Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Improving traction in snow?

[otus_branch]

Here's my situation: one Kubota L-39 with the standard Industrial R-4 tires, one 8' rear straight blade , and one very steep north-facing driveway. After today's ~4" snowfall, I tried to do some clearing so that my BIL could get out in his Toyota Prius which is the kind of car that will bottom-out on the crown of my road in the best of weather (otherwise, I wouldn't bother pushing 4" of snow...). Thanks to the wisdom of TBN posters, I knew to reverse and angle my blade to minimize gravel disturbance and make for easier snow clearing.

The first pass, going downhill in 4wd went OK. Then the L-39 lost traction near the bottom of the hill when I attempted to climb and clear snow at the same time on the way back up. No problem, I just back-down, raise the blade, stomp on the diff locker, and throw it into gear. This time, I make it 3/4 of the way up, and then lose traction at the steepest point. The L-39 starts skidding backwards as wheels continue spinning forwards. YIKES!!! I manage to keep it more or less straight on the hill with the steering wheel, and jam the shuttle into reverse, which slows the descent and averts disaster. So I back down the hill, and, fool that I can be, attempt to climb my drive AGAIN, but this time in a lower gear. Similar near-disaster results, except that this time the Kub almost turns sideways during its rearward skid.* Enough I say! I back down once more, and park my tractor in the lower field, defeated.

Clearly I need more traction for my tractor. The L-39 is only a backup-snow-clearer, since i will soon have a plow for my Arctic Cat ATV, but I sure would like it to be a viable backup-option. I guess the obvious answer is some chains, but the pain of putting-on and taking-off is a little daunting. Are there quick-attach options in the tractor chain world? Are there viable options besides chains? Thanks,

-otus


* - This second attempt probably belongs in the 'Dumbest things done with tractor' thread, but at least I had my seatbelt on...

 

[Adiredneck]

Would you need to install/remove the chains often? Why not just leave them on for the winter?

 

[MX5000]

I had a similar problem with my "06" B-21. I bought 2 link chains for the front tires and 4 link chains for the back tires. Now i can push a full bucket of snow while on the icy, hilly part of my driveway. I wish I bought them sooner.

Howard

 

[Woody_NH]

I have a steep north facing gravel drive and use the tractor for some snow clean-up and help in getting an ice covered drive sanded (sand in the bucket, wife drives, I hand sand with shovel). I keep chains on all four wheels all winter, nothing else will deal with ice on a steep grade. The chains are easy to install using the rope trick as covered in several past posts.

 

[Casco1]

This is my first year with 4 wheel chains. I'll never go through a winter again without them. With the fall water runoff that froze before the first snow nothing goes up and down the hill but the tractor with the chains. I've already pulled my truck up three times in the last two weeks. By next year I hope I have my water problem solved but this year the chains are king.

 

[john_bud]

Shhhh, don't tell "builder" that an R4 equiped tractor got stuck!

(Just kidding Builder!)

If you get chains, be dilly dern sure that you tell the person you're buying from that you have R4's and you don't want the chain to just slip between the lugs. You want Agressive H-Bar Ice chains. Normal chains will just go between the lugs and traction will be worse.

jb

 

[otus_branch]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and ideas. "Agressive H-Bar Ice chains" it will be, once funding permits...

I had not seen the thread where Builder had sung the praises of R-4's, but I will state that when it comes to packed snow (<4" worth!), the R-4's did not perform nearly as well as I had hoped.

-otus

 

[djradz]

Yep, R4s are pretty poor in snow. Doesn't seem to matter what the depth, but certainly they are worse the deeper it is. Both my neighbor with his JD 850 and I with my TC 40DA were out in the 9" inches that fell this past weekend in south Michigan, lamenting the poor performce compared to our old previous tractors equipped with R1s.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I love it. I was chastised for saying R-4's suck in snow. R-1's are the only way to go. Others say they will tear up your lawn, but its a tractor not a lawnmower. I have mowed with R-1's for years with no problems. I just wait a few days after a rain.

Chris

 

[jim_n_nh]

I as well have experienced the wonders of r4"s. I have a 1100 ft gravel driveway with 500ft steep. 200ft is at a 20 degree slope. My current tractor is a Kioti lk3054 tlb. With weighted tires and the backhoe close to 6000 pounds. It is useless on the snow but what I do is lightly sprinkle calcium chloride (safety step) on the steepest part of the hill and while that is working go clean out the rest of the drive. You only need a little gravel showing through to easily make the climb back up the hill.

If I keep the tractor I will modify a plow for the front and most likely have chains on the rears. But the heated cab and stereo of the plow truck is pretty nice.

Jim