What Are the Best Tires for Your Tractor?

If you're shopping for a compact tractor or have a tractor that needs the rubber replaced, you'll notice there are four different choices of tires available. In this video we'll look at the advantages and disadvantages of agricultural, turf, and industrial tires, and also discuss a new offering, R-14's.
The most common type of tire you'll see on small tractors are industrial, or R-4 tires. These are similar to what comes on a skid loader and are a really good compromise between traction and turf disturbance. R-4 tire will provide very good traction and will not "rut" up your grass if you decide to drive across your yard the way a more aggressive tread design will. Their main disadvantage comes when on a side slope on ice. The treads generally run across the tire and can allow you to slide when driving across the side of a slight incline in icy conditions.
R-1 or agricultural tires are another choice. Those are the type of tires you see on farm tractors. They're generally narrower and have much deeper lugs than the R-4 tires, and are a good choice if your tractor will never leave the pasture or if you're primarily using the tractor for pulling heavy implements and need the maximum traction. They're generally a little cheaper than R-4 tires, but you'll get that back in resale value as R-4 tires are more desirable on small tractors. R-1 agricultural tires are very aggressive on turf and are not a good choice if you do a lot of work in your yard. They tend to cut deep ruts when used in wet conditions.
My least favorite tire choice is turf tires. If all you'll ever do is use your tractor in the yard, you greatly value the condition of your turf, and you never plan to get rid of your tractor, get these. Turf tires, on wet grass, can struggle to get traction, and the shallow cleats can accumulate mud and lose traction easily. Tractors with the turf tires (known as R-3) are really tough to resell because many people wouldn't own a tractor with them. So, be careful in equipping your tractor with these and plan for lower resale value if you do.
Finally, there's a new tire on the market, an R-14, a clever cross between lugs of an R-1 ag tire and the gentle nature of an R-4 industrial tire. They're offered by Titan and may be a good option for a compromise between gentleness on turf and traction in the field.
Tire types can be changed later in the life of the tractor, but generally that requires changing both the tires and the rims, a very expensive proposition. Also, always replace tires with what is recommended in the owner's manual if you have a 4wd tractor. Sizes recommended by the manufacturer allow the front tires to run faster than the rear ones so they have a "pulling" effect. Changing tire sizes can alter that ratio and if the front tires turn slower than the rear tires, thy'll be trying to slow down the tractor in 4wd.
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