Loaded tires for snow removal?

[MMH]

I have a John Deere 4500 that I will be using for snow removal. I have about 6000 sq. ft. & a 100 yard long driveway that has a 25% grade. I just got a 8' scraper blade & tire chains for that task. The rear tires are 17.5L-24. I would load them w/ 50 gallons of RV coolant (propylene glycol) which would result in 425 lbs. per tire. Each one of my chains weighs 135 lbs. so the total weight that will be added to the tractor is 1060lbs. Right now w/ the FEL the tractor weighs 4500 lbs., so this would increase it to 5560 lbs.

Would loading them help or hurt when pushing snow up/down a steep grade?

 

[oosik]

I've plowed my mile long driveway for 30+ years. I've always had the rear tires loaded and it will definitely help when grading snow. I would suggest you use anything - such as the RV coolant you suggest - other than sodium chloride. Salt solution can eat valve stems in your tires like kids eat candy. And replacing a valve stem always comes at the wrong time and can be a real mess.

 

[George2615]

Loaded tires and chains should help plant the weight for more traction. At least that's the theory and what I'm hoping. I bought chains for mine toward the end of last season but only used them once. This past summer I loaded the rear tires so with loaded tires and chains I've added about 824 lbs. for a total of about 5447. Will see how it does this winter. If it's not enough weight I have my choice of adding a 900 lb. or 1200 lb. rear 3 pt. ballast.
Loading the tires and chains will help plowing but plowing uphill is always a challenge. I always try to drive uphill first and push snow down.

 

[bigtiller]

Weight is a good thing but I would try it with just the chains first. You may not need or notice the extra weight anyway.

I moved snow with a JD 644 pay loader with the tires foamed. It weighted well over 40,000 lbs but didn't have chains. It did lots of tire spinning! Very frustrating!

 

[FatTire]

My tractor is light in the rear, and my plow is a heavy one, so I do use a 750 lb counter weight in addition to loaded rear tires and chains. The weight helps quite a bit.

 

[Scrambler82]

Although I now live in SoCal, I ised to live in MA and winter is winter.
I used a Cub Cadet SC2450 with loaded tires,to move snow.
I had no trouble with excessive tire spin.
I think the loaded tires made a big difference.

 

[dieselcrawler]

There are a few exceptions due to conditions of use, but I think that most tractors will benefit from loaded tires all around.

 

[PILOON]

With your grade and that wide blade I for sure add weight for traction especially to use on the graded area.
Sure going downhill is easy but you want to get back up. LOL
From many years of plowing with tractor and truck I assure you that sooner or later you will appreciate the extra weight.
\With an 8 ft blade you can gather enough snow that you could lack traction especially uphill.
While you don't say if blade is rear or front, if front mounted you could consider loading fronts otherwise steering can get difficult.

 

[crazyal]

My tires aren't loaded and I have some steep hills to get up and down. Because they aren't loaded I have to have something on the 3pt hitch to counter my front blower. Just load them and get it over with. Otherwise you'll be like me, saying I really should do it but never getting around to it.

 

[MMH]

Thanks for all the replies. The 8' blade is a 3 pt. mounted grader/scraper blade. It is heavy - 655 lbs. and hangs over 4 ft. beyond the 3 pt. mount. The FEL will stay mounted to provide front end ballast. In heavier snow & would only expect to be able to pull the snow downhill.

I loaded the tires in my B9200 Kubota five years ago & to this day cannot get over to what a monster loaded tires turned that tractor into. Granted, I only use it in mud/muck (and not snow) and it has R1's & not R4's, but loading the tires did a world of good for it. Just was not sure if it would work out the same way for snow & R4's.

Looks Like I will try loading the tires. If nothing else, it will help pull that blade in dirt as my tractor is fairly light for a blade that big.