Chains What chains to buy for snow?

[Rustyiron]

For a bigger tractor like yours, I can tell you: They're heavy! A neighbor bought an a Kubota M6040 with R4s after Snowmageddon, and found he needed chains for good traction in snow. While it can be done alone, it pretty much takes two people to put them on. They go on in November and stay on until April, snow or no snow!

On larger machines, you put a strap through the end of a "laid out" chain, then wrap the strap around the tire and drive the chain on with the strap acting like a winch. A helper is very useful for this & timing of snagging the strap out (before it's trapped) can be tricky. Heavy is still heavy but this does make the job much easier than completely man handling it.

 

[IXLR8]

I have the Tirechain.com V bar chains for my tractor. I didn't put them on several years as they were a pain. Sliding on our dirt road in icy conditions was a bigger hassle... cleaning up my drawers. So now I put the chains on before I remove the backhoe. I use the stabilizers to lift the rear wheels off the ground and it makes it easier to put the chains on. Front wheels are lifted with the loader... then the BH comes off. When I drive on my asphalt driveway in the winter.. it leaves no marks, but I need to avoid the driveway in the spring/fall or they will leave a mark.

 

[Piston]

When I drive on my asphalt driveway in the winter.. it leaves no marks, but I need to avoid the driveway in the spring/fall or they will leave a mark.

When you say "mark" how bad of a mark are we talkin here?

 

[whistlepig]

Studded chains will mark an asphalt driveway. And studded chains will chew up a concrete garage floor. I have a gravel driveway and park my tractor on rubber horse mats on my concrete garage floor.

 

[IXLR8]

When you say "mark" how bad of a mark are we talkin here?

When I get home Thursday I will see if I can get some pictures so you can see. They are fairly small and might be hard to see. If my pavement was smooth, or coated, they would probably be obvious, but they are not.

 

[Trails End]

Too late on the aquiline MPC's. They are already sold out. but the aquiline Talons are available, and that is probably what you want if you are all gravel.

I emailed aquiline dealer, and they will have Aquiline MPC's in stock around August 27. The "Sold Out" on their web site must be
left over from earlier this year.

 

[The Fred]

Labonville's in Berlin. They have them there I just got a set. Get the studs, last year I had duo ladders on the rear and V bar on the front, They did not work well. Just got my Aqualine with studs can't wait for ice.

Regards, Fred

Welcome to Labonville Inc. (tm) -

 

[Piston]

Fred,
Did you have a front end loader or any other weight on the front end? You have me curious about how effective they would be on the front tires.

I always have my grapple on the FEL so there is some weight on the front tires, but nothing like the amount of weight on the rear.

 

[oosik]

Piston,

I had those HD V-bars on my Ford(front & rear)and they helped the front as they did on the rear tires. I had FEL & bucket on the Ford for front weight. I have a valley in my driveway that can become a skating rink under the right snow & melting conditions. When plowing snow under these icy conditions the front & rear would both dig and literally tear up the ice. Without the chains - plowing this small(150 feet long) section of the valley could become a real white knuckle experience. I have since ditched this runoff water to the side ditch and it no longer flows down the center of the driveway.

 

[Piston]

Thanks for the added info! One reason I want to get them for the fronts, is so if I decide they are a little too aggressive on the pavement, and I only want to use them in the woods, then they will be much easier to take off and put back on.

I figure with the lighter weight, and the ability to easily raise the front tires off the ground, I'll be able to put them on/off much easier.

I'll leave the rear ladders on and was even thinking about replacing those with MPC chains if those ride "smoother" than ladders?

 

[keony]

Piston,
Yes, I have a front end loader and a driveway with challenges similar to oosik. I've made my order and went with 2 link ladder style with v-bars front and back.
Probably never snow here again, .

 

[oosik]

The front chains were much easier than the rear to install. Even though they were HD, they were smaller, lighter and easier to handle. Actually, I should clarify the "leaving a mark on the asphalt" bit. They would leave scuff marks on frozen driveway or asphalt if I went side/side with the front tires when not moving. When the tractor was moving the chains only left marks if the ground was soft - same as the tire itself.

And unless your woods area is hard frozen ground, like clay, you will hardly notice that you have chains on. It never bothered that much off my driveway. I had to learn to be somewhat careful when rooting around in the woods. With the chains on the rears, the tires do not slip - i.e. - you can be climbing a tree before you realize it. The V-bars I had gave truly amazing added traction.

 

[oosik]

Hey keony - if that "new chains, no snow" - works for you, let me know.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

On my gravel drive and road.... I use 2 link ladder chains, without V bars... My tractor has loaded, 33" turf tires....

Your road surface, tires, and other equipment differences may require something different than the next poster...

Good luck

 

[keony]

Hey keony - if that "new chains, no snow" - works for you, let me know.

Ha ha, yes, what a waste of money, tractor, chains, etc.
I imagine the snow and ice will come again all too soon!

 

[Piston]

Keony,
Good job ordering the chains! Could you post a link to the ones you ordered?

The front chains were much easier than the rear to install. Even though they were HD, they were smaller, lighter and easier to handle. Actually, I should clarify the "leaving a mark on the asphalt" bit. They would leave scuff marks on frozen driveway or asphalt if I went side/side with the front tires when not moving. When the tractor was moving the chains only left marks if the ground was soft - same as the tire itself. And unless your woods area is hard frozen ground, like clay, you will hardly notice that you have chains on. It never bothered that much off my driveway. I had to learn to be somewhat careful when rooting around in the woods. With the chains on the rears, the tires do not slip - i.e. - you can be climbing a tree before you realize it. The V-bars I had gave truly amazing added traction.

Just to clarify, because I'm a little confused (wife complains that she has to talk to me like she talks to our 2 yr old ) are you saying that the front v-bar chains DID help a lot in the woods, or DID NOT help much in the woods?

 

[keony]

Piston,
I used Tire Chains by TireChains.com, 2 link ladder chain with v-bars.

 

[The Fred]

The V bar chains are great on the front. My local Napa store has them in stock. Chinese made about 120 bux for the pair. They make a mess of the concrete garage floor, ok with me because they work.

Didn't matter what weight I had on the frond end, FEL or snow plow or nothing. The duo ladders on the rear stunk but keep in mind we had 2 inches of ice and 2 feet of snow on top. The ice was the killer underneath.

Regards, Fred

 

[arrow]

Keony,
Good job ordering the chains! Could you post a link to the ones you ordered?




Just to clarify, because I'm a little confused (wife complains that she has to talk to me like she talks to our 2 yr old ) are you saying that the front v-bar chains DID help a lot in the woods, or DID NOT help much in the woods?

Chains are a great asset in the woods whether the forest floor is leaf strewn, snowed on or mudded up. In deeper snow in the forest, they are especially good. I just use 2 link (non studded) in front and 4 link out back.

 

[IXLR8]

When you say "mark" how bad of a mark are we talkin here?

I went to take pictures of any marks in my driveway, can't find any to speak of, never mind any that would show up in a picture. My driveway is rough enough so any marks made by the V-bar's on the chains don't show up. I saw them last spring when I made them, but I can't find them now. I do have some marks where I ran into an snow bank and stopped, but the tractor kept driving after I took my foot of the HST go pedal and it spun the wheels on the driveway. I took pics of that... but I left my camera at home and I am now out of town on business.