Snow Stuck in the snow

[davitk]

I think back on my young and foolish days back in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, delivering pizzas with my '78 Jeep Cherokee, full-time 4WD manly-man's go anywhere SUV, coming across an icy curve at 20 mph and finally just letting go of the wheel because nothing I did had any impact whatsoever.... Contrast that one winter earlier, '71 VW Westfalia campervan in Lake Tahoe, rear wheel drive STUDDED snow tires, go anywhere peacemobile.....

Never got either one stuck, but guess which one worked better on the ice?

 

[john_bud]

Got my L3410 stuck in the back yard with R4's. It slid sideways down a very gentle slope. Forward resulted in sideways. Backward resulted in sideways. 5 hours of shoveling resulted in getting out. Snow was no more than 6 inches and it was no more than a 2 foot drop over 50 ft of run.

Get chains that the links are connected together. "H" pattern or a ring.

jb

 

[megaboz]

BX23 with turf tires, no chains, NOT stuck while plowing.

Wow, that was on my birthday, of course it always snows that week

 

[teachdocs]

What do I want on my tractor; chains to improve the traction or a camera to satisfy teachdoc's curiosity?

Now we are getting somewhere. Lots of opinions, but guess you can never have too much traction. I was just hoping for some good pictures to give us all a good laugh on how we "manage" the weather.

I actually have both turfs and ag tires. The turfs have been on once . . . ags ever since.

I'm jealous of the snow some of you get. Here in Kansas City, you gotta hurry up and shovel the snow or it will just all melt in front of your eyes.

Thanks for all the great pics so far but can we count on someone using a camera instead of chains this upcoming winter season?

 

[clenhart]

Snow??? What's that?

 

[AceDeuce]

Last year we had a snowstorm that consisted of the usual mix of a little of everything. The weather forecasters around here call it a "wintery mix", I like to call it "diarrhea snow". The next day it warmed up enough to melt the surface a little and then it got cold and stayed cold for over a week. The result was an endless landscape of solid ice. Unfortunately I didn't clear the driveway before it locked up. Neither my car, my wife's jeep nor my tractor could even make a MARK in the surface it was so hard. After several days I decided to try out the back blade on it to see if it would penetrate, but first I had to get from the barn to the driveway. Well, that was interesting to say the least. One route takes me up a fairly steep hill - not even a chance. The other way is less steep but still an incline. Ever been ice skating on your tractor? I have. It's fun, but a bit frustrating when you want it to go THIS way and it just keeps on going THAT way, dispite 4WD, AG tires, and the diff lock engaged. Too bad... it would have made a great video. Oh well, maybe I'll get another chance this season.

BTW, I did eventually manage to get to the driveway. The blade could hardly make a scratch. At one point I hooked an edge and it popped up a massive chunk about 3" thick with about an inch of gravel inbedded in the bottom.

I put it back.

The Kubota was promptly returned to the barn following a fun ride back down the hill. I then rewarded my efforts with a nice cold Samuel Adams winter larger in front of the fireplace.

 

[Greenfield Dave]

We had an interesting winter last year too! Just in time for the wife to declare that the manure spreader was full of... manure, I said, as I hooked it up. I always empty it over a sweet corn patch, with a slight slope, and guess what! I found a 3' deep drift half way down the slope!! About 2 hours later, during freezing rain, I had managed to get the spreader and tractor jackknifed and buried, but by God, the manure spreader was empty!! Finally, I got her out, using the loader as a crutch, and vowed never to do that again!! I'm not sure what was higher, my blood pressure, or the transmission temperature!!! I buried her again in the spring, near the same spot. R4 tires are not, apparently, for mud...or manure!!!!!

 

[Hvytrkmech]

I took a truck mount for a 7.5ft fisher plow and made a jig to attach it inside the bucket of my 7610. I made the plow rigid so it does not angle left or right, it take a couple extra passes to clean up, however that pails in comparison to the amount of time it takes to clean my driveway with the fel. I also have a spreader that is used as a sander. I have "silpped" on thin packed snow, but backing over with the spreader laying down salt/sand combo eliminates that problem real quick.

I will post pics if you guys want to see the set up.

Tim

 

[Northland]

Got my L3410 stuck in the back yard with R4's. It slid sideways down a very gentle slope. Forward resulted in sideways. Backward resulted in sideways. 5 hours of shoveling resulted in getting out. Snow was no more than 6 inches and it was no more than a 2 foot drop over 50 ft of run.

Get chains that the links are connected together. "H" pattern or a ring.

jb

The same thing happened to me last winter with my B7800. I slid up against a maple tree. I ended up getting my rear blade behind another maple and had to cut the maple down. Luckily a neighour drove by and we pulled the tractor out with my truck. After that experience I bought chains for the rear tires. This winter I am putting them on the front tires too!

I'm not stuck in the attached pics but you'll get an idea how much snow we get off the NE shore of Lake Superior.

 

[hayden]

Anyone have Ag tires and still find a need for chains? If so, what type of chains do you use?

I've had R4s so far and found chains indispensible, but my new tractor has Ags. I figured I wait and see how things go this winter.

 

[biffnh]

I have a B7800 (4x4 and Ag-type tires) with a FEL and 5' snowblower and 5' rear blade. I clear over a mile of hilly dirt road/driveway in central NH and, while I have had to use the FEL to help me get out at times, I've never really been stuck. It is an amazing tractor with lots of snowclearing ability. I've not needed chains. I do plow with a F-250 with an 8' plow and do the clean-up and blow the banks back with the Kubota.

 

[Northland]

Anyone have Ag tires and still find a need for chains? If so, what type of chains do you use?

I've had R4s so far and found chains indispensible, but my new tractor has Ags. I figured I wait and see how things go this winter.

Hayden-what kind of chains did you have on the front wheels of yor B2910 with R4's? I was looking at my B7800 front R4'sand even if i turn the wheels around as you did there doesn't seem much space.

Did you sell the chains with the B2910? If not maybe I can buy them?

 

[Taiser]

I have R4's on my 7800 and usually we get tons of snow here, lately that's been rare though. I have yet to meet a snowfall I could clean the yard wth and I use just the front loader, mind you I keep the BH on in the winter so that's a lot of weight. Besides chains would be brutal on the asphalt!

 

[hayden]

Hayden-what kind of chains did you have on the front wheels of yor B2910 with R4's? I was looking at my B7800 front R4'sand even if i turn the wheels around as you did there doesn't seem much space.

Did you sell the chains with the B2910? If not maybe I can buy them?

They are more like lawn tractor chains. My rears are much heavier 3/8" chain. I got them from BB-chain here in NH. They will probably sell to you via mail. I just told them them tire size and application, and they supplied the chains. They are real good. Tirechains.com may be less expensive - not sure. Other's have had good experience with them.

Sorry, but I've passed the chains on to the guy who took the B2910.

 

[Northland]

They are more like lawn tractor chains. My rears are much heavier 3/8" chain. I got them from BB-chain here in NH. They will probably sell to you via mail. I just told them them tire size and application, and they supplied the chains. They are real good. Tirechains.com may be less expensive - not sure. Other's have had good experience with them.

Sorry, but I've passed the chains on to the guy who took the B2910.

thanks Hayden- I found their web site www.bbchain.com

I am going to e-mail them now

 

[sfixx]

Great info in this thread. I hope to avoid getting stuck, this being my first plowing with my B6100 and front blade. My driveway is dead flat. I have turf tires and was lucky enough to find chains for the back tires at a yard sale. With a little work they now fit well. I'll probably buy some for the front tires too. My question is should I install some wheel weights on the back as well?

Thanks!

Steve

 

[Northland]

I turned my front tires/rims around on Saturday and hayden was right- much more room for chains.

I noted that the tire sidewalls suggest which direction the rubber should spinning are marked with an ->. Since I reversed the the tires/rims they are not going to be spinning in the right direction. Should I be concerned? Is there a loss of traction or faster wear?

I am ordering v-bar 2 link tire chains today from Tire Chains by Tirechains.com I have been waiting a week for a response and quote from bbchain.com, tirechainsrequired.com and a few others.

Steve, I would suggest that you consider having your tires filled with Rim Guard to add weight.

 

[SeymourBota]

I turned my front tires/rims around on Saturday and hayden was right- much more room for chains.

I noted that the tire sidewalls suggest which direction the rubber should spinning are marked with an ->. Since I reversed the the tires/rims they are not going to be spinning in the right direction. Should I be concerned? Is there a loss of traction or faster wear?

If the tires are directional, you should consider reversing the rims and moving right to left and vice versa. That would solve your directional issues.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Anyone have Ag tires and still find a need for chains? If so, what type of chains do you use?

I've had R4s so far and found chains indispensible, but my new tractor has Ags. I figured I wait and see how things go this winter.

Chains are always a traction +, except on clean pavement. Even so, with the capabilities big AGs provide, snow on my gravel and fields will never present enuf problem to justify costs vs benefit.

larry​

 

[thatguy]

Sorry, never been stuck in the snow. Mud, yes, but not snow. Here are a few pics of a BX with no chains in an Upstate NY snowfall.

I suppose now I'm doomed to get stuck this winter for shooting off my big mouth!

My goodness.. I dont think I ever remember having that much snow..

EXCEPT when i was little and it snowed knee hi.. but then again that was probably less than 12" lol

Here in VA we have had pretty mild winters since the 02-03 season.. That year we got +6" of snow EVERY thursday/friday from late december thru March.. it was so nice having the day off from work with pay ;-)

Since I now have a tractor I would love to get to 'work out' in that much snow.. LOL

brian