[AT] O.T. -- Tires; Turf VS Lug

Wed Jul 25 13:14:12 PDT 2007

No they're not the same.  Bring up the Miller Tire site and take a look at 
the tread profiles shown.  The industrial tire is going to have a tread 
similar to photo A or B under the Skid Loader section.  I'm running a tire 
similar to photo E under Lawn & Garden -- Lug.

I'm running a size that Miller doesn't list on-line -- ones that are a 
couple inches smaller than the Firestone 31X15.50-15's that they list at 
$220 each.  Wheels that large (15 inches wide) are not commonly stocked 
around the country, but wheels in the range of 10, 12, and 13 are.

Larry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herbert Metz" <metz-h.b at mindspring.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] O.T. -- Tires; Turf VS Lug

>
> Larry,
> I found out earlier today that the tire I described is the R4 industrial.
> Is this low-profile high-flotation tire that you mention also known as the
> R4 industrial, or what are their differences?
> Herb
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Larry D Goss <rlgoss at evansville.net>
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Date: 7/24/2007 11:26:43 PM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] O.T. --  Tires; Turf VS Lug
>>
>> Herb, I've been mowing a 6-acre tract with turf tires for 10 years.  I
>> changed them out about two months ago for low-profile high-flotation lug
>> tires and I WILL NEVER GO BACK.  Turf tires burn the turf -- all the
> time.
>> As soon as I converted to lug tires, the mowing time for this plot was
>> decreased by 25%.  Mowing time went from four hours down to three hours.
>> There are some slopes on this property that are absolutely bare after all
>> these years of using turf tires.
>>
>> I suspected from the experience I had while working in a local
> dealership,
>> that something of this nature would happen, but I didn't have first-hand
>> knowledge of it until a couple of months ago.  The experience I had was
> that
>> on brand new ZTR mowers, owners were complaining about not having good
>> control of the mower while mowing across slopes.  They were loosing all
>> traction on the upslope wheel.  We would bring the mowers in, change out
> the
>> turf tires for low-lug high-flotation style, and the owners seemed to be
>> content.
>>
>> Around April of this year, I serviced a tractor that was being
> troublesome
>> for the owner.  I fixed his problem with an on-site service call and I
>> noticed that he had the "super size" versions of the high-flotation,
>> low-profile lugs on the rear of his equipment.  I asked him about it and
> he
>> said that for mowing the slope on his earthen dam (close to 1/4 mile
> long)
>> he couldn't operate without them.  He mowed the dam once (just once) with
>> turf tires and got tired really quickly of not being able to track
> anywhere
>> close to a straight line across the dam.  He's been mowing the dam for
>> better than 15 years with the lug tires and the grass looks perfect.
>>
>> You can moan and groan all you want to about lug tires tearing up the
> grass,
>> but my experience is showing otherwise.
>>
>> YMMV.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
>>
>> FWIW, I'm running 29X12.5-15's.  They cost around $450 per pair,
> including
>> wheels.  At the dealership, we typically not only changed out the tires
> but
>> also sent the new ones back loaded with calcium-chloride.
>>
>> Let the flames begin.
>>
>> Larry
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: <D8RMAN at aol.com>
>> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 7:54 PM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] O.T. -- Tires; Turf VS Lug
>>
>>
>> >
>> > Herb, It sounds like the turf tires will work just fine for a just
> mowing
>> > job. The lugs can damage the turf much easier than a turf tire. If the
>> > tractor
>> > was going to be used in some other application just remember that most
>> > turf
>> > tires are a lower profile and thus gives you less ground clearance
> making
>> > the
>> > tractor easier to get high centered, I've been there and done that.
>> > Willard
>> > Smith, Tacoma, WA.
>> >
>> > O.T.   ---   This information is for a good friend  who plans buying a
> new
>> > tractor.
>> > This discussion concern is turf tiresVS lug  tires for a new J.D. 2305
>> > with
>> > 54" belly mower that will be used primarily for  maintaining five acres
> of
>> > GA
>> > soil that is sloped (average slope is  3/12).     The lug tires have a
>> > 3/4"
>> > wide x 3/4" high bar with  1 1/4" between bars; bars are perpendicular
> to
>> > travel
>> > in center of tire and  approx 45 degrees to travel at outer 1/3 of
> tire.
>> > I
>> > am not  sure of the kind of grass, but it appears native in that  tthe
>> > only
>> > maintenance is mowing.    Ground is just north GA soil, mostly red
> clay;
>> > and
>> > normally very hard.
>> > Will these lugs (rear tires are  approx 20" high x 8" wide) on a J.D.
> 2305
>> > tractor tear up the grass and/or  soil?
>> > The. 2305 has front wheel assist with useage  optional.(front tires are
>> > approx 14" x 8').
>> > Should one be concerned about  slippage of turf tires on wet grass on
> such
>> > a
>> > slope?
>> > Is wear on front end  less when using only rear wheel traction?
>> > Herb
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new
> AOL
>> > at
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>> >
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