Turf tyres, or grass tyres as they are sometimes known, are used on machines where tyre tread marking on the ground needs to be minimised or eliminated. This applies to many applications, including general grounds maintenance, landscaping, general grass cutting and mowing work, municipal applications, hedge cutting, turf growing, equestrian ground maintenance and sports field preparation, to name a few.
Within these applications there are many machines that require turf wheels – tractors, trailed implements like mowers and scarifiers, compact tractors, gang mowers, zero turn mowers, compact dumpers, sprayers, UTVs, trailers etc. We’re going to look specifically at turf tyres for tractors in the 55-140 hp range – what are the options in patterns, sizes and brands, and what works best in different applications?
Diamond pattern tyres
Diamond pattern tyres have been used for turf and grass applications for years and are still very popular. They have a cross-ply (also known as bias-ply) construction, meaning they are made of multiple rubber plies which overlap each other to form a thick layer. These tyres are typically designed by the manufacturers for high-load applications like graders and road rollers, which means they often have a higher ply- and load- rating than is necessary for turf tractors, but this does have the advantage that they tend to be very hard wearing.
The main diamond pattern rear sizes are 18.4-26 (475mm width across the bulge) and 23.1-26 (578mm width across the bulge), which suit tractors in the 55-75hp and 85-140hp ranges respectively, and we stock these tyres in BKT and CEAT brands. Diamond pattern front tyres are very uncommon, so we’d typically pair a diamond pattern rear with a hockey-stick pattern front tyre.
With tractors increasing in capability and performance, we’re seeing smaller tractor models fitted with air tanks and fuel tanks wrapped around the back axle. The smaller rim diameters (compared to standard ag wheels) that turf tyres are fitted to can conflict with tanks near the rear axle – contact to discuss your requirements if you think this might be an issue on your tractor.
Pros: typically our cheapest turf option; good hard-wearing tyre to suit lots of different applications; rounded cross section and shoulder means a gentle footprint on the ground.
Cons: cross-ply tyre with a deep sidewall means a balloon shaped cross section which can give a narrower contact patch than the overall width of the tyre; cross-ply tyres are less suited to road work as they are more susceptible to heat build-up; diamond pattern is non-directional so will give little traction on slippery ground.
Look at diamond pattern wheel sets in our Core range:
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Hockey-stick pattern tyres
Sometimes known as dog-leg pattern tyres, these are again a very popular and have been used on turf tractors for many years. They predominantly have a cross-ply (also known as bias-ply) construction, meaning they are made of multiply rubber plies which overlap each other to form a thick layer. Many of the sizes are designed by the manufacturers as flotation tyres for agricultural trailers, which like diamond pattern tyres means they often have a higher ply- and load- rating than is necessary for turf tractors, so they’re generally more than capable of taking rear mounted implements.
Hockey-stick pattern tyres come in many different sizes, with widths ranging from 400-800mm, but the most common sizes are a 600 or 650mm rear tyre width, paired with a 400-550mm front tyre width, which provides a good balance between a wide tread area and keeping the overall width of the machine down. The two most popular sizes we’d supply are: a 600/55-26.5 rear, usually with either a matching 500mm hockey-stick pattern or implement pattern front depending on the tractor 4WD ratio – this typically suits tractors in the 55-75 hp range; or a 650/65-30.5 rear with a matching 500 or 550mm hockey-stick pattern front to suit tractors in the 85-140 hp range.
Hockey-stick pattern tyres suit a wide range of applications but are particularly popular with users on fine turf and soft ground where flotation is crucial. The wide front tyre also works well with loader tractors due to a good load rating and wide footprint.
Pros: wide footprint with rounded shoulders means a gentle footprint; directional pattern gives traction on slippery and soft ground; tractor looks the part on wide tyres
Cons: usuallymore expensive than the diamond pattern equivalent; cross-ply tyres are less suited to road work as they are more susceptible to heat build-up
NB – radial hockey-stick pattern tyres. It is possible to get radial hockey-stick pattern tyres, the main brand being the Alliance 388 pattern. These are well suited to tractors doing a lot of road transit between sites, for example councils, as the radial construction copes much better with heat build-up from road operation. They do typically work out more expensive than the cross-ply equivalents and have a smaller range of size options.
Look at hockey-stick pattern wheel sets in our Core range:
Block pattern tyres
Also known as road tyres, industrial tyres and Nokians, block pattern tyres can be broadly put into two categories: wide, radial tyres with a block-pattern for fine turf work; and narrower directional pattern tyres in similar widths to standard agricultural (lug pattern) tyres predominantly for road and municipal work. We’ll look at each of these in turn.
Wide, radial tyres for fine turf work come in many patterns and sizes – typically different brands will have their own pattern, some directional and some non-directional. These ranges include the BKT Ridemax FL693M and FL690, Michelin CargoXbib, Maxam Flotxtra, Alliance 390, Nokian Country King and others. All these tyres are designed as high-flotation tyres for agricultural tankers and trailers, which means they have a high load and speed rating.
These tyres are usually used in fine turf applications where the wide, ‘square’ footprint offered by a radial tyre all but eliminates marking on the ground – often on turf farms, where avoiding marking the ground is essential. Widths range from 650 up to 800 or even 900mm for rear tyres, with fronts in 600-710mm widths, and can be fitted to mid- to high- horsepower tractors often used on turf farms, as well as suiting more standard, lower hp turf tractors.
Look at wide radial turf wheel sets in our core range (if you can’t see what you’re looking for contact us):
Narrower, directional road tyres, often called Nokians (referring to the Finnish-made Nokian TRI and TRI2 models, which pioneered this tyre pattern) come in various sizes and are often designed to go on the same rims as standard, ag tyres. This ranges from smaller sizes, often with an 80 profile, such as a 440/80R34 which would often go on the same rim as a 420/85R34 ag tyre size, right up to a 650/65R42 block pattern tyre to go on the same rim as a 650/65R42 ag pattern tyre. Brands and ranges include the BKT Ridemax IT696, Alliance 550 Multiuse, Mitas HCM and Nokian TRI2.
The radial construction, shallower tread and a central smooth rib means these tyres are well suited to tractors spending a lot of time working or transiting on the road or on a hard surface, with more occasional field/off-road work. Examples might be tractors dedicated to verge/hedgerow maintenance, tractors doing loader work in an equestrian yard, or tractors doing municipal work. The shallower, less aggressive pattern of these tyres means they mark less compared to an agricultural pattern tyre when working in the field or on grass, although as they are generally narrower than standard turf tyres and have a sharper shoulder, they are a less popular turf tyre option.
Speak to our bespoke department for advice on these tyres, or if you know you can fit tyres to your existing rims speak to our sister company Outland Group, who will be able to help with replacement tyres.
That’s the main options for turf tyre are wheel options for 55-140hp tractors. Below are some FAQs we get and discussions we have with our customers about turf wheels:
FAQs
Turf tractors and 4WD ratios
Although recommendations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, most 4WD tractors are designed to operate with between 1-5% front wheel lead (FWL). This means that when the tractor has 4WD engaged the front wheels are geared to turn between 1 and 5 times as fast as the rear wheels. There is a couple of main reasons for this – to maintain some load in the drivetrain to avoid chattering, and to aid traction. Different tyre sizes and brands have different rolling circumferences, so it’s important when changing wheels to maintain the correct FWL to avoid transmission wind-up.
With turf wheels traction is less important and having the wheel lead too high will mean the front wheel scrubbing the ground, so we recommend a front wheel lead between 0 and 3%. Although the tractor may rarely run in 4WD in the work you do it is still very important to get the FWL right. Most modern tractors engage 4WD when braking, so a tractor with incorrect tyre sizes for the 4WD ratio can risk suffering transmission damage quite quickly when operating on a hard surface.
All our core sets are checked to work with the tractor 4WD ratios. Give us a call for further advice.
Do you have used turf wheels?
Certainly – view used turf wheels here. If you can’t find anything to suit your tractor or application, we can build up and deliver a new set from our core range within 2 weeks (subject to stock availability).
Can I fit turf tyres to my existing rims?
Sort of. As discussed in the paragraphs on block pattern tyres above, some of these tyres are designed to go on standard agricultural tyre rims. However, true turf pattern tyres almost always need new rim in sizes designed to accommodate the turf tyres.
How wide will my tractor be on turf wheels?
As a rule of thumb, with most tractors in the 55-140hp category we will allow 1150mm distance between the inside sidewalls of the tyre at the rear of the tractor. This means that if you’re looking at putting 650/65-30.5 turf tyres on the back of your tractor the overall width will be 1150mm plus 2 tyres as 650mm width, so 1150+650+650 = 2,450mm overall width (2.45 metres). Front wheels are usually set to track within the width of the rears.
Air tanks/fuel tanks on the back axle
With tractors increasing in capability and performance, we’re seeing smaller tractor models fitted with air tanks and fuel tanks wrapped around the back axle. The smaller rim diameters (compared to standard ag wheels) that turf tyres are fitted to can conflict with tanks near the rear axle – contact to discuss your requirements if you think this might be an issue on your tractor.