Do "cut" tires make THAT MUCH difference?

Diz Jr. · #1 01-20-2011, 09:10 PM

Had a good 4" of snow today. Couldn't wait to get home and try out the new blade on the 169.
My daughter started pushing with the 149 and i got the 169 out and was really shocked

that it wouldn't hardly get out of its own way.
The tires that are on the 149 were cut for pulling when i got them. So i have never tried any other wide ag tires for pushing snow till tonite.
The 149 will go just about anywhere, gravel pavement, grass, ect..and very seldom ever spins a tire unless you really try to make it spin.
So i was really surprised When i pulled the 169 out tonite and couldn't even push a full blade of snow. Was beginning to wonder if i was going to get it back up to the garage. It was literally spinning a lot just coming back up the drive.
Both the 149 and 169 have loaded tires and the weights. 169 actually has a little more weight. Took the 149 and finished where the 169 just lost traction.

I have never tried to cut tires but i think i am going to try and do the ones on the 169. If anyone has advice about what tools to use i would appreciate some insight :biggrin2.gif: Thanks

MrGitrdone41 · #2 01-20-2011, 09:27 PM

What i heard was that ags aren't made to go in the snow. I drove my 128 that has ags on it in the snow and it didn't go good. My 1812 has chains and turf tires and it goes great in the snow. I would try chains it will help alot.

Matt G. · #3 01-20-2011, 09:44 PM

Ags should be fine in snow. You might be comparing apples to oranges. Are both sets of tires the same size, brand, etc? The tires you have that are cut might be softer, either because they are newer or were chemically softened, both of which would improve traction.

With the cost of tires, I can't see intentionally doing 30+ years worth of wear by cutting the tires.

If you have ice, you need chains, regardless of the type of tire you have.

cub123 · #4 01-20-2011, 09:49 PM

Well, in pulling the idea is that the cut tires will dig up less dirt and and not dig a hole to get stuck in,also,with high horsepower and stress the tread will not flex and and bend over to cause a loss of traction.To cut a tire i would use what is called a knobbyknife,you can get them to do motorcycle tires,but if you have never done it i would not suggest doing it on a good set of ags.You would be better off doing it on a worn set as you are just going to just be cutting rubber off.In anything soft like mud i would think a pulling tire will do very poor because there it has less tread to sink down a grab,plus i dont think it would back up to well because most cut tires have no sharp edge on the back of the tread.

JayBrd · #5 01-20-2011, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGitrdone41

What i heard was that ags aren't made to go in the snow. I drove my 128 that has ags on it in the snow and it didn't go good. My 1812 has chains and turf tires and it goes great in the snow. I would try chains it will help alot.

My ag's are great in snow, ice not so much. But I seldom let ice build up on my driveway. As Matt said, waste of $$ cutting tires unless your pull'n.

Diz Jr. · #6 01-20-2011, 10:48 PM

Thanks for the info Guys,

Matt, You bring up a good point. The cut tires are Super lugs and the ones on the 169 are old Goodyear ags. They do seem a lot harder, i think just from age, than the newer super lugs.
But its just hard to believe the difference in grip between the 2 tractors.
I do have a new set of Tru-Powers on a different tractor. Maybe I will put them on the 169 and see how they do before i get too carried away cutting the old Goodyears.

johncub7172 · #7 01-20-2011, 11:23 PM

....but I do like pulling! Matt- Now, my JD 210C has ag's and moves through snow and lawns like a 4x4, so does having weight play the factor in traction? Diz Jr.- How about having the cut tires for running your rear-mount drag box? Just wondering based on what I have read so-far. Hope my daughter would like to run my cub too! How do you like them Carlisel Tru-Powers? Have the rear tires now and waiting for my front tires to come in. Going to put them on in the spring.

ihnick · #8 01-20-2011, 11:23 PM

ive tried my 1650 with the blade and it had the new trupowers on it and it did great on hard packed snow but once i hit ice not so good. so just parked that tractor and used the 86 with 6-12 turfs and chains. much better

Matt G. · #9 01-21-2011, 08:43 AM

There is a HUGE difference between 35-year-old AGs and new ones. New tires are much stickier.

I went to a plow day a couple years ago, and it was a pretty hard field. I had my 782D and my 582. I had my really old Goodyear AGs on my 782D and some fairly new but also worn ATV tires on my 582. I had about twice as much weight on the 782D. I was amazed how well the 582 was plowing with only about half the weight I had on the 782D, or had ever had on the 582 when I had the old AGs on it. I was having traction problems with the 782D, probably partly because I was pulling a 12" plow with it, but still...night and day difference between old and new tires.

Didn't Wild Bill once post about how to chemically soften old tires??

_DX3_ · #10 01-21-2011, 12:41 PM

A mixture of Automatic Transmission fluid and brake fluid. Some also add Acetone or Toluene or other type of thinner to get the pores to open up in the rubber compound. Apply daily for a week or until the desired softness is found. We have to do our Kart racing tires sometimes to get more grip.
Oh forgot, you can also do a mixture of Kerosene and Mineral Spirits 1:1 ratio.