Chains B3030 - Anyone tried front chains on R4s?

[bandit67]

I need chains for the winter because I'm plowing out a bunch of neighbors. They live on a portion of dirt road that the county does not plow, so I have to plow out there portion of road, plus their drives. In order to not get hammered by spending twice as much time slipping and sliding while digging them out (big hill), I need to get chains.

I'm going to order a set of rear chains, but should also add a set on the fronts - that should make the tractor pretty much a tank.

Has anyone run chains on their front R4s WITHOUT having to turn the wheels around to widen the front track? Looks like it's do-able without the chains hitting anything, but I thought I'd see if anyone had any actual experience.

 

[Earl Ohl]

I did just that for last winter & had no problems with clearance. I Made up my own chains & used 11x22.5 truck chains on the rear. The width was alright but I had to cut them shorter. On the front I used an old set of car chains. I know they were on 14 in. tires origionally, but don't know the actual tire size. The width was alright but I had to cut them shorter, but not much. The best part was they didn't cost me anything because they were saved from vehicles that we used to have. You have to use light duty chains on the front or they will catch on the axle. There's not a whole lot of room there.

 

[bandit67]

Think these are light duty enough? They're the twisted link chains - how do they compare to yours? Looks like they're mounted on BX wheels.
Garden Tractors Tire Chains

 

[Earl Ohl]

The ones in the top left picture look like the style I have on the front tires. On my rear tires I have truck chains which are quite a bit more heavy duty. I have plenty of clearance on the rear with these.

 

[savageactor7]

I run year around with chains on all 4 wheels on the B1750...the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. Of course I'm in the woods/swamp a lot too since I've put chains on all 4s...I haven't been stuck.

 

[rbargeron]

Chains are good - the more the better.

 

[bandit67]

I'm probably going to go ahead and order the chains in the next day or two, before I wait too long and find out they're out of stock.

How many of you have to use chains on asphalt driveways? I don't need them for my drive, which has a lousy paving job on part of it, but I need them for all the other plowing I'm doing on dirt roads and dirt drives.

Just a little concerned about how bad I'm going to tear up my asphalt and speed up the repaving timeline. I'm going to order the twisted link ladder chains - 4 link for front and 2 link for rear. Think I can keep driveway damage to a minimum?

 

[savageactor7]

I'm usually more concerned for my chains when crossing the hardball LOL.

OK you have a blacktop driveway and your concerns are valid. If you can minimize any tire spinning that will help. Normally on a good blacktop drive chains will just leave chalky like score marks but if the driveway is broken up the chains could get a bite and make it worse...I'd stay in low range.

 

[Earl Ohl]

10-4 on keeping it in low range. Also, avoid turning real sharp when you see you're down to the bare blacktop. This is when the front chains might catch the axle. Good chain tighteners are a "must have" item. A rule of thumb is that there is no such thing as a tire chain that is too tight.

 

[rbargeron]

......How many of you have to use chains on asphalt driveways? .........Just a little concerned about how bad I'm going to tear up my asphalt......

I've run chains on all four wheels for many winters and I see no damage to my paved driveways. Asphalt is prertty hard at low temperatures. There are some marks from the FEL or other plow edges I've used, but the chains don't seem to have much effect. If the tractor is parked on the concrete floor of the garage for a few days, there may be some rust stains where the links were in contact - but that's the only evidence that chains were being used.