Tire studs?

[86Scotty]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

 

[groundcover]

You bet !

Winter Tire Studs for Heavy Equipment

Equip your heavy machinery with Grip Studs® winter tire studs! Get unbeatable traction on icy worksites and keep your equipment moving. Shop now!

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[LouNY]

Good studs will help considerably, good studded Euro style chains will do much much more.

 

[MossRoad]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

I'd go with chains over studs.

What type of tire do you have?

 

[86Scotty]

I'd go with chains over studs.

What type of tire do you have?

Standard type that I see on most small/mid size homeowner tractors. Google says 'industrial' type?

Front and rear are identical type.

 

[MossRoad]

Looks like R4 tires. I had them on my large tractor many years ago and they were not so great in snow.

As mentioned, I'd look into chains. They are very effective and removable. Don't take very long to install once you get the hang of it. I had them on a garden tractor for years. Maybe 5 minutes a side to install. Usually took me longer to dig them out of storage and lay them out straight than it did to actually install them.

 

[Highlandr]

I've never seen chains on a tractor before, much less put them on. So, chain noob.

good studded Euro style chains will do much much more.

Like this?

23x8.50-12, 23 8.50-12 European Diamond Tire Chains

Free Same Day Shipping. 23x8.50-12, 23 8.50-12 European Diamond Tire Chains European Style Diamond Tire Chains. Snow Thrower. Snow Blower. Lawn and Garden T

tirechain.com

 

[steve tym]

Before you spend big money on chains (I'd recommend them over studs) buy a tire groover and cut them. I did this after I bought my chains and never installed the chains. Look at your R4 tires, they are 50% slicks.

 

[Thomas]

Something better than nothing,good set tire chain will last heck of lot longer than studded tires.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

And the chains can be taken off ...

These are studded chains ... Trygg SMT Flexi Alloy Tractor Tire Chains | Tire Chains 'R' Us

There are more ... Tractor Tire Chains for Sale | Free US Shipping

I bought these for my truck from the same place, they are standard "ladder" chains, they won't provide as much lateral (side to side) traction as the first link, although studs will help, so will "V-bar" cross links ... But if you can make pickup truck chains fit, they are not bad price ... Well, I just checked when I got this link, and they weren't when I bought them this fall, now about doubled in price in two months!

Aquiline Talon Ladder Pattern Pickup Truck Tire Chains | Tire Chains 'R' Us

Shop Aquiline Talon Ladder Pattern Pickup Truck Tire Chains. Free shipping on orders over $75. Image is for reference only, tire/wheel/rubber tensioners not included. Chains only. Chains are sold in pairs (2 chains). Singles will cover two tires and duals will cover four tires..

www.tirechainsrus.com

I bought the optional "cams" to tighten them, this is open, or loose ...

By putting the included wrench in the slot, by twisting it 180°, and it takes up the slack in the chain and tightened it!

With the cams, I didn't really need the spider, and I only tighten two of the four cams!

These are "4 link" as in counting the side links, the cross links tie on on every fourth link, they make "2-link" which are better for smaller diameter tires, and smoother ... But heavier and more costly as they have double the cross links ...

 

[CalG]

I run studs on the Hurlimann, there is no fender clearance for chains.

They work very well on hard surface packed snow and ice.

Not so effective in deep snow.

They will sure rip up a rotted maple stump ;-)

I put them in over 6 years ago. No issues at all. Never on pavement, it's hilly here. Snow and ice too.

 

[86Scotty]

I had not really thought of chains when I made this post because, well, basically I kind of hate them. My idea of studs was mostly because I never drive this tractor on pavement and they are cheaper and require no maintenance, probably, because I don't really put a lot of hours on my tractor.

Also, I can stud all 4 tires, tractor is 4wd.

Thanks for the feedback. Any experiences are welcome.

 

[dnw64]

Regarding chains - do you have clearance? I had to put spacers on my B3030 to fit them.

Studded Euro-Style ones are the bomb. I have OFA studded.

Screw-in studs will be a little help on ice/hardpack, but probably not at all in regular snowy conditions. If you don't want to deal with chains, at least groove your tires. I have a groover that I lend to TBN users at no cost except postage (generally less than $10). See more about grooving here:

Snow Equipment Owning/Operating - Cutting / Groving / Siping R-4 for snow

I know R-4's in snow has been discussed to death but after a quick search I couldn't find anything about cutting them for better performance. I recently picked up an Ideal Heated Knife, also known as a tire groover. With a little help from a forced air heater to really get the tires warm, it...

www.tractorbynet.com

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/r4s-vs-r14s-tested.432759/

 

[86Scotty]

I will read up, thanks!

 

[mikester]

I've been happy with my studs and R4's for snow blowing. The chains are still hanging on the wall.

Once the snow is over my front axel my low profile studs are less effective. I'd recommend the euro diamond style studded chains over ladder style.

 

[Rustyiron]

I never drive this tractor on pavement and they are cheaper

Now remember that you have to add enough studs to be effective!
I would put at least 2 in each "bar" and there are left and right bars. Say there's 24 bars that make up the circumference of a tire. Now there's an inner and outer row of bars equaling 48 bars.
You can see where it's easy to need 80-100 studs per tire and at .90c each, (depending on the length) it's not hard to get very close with the cost of chains!
Using the right amount of studs is necessary for proper traction and life of the studs. I'm a fan and user of studs and only have ripped out a handful of them.
The tire will not accept a new stud where one was located.
I'd recommend marking a tire with chalk or a crayon making a pattern that pleases you on one half (9 o'clock to 3 o'clock) of a bigger rear tire and a front tire. Double that number and you'll be surprised! I was.
This long post is only to illustrate the cost (amount of studs) is closer than you'd expect for quite a bit lesser traction of chains that provide a whole lot more traction.

 

[Paystar]

You bet !

Winter Tire Studs for Heavy Equipment

Equip your heavy machinery with Grip Studs® winter tire studs! Get unbeatable traction on icy worksites and keep your equipment moving. Shop now!

gripstuds.com

We have two 980 Cat wheel loaders at work. One with studs on all 4 wheels, one with chains on front axle.

The studs help over none at all, but not even close to the traction the one with chains has.

And I would have never believed this if I didn't see it, I still find it hard to believe with how thick those loader tires are....but we get to the point where the studs eventually work themselves right through the tire and they start leaking.

 

[nyone]

Standard type that I see on most small/mid size homeowner tractors. Google says 'industrial' type?

Front and rear are identical type.

Those things suck in snow and ice. I have them on my tc40 and after the first swipe of 3in of snow I knew instantly I needed 4 chains. Now it will drive through 22in of snow with snow/ice under it.