Put my Chains on Today

[RickB]

Serviced the finish mower, unhooked it today. Brought the snow blower in from the lean-to and set it on a dolly in the enclosed barn and hooked up the back blade and pinned on the front plow. probably clean up the zeroturn and put it to bed and mount chains on the plow tractor tomorrow. I always like to be ready for snow by Thanksgiving, and next weekend i have to work.....

Photo is from last winter.

 

[Dead Horse]

Chains on the front for plowing is tough on the front drive line, especially if on hilly property. I stopped using chains on the front of my 3710 after replacing a front wheel bearing set. I still have them and would use them only in an instance where the drive (half mile long, up 300' of elevation) turns into a toboggan run due to rain in the winter. I use the 3710 with a sander on the back in that rare instance and go slow and steady in any event. No more plowing with that tractor. I finally got an old F 350 franken truck with a plow. Plowing snow in a heated cab is a wonderous thing.

 

[jimmydolittle]

I put the chains on today. This type chain is supposed to be sloppy so it can walk around the tire. You are supposed to be able to fit your balled up fist between the side chain and the tire sidewall when they are right. But after 8 years mine were getting really to sloppy. I had to cut off 2 links of length (circumference) to get them back where they should be.

Out of curiosity I wondered how much wear that was. If each link had 10 thousands (.010) worn off at each end it would account for little more than 2 links worth of stretch around the tire circumference. Seems reasonable for 8 years I guess.

That's odd, my JD dealer told me I should deflate the tires, install the chains, then re-inflate the tires. Must be a difference in the two types.

 

[tcreeley]

My chains went on yesterday. At least there was not snow on the ground like there has been the last two years as I kept putting it off. I just lay out the chains on the ground, tire at a time. I drive the rear tire over them centered to the 2/3 mark. Then I lift the chains up on one side of the tire, using the lugs to hold them. I work one side up all the way, then do the same to the other side. When both are up, I can usually hook them on the first link. Then I go back and work out the slack to gain another two links. I use one bungy because I want to be sure that the locking clip does not come into contact with the sidewall. One bungy takes care of this.

 

[kubota newbie]

When do you usually remove the chains from your tractor?

 

[Wolfy]

Sometime in early spring.

 

[dave1949]

When do you usually remove the chains from your tractor?

Around mid to late April. As the weather warms and the frost comes out of the ground it's too mucky to use the tractor even if there is no snow. It would just cut a bunch of ruts in my dirt lanes. There's normally several weeks in there when the tractor will sit with or without chains. For folks with livestock to tend year-round, that would be different.

 

[EdwardSeeley]

I do all of my forestry work in the winter with my farmi winch and use BABAC rough stud single diamond forestry chains on front and back of my new holland TN70, absolutely no safe way to do it otherwise if you have any hills and icy skid roads. These chains do do not slip on anything but deep snow. They are heavy and take time to put on, but have had no tractor problems with over 10 winters using them. I have to put down plywood on my shop floor to keep the concrete from getting wrecked when they are on. You can't use them on blacktop or road surfaces with out tearing the road up.

 

[crazyal]

I have the same chains Gordon, probably bought them at the same place (Irasburg). I run mine tight and never had an issue with traction. After 4 years they show no signs of wear at all. I think they make the ride a little harsher though. I use to run the chains on my plow truck loose but I didn't like the loose chain noise, they seamed to be wearing pretty quickly, and I needed to put springs on them to keep them from falling off. So now I run all my chains tight.

 

[crazyal]

Chains on the front for plowing is tough on the front drive line, especially if on hilly property. I stopped using chains on the front of my 3710 after replacing a front wheel bearing set. I still have them and would use them only in an instance where the drive (half mile long, up 300' of elevation) turns into a toboggan run due to rain in the winter. I use the 3710 with a sander on the back in that rare instance and go slow and steady in any event. No more plowing with that tractor. I finally got an old F 350 franken truck with a plow. Plowing snow in a heated cab is a wonderous thing.

My drive is about as long and goes up at least 200'. Any time it would melt I would be out sanding. Last year I started using the grading scraper (A box blade would work as well). I just use the ripping shanks with the top link really short and they do a good job of breaking up the ice. Of course I have a gravel drive, I wouldn't try it with pavement.

I've never had a problem steering with my brakes so I've never felt I needed front chains. I don't go into the woods too often and usually the snow cover prevents the ground from freezing so chains really don't help me.

 

[mike69440]

Re: Put my Chains on TUuesday night, I hate Chains

Having a TLB makes it easier. You can pick the machine up, rather than roll over the chains.

They are heavy, Double chauns, so the ride smooth, but they are heavy. Would not want to go swimming with them!

They did not go on too hard, as I laid them out flat and made sure they were not twisted or kinked.

I hate plowing as it beats up the tractor moving something that will melt. I want to do real work, if I put wear and tear on the machine. Its cold without a Cab, and takes time. I just want to hug a wood stove.
Plowing wrecked my soggy unfroze gravel driveway. Now its froze and rutted.

I first clear the parking lot by the equipment shead, about 80 X 200 feet. (Takes time)
Then I plow 1/4 mile of driveway, (That is really compartively easy)

Then I plow the pasture roads paths to the anaimals so we can get the animals water, (Hilly)

Next I clear out the horse barn and paddok and poop pile. (For the wife)

Finally the area around the garage and back of the house to the in law apartment.

Then take hot shower And I go to bed.

 

[Oldpath05]

I didn't put my tire chains on today, I put the 8 year old Aquiline Talons on last Saturday so that makes me the winner of being last, and I want my prize in cash.
For the first time of doing professional tractor tire chain installation, I decided to take someone's advice and put them on as loose as a moose. I want to see if it helps keep the chains on straight for once, I tried the $50.00 spring tensioners last year and that didn't help, and I lost one spring, so I'll sell them on EBay for only $499.00 with free sipping, just to get rid of them, and I give the proceeds to combat the east crooked chain virus.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Let us know if it makes a difference. With all the ice this year I am surprised you managed this long w/o the chains.

I have heard of some skidder operators that say they can't keep the chains straight. They weld some chain links around the edge of the wheel rims. Then connect their side chains to the links with shackles. That keeps the chains on straight.

 

[skyhook]

Let us know if it makes a difference. With all the ice this year I am surprised you managed this long w/o the chains.

I have heard of some skidder operators that say they can't keep the chains straight. They weld some chain links around the edge of the wheel rims. Then connect their side chains to the links with shackles. That keeps the chains on straight.

Now there's an idea.:thumbsup:

 

[arrow]

Let us know if it makes a difference. With all the ice this year I am surprised you managed this long w/o the chains.

I have heard of some skidder operators that say they can't keep the chains straight. They weld some chain links around the edge of the wheel rims. Then connect their side chains to the links with shackles. That keeps the chains on straight.

We tried this method. Too many times these would get scrubbed off in these woods up here. May work better depending on region (and with drivers not hung over from the night before) It may be a big no-no, (life seemed less full of no-no's back then) but what seemed to help was deflation, chain installation and then inflation. Nothing screwed up chains on these things like tight corners and a major pain when a skidder would throw a 300#-400# chain that had rings 10" across. We'd just attach the loose chain to the skidder and drag it back to the landing to re-install. Landings were strategically oriented so a skidder never had to tightly "turn" into a landing from logging trails.

 

[Oldpath05]

Usually I have my chains on already, but I had global warming at my house this past December, the results was catastrophic, I burned less firewood, I didn't plow any snow, and I didn't need my tire chains on my tractor, but that came to a screeching halt when January showed up, now things are snow covered and icy, cant wait for January thaw.

 

[Oldpath05]

Once upon a time way back in Nov. 2011, I had a brilliant $150.00 idea until it made things worse. On my 07 L3400 the rear wheels have 6, 5/8" square holes, I got some 5/8 carriage bolts 2" long or so, welded one 3/8" shackle's on each of them, stuck them in the 6 holes on the wheel, put the nuts on the inside loose. Then got some cheap 1/4" chain at HomeDepot, cut it up somewhere around 10-12 inches long +or-, attach one end of the short chain to the side tire chain with 1/4" shackle, then attach the other end of the short chain to the 3/8" shackle on the 5/8" bolt, all 6 pieces, and I kept the short pieces of chain tight-ish by going back a link if needed.

Now if everyone has followed me so far and hasn't fell asleep yet, focus and picture this. My tire is jacked up, I have my tire chains on tight, I have all the 6 short 1/4" pieces of chain tight, I took my impact wrench with a deep socket behind the wheel, tighten all the nuts up on the 5/8" carriage bolts. Now for the first time my tire chains were straight and stayed straight and stayed tight. The crooked tire chain virus was cured, I was happy happy happy, for a month anyways, but after a month of use my Aquiline Talon tire chains that I bought in 07 started breaking every time I went in the woods. I didn't like that at all, it's a real pain to loosen up chains, weld a link back in, after 6 times I took off my brilliant idea, and went back to crooked chains.

 

[kco]

Here's a link to a thread for simple tensioners I made last year:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/tires/299418-tire-chain-tensioners.html

It helped that I had all the chain hooks and small lengths of side chains from modifications I made to my tire chains the year before. They are easy to install.

 

[skyhook]

kco, I have the exact same chains, I do have to modify them, because I have 5 links between the cross chains and you only have 3, plus I have another link between each section where you have none, yours are mounted on the same link. So the space on mine are way too far apart.
How do you like your chains in the setup you now have in that picture?

 

[kco]

kco, I have the exact same chains, I do have to modify them, because I have 5 links between the cross chains and you only have 3, plus I have another link between each section where you have none, yours are mounted on the same link. So the space on mine are way too far apart.
How do you like your chains in the setup you now have in that picture?

Here is a link to a thread I created while modifying my chains:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/268885-duo-chains-planned-modifications.html

The original pattern gaps were too large, resulting in slippage and a rough ride. The improvement with the modifications was dramatic and I'm very happy with the chains now. This is the second year I have used them.

I am lucky because I have a local supplier who carries bulk patterns, so there were no shipping charges. The price was about 1/2 that of www.canadianchains.com. The local supplier also had a good price for a chain tool, which is almost a "must" if one intends to do these modifications.

Another bonus from the changes was the spare side chain and hooks that I used to make my tensioners (I had to buy the springs). I still have more parts and intend to make similar tensioners for my smaller front chains.