Ag tires are useless in snow and ice, you will need chains OR atv tires, you dont need chains with those, just weight. Tractor will push fine as is

 

I never Had a Problem with AG tires In snow and I have used them for the Last 29 years In either Northern NY or Northern IL. Though the Last 3 years My primary Blowing tractor has HDAP(ATV style tires) But My snow Plowing tractor still used AG tires and On Ice it all depends if It really smooth they slip. But if it's a rough Ice(meaning it been driven over and refroze with tire tracks In the Ice) there just as Good as ATV style tires:thThumbsU

 

If Your driveway is asphalt or Concrete I suggest Investing in a set of these https://superior-tech.com/rubber-tire-chains.html which I have also used the Last 5 years On My Cub Cadet 106 until I bought AG tires this year for it. I now use a set On My JD GX335 Just because I didn't Buy any AG tires for it yet:thThumbsU

 

I might try making a set of those rubber-tire-chains for my "plow", as they don't appear to make ones small enough for my tires (16x6.50-8)...

 

the weak point on these lawn tractors is the transmission, so the more traction you have the more load you put on the trans - SOMETHING has to give when the snow/ice is too much for hte tractor to push. I'd prefer to spin the tires, as annoying as that might be.

YMMV

 

Thanks everyone. All good information. Each having a different perspective is great. I really appreciate each one taking time to help out.

 

My experience with skinny 6x12 AG tread tires was they did pretty well in snow,but any ice underneath made them spin like drag slicks...and backing up was the worst,if you shoved snow in a pile and the blade dragged a bit when you went to back up,they just spun--they have a "directional" tread..also unless you get the "diamond" "X" style tire chains,the typical chains will just drop between the lugs and not help any..

Turf tires loaded with fluid and with weights & chains worked best for me--but I never have had any ATV tires to try,those may do well even without chains,being softer rubber..
As far as straining the transaxle,my tractors spin the tires pretty easily even with all the weight and chains--a light duty lawn tractor transaxle wont like pushing deep snow and popping the clutch in high gear to "ram" deep snow for long,a garden tractor one is beefier,but not indestructible either..adding some steel to the chassis where they usually crack or bend is a good idea..

 

I dont need chains.... ever.

 

I have yet to go a winter without needing chains here, I always end up with a smooth coat of ice on the lower part of my driveway and would just spin away without them.

I may try it with none this year since I now have the x534 but as Sergeant suggested I have a set of terra grips coming just in case.

 

My walk behind blower has what looks like ATV tires on it, very soft and little air pressure.....I must say that it really crawls through the snow well.

As for my tractors, it's turfs with chains.....I can't see the extra cost for special tires just for winter when I have all these turfs and chains around......just sayin'

 

I dont chain my Cockshutts either but if you put those big ag tires on ice they slide like a hockey puck.

"Terra-Grip"... the name suggests they should work well on/off turf and dirt, and they likely do, but I would expect they will need chains for snow/ice.

Each to their own, I maybe get more snow than alot of you guys down south so its a differant challenge but I set up my GTs to run year round on one set of tires, no chains, all I do is change the weights.

 

The Terra-Grips preform well On snow & ice. I wouldn't have Bought them Had I Not had friends that use them. Chains to to scratch concrete Pretty well. and at the time I had Just Had the asphalt driveway replaced with concrete. I used chains On asphalt driveway for years always took the seal coat right of by the end of winter. What funny I actually didn't use chains at all when I first started Plowing snow with a John Deere R70 RER Nor the Murray Lawn tractor, JD 130 Lawn tractor or Wards(MTD) Signature 2000 Garden tractor didn't even use wheel weights Just standard turfs and a Blade and I actually never had a difficult time Plowing snow and that gravel driveway at My first rental House at the time In the mid 1980's always had Plenty of Ice. Once I Bought a JD 240 New in 88 I bought it with AG tires It wasn't Until 2002 the year I retired from the Army did I actually use chains for snow removal. I normally use AG tires On a 1994 JD 425 which I bought in 2000 I had Bought a White GT2055 In 1999 and Bought chains for it But didn't start using chains until 2002 When I decided since the end of My driveway In IL was steep compared to my rental house In NY which had several gradual hills In that driveway. I used the White for snow removal in the winter of 2002 since I had bought a Blade for it when I retired. In 2003 I bought a New JD X485 with AG tires Never used chains On it for the remainder of the time I had the X485 also Found a used 1970 Cub Cadet 106 with a 36inch single stage at the time to be a backup for winter work and again I ran chains On it Until 2012 when I switch to Terra-grips for it because of the concrete driveway. The 106 got AG tires this Past summer & the terra grips were Put Up. I bought a second set of Terra-rips for My GX335 which I will use this year for the Lighter snows. Last winter I used a JD 140H3 with AG tires for snow removal with a Blade Last winter and the X748 had Kendra's version of the HDAP with a Blower This year the 1025R will be the Blower tractor and I'll see how R4's do. If I keep the 1025R and Not upgrade to a 2025R next year I may buy a second set of rims for the 1025R with Kendra's 4ply version of the HDAP Just for winter use:thThumbsU

 

At this point in time I have absolutely no idea what will or won't work with this tractor on my property, when I know I have some usable experience I will post back with it.

 

Im not saying anyone should throw out perfectly good tires and chains but for someone that needs to find a tire solution modern atv tires are a far better way to go, they have excellent traction in all seasons and on all landscapes, I have a couple diff sets of AG tires and both recommend 26psi, all of my atv tires recommend less than 10psi, the lower air pressure and softer rubber gives the atv tires a much nicer ride and they will not hurt any turf surface... unless your gonna tear around on a golf green with a diff lock they wont leave a mark so there is no reason to take them off in the spring.

A good set of ATV tires is more $$ than a good set of garden tractor tires, but they are less $$ than a good set of GT tires AND a set of chains. Plus there is always alot of good used atv tires for sale so you might find those for as little as $50 for a pair, a good set of chains will cost more than that.

 

I was really leaning towards some atv type tires (based on reading a lot of comments on the forums here) but the wife is concerned they may tear up the lawn, I think her fears are unfounded but to keep peace in the family for now I was going to use what I currently had.

 

Thats another false comment I see around here quite often.... people refuse to even try an atv tire because "They will tear up the lawn".... NO THEY WONT these little tractors dont have the same power and torque to wheels that an ATV has.... I allow my g-kids(10 and 13) to drive my tractors all over the yard,often pulling wagons with firewood, and even they have never left a mark. It is so rare for an atv tire to spin that leaving any kind of a mark is simply not an issue.

 

I value your input and don't disagree at all.

I put Carlisle Tru Powers on the L120 and sno hogs on the front, now the Tru Powers may leave a temporary mark in soft soil but you would be hard pressed to find them after a while.

Since the L120 is two wheel steer you can crank the wheels and get it to slide on the lawn but again you would be hard pressed to find evidence of this after a while.

I don't know why she thinks that way all I know is I am having a hard time convincing her other wise at this time.

So as I said, I am just going to bide my time and try to work with what I have for now, if circumstances dictate other wise well then I will get what I know will work better and worry about the rest later.

 

Oh yeah, the other thing she hated about the Tru Powers was she thought they made the tractor ride rougher and did not care for that aspect.

I think the more aggressive tread patterns spell rough ride to her.

 

She should come on by and try the ags I put on my 112 with a loader on it! THAT'S a rough ride, AND boy o boy I found out in a hurry that they leave some major divots in my lawn! I sure won't be using those ags to clear the snow off my lawn/walkway with the loader again! OTOH, they were sure nice when I was clearing and loading dirt/tree debris the previous summer... And they look nifty!

 

Maybe for me the Tru Powers were overkill but I sure like them, I really enjoy being able to drive up or over things without worrying about it or slipping and sliding.

That is why I was leaning towards the ATV style, I figured it would be good for plenty of traction and smooth enough riding for those that worry about that sort of thing, and then would possibly fit on my x534 without extensive modifications.

 

I have narrow Tru Power AGs on my Bolens, but traction was not my biggest concern there, I bought them because they look good on that tractor. I also have a wide set of AGs but at this time of year, in Canada, they arent even on a tractor because they have less grip than the narrow AGs on the Bolens.

 

Bob... GTs can do that because the power/torque to the rear wheels is balanced reasonable close to the traction/friction level of the tires, where as both the truck and ATV have ample power to break the tires free. I didnt mean that GTs dont have good torque... only that they arent likely to overcome the traction levels of an atv tire on turf causing it to spin and do damage... unless used on a locking diff.

 

Lance, a JD120 with an adequate ballast package is theoretically capable of delivering (on asphalt or concrete) over 600 lb ft of axle torque without spinning the tires at only a little above idle. How much torque can an ATV deliver?

By comparison, the torque numbers for a JD 420 with the same hydro, but a 2-speed final drive, are positively scary in LO. The chance of keeping the tires hooked up on dirt is vanishingly small, even with a max load of ballast and chains.

Tread pattern may have a lot to do with traction in specific situations, but weight has even more effect in ALL situations.

 

My thinking in taking Sergeants advice on the terra grips was that I could see he lived in roughly the same part of the country as I did and had a positive experience with them, although I have been using chains all this time I know the terra grips will also give my wife some peace of mind so they are worth it from that aspect alone.

 

Bob, could be Im not very good at explaning myself but I think you are still missing the point I was trying to make....

Im saying the tractor will not spin an atv lug tire on the turf and cause damage while cutting the lawn or other light duties, there is not enough torque to overcome the friction of the tire so it will not spin, the tractor will simply drive off without leaving a mark, this assuming that a diff lock is not being used.

The point Im trying to make is that the ATV lugs are a good all season solution without the need to swap tires or chainup, and the reason I make this point is because people here on the forum often claim they are concerned that the aggressive ATV lugs will damage the turf.... they wont, the soft rubber lugs do no more damage than a turf tire.... this assuming that users are not going to pull at truck backwards across their lawn, or other foolish stunts simply in an attempt to prove me wrong.

What I see here every winter is dozens of people adding huge amounts of weight and chains to their tractors/tires in order to push snow, I question the reasoning behind it because I push a 54" blade on a little JD110 with nothing more than 100 pounds of extra weight thru 10-12 inches of snow and rarely spin a tire.... whats differant??? the ATV tires.

Of course you can push snow with a chained turf tire and added weight, I have never said you couldnt nor have I said an ATV tire is better than a chained turf tire.... what I said was that an ATV tire does not need the chains and excessive amount of added weight to do the same task.

 

Sorry Lance, I tend to let experience colour my reading of others thoughts. You are correct. I use a LT for mowing duties on the flat properties in my neighbourhood and a heavy FEL equipped GT for snow duty. While the LT's hydro possibly won't make enough torque to spin ATV treads on grass, I flat guaranty that any GT hydro worth the classification will if the need arises where more torque is necessary.

One of the tasks assigned to my GT has been to back a 4000 lb travel trailer across the lawn to its parking place. That is maybe not as traction intense as dragging a truck backwards, but it still requires substantial torque to turn it 90° to the driveway in a limited space and I'm pretty sure that ATV tread will tear up the lawn without at least loading the tires first. Since my winter tires are loaded and chained and have no problem with this task, and since I just had a C$400 lesson in tire, rim, and fluid replacement for one of the tires on my SCUT (the same size tire as on my GT), I'm not about to recommend that anyone buy a second set of tires and rims when the turfs that I've been using for 40 years work satisfactory in all of the tasks that I use my tractors for, like lawn mowing, about 25%, and snow duty, about 60%. Since I do not do field work, ags are not required.

I push a 54" blade on a little JD110 with nothing more than 100 pounds of extra weight thru 10-12 inches of snow and rarely spin a tire.... whats differant??? the ATV tires

For starters, the dry snows that we get in Ontario and Alberta with our sustained cold temperatures are not the same as the wetter snows that occur in locations below the border. I can drive 300 miles down to Flint or Grand Rapids Michigan, or Green Bay Wisconsin and see a substantial change in snow consistency. Travel another 200-300 miles south and there is another change.

I've had occasion to punch through the wall of snow left by the street plow after a 24" snowfall with a 54" bucket without spinning the loaded and chained turfs on my GT. For anything less than 20" of fresh snow, I also drop the 5' back blade. I don't set my tractor up for normal conditions. I set it up for all conditions. Changing tires or adding weights at -20° C in 2' of snow is not an activity that appeals to me.

Why does JD not recommend the HDAP tires? just curious

"IF" looking for ATV tires the replacement size needs to be 1"-2" taller to maintain a level cutting deck, that is because the low PSI and softer rubber allows the tire to flatten out a little more against the ground than a higher PSI turf or ag tire might.

but then that would be a size restriction not a tread type restriction.

The size on the sidewall does not necessarily relate to the actual, in service, diameter. There have been numerous comparison pics of tires with the same nominal size from different companies, or from one company with different treads, which show this that have been posted on MTF over the years. As a general observation, aggressive tread tires seem to be taller than turfs by 1-3". I have just such a mismatched set of the same nominal size of rear 20x8-8 turfs on my LT. One has 14 psi, and the other has 9 psi to make the axle the same height above grade for both, or enough pressure change to close a 1.25" axle height difference to zero. That's a difference in diameter of 2.5", and possibly a bit more, which will eat up wheel opening clearance.

True but it still possibly limits my options.

I have not yet had the time to play with the x534 to see just how much clearance I do or do not have and just what exactly i could realistically get away with.

I have not yet seen a post from anyone with an x534 who put HDAP's or ATV type on theirs and then shared their experience about it so I am currently flying a bit blind here just trying to gather ideas and I have yet to be disappointed in that area.

While there is much reference to ATV and HDAP tires, there are relatively few GTs so equipped. Most have turfs, many have ags, and a few who have to deal with thorns use R4 industrial tires. There may quite possibly be no one who has equipped their X534 with other than the tires that came from the factory.

I really do appreciate all the information and opinions. I am a lot smarter but not sure I am any closer to an answer LOL.

Seriously, it makes more sense to experiment with AGs and save my money until proven I need more as we just don't have heavy snows here and I think the amount of snow you push annually,, is weighing heavily (pun intended) on what you are promoting.

Thank you all again and I have the Terragrips on speed dial now if I find I need them.

Seriously, it makes even more sense to use the tires that it came equipped with rather than experiment with tires that others have found to be wanting. (My apologies to Lance. He can make his work with the dry snows that we get in the northern climes.)

If it's experimenting that you want to do, experiment with the various methods of adding weight. It will be more productive and cost a lot less. Your tractor weighs over 750 lb. You may find that it doesn't take all that much extra weight to make it work well for you. Just loading the rear tires with windshield washer fluid will add about 100 lb. Where snow is concerned, weight trumps tread pattern. Loading a pair of turfs is cheaper than buying a pair of ATV tires.

 

I had read that part from earlier posts and that was going to be my first option but between the no exact size for this unit (I could not find a 23x9.5-12 atv tire, maybe I was just looking in the wrong place...), the fact that JD does not recommend HDAP tpe tires for the x534 and the wife's panic over them I decided to take the scenic route and go with what I had.

 

Why does JD not recommend the HDAP tires? just curious

"IF" looking for ATV tires the replacement size needs to be 1"-2" taller to maintain a level cutting deck, that is because the low PSI and softer rubber allows the tire to flatten out a little more against the ground than a higher PSI turf or ag tire might.

 

I would assume it is because of possible clearance issues with the AWS.

 

but then that would be a size restriction not a tread type restriction.