SS stuck in snow twice, tire chains?

[RalphVa]

I make it a rule never to get more than one front tire off the road when dumping the FEL after getting my 1st tractor stuck a couple time.

I've also had to use the FEL to get me unstuck. Just point it down and curl it to push the tractor in the direction you want to go.

Ralph

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Temporary stakes to mark the driveway edge, in key spots, I think would help to keep from getting off the driveway.

I know/knew exactly where the edge of my paved drive is. I live on a hillside and gravitational pull effects how heavy objects slide down hill which is what it did. It slide down hill off the paved drive just enough to get it stuck and would have went on down the hill if a small tree hadn't stopped it

I make it a rule never to get more than one front tire off the road when dumping the FEL after getting my 1st tractor stuck a couple time.

I've also had to use the FEL to get me unstuck. Just point it down and curl it to push the tractor in the direction you want to go.

Ralph

I also have done this with FEL front bucket for 12 years with several Kubota BX and B and L tractors. Also have used back hoe on the back of my tractors a few times to pull me out of stuck situations. The BH for my SS was/is in the barn. If it wasn't so heavy I could have carried it thru the 2 feet of snow, removed front bucket, attach BH but alas it is/was to heavy for me to do it and pulled my self out but the bucket curl only lifted the front tires, dug the rear tires in deeper and scraped on the slight bit of concrete it could reach and also drug even more mud back in front of the tires. I did get it out with my pick up and it's now in the barn.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I know/knew exactly where the edge of my paved drive is. I live on a hillside and gravitational pull effects how heavy objects slide down hill which is what it did. It slide down hill off the paved drive just enough to get it stuck and would have went on down the hill if a small tree hadn't stopped it



I also have done this with FEL front bucket for 12 years with several Kubota BX and B and L tractors. Also have used back hoe on the back of my tractors a few times to pull me out of stuck situations. The BH for my SS was/is in the barn. If it wasn't so heavy I could have carried it thru the 2 feet of snow, removed front bucket, attach BH but alas it is/was to heavy for me to do it and pulled my self out but the bucket curl only lifted the front tires, dug the rear tires in deeper and scraped on the slight bit of concrete it could reach and also drug even more mud back in front of the tires. I did get it out with my pick up and it's now in the barn.

What an adventure. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Apsterbobed]

Your lucky the snow melted for you! Here is my 2 cents, if you get chains they will give you great traction mud, snow, and ice! But they will tear stuff up! Also you need to have them on before you get stuck, to install you are going to want a hi jack like device to tighten them and they need to be tight, airing down skidsteers tires won't give you enough slack alone. Also they need to be 3/8 hardened chain at a minimum with cross and radial runners to give you side sliding traction. You may need wheel spacers to have the clearance to run them (we did on a new holland). We only had them on the rear tires but when the skidsteer was upgraded we needed spacers if we were going to continue to use them. They are hard on pavement (gouging and whatnot) so between that and the need for spacers we switched to a snow tire (all 4). The traction difference between the factory tires and the snow tire is night and day. With the exception of glare ice the snow tires preform as well as the chains in all other winter conditions and without pavement damage (we try and stay out of mud but I doubt they could compet with chains). Around here its common to replace the factory tires when they are due with the snow tire for all year use.

As far as recovery of stuck equipment, my view is to always have a friend who has a larger piece of equipment . You want to use recovery straps because they are designed to stretch and you can jerk them to give you the little extra tug to pop you out. When they break they are much less deadly than a breaking chain!