Charrie 18 #1 Posted April 3, 2020 1994 420H Our yard has some pretty steep hills and last year the stock turf tires would slip if the ground was the least bit wet. Going down down the hills the tires would slip sometimes. We learned to try going at a 45 degree angle up and down. We also have several acres of wooded areas that we are working on thinning out the small undergrowth so i was thinking that overall the agra tires might work best for us. The original tires are dry rotted on the sidewalls and the right tire is starting to loose air every other day or so, so i have to do something. I guess one could put a tube in the tires for temporary but not sure how long that would last and would not solve the sliding problem. I grew up on a small farm with a Wheel Horse Charger 12 hydro and 48" deck. Maybe just because I was so used to the Charger 12, the 12 as I remember was more stable and pulled better then the 520 out in the woods and pasture. WE have only had the 520 for less then a year so maybe i just need more experience with it. But back to the tires, what do you all recommend? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Digger 66 3,488 #2 Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) Not if you just go straight I convince myself that they are actually built-in aerators and do the lawn a world of good . Welcome to Red Square ! Edited April 3, 2020 by Digger 66 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,878 #3 Posted April 3, 2020 TRACTION is very much about WEIGHT. AG tires will give you lots of traction if they're fluid filled and/or weighted. Extra traction means lack of tires spinning. No spinning means no damage. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charrie 18 #4 Posted April 3, 2020 Thanks for the replies all. What is best to fill the tires with and who does it? If I buy agra tires, should they be 4 or 6 ply? The 6 ply would be less apt to puncture when going over sharp little stumps where we clear the undergrowth? We have a 49 Farmall cub and the rear tires have a white liquid in them. I have no idea what that is. Thanks Charrie 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,878 #5 Posted April 3, 2020 5 minutes ago, Charrie said: Thanks for the replies all. What is best to fill the tires with and who does it? If I buy agra tires, should they be 4 or 6 ply? The 6 ply would be less apt to puncture when going over sharp little stumps where we clear the undergrowth? We have a 49 Farmall cub and the rear tires have a white liquid in them. I have no idea what that is. Thanks Charrie The Cub may have calcium chloride in it. Best to avoid that due to corrosive nature. I use and recommend Rimguard. Others use RV antifreeze or windshield washer fluid winter blend. Call your local tire or Tractor dealer. Or call Rimguard themselves. 6 ply wouldn't be necessary for weight reason but should be a tougher tire tread as you stated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,338 #6 Posted April 3, 2020 I also live on a hillside and traction is a must! I dont fill my tires with fluid. l do have 100 lbs of weight in the rear with my ags and it helps tremendously. I do agree with @Digger 66 about the ag tires helping in aeration. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZXT 2,401 #7 Posted April 3, 2020 IIRC, I asked about this a while back and a few members said that the damage was minimal with AG tires. I'll follow along to see what everyone else says. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,486 #8 Posted April 3, 2020 I like Diggers advice and do switch backs on the hills. They will tear it up abit if really soft and wet but nothing terrible. From what you described ags might in your future. Guy we all know and love here @WVHillbilly520H runs ags all over his property with heavy tractors all the time .. let's hear what he has to say. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,374 #9 Posted April 4, 2020 10 minutes ago, WHX24 said: I like Diggers advice and do switch backs on the hills. They will tear it up abit if really soft and wet but nothing terrible. From what you described ags might in your future. Guy we all know and love here @WVHillbilly520H runs ags all over his property with heavy tractors all the time .. let's hear what he has to say. Thanks Jim, yes AGs year round and quite honestly I'll say there is less if no damage to the lawn vs running turfs because I'm not slipping sliding and spinning out plus I live on a rolling hill and I do run fluid filled (rear only) and iron weights as well on all 3 of my horses (last 2 pics inside plus outside weights and fluid). 5 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,374 #10 Posted April 4, 2020 1 hour ago, ebinmaine said: The Cub may have calcium chloride in it. Best to avoid that due to corrosive nature. I use and recommend Rimguard. Others use RV antifreeze or windshield washer fluid winter blend. 6 ply wouldn't be necessary for weight reason but should be a tougher tire tread as you stated. Yes on 1,2 and 4 , I have no experience with 3 , as far as 6 ply tires they will ride very rough and go with the 4 plys max. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 63,201 #11 Posted April 4, 2020 @Charrie I am on a flat slab and still prefer gas over turfs, hands down. I tube my tires and use fluid and very little air pressure if any. The tire becomes very soft and plyable and grips darn near everything! Yesterday, we put a worn out set of atv tires on a C-81 with no weight and low pressure and happened to have a blast in the clay/mud field getting dirty! I agree with what others have said about weight. The more, the better you’ll be! Also if you plan to skid logs from the forest, the weight and fluid will be your best bet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,878 #12 Posted April 4, 2020 9 minutes ago, pullstart said: Also if you plan to skid logs from the forest, the weight and fluid will be your best bet! Here's a video of my Patriot Horse B80 pulling a tree. I had fluid filled tires and steel weights but leave the chains off during the summer. It's good to have a "slip point" when in the forest and not being concerned about tearing up the grass. Too much traction can get a bit hairy! 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,338 #13 Posted April 4, 2020 Yeee haaaa!!! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #14 Posted April 4, 2020 Ag, turfs, turfs with chains, atv tires, weight, different tractors....I've tried them all. Ag tire and chained tires will definitely tear up the sod. especially in the spring when the ground is softer. Some things I have found, yes weight helps, but with soft ground you will begin to see compacting in the rear wheel tracks of the grass. If your not to much into smooth lawn then the weight helps a lot. Ag tires grip great on soft ground but when the ground drys out, the ride is pretty rough and traction decreases. An all around solution may be a ATV style tire, like the ATW-013 Antego tire, it is like cross between an AG and a turf. It is directional and provides a nice ride heavy duty tire about $150 a pair. Some found these style tire to do well in snow also. Sometimes to much grip will get you in trouble. You can get confident and let your guard down and the next thing you know your are sliding or tipping. Ask my wife, she has pulled me up over the bank with the Rhino more than once. A little wheel slip is telling you to back out or do it different. Start with a good tire, then you add weight, loaded tires are great but if you don't care for the weight removing the fluid is a pain. Wheel weights work and are much easier to add and remove as needed. And if you are adding weight, make sure your axle hub and key ways are up to snuff. The rotating mass caries a lot of energy and is tough on the mechanics of the axles. I ended up with Kubota GR machine to cut the hill. 4wd, turfs, no extra weight. and most of it I cut on an angle. Mostly because it is safer and much easier on the operator. This is the most expensive option next to paying someone else to do it. Antego ATW 013 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #15 Posted April 6, 2020 On 4/3/2020 at 5:59 PM, Charrie said: Maybe just because I was so used to the Charger 12, the 12 as I remember was more stable and pulled better then the 520 out in the woods and pasture. WE have only had the 520 for less then a year so maybe i just need more experience with it. this part has me curious I would think the 520 would be as stable if not more stable ? the 300-500 series tractors are fairly stable (given the overall Wheel Horse narrow stance etc) - especially the 520 with the wider 9.50 tires (and a 60" deck attached) 520 might be bit couple inches wider and therefore I thought it might be a bit more stable maybe the Charger 12 has lower center of gravity ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oilwell1415 563 #16 Posted April 6, 2020 I've never had an issue with turfs, but all I've done with my WH so far is dethatch the lawn last weekend. I could barely keep the front tires on the ground with turf tires. You may also want to consider how firm your yard is first. If I put ag tires on mine it would have a herringbone pattern all over it because it's so soft. Even when it's dry it's got lots of give to it. Maybe you could find some middle ground that's more aggressive than turfs but not a full on tractor tread? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charrie 18 #17 Posted April 7, 2020 On 4/6/2020 at 9:19 AM, tom2p said: this part has me curious I would think the 520 would be as stable if not more stable ? the 300-500 series tractors are fairly stable (given the overall Wheel Horse narrow stance etc) - especially the 520 with the wider 9.50 tires (and a 60" deck attached) 520 might be bit couple inches wider and therefore I thought it might be a bit more stable maybe the Charger 12 has lower center of gravity ? I think the 520h is a couple of inches longer and wider then the Charger 12. Both had 48" decks. I think the Charger was just a bit heavier then the 520h. I don't know what happened to the Charger 12 as I had moved away by then. But it very well could be that I was just used to it. I remember my dad sitting me in his lap and letting me steer before I was big enough to reach the peddles. We had a small farm so it was our main tractor for many years.. So again maybe I just knew what it could do and what notto do with it.. This is a new yard for me and as well as the 520 is new to me. Most of the yard where the house sits was carved out of a hillside with a lot of slate like rock in it. The lower part by the creek is a bit different as it is flat and with more clay at one end and with all this rain, stays soft. In mid summer when it quits raining so much, the dirt really dries up hard along with the creek. Then there is the woods. We are thinning out of trees up to 8 to 10" in diameter so we plan to use the 520 to pull them out to out pile. The turf tires do ok when the ground is really dry but I cut the yard a couple of days ago and in some of the steeper places, I slid down the hill. On top of that, there are some dips with flat spots on the hillside. We had to have the leach field lines repaired and the back hoe operator said those places were flat spots where the back hoe sat when they originally installed the drain lines. So it gets a little rough in spots heading down hill! Thinking the AG tires might be best all around for what we need to do here. WE have a 49 farmall cub but have to be careful where we use it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #18 Posted April 7, 2020 sliding down a hill can get the heart rate up for sure ! and especially if/when you stomp on the brake and see one rear wheel begin to spin in the opposite direction ... yikes ! best to avoid those slopes and hills as much as possible ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #19 Posted April 7, 2020 Just curious, what kind and condition are the turf tires are on the machine now? Judging by the last pic and comparing to the roof pitch of the building in the background, a good set of turf tires should be good on that the hill. I would say you are just at 15 degrees. Do make sure your air pressure is correct in the tires, to much bulges the center and you loose grip surface. I run 12 - 13 psi in all the tires. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,374 #20 Posted April 7, 2020 (edited) One thing to note about tires in general as they age the rubber actually hardens and has less traction/bite if your 520 still has the original Dico branded tires they are most likely to hard to grip the surface , of course wheel weights and/or fluid filling would help this out but newer soft rubber would be better whether turf AG or trail. Edited April 8, 2020 by WVHillbilly520H 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bo dawg 516 #21 Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) I would say he has the factory Dico style tires, they're a rounded looking worthless tire in my eyes. They can slip on flat surface sometimes. Get rid of them and you can go get any other turf tire and be better off. The sharper the edges of the turf tread and sq shoulders the better and you should be fine. I agree with Tractor Junkie, may have too much air pressure too, too much too hard. But if you aint afraid of having some Ag bar impressions in your yard then I would just get a mild Ag tire, not aggressive..... I'm just saying.... Edited April 13, 2020 by bo dawg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charrie 18 #22 Posted April 13, 2020 Quote The stock tires are a bit hard. last year we were running around 15lbs of air. This year because one leaks down, we are using about 30lbs. Now if the land is good and dry, it does fairly well on the grass.. The problem is our home site is cut out into the side of a large hillside. It is 300' on up to the top of the hill from the back of our house. During a rainy season, water comes out of the hillside behind the house and is channeled around the house. If the rain holds for a week then it starts to dry up really good. There is a lot of slate like rock so the ground is fairly porous. I think the agra tires would work best for what we plan to use the tractor for. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,878 #23 Posted April 13, 2020 11 minutes ago, Charrie said: think the agra tires would work best for what we plan to use the tractor for Agreed. Run 'em soft as you can get away with. *Note: We have NO good grass here.... I run mine around 8 lbs on the rear. Just enough to keep the tractor up n driving. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 63,201 #24 Posted April 13, 2020 My tubes fluid filled tires and have only fluid pressure holding them together... no air pressure at all. They’ve never let me down and I get a great contact patch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites