Preferred Style Of Tire Chains?

[jimainiac]

I'm in the process of looking for chains for my Kubota L3830, with 17.5Lx24, R4 industrial tires. I'm leaning strongly toward ice-studded chains in an "H" pattern. I've seen them in use around here, and they seem pretty aggressive, which is what I'm after. I'm dealing with snow and ice on hilly terrain. Our driveways are gravel and we live on a gravel road, so the "tear up" factor is low. We also intend to head into our woods for firewood, and may be dealing with mud, come Spring and Summer.
I don't have clearance issues now that I've set the wheels out to the widest position. I now have four inches of space between the back sidewall and the fender.
This style of chain is quite pricey, and I guess a more economical compromise would be the "duo" style, which is basically a ladder type chain with every two cross chains hooked together, to keep them up and out of the tire tread lugs. Apparently this style gives a bumpy ride because of the space in the tread with no chain.
Just wondering what others prefer, and why? Maybe I've missed something...

 

[94BULLITT]

If you don't plan on going on the pavement vbar chains will be great. They will be really good on ice. I have always ran regular ladder chains on a ford 8N without problems. I don't have chains for the 4240 yet but after we get a good ice storm I am sure I will want some. If you want some real aggressive the duo ladder vbar combo chains, but they are expensive. Tirechain.com has some good prices.

 

[RaydaKub]

I don't have chains as my driveway is fairly level and paved, so I can't give a personal opinion.
However these are probably the most aggressive set of chains I've seen in a picture here. Almost scarey!

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...7404-looks-like-i-need-get-4.html#post3136727

 

[arrow]

I think you'd be well pleased with a set of 2 link ladder chains. If you need ice grip because of dangerous terrain, then get the v-bars. If not, even regular chains will turn your tractor into a grip monster.

 

[ultrarunner]

Chains seem to be real cheap here at garage sales...

I picked up a couple of truck sets for almost nothing and put them together to fit my BX.

They are V-Bar style.

 

[Gordon Gould]

The price of these were $365 in 2005 they are 8mm chains on 12.4 X 24 R1's. So they are going on 8 years old. They last a long time. They say that inflation is low but everything I look at it seems the price has doubled or trippled.

 

[jimainiac]

Gordon, those are the type chains I'm interested in. Granted, my size being wider, they'd be a bit more money, but I'm seeing $900-$1000 range. That's why I'm still looking. Glad there's no inflation.
I called Labonvilles in Gorham, NH. I figured they'd have high quality chains, and they do, but $1700(!) was a little rich for my blood.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Mine were made in Norway by Tellefsdal. I believe they came to my dealer ( now closed ) via Canada.

 

[Jay4200]

Gordon, those are the type chains I'm interested in. Granted, my size being wider, they'd be a bit more money, but I'm seeing $900-$1000 range. That's why I'm still looking. Glad there's no inflation.
I called Labonvilles in Gorham, NH. I figured they'd have high quality chains, and they do, but $1700(!) was a little rich for my blood.

2-link v-bar ladders are pretty nasty. I've been running them on the front of my L4200 for the last 3 years - I bought regular 2-link ladders for the back too, but haven't found a need to even put them on yet.

17.5-24 Tire Chains

JayC

 

[arrow]

2-link v-bar ladders are pretty nasty. I've been running them on the front of my L4200 for the last 3 years - I bought regular 2-link ladders for the back too, but haven't found a need to even put them on yet.

17.5-24 Tire Chains

JayC

Couldn't agree more. Shouldn't consider ladder type chain out of the picture at all as they will certainly make a world of difference. Plus they are less than $700. You can pay almost twice that but performance will not go up accordingly. Any chain makes a remarkable difference. Enhancement of chain such as v-bars just builds on the remarkableness. (if that isn't a word it should be)

 

[jimainiac]

I think you guys are right, that two link chain with v-bars, or the duo-ladder combination with v-bars that TireChains.com sells, would do a good job, but by the time you add in the shipping you're getting near the ice-studded range. That's why I'm having trouble deciding on one style over the other. I hope to only make this purchase once. I don't see myself wearing them out to the point I'd need another set.

 

[jimainiac]

Gordon, I searched the Tellefsdal website and it doesn't look like they sell chains anymore. Trygg chains are from Norway, look to be high quality, and are on the expensive side from what I've found.

 

[whistlepig]

Aquiline Talons are similar to Tellefsdal chains. They sell them here:

Tractor Tire Chains and Tractor Chains by the Traction Specialists兌/url]

 

[94BULLITT]

I think you guys are right, that two link chain with v-bars, or the duo-ladder combination with v-bars that TireChains.com sells, would do a good job, but by the time you add in the shipping you're getting near the ice-studded range. That's why I'm having trouble deciding on one style over the other. I hope to only make this purchase once. I don't see myself wearing them out to the point I'd need another set.

For me I can buy chains just as cheap or cheaper than what they are locally but I live fairly close to them so that helps out on shipping.

 

[kco]

I have DUO's on the rear with 2-link ladders on the front. The DUO's are rough. I'm hoping to mitigate that this summer as outlined in this thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/268885-duo-chains-planned-modifications.html

I'd prefer chains like Gordon Gould's or the Aquilines. However, I've got the DUO's and it will be easier for me to modify them.

I don't do a lot of travelling on hard roads. When we get large snow dumps I clear one neighbour's place 1/2 mile north of here and 1 or 2 neighbours' 1/2 mile south. We're at the end of the snowplow routes so I usually am finished before they make it up here. So I'm travelling on soft snow and the ride is smooth.

That said, my DUO's are rough at anything over a trot pace. I think my modifications will fix that and make the chains even more effective.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I've got duo grip v-bars on my R-1 tires for my deere. They help, but they dont ride on top of the tread quite as well as I would like, I guess I need to do some more work with it to wear the fronts down a little bit! I have the 2 link V-bars' on the kubota and they made such a huge difference in those pitiful R-4s! As soon as I even see snow flakes they go on. Have been running them about 4 years now and they are barely even worn. They work excellent in the mud too.

 

[crazyal]

Two years ago I got the same set of chains as Gordon has from a local dealer here in VT. They were around $700 for a set of 14.9x24. The dealer didn't charge shipping because the wholesaler for Tellefsdal is in NH. The salesman just drops them off on his weekly travels to the local dealers. I think the dealer was Desmarais in Orleans. They don't sell Kubota any more, think another dealer bought out a number of Kubota dealers around here. Maybe they could put you in touch with the sales rep who could give you several different dealers in your area. If not I would call around. There's a truck spring shop I was in last year, McLeod's in Barre VT, that had a display board with either Aquiline or Tellefsdal chains, I didn't ask.

 

[jimainiac]

crazyal, I called Desmarais in Orleans, VT. They answered the phone "Champlain Valley Equipment", which has four other locations. He quoted me a price for studded chains and could order them. I didn't ask what brand they were.
I ended up stopping by Nash Equipment right here in Colebrook, NH. They sell new and used equipment. They had a good selection of Trygg chains, from Norway. They also had used chains available, but not necessarily the exact size I needed. If I had more confidence and experience, I could have gotten a real good deal and probably cut them down to fit. But since they had the exact ones I needed sitting right there in the box, I went ahead and got the new ones. I had called around quite a bit, and they had the best price, plus they had them in stock. Now to put them on!

 

[roman]

I found a pair of regular H pattern chains on craigslist. Trying to mount them Ihey were too long. After talking with a local used equipment dealer I followed his advise and mounted them anyway overlapping the ends by a foot or so.They added a lot of traction but ended up in the grooves between the lugs after running them.
The next summer he got in a pair of double-ring H pattern, he said the double rings tend not to fall into the grooves like the single ring. They fit well and he gave me some bed springs and short pieces ofchain to use as tensioners. I am very pleased with the double ring chains for plowing my gravel driveway and they work well in the dirt/mud too. He told me they aren't good on pavement at moderate speed, so be careful if you travel on pavement..
I was patient and waited for something to come up because they are expensive. I had bought the regular ones for $50, sold them on craigslist for $100. The slightly used (chrome worn on contact area) double rings went for $150.
Net cost $100

 

[Gordon Gould]

Chains are pretty easy to mount. This will get you started. Nash - good idea.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...y-way-mount-tire-chains.html?highlight=chains

Good luck