s on existing rims. I couldn’t find a used tractor with what I wanted with R1s on it so I bought the closest thing.

 

It would seem like I'm the only one satisfied with R4 tires.
Not sure if the reason is that they are filled and I also have 3 complete sets of deere cast iron wheel weights mounted.
I had it set up like that when new so I have zero experience with them before the added weight.

 

I use R 4 They wear better on road, my front tires are wider, better flotation on mud in drought. All tires suck on ice. That’s why you have chains

my barn is in my mowed section Ags dig ruts period. Then you take a mower over those ruts and your back will talk to you for days!!

I have also used ags on buddy’s 65 hp JD. Mines a 50 hp

IME ags dig in mud til your on frame, then you need winch. R4 the loader will get you out!

Screwloose my tires are not filled but have 150# on each rim.. I deflate tires put chains on the fill tires to make chains tight!!

nothing worse than slipping a chain while snowblowing it’s dark cold and a PITA.
I don’t really know if my wAy is best or I figured out how to make it work!!

 

I'd love to have chains but I also do a fair amount of asphalt.

 

Meh, tires are over rated imo. JK, but I really like R1 ag tires. I don't mow with my tractors though.

 

Show Off!

 

Love the zero turn tractor you have!

 

I'm not a fan of R4's in the woods. I have R1' s now and they are way better, but off course destroy my lawn. Neil Messick has videos on the R14 vs. R4.

 

mike bayerl this is exactly my experience the Ag tires dig and leave ruts! In my experience they dig in mud until you are on frame!! Rut lawn and gravel driveway.

 

I don't understand the comments on R1 rutting a lawn. The only way I rut a lawn with my tractor (or field for that manner) is if I'm in 4WD and turning extremely sharply, which, you will create ruts with basically any tire style under those conditions, but that's just crazy driving IMHO. I've buried my tractor to the frame once in a silted over pond that I had no business being in. It was the one and only time I have ever gotten stuck where I needed assistance to get out in 20 years. I highly doubt that anything short of tracks would have helped.

 

It may be the picture but the front wheel looks to have a crazy camber.
It could be that that side just dug deeper.

 

Deer Meadow Farm for me yes I’ve buried mine same way in my Swamp or silted over pond. I brush hog it in droughts..

Other times ruts happen pulling logs. Getting people that can’t drive unstuck.. you know pulling or blowing snow backwards etc

 

Well. While I was mowing my lawn the other day the tires were only allowing me to cut 50 acres/hour. Where do I complain about that? Huh?

Giant new mower-conditioner can cut up to 50ac/hour - Agriland.ie