Ag Tire Preferences

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by OldSkull

I just help the OP finding the best deal possible Lance but since your asking and as far I'm concern, I will never put a set of those AG on any of my GT or SGT because I don't have a garden to take care of and the "Wow" factor is not my cup of tea. I prefer the smooth ride of a good set of turf who give plenty of traction with a set of chain in winter.

I don't know why anyone want to "torture" their butt riding on those AG doing snow removal on the hard pavement, I guess some have more padding there..

I'm not here to argue the merits of one tire over another but if it were up to me, given the choice between turfs with chains or ag's for a smooth ride, I'd go ag's any day! I have small drives between snow jobs in the winter and I've run ag's, turfs, and turfs with chains and the roughest ride by far is the turfs with chains!

That being said, I use turfs 99% of the time in the winter. I have a set of chains I throw on if it gets icy but otherwise, turfs do it for me (that and I don't want to invest in another set of ag's for my snow machine, I'm kinda cheap like that ).

[Lanceskene]

I get the 'working in the ground' part... I have farm tractors and run them in the fields... but thats the only place they are designed to work in and they still need weights and chains even on 8000 lb tractors.

What I dont get is why so many people buy these ag tires, plus weights, plus chains, plus washer fluid.... if they are putting them on a general use garden tractor, especially if they live in the suburbs... I live on a farm, I have pasture on all four sides, I have dugouts, sloughs, 1/2 mile gravel driveway, grass, ditches.... you name it, everything except pavement.

I use standard wheel weights but Ive never loaded a garden tractor tire, never use chains, I own nearly every attachment you can think of and I use them all... but I bet I havent gotten a garden tractor stuck in 20 years.

For 'Pullers' or tractors dedicated to ground engaging equipment, sure, I could see an AG tire working better than atv tire, but not by much, certainly not enough for the average home or acreage dweller to even notice. I know I can break virgin ground with a 10" plough and never spin an atv tire... what more do you need? and at what price? The used atv tires I bought to pull the plough cost me $40 for the pair, 5 or 6 years ago, and I was using them yesterday to push a 54" snowblade thru a foot of wet heavy snow.

I always read these AG tire threads trying figure out why they are so popular.... but Im starting to think its just 'For the Look' ... which is fine... but I like to remind people, especially the rookies.... that there is other less expensive options that work very well.

Edit... someone mentioned the ride factor while I was typing..... the soft rubber and low psi used in atv tires provides quite a nice ride, no worse than a turf tire.

[OldSkull]

Originally Posted by jimbob200521

I'm not here to argue the merits of one tire over another but if it were up to me, given the choice between turfs with chains or ag's for a smooth ride, I'd go ag's any day! I have small drives between snow jobs in the winter and I've run ag's, turfs, and turfs with chains and the roughest ride by far is the turfs with chains!

That being said, I use turfs 99% of the time in the winter. I have a set of chains I throw on if it gets icy but otherwise, turfs do it for me (that and I don't want to invest in another set of ag's for my snow machine, I'm kinda cheap like that ).

Fair enough Ryan!

Your not alone! With 6 tractor to take care of I try to spend my money "smartly"! That's why I purchase a set of WT300 from Summit, they look like the best bang for the buck out there in 26x12-12 size, time will tell if I made a good bet.

Lance some members here already use ATV in winter on their cub, they look "Goofy" but I think they do a pretty dam good job!
Those one look pretty aggressive and up for any task with 8 ply! I'm too cheap to give them a try
https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/gtt-ae122612sp

[V30crewcab]

I put firestones on my super simply because I wanted them. I needed tires, and Liked the look of tractor tires. they are super stiff, wish I hadn't gotten the thick ply ones, but oh well. as little as I use it, it don't matter. It looks they way I wanted it to.

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by Lanceskene

I get the 'working in the ground' part... I have farm tractors and run them in the fields... but thats the only place they are designed to work in and they still need weights and chains even on 8000 lb tractors.

What I dont get is why so many people buy these ag tires, plus weights, plus chains, plus washer fluid.... if they are putting them on a general use garden tractor, especially if they live in the suburbs... I live on a farm, I have pasture on all four sides, I have dugouts, sloughs, 1/2 mile gravel driveway, grass, ditches.... you name it, everything except pavement.

I use standard wheel weights but Ive never loaded a garden tractor tire, never use chains, I own nearly every attachment you can think of and I use them all... but I bet I havent gotten a garden tractor stuck in 20 years.

For 'Pullers' or tractors dedicated to ground engaging equipment, sure, I could see an AG tire working better than atv tire, but not by much, certainly not enough for the average home or acreage dweller to even notice. I know I can break virgin ground with a 10" plough and never spin an atv tire... what more do you need? and at what price? The used atv tires I bought to pull the plough cost me $40 for the pair, 5 or 6 years ago, and I was using them yesterday to push a 54" snowblade thru a foot of wet heavy snow.

I always read these AG tire threads trying figure out why they are so popular.... but Im starting to think its just 'For the Look' ... which is fine... but I like to remind people, especially the rookies.... that there is other less expensive options that work very well.

Edit... someone mentioned the ride factor while I was typing..... the soft rubber and low psi used in atv tires provides quite a nice ride, no worse than a turf tire.

I've always been curious about ATV tires on a GT but never invested in a pair, somehow through my "travels" I always have a good pair or two of turfs around. That being said, either ATV or those industrial AG's are on the top of my curiosity list for performance. I've used an old half worn out set of 8.5 AG's on a snow pusher once (I put them on as I was curious) then the snow we got was wet, heavy, and had a layer of ice below it so I couldn't even get out of my driveway, not the fairest test of them I ended up putting loaded turfs with chains on and eventually got out. I think the biggest thing with our little machines is weights. When pushing snow, I run out of traction before anything else even with loaded tires and 150lb of wheel weights, I would have more if I could.

As far as AG's in general, I bought a nice set of Tru Powers for my lawn mower for a few reasons: 1) looks. They look sharp and aggressive and 2) 99% of my yard is flat but I have one ditch that I'd mow and I've slipped on it with turfs 3) I pull some loads of wood and such every now and then and again, I've slipped with turfs (heavy load of wood up a slick hill kinda thing).

Also, on a side note, turfs won't pull two Silverado 1500's on grass but AG's will, don't ask me how I know

[Lanceskene]

Ya know what looks Goofy Gillies... I should have gotten a pic the day I had my 8000 lb IH hydro stuck in two inches of snow.... and the wife pulled me with a 1000 lb garden tractor... on ATV tires. Lol

[OldSkull]

Unbelievable! She sure had a good laft on you that day but this just proves they are pretty dam good one for snow task.

[Lanceskene]

Originally Posted by jimbob200521

When pushing snow, I run out of traction before anything else even with loaded tires and 150lb of wheel weights, I would have more if I could.

This puzzles me... why do you run out of traction? my tires are not loaded, no chains, my heaviest pair of wheel weights are only 56 lbs per side, and Im only 145... I dont run out of traction. I have well over a foot of accumulated snow anywhere in the yard and with atv tires I can push a 48" bucket any place I care to point it... but I couldnt do that with the Tru Power AG.

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by Lanceskene

This puzzles me... why do you run out of traction? my tires are not loaded, no chains, my heaviest pair of wheel weights are only 56 lbs per side, and Im only 145... I dont run out of traction. I have well over a foot of accumulated snow anywhere in the yard and with atv tires I can push a 48" bucket any place I care to point it... but I couldnt do that with the Tru Power AG.

Most of my snow pushing is done on concrete sidewalks and when we get heavy wet snow, it's all I can do to push if I have the blade straight and a big pile; if there is any packed snow, water, ice, etc on the sidewalk or I've made multiple passes, it's not impossible for me to spin and you know what happens once you break traction. I have wheel weights (75lb each side), my fat a$$, loaded tires, and a cab on the back. It doesn't happen often but it has happened.

[J-Mech]

Are the ATV tires radials Lance? That might be the biggest difference. CADplans on here always bragged the same thing.... that the ATV tires he uses don't need chains and never run out of traction. He claims it's because they are radials. I have mixed opinions. On a farm tractor, I've seen radials and bias ply side by side on two machines. Sometimes the radials do better, sometimes the bias do. I would prefer a radial.... But I hate the look of the ATV tire. Plus, they are a way taller tire. Goofs up ground speeds with a gear drive for tillage work.


On the comments about riding on ags compared to a turf.... I see no difference. Feel the same on my butt. Only thing that rides like crap are chains. With chained ags, the ride is better because the chain falls between the treads. Still contacts the ground, but you don't have the "hump" to hit.

I'm just commenting.... not arguing. I too agree and don't understand the point of guys in the "burbs" wanting ags. I wouldn't have any reason for them if I just mowed a flat yard and pushed some snow in the winter. I ran turf for years. I will say, that ags are nice for mowing where I live. Gets soft in the spring and I've been stuck on turfs just pulling the lawn roller.