DuoGrip vs diamond pattern chains

[John_Mc]

I wonder how safe they are on a front 4WD Axle, mainly for lateral grip while plowing on hard snow & ice?

During the winter, my neighbor runs chains on the front wheels only (he has a 48 HP JD, a bit bigger than my tractor). On some tractors, it's recommended to not run chains on both the front and rear at the same time - it puts too much stress on the drive train. He's found this give him enough traction, even when plowing the icy hill on our driveway (that hill tends not to melt on it's own, since it is East-facing, and shaded in the steepest parts).

 

[FatTire]

I have diamond pattern chains on our Unimog (all 4) and the front of our Kubota (R4's). I have Duo-Grip on the Kubota's rear. I prefer the diamond pattern, they install faster & easier, and you don't feel them much when running on a hard surface.