Pros Cons of front tractor tires

draftx

Member
Time for some new 650 x 16 on the Ford 4610 . The 3 rib type seems to cut up sod turning. Any reason not to use an LT truck tire. Does the 3 rib do better for plowing snow? This is a 2 wheel drive tractor.
 
2-3-4 rib have more steering control than a smooth tire. 4 rib would be most similar to a smooth tire. Just depends how much control and steering you want. You need to use the individual wheel brakes when turning.
 
If you do not have power steering s three rib is better and a single rib is better yet, but it is hard to find single rib in many sizes. I bought 4 rib for my 986 because they were cheaper than three rib but I found why they were cheaper. there is less rubber in the 4 rib.
 
Truck tyres are great on made up surfaces, i.e. yard/road work, they are usually a higher ply rating than ag tyres so stand up to loader work better, but you will have very little steering control on field work, they skid easy especially on wet and even very dry grass, and they do not self clean as good and will 'black line' your grass even if only damp, so the 3 or 4 rib is better for that. They are not too bad when working down ploughed ground if not wet. I use secondhand 10 ply 7.50-R16 lorry tyres on a Ford 6600 with a loader, but it stays in the yard most of the time, and when it goes into a grass field you take care cornering and on side slopes. I never use that tractor for ploughing but I think it would be near on useless turning at the ends if it is damp or greasy on top.
 
LT radial tires flatten on the bottom and make steering more difficult w/o power steering besides the fact car/truck tires look like crap on any tractor.
 
Been running radial tire like say the 235/75R-16 on my ford 841 for decades and they do very well. It does have a loader on it but I have also run them on other tractor with out a loader and rake and bale many a bale of hay with them and never had a steering problem
 
It doesn't make too much difference what you put on when pushing snow. I used to see chains on front tires when guys had big snow blowers on the back of their tractors. Its sorta a trade off, turning traction--3 rib, as stated truck tires on the front don't turn the best. I put 4 ribs on the front because they don't tear up sod as bad, but I think Firestone quit making 650X16 4 ribs many years ago. I am sure they still have the 7.50X16 4 rib.
 
3 rib is best for working ground as they will grip in loose soil better as the middle rib acts as a guide band on a steel wheel tractor. The 2 or 4 rib are better loader tires with more of a flat surface but you do not get the steering control of a 3 rib. They would be better on sod but you may need to use the turning brakes more.
 

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