R14 tires any good in the snow on hilly driveway?

[gstrom99]

20V DeWalt pressure washer and a 5-gallon bucket or two take pretty good care of it. Saves dragging a garden hose out.

Another Dewalt tool I didn't know about, and now need... Thanks.

 

[alpha&omega]

Chains can tear up the driveway depending on which type you go with. Weight, spacers and filled tires do help significantly. However, as others have mentioned - they only do so much when the tread gets filled or the drive is iced over.
I have a 1/4 mile long paved drive and I chose not to put the chains on when clearing it. If I slip a little here and there, well…then I have to adjust fire, regroup and then go back over that spot.

 

[zzvyb6]

In my passed life as a tire engineer, I can attest to the differences in snow & ice traction between brands, types, and wear states for tires OF THE SAME SIZE. More natural rubber content gets you the best snow & ice traction for a given weight (The weight makes them work by compressing the snow under and into the tread blocks). Air pressure is another ingredient (Lower is better because more tread can be on the surface if it doesn't steal weight from the other (center) tread blocks).

The 'best' snow tires wear out more quickly though, because the elements that give you traction get scrubbed off on dry surfaces.
Chains on pavement will hurt the asphalt or concrete because they open up the material for water infusion which freezes and erodes the grain structure of the pavement.
Front (steered) wheel alignment can get you a minor improvement, too. Toe & camber tend to reduce net traction if one wheel fights the other with a net loss in longitudinal force.

There are also some surface treatment solutions that 'glue' traction improving materials onto the tread blocks. Remember chlorine/Clorox use in the old days for drag racing traction improvements ?

 

[LouNY]

We have a 200 yard paved driveway that is all hill. R14s on my tractor work great for show blowing. In the heaviest snowfall I have to go up the driveway and snowblow down. Otherwise it will start to slip. I would never put chains on my tractor and destroy my driveway

Quality chains will help allow you to NOT spin which is what would tear up your driveway. R1 and R4 Tires can also be studded with screw in studs.

When working on a location that loosing traction could spell a disaster such as going over a bank or sliding down hill into tree's or other obstructions a few scratches in a driveway don't amount to much.

 

[LouNY]

Chains can tear up the driveway depending on which type you go with. Weight, spacers and filled tires do help significantly. However, as others have mentioned - they only do so much when the tread gets filled or the drive is iced over.
I have a 1/4 mile long paved drive and I chose not to put the chains on when clearing it. If I slip a little here and there, well…then I have to adjust fire, regroup and then go back over that spot.

Only if you spin the tires quality chains won't tear up anything unless spun excessively.

Edited to add;
From what I have observed over many years is that generally with the same sized tires and the same weighting R14's will have quite a bit more traction then R1's, R1's will have much more then R4's. Then the snow tires will exceed all of the above, snow tires such as the Nokian or BKT tractor tires.
Also in wet snow once a tire spins and changes the snow into slick hard pack rubber will not work.

 

[chim]

Another Dewalt tool I didn't know about, and now need... Thanks.

It's very handy and can be redied in the time it takes to fill a bucket. the pressure is something like 500PSI but more than needed for lots of applications.

 

[Saucymynx]

We have a 200 yard paved driveway that is all hill. R14s on my tractor work great for show blowing. In the heaviest snowfall I have to go up the driveway and snowblow down. Otherwise it will start to slip. I would never put chains on my tractor and destroy my driveway

I run my 7000 pound farmall 656 with chains on my blacktop driveway in the winter time without problems. Did the chains scratch the surface? Of course. So does my snowblower. But it does not damage the asphalt in the least. I recoat the driveway every two years so I get that nice shiny look back. I would not worry about chains on blacktop in the cold. Unless, of course, you have a lightweight tractor and you’re spinning. My tractor is heavy enough that it does not spin.

 

[In.the.Piñons]

My Kubota M5 has AG tires and is used for plowing 1.5 miles of gravel roads in the winter, with a 9ft rear blade. Some *really* steep hills in there so I bought some nice studded chains for the rears. We get a lot of melt thaw going on, so lots of ice.

Amazing grip. I wouldn't feel comfortable without the studded chains. Not worth risking a slide down that hill. Neither tractors or hospital bills are cheap!

 

[toot77]

For snow and ice traction on tractors, it is the same principles as you want for the tires on the vehicle that you drive on the roads in the winter. Compound matters, but you especially need biting edges for the tire to grip the road surface, lots of biting edges. That is why winter tires such as Bridgestone Blizzaks are heavily siped.

Each of those sipes creates a biting edge to help gain some traction, and they work.

R4's are poor on snow & ice because the lack enough biting egdes, just large flat smooth surfaces. The large flat surfaces, besides lacking much in regards to biting edges also create an area where a microscopic layer of water forms between the tire and the snow/ice acting as a lubricant actually decreasing traction. This is probably a poor explanation. A better demonstration is to take a test drive in a vehicle with bald tires on an icy road in 30 degree temperatures then repeat in a vehicle with Blizzaks. The only thing that helps an R4 on snow and ice is weight, which is something a compact tractor typically does not have a lot of.

It helps to groove R4's, but you can only add so much.

R14's are a hybrid which do add to the biting edge area of an R4 somewhat.

Another option for even better snow & ice traction, if you do not mind giving up some mud traction, is to use turf tires. Still not a Blizzak, but lots more biting edges than even an R14.

I have been clearing my two driveways for over 30 years, and my neighbor's driveway for most of that time. The neighbor's driveway is a steep long uphill push, and I have never not been able to get up. I started with a New Holland 1520 with a 5’ front blower & 6' rear blade. Firestone turf tires, no chains, no loaded tires. Recently started using the same front blower & rear blade on my T1520, which has Titan turf tires and the rears are loaded. Still no chains. Works even better. I wish Bridgestone would make Blizzaks to fit my tractor(s), but in the meantime (not holding my breath), I will stick with turf tires for winter traction. I do not get into wet mud, so turf's work fine for me overall.

I've never needed to use chains so I do not know what they would do to my paved (both concrete & asphalt) driveways. I do know what snowmobile track studs do to my driveways so there is no way I am going to put studs in a tractor tire. You can try to not spin, but you are going to spin.

 

[mikester]

My R4's worked well when new. The sharp edges and corners are now worn and ice traction is degraded. I studded my tires and am happy with the results so far.