how do you store your tire chains ?

[Gordon Gould]

I drag them back to the heavy wooden crate they originally came in, put the 150 lb. suckers in as neatly as I can and forget about them till next season.

My method too

gg

 

[Rustyiron]

5 gal. plastic oil buckets. They stack nicely saving floor space and tend to not get tangled or twisted.

 

[radios1]

no one mentioned vacuum seal bags yet?. rust needs oxygen and moisture.

 

[Looking4new]

no one mentioned vacuum seal bags yet?. rust needs oxygen and moisture.

Oil will take care of that. My tow chains live in a bucket of oil. Sure they are messy when you pull them out, but I am wearing leather cloves anyway.

 

[Citydude]

I take mine off, drag them across the shop floor and cuss them as I pile them in a heap in a corner. Can't live without them, can't live with them....they hate me and I return the favor.

 

[LD48750]

Oil will take care of that. My tow chains live in a bucket of oil. Sure they are messy when you pull them out, but I am wearing leather cloves anyway.

What does the oil accomplish?
How much do you believe it extends the life of the chains?
How long do you believe the chains will last without being stored in oil?

 

[pmsmechanic]

I "store" mine at the store. I cut down a set for my 955 and never used them. I didn't make the same mistake with my 4410. To be fair I don't have hills or a long driveway. 99% of the time I have more than adequate traction with my R-3's.

 

[dragoneggs]

Mine are still in the original heavy fabric bag they came in. I purchased them shortly after I got my tractor 6 years ago. Not sure if buying them or global warming is the reason I haven't needed them. We did have record snow fall this winter and was out in 18in of snow with my BX and was too lazy to install them. Even on the steep driveway I didn't need them. But we don't usually get any ice build up under snow around here.

 

[joeyd]

I store mine in 5 gal buckets and add a spritz of WD40. Easy to store and out of the way.

 

[leonz]

I am still debating using them on the front of the LA115 as simple grippers but
I think I will just use them on the original troy-bilt I own and love.

 

[Diggin It]

The only tire chains I have are for the rear tires of my ..., and I never take them off.

Mine are on all the time. Never take 'em off.

I store mine on my tires too. Put sets on both LTs for the mud and wet grass, not for ice/snow. Don't plan on any for the SCUT. Hope I never need them there.

 

[Looking4new]

What does the oil accomplish?
How much do you believe it extends the life of the chains?
How long do you believe the chains will last without being stored in oil?

Messy, oily chains stay where I put them and they don't grow legs. My chains find a way of growing legs and leaving my place. I have had more chains stolen from here than enough before I started storing them in used motor oil. In the past 10 years I have not had one chain stolen.
So in answer to question 1; 10 years.
So in answer to question 2; 1 month.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I can't imagine storing my chains in oil, what an absolute mess to use!

And when I'm needing a chain, it's needed out in the dirt, and you know how dirt sticks to oil!!

SR

 

[radios1]

Messy, oily chains stay where I put them and they don't grow legs. My chains find a way of growing legs and leaving my place. I have had more chains stolen from here than enough before I started storing them in used motor oil. In the past 10 years I have not had one chain stolen.
So in answer to question 1; 10 years.
So in answer to question 2; 1 month.

I think either you forgot what you did with them, or ghosts don't want to drag oily chains, they like the clean, dry one's much better, maybe you had an exorcism 10 years ago, and it chased the ghosts away!..

 

[Looking4new]

Maybe, just maybe I will deal with my chains my way and you can deal with your chains your way and we will both be happy.

 

[MF RED in MT]

I store mine on the wall in the rear of the garage hanging on 4 "J" hooks.

I install mine in the dry garage before the ice season starts and I remove them in the dry garage after the snow melts off the wheels and tire chains just before the mud season.

KC

 

[PILOON]

As U know, chains have hooks to join them up.
I carefully deposit mine in a 5 gal bucket and hook the hooks on the side of the bucket.
Do that for both.
In this manner they don't get tangled up for when I re install them next fall.
Then I simply place a plywood scrap to act as a cover as U don't want any water to get at the chains as I simply store that 'chain bucket' outdoors where it will not bother me.
Come autumn I lift them out carefully so as to not tangle them and proceed to install for the winter.
Note I usually toss some diluted oil on them but not always.

For installation I like to jack each side of the tractor one side at a time and manually spin the wheel to wrap the chains over nice and tight then attach and install my binder bungees.

There, you asked and I told!

Have done it that way for many years.
Did I say that I hate untangling chains?

 

[oosik]

When I had tire chains - large spike in one of the wall beams - hung them from the spike. Same way I do my log chains.

 

[dragoneggs]

When I had tire chains - large spike in one of the wall beams - hung them from the spike. Same way I do my log chains.

I love those old huge galvanized nails... don't know what 'penny' they are but I know they will split a 2x4 stud if you don't pre drill.

 

[dennis103]

I wash the dirt off and after they dry I put them in 5 gal pails with covers, 1 per pail. I use to soak them with wd40, but I quit doing that too messy. Stack the pails on top of each other until next time.