portuncia Posted July 19, 2006 Posted July 19, 2006 I have a B-112 with turf tires on the back, the tractor is used for mowing, pulling a trailer, tilling and soon a front blade. My property is very hilly and I would like to use it on the back 9 to mow some trails that my kids take down to the creek. I know lug tires would be the way to go but will I get very good traction by using chains on the back? Since I only have one tractor it might be easier than getting a second set of wheels with lugs.
MadMike Posted July 19, 2006 Posted July 19, 2006 I can't help much with the hills but I can tell you that the chains (4 link) I use for plowing and snow blowing seem to work pretty good. I actually have a second set of rims that I was going to put lugs on but have not got around to it yet. From what I've been told, lugs are more for soft ground and chains for hard ground or ice. I look forward to others opinions. Mike
Roy Posted July 19, 2006 Posted July 19, 2006 Fill the tires with windshield washer fluid. Will help immensely. Worked for me on my B-1. Could climb hills that were previously impossible. A site search should turn up several posts on the subject. Good luck,
portuncia Posted July 19, 2006 Author Posted July 19, 2006 I had read a bit about filling the tires, how much more weight does it add than other fillers? Is there a problem with rusting using this fluid.
Kent Posted July 19, 2006 Posted July 19, 2006 Use winter-mix windshield washer fluid. It will protect against freezing to 20 or 25 below. It is safe for plastic and rubber, and is non-corrosive -- i.e. won't encourage rust. You can get almost/about 6 gallons in a 23x8.50x12 tire -- you only fill it up to the valve stem, not completely full -- which will add somewhere around 45-48 lbs per tire. 23x10.50x12s will hold a little over 7 gallons, and add somewhere between 55-60 lbs per tire. Calcium choride is often used to fill agricultural tires, and it adds more weight, but it is VERY corrosive should you ever have a leak (even the minute amounts that come from checking tire pressures) unless you get all of it washed off immediately...
MATTHEW Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 I used a set of truck chains on my turf tires and it helsp immensely. I bought a pair from a thrift store for 5 bucks and cut them down to fit. Matt
DarrylF Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 I use chains on turf tires for all applications. They provide excellent traction on wet or dry turf. I use cut down four link car/truck tire chains. I mow four hilly acres with confidence using cross-bar (reinforced) chains, including a downhill run toward my pond! IMHO lug tires are for soft dirt and mud use, not turf. If you're going to pull ground engaging implements (plow, disk harrow, cultivator, leveling box, etc) in soft dirt, I have no doubt lug tires are the ideal drive tires for tractors, however they are generally highly overrated by club members and other garden tractor folks because they think lug tires make garden tractors look like real farm tractors (cool factor). Also, lug tires cost more than chains, so snob factor tends to apply. If all you want is traction for mowing and hill work, spend the $5 for a set of chains at an auction or thrift store. Chains with 14" cross links will fit any size garden tractor tire up to 23-10.5 X 12. Darryl
ehertzfeld Posted July 25, 2006 Posted July 25, 2006 I would think that trufs with chains would tend to rip up a lawn more that AGS "lugs". I mowed my whole yard a few weeks back with my Landlord with AGs and the front and back! The front did tear the lawn up a bit, but I didn't notice the rears doing any damage. Just remember, with chains or AGs, if the wheels start spinning, the going to dig. So keep your speed consistent, and don't stop unless you have to. Elon
Guest Posted July 25, 2006 Posted July 25, 2006 I think it depends on your soil base. I put on rear AGs... once and you could see the imprints from my rears. Trails sound like rocks, I'm experiencing problems with hitting small gravel getting mixed into my lawn from a gravel driveway; it's destroying my equipment. It's not like I'm aiming for rocks, every so often I find one which wasn't there before. I'd setup a special tractor for the "back trail" job.
ZippoVarga Posted July 25, 2006 Posted July 25, 2006 Functionality and versatility is your main objective here on the cheap. Do the 4 link tire chains and make a weight box for the rear of the tractor. Before I got my Landlord and sold another tractor to be able to get both super lug and tri bar tires for the LL I was using turf tires on a broadmoor with 4 link chains and a weight box. This wasnt the perfect set up, but it worked for all my broadmoors intended purposes. Now with the super lugs and tri bars I do not tear up my lawn nearly as much as I was before putting that combination on the Landlord because of hilly conditions on my property. The turf tires would spin instead of staying firmly planted to the ground like the super lugs do. I did not purchase my lugs or tri bars for a cool factor. I purchased them for functionality after a great bit of research on tire combinations since I had to get tires due to dry rot any way. The Money spent on another set of turf tires was much better spent on more versatile tires. So if any one tells you they are only for a cool factor, I for one can vauch to the contrary. If I didnt need new tires I wouldnt have gotten them, but the price difference was non existant between new turf tires and the super lugs and tri bars. Now I have one good set of multi use tires and do not have to hastle with puttng on and taking off chains like I used to have to do with the broadmoor. So I guess my suggestion is to do what works and in the event you need to purchase new tires, do plenty of research and determine the use the tires will encounter and let that be your guide as to what kind of tires you purchase. Just like purchasing speed rated tires for a 4x4....makes no sense. But if the vehicle's primary use is highway in Florida, then go for it and dont worry about what others say or think. IMHO Sean aka Zippo
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