Skid steer tires are special tires meant to provide reliable traction on jobs where the equipment is supposed to lug heavy loads around. They can be trusted to perform at all kinds of work around a construction site, mining, landscaping, excavations or any other kind of dirt work. The trick to extract the maximum efficiency out of any skid steer tires is to know which ones to employ on which terrain. This blog will explain skid steer tire patterns according to their applications.

Pattern #1: Turf tire

In as much generality as a landscaping job would need, a turf tire that offers a non-directional, tight tread, seemingly perfect for landscapers. It provides a good amount of surface contact and lesser turning damage. Consisting of rounded edges and shallow voids between treads, these tires are selected as the ideal choice for landscaping work – although it may not be the best for hard surfaces, and the users may end up complaining about lesser grip on muddy terrain. This type is rather well-suited for all-purpose use.

Pattern #2: R4 tire

This kind of tread pattern comes with deeper, directional grooves, and is usually pre-installed by the manufacturer. The patterns allow a good grip on dirt, making the tires highly suitable for pushing or finish grade work. However, it wears out quickly on hard surfaces.

Pattern #3: Lugs

There are usually three kinds of lug patterns available in skid steer tires:

  • Diamond lug – This kind of tread pattern is defined by deep grooves and diamond-shaped island tread running over the tire. This tread pattern is suitable for use over asphalt, bricks, sand Stone, rock & shale, quarries and rocky soil.
  • Swept lug – These tires are known for their superior traction properties, and tread pattern that provides better ride quality. The treads are alternating in pattern with deep and spaced grooves. Some specialized swept patterns may even be self-cleaning. Dry soil and snow are where you can use these tires.
  • Button lug – This pattern has closely spaced treads with over three rows of island treads on the tire surface, sized comparatively smaller than diamond-lugs.

Follow the pointers mentioned above, so that your equipment will never suffer inefficiency in movement.