Chains....Age old question...need some advice

[John_Mc]

I found the thread with LouNY's description of the drive-on chain method: Mounting Tire Chains.

To recap his first post in that thread:

I put chains on one tractor yesterday, there are lots of ways to mount chains I thought I would share the easiest way I have found to do so.

1) lay the chains out with the outside, the ground contact side facing up
2) tie a short cord to the side chains, the length will depend on your tire size, on mine I end up with a V shape about 3 feet.
3) back up to your chain, take the cord and hang it on the tire treads.
4) drive forward slowly, stopping to spread the chain out on your tire.
5) continue doing this till you have rolled the chain up on the tire and have working room at the rear of the tire
6) your chain should be well centered on your tire and have very little slack.
7) fasten your chains.
8) step back and check out your work

As I noted in post 37 of that thread, after 2 years of installing chains the hard way, I switched to driving them on, I can get my chains on in about 15 minutes a tire (and that includes dragging them out of storage and laying them out on the ground). If I put them on and off more regularly, I'm sure I could do it faster.

The one difference from Lou's method is, I tie to the center of one of the cross chains, rather than to the side chains. I find this works easier, since I can leave the string on, and it leaves the side chains free to make the connections. The string comes off after the chain connections are made.

On a friend's tractor with not much tread left, I run the string through one of the holes in the rim, instead of hooking it over the tread. I've not installed chains on large turf tires, but I suspect the string through the hole in the rim would be the way to go on that type of tire as well.

The rest of that thread is worth reading through: there are some other good tips and experiences mentioned.

 

[John_Mc]

This is a link to that thread about mounting chains by driving them on.
Lou

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/405039-mounting-tire-chains.html?highlight=mounting+tire+chains

You beat me to it, Lou. I was in the process of posting when the guy showed up to service our boiler. Came back in, typed a sentence or two and hit "post", then saw that you had already linked.

 

[LouNY]

Yes it's a rainy deary day out here so not getting much done.
Puttering around inside and a bit out, drinking way to much coffee and sitting at the computer to much today.

 

[John_Mc]

Another good chain thread:
L3301 Snow Chains

 

[River19]

Thanks everyone. This thread has really helped me zero in on the studded chains......and I saw the drive on method with a line through the rim hole and it seems like he best way to go.

Again thanks for the help and when I get some I'll drop a note here to close the loop

 

[PILOON]

Installed my chains few days ago.
I jack up the CUT, manually rotate the wheel so as to wrap the chains around the tire, adjust the loose cross links and close the connectors.
My chains are studded crosses every 3 link and being close provide a rather smooth ride with minimal slippage even on glare ice.
I use binders inside as well as outside as I have very minimal fender clearance (can't even pass my hand).
I hate the clank/clank of a loose cross link plus the damage they cause to fenders.

Speaking of fenders; I sprayed leftover gravel guard on the underside some years back and am pleased to say it has proven to be successful in deterring rust.

 

[John_Mc]

... My chains are studded crosses every 3 link

I've never seen, or even heard of 3 link ladder style chains. No one seems to make them because the links on the side chain don't line up properly when you have an odd-number spacing. Normally it's either two link (i.e. every other link: skip one, then a cross chain at the next), or four link (skip three side links, then attach at the fourth).

Did you make these up yourself, or have them custom made?

 

[PILOON]

Re 3rd link chains----
You have a cross attached to one link then a space and next cross is then on the next or 3rd link.

I found that configuration to work best 4 me.
The way I see it is that being that close there is always at least one cross link in contact.
The conventional cross link chains are so far apart that I was getting a grip-slip-grab kind of traction and that often resulted in wild slip and sliding especially on hills.
By tightening up the space there is always at least one and often 2 cross chains in contact with the icy road.

My drive has a 100 ft rather steep hill close to the house that I need to navigate in order to access the balance of my drive for plowing/blowing.
We frequently get freezing rain so drives are often better suited for ice skating.

 

[LouNY]

Re 3rd link chains----
You have a cross attached to one link then a space and next cross is then on the next or 3rd link.

I found that configuration to work best 4 me.
The way I see it is that being that close there is always at least one cross link in contact.
The conventional cross link chains are so far apart that I was getting a grip-slip-grab kind of traction and that often resulted in wild slip and sliding especially on hills.
By tightening up the space there is always at least one and often 2 cross chains in contact with the icy road.

My drive has a 100 ft rather steep hill close to the house that I need to navigate in order to access the balance of my drive for plowing/blowing.
We frequently get freezing rain so drives are often better suited for ice skating.

I believe that we have a difference in counting here,
that is what I would consider a 2 link spaced chain.
Here is a picture of an advertised two link spacing;

I had two link spaced chains on my Oliver, no comparison to the Euro studded type.

 

[John_Mc]

I believe that we have a difference in counting here,
that is what I would consider a 2 link spaced chain.
Here is a picture of an advertised two link spacing;
View attachment 673136
I had two link spaced chains on my Oliver, no comparison to the Euro studded type.

You are not the only one who would consider that a 2 link chain. That is the definition of 2 link ladder style chains.

 

[PILOON]

I believe that we have a difference in counting here,
that is what I would consider a 2 link spaced chain.
Here is a picture of an advertised two link spacing;
View attachment 673136
I had two link spaced chains on my Oliver, no comparison to the Euro studded type.

OK, I fold LOL, we are all talking the same configuration!
That is what I use on my CUT.
Nice ride and no slipping.
When I re configured I did run out of the hardened cross links and completed my build with welded V type as that was all that was available locally.
Years later the V type hardly exist while the hardened stud types show hardly any wear and I only drive on snow covered gravel roads and not all that many hours either, guessing perhaps 2-300 at best.

 

[crazyal]

I find the "V" bar seams to wear really quickly, at least the edge. Once worn down they are basically just like regular chains. I install them in a similar way to Piloon. I jack up one wheel, put the tractor in 2wd and neutral. I lay out the chain behind the wheel and hook the edge of the chain onto the tire then rotate it. Once I get to where the ends are in the 3 O'clock position (looking at the wheel from the side) I put the tractor in gear so the tire can't rotate and then I connect up the center chains and then tighten the outside chains. But I have ag tires so the chains hook on real easy.

I also put the chains on tight even though they say to do it loose. That way there's no way they could hit the fender if one wheel decides to spin faster than expected. Also I've never had to deal with rubber straps to keep them tight or having one fall off. I can do each tire in about 5 minutes but that's because my chains came with two styles of connecting links for the center chains. One has a roll pin to keep it on the chain while the other has a T shape at the end of the C shape. To get it to pass through the end link on the chain you have to turn it sideways. But there's no roll pin to deal with so it's very fast.

 

[Oaktree]

This is a link to that thread about mounting chains by driving them on.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/405039-mounting-tire-chains.html?highlight=mounting+tire+chains

I'll have to give that a try. What I've been doing is laying the chains out on the ground and backing the tractor onto them then working the chain over the tires. Does the job, but the older I get the heavier those chains get!

The tricky part is the timing...getting them on before the first snowfall (few things in life match the joy of laying in slushy wet snow putting chains on a tractor), but not so early as to limit other things you might want to do with the tractor.

I find the "V" bar seams to wear really quickly, at least the edge. Once worn down they are basically just like regular chains. I install them in a similar way to Piloon. I jack up one wheel, put the tractor in 2wd and neutral. I lay out the chain behind the wheel and hook the edge of the chain onto the tire then rotate it. Once I get to where the ends are in the 3 O'clock position (looking at the wheel from the side) I put the tractor in gear so the tire can't rotate and then I connect up the center chains and then tighten the outside chains. But I have ag tires so the chains hook on real easy.

Can't say I've had much in the way of wear, and mine are V-bar, but I have a gravel driveway so that may make a difference. Only time I'm on pavement is maybe 1/4 mi each way to do my next-door neighbor's driveway.
Mine seem to hook pretty well, and I have R4's.

 

[LouNY]

I'll have to give that a try. What I've been doing is laying the chains out on the ground and backing the tractor onto them then working the chain over the tires. Does the job, but the older I get the heavier those chains get!

The tricky part is the timing...getting them on before the first snowfall (few things in life match the joy of laying in slushy wet snow putting chains on a tractor), but not so early as to limit other things you might want to do with the tractor.



Can't say I've had much in the way of wear, and mine are V-bar, but I have a gravel driveway so that may make a difference. Only time I'm on pavement is maybe 1/4 mi each way to do my next-door neighbor's driveway.
Mine seem to hook pretty well, and I have R4's.

Yes it's so much fun when you have to take your gloves off to try and get things aligned and fastened,
putting them in pocket to get warmed back up.
Then reaching and pulling on cold steel and have bits of skin stick to the steel and peel off.
I try and get at least one tractor chained up early enough just in case,
sometimes it works some times it doesn't.

 

[John_Mc]

I'll have to give that a try. What I've been doing is laying the chains out on the ground and backing the tractor onto them then working the chain over the tires. Does the job, but the older I get the heavier those chains get!

The tricky part is the timing...getting them on before the first snowfall (few things in life match the joy of laying in slushy wet snow putting chains on a tractor), but not so early as to limit other things you might want to do with the tractor.

Yeah, that's the hard way. I did it that way for a few years until someone tipped me off to driving them on.

I rarely seem to call it right as far as when to get the chains on. Fortunately, driving them on involves much less crawling around in snow. Still not fun, but a lot more tolerable.

 

[dmottv]

Another option for you: I found chains for my Kioti CK2510 within pickup distance of the NH Bluehills, in Union, ME: Union Farm Equipment | Kubota Dealer in Union, ME

I took delivery of the tractor in late December two years ago. I'm on a private road with mixed gravel and pavement, driveway slopes with tight plowing and bucketing needs. Impending snow required a quick decision. I read numerous posts on this forum, shopped online sources for the various chain styles, then found UFE. A quick call verified the chains were in stock, the price was good, and 2.5 driving hours later I had them in hand. I believe I have the 2 link spaced ladder style chains, and picked them up for the rear wheels only.

I had an experienced tractor owner help me install them that same day in preparation for the storm. He installed them a bit loose with rubber strap tensioners spaced around the inside and outside of the chains. I found the loose slack allowed movement of the chains on the tires during that first season with occasional slap of the inside of the fenders. I installed them tight to the tires last year and found they worked much better with no practical movement over the season, and no slap. These chains have worked great and my neighbors have reaped as many benefits as I have!

 

[deereman75]

I ordered mine through my local ag tire shop. V-bar/studded H pattern is what I settled on, and I'd buy the same again.

Biggest problem is installing them. The chains for my rears are well over 100# per side and it's really a two person job to get them on.

Cheap option would be getting a few sets of truck chains from a scrapyard and joining them together.

 

[John_Mc]

I ordered mine through my local ag tire shop. V-bar/studded H pattern is what I settled on, and I'd buy the same again.

Biggest problem is installing them. The chains for my rears are well over 100# per side and it's really a two person job to get them on.

Cheap option would be getting a few sets of truck chains from a scrapyard and joining them together.

Is this the pattern you are talking about:



The style is known as "Duo Grip". It works well for both forward and lateral traction. It can be a bit of a rough ride when running on paved roads or other hard surfaces if you are trying to move at higher speeds (especially with filled rear tires). They do provide good traction and are great off road significantly better on side hills than ladder style chains.

The "Drive it on" method of installing chains described earlier in this thread works well for installing them. You may want to modify it slightly: Instead of tying the string to the side chains, tie it near the middle of the end cross chain (when I had Duo Grip chains, I ended up tying in one end of the string several inches off-center of the cross chain, and the other end of the string several inches off-center in the other direction. This a good job of holding the chain centered on the tire, and still let me make easy connections on the side chains once I got it pulled around the tire.

 

[LouNY]

I ordered mine through my local ag tire shop. V-bar/studded H pattern is what I settled on, and I'd buy the same again.

Biggest problem is installing them. The chains for my rears are well over 100# per side and it's really a two person job to get them on.

Cheap option would be getting a few sets of truck chains from a scrapyard and joining them together.

If you just drive them on it isn't a bad job, I can chain 20.4-42's by myself.

 

[CobyRupert]

Deereman75,
See post 20, 21 or 33 for the link to Lou’s easy one man installation thread.