Tractor chains for snow and ice advice

[North to Alaska]

Update
Purchased the Aquiline MPC from Glacier Chain. He gave me a $100 discount for being a business. With 8 natural bungee cords for tension, my bill was $790.

Since the owner lives in Wasilla (I live in the opposite direction of Talkeetna area)
He will bring the chains home and leave them at his wife’s business in Wasilla.

Hard to find a better price and service than that.

Will post in a week or two once they are on and I have used them.

 

[LouNY]

Just be sure to fasten the chains equally on each side. They will fit and work better even if a little bit loose then being fastened unevenly and tighter.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I have the Aquiline MPC chains on my TYM T474 and I really like them, they are plenty agressive for winter in Montana, and they are fairly smooth in operations.

 

[WinterDeere]

I will consider front chains too if the rear chains don’t do the job.

I'd recommend front chains, not in lieu of rears, but in addition to. Front chains are light, easy, and accessible. Too easy to install to even bother debating it, and they do add to overall traction in 4wd, and improved steering.

My rear chains are stupid-heavy, and a major PITA due to narrow fender clearances. Installing front chains, after dealing with those rears, almost makes me smile.

 

[LouNY]

For those having to mount tire chains there are a few threads showing different ways to do so.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/mounting-tire-chains.405039/
This link shows the way I do mine which is the easiest way I have found, and there are a couple of links to videos showing ways to mount them.

 

[bsekf]

We used to chain up just the front on our Jeep. And it made a world of difference. Didn't think about the skidder taking the weight off the front. If it was slippery enough for chains, wouldn't the fronts slip enough to keep them from binding?

 

[sandman2234]

Interesting thread, to which I can add nothing!
David from jax (Florida!)

 

[massey 165]

I would try smaller tires if available with the H pattern chains.
It looks like your present tires don't have a farm tread, witch is bad in the mud or wet conditions.
Another option is to drop your logs at the bottom of the slope, go up the hill, set your winch plate, and pull the logs up.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Actually his R4'S are slightly better than R1's if putting chains on, as the chains stay more on top, and don't slip as far into the space between the lugs ... Without chains, R1's are better for woods work, deeper and farther spaced lugs ...

 

[North to Alaska]

R4’s have a stronger sidewall which I like for brush clearing etc.
Industrial tires are less likely to puncture.
Not spending even more money on a new set of tires when these are still good.
I have had little issue for traction accept on snow and ice. But with filled tires, fwda, and locking rear axle, I can usually do just fine.

 

[North to Alaska]

Someday I’ll retire this tractor to easy farm work like haying, berry picking, brush cutting, and tractor rides.
Meanwhile, here is a few pictures of what it gets to do.

 

[TractorTYMe]

The Branson 4820/5520 is a very stout platform.

 

[pacosperson]

Hello and thanks in advance.
Just looking for advice on what to get for my tractor this winter…that won’t cost me a fortune
I have a fairly steep and approximately 15’ ridge to climb while hauling logs out. Logging my property for past couple years and selling firewood as I go. With a pto winch I can do so through the winter too and just plow the logging road I made.
The land is mostly flat but this ridge is going to a pain this winter.

I will be bending my fenders out to make enough room for the chains. But chains need to be tight or it could end badly. So i am particularly worried about the ladder style and any slop from them.

Definitely looking for advice from people with experience dealing with different chains in snow and ice. We get about 12’ if snow average around my area.
Here are possible options at this time:

My local Branson dealer has these for $643
Ladder style from Quality Chains

2615 - Loader / Grader Chain

Quality Chain Corp snow, ice, mud tire chains are high quality traction devices. The feature better durability, lower wear, and longer service time. These tire chains utilize cross cables made up of alloy steel rollers and can be easily installed.

qualitychaincorp.com

Glacier Chain Supply in Anchorage has these for $877
Aquiline MPC (Multi Purpose Chains)

Aquiline MPC 16.9-24 Tractor Tire Chains

www.midwesttraction.com

I can get these Piedmont Duo style from Tirechainsonline for $600 with free shipping to Tacoma Wa where Carlile MyConnect shipping can ship it to their Anchorage terminal for around $60.

https://tirechainsonline.com/part-no-duo260/

When I was installing chains on my Ford 1210 4WD for use on extremely hilly terrain, I learned I needed the ‘2 link’ kind not the ‘4 link’ kind. That’s the spacing for the cross chains as the attach to the side chains. Getting them on right and tight is critical or you’ll end up lying on the ground far from your maintenance building. I modified some turnbuckles to tension the chains on the outside of the wheels during installation. Then used another turnbuckle the tension the last connection on the side chain and used a CLEVIS to finally put those outer chains together. I found the clevis gave me the tightest chains.

I had steep clay soil where it was difficult to even walk when it was wet. Those chains never came off all four wheels.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

That's probably the best way to do it, rather than bending the crap out of fenders to make room.

Pretty sure the fenders and floor of the cab are integrated, molded plastic parts, one per side with a seam in the floor. OP, have you tried putting a magnet on the finder to make sure it is metal. Are the fenders about 1/4-inch thick? If so they are plastic. Cutting or trying to bend the plastic can result in cracking. If you cut off the rim, the fender will probably crack.

Good things about the plastic body panels are: If they fade, they polish out, and you can't polish off the color coat, because the color is integral to the plastic. And, they are impossible to dent, might break, but won't dent or rust.

 

[North to Alaska]

Pretty sure the fenders and floor of the cab are integrated, molded plastic parts, one per side with a seam in the floor. OP, have you tried putting a magnet on the finder to make sure it is metal. Are the fenders about 1/4-inch thick? If so they are plastic. Cutting or trying to bend the plastic can result in cracking. If you cut off the rim, the fender will probably crack.

Good things about the plastic body panels are: If they fade, they polish out, and you can't polish off the color coat, because the color is integral to the plastic. And, they are impossible to dent, might break, but won't dent or rust.

Yes, they are metal. The Branson (mine is a 4520r) was a little more beefy than comparable ones from other brands. Why I chose it…along with no computer so I can work on it and eliminate the DPF when the warranty is expired and cheaper price.

 

[Gord Baker]

Hello and thanks in advance.
Just looking for advice on what to get for my tractor this winter…that won’t cost me a fortune
I have a fairly steep and approximately 15’ ridge to climb while hauling logs out. Logging my property for past couple years and selling firewood as I go. With a pto winch I can do so through the winter too and just plow the logging road I made.
The land is mostly flat but this ridge is going to a pain this winter.

I will be bending my fenders out to make enough room for the chains. But chains need to be tight or it could end badly. So i am particularly worried about the ladder style and any slop from them.

Definitely looking for advice from people with experience dealing with different chains in snow and ice. We get about 12’ if snow average around my area.
Here are possible options at this time:

My local Branson dealer has these for $643
Ladder style from Quality Chains

2615 - Loader / Grader Chain

Quality Chain Corp snow, ice, mud tire chains are high quality traction devices. The feature better durability, lower wear, and longer service time. These tire chains utilize cross cables made up of alloy steel rollers and can be easily installed.

qualitychaincorp.com

Glacier Chain Supply in Anchorage has these for $877
Aquiline MPC (Multi Purpose Chains)

Aquiline MPC 16.9-24 Tractor Tire Chains

www.midwesttraction.com

I can get these Piedmont Duo style from Tirechainsonline for $600 with free shipping to Tacoma Wa where Carlile MyConnect shipping can ship it to their Anchorage terminal for around $60.

https://tirechainsonline.com/part-no-duo260/

Haul out your logs BEFORE Winter. No chains overcome 12' of snow.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Maybe not, but lots of logging done once the ground is frozen, as you're not destroying the ground making ruts, or getting buried in mud!

And snow cover is "removable"!

 

[WinterDeere]

Maybe not, but lots of logging done once the ground is frozen, as you're not destroying the ground making ruts, or getting buried in mud!

And snow cover is "removable"!

Not a logger, just doing my own 10 - 15 cords per year, but I try to as much as I can while the ground is frozen.

We run teens overnight, up to maybe 30F afternoon high, much of the winter. Just warm enough that the surface thaws with a little solar warming, wherever the sun lays into it, most afternoons. This means a lot of "get up and outside" early morings on winter weekends, to try to avoid having to work firewood thru the afternoon.

 

[North to Alaska]

At $280 a cord, it’s my livelihood and I have several customers who need it through the winter. I’ve push 18” of snow around without chains. I make roads through the property and plow it through the winter. The skidding winch on the rear has 230’ of cable and I hyst snowshoe out, cut the trees, and pull them out 3 at a time.

 

[North to Alaska]

Oh, and I failed to mention that I have done it at -20f because when it’s cold, people need it the most.