Traction Replace turf tires with AG or use chains?

[danr2013]

I have a Yanmar 240 with 9.5 24 Turf tires. I have no turf or concrete to worry about. It has a front end loader and there is also a weight box in the back. I have forested acreage with about an acre cleared for a building site in Sandy loam. Parts of the build site are hilly. I need more traction. I was wondering if it would be better to get AG tires or keep the turf tires and go with chains? I don稚 need the tractor for the snow and ice during the winter. Mostly I am doing further prep to build small out buildings etc on hilly land as well as lot cleanup including skidding smaller, up to 8 - 10 logs, and brush. Chains or AG tires? Cost is a consideration.
Thanks...

 

[oldnslo]

I believe that Ag tires will provide more traction than chains in sand but will possibly cost more than chains. Do you have enough clearance for chains on your tractor?

 

[jerrybob]

Chains are definitely cheaper. I have AG tires on my 186D....I also made my own weight box for the rear. We have hills and lots of rain......the AG tires are a must for me. Still need to be careful on any hill but I can go a lot of places......never tried chains.

 

[danr2013]

Yes, plenty of clearance for chains. Because of the cost difference I think I will try chains first. Chains certainly couldn't hurt. Down the road though I will probably AG tires.

 

[danr2013]

One trouble I have found is not AG tires availability but getting someone to mount them in the field. I do not have the capability to take the tractor any where. Dry the tractor weighs over 1700 lbs. But wet and with FEL it is far more than my single axle trailer can handle. I'm out in the sticks in northern Minnesota.

 

[Creamer]

I think you will be very disappointed with chains. They are a lot of hassle - sticks will get caught in them and twist things up. You may as well go to R4s or Ag. Although R4s do not have quite the traction Ag tires do they are thicker and heavier and will not get a hole poked in them near as easily.

 

[4570Man]

Why can't you mount them yourself? It isn't very hard to mount unloaded Ags on that size machine. What about selling that tractor and buying another one with Ags already on it?

 

[oosik]

I used ag tires & chains together on my previous tractor(Ford 1700 4WD) to plow snow. Worked well but the chains made the ride a little "cobbie" on the frozen ground.

I had HEAVY DUTY tractor chains and the two sets(front & rear) were a total of $650. That price was 25+ years ago. They were V-bar chains.

From my experience - chains on any type tire will give a lot of extra traction. Providing you have the clearance and don't mind taking them on/off - I would definitely try this first.

 

[k0ua]

We use chains here on my R4 tires to go up and down my icy hills in the winter. Chains are not fun to put on and get adjusted but they make a world of difference in icy conditions.

 

[Deere Dude]

I would run chains until you get a nice lawn planted.

I had a smaller tractor with turf tires, a JD 595 which weighed a thousand or so, and ran chains all year long for probably 10-15 years. Now I have a big tractor so I pulled the chains off and used the garden tractor for puttering and don't need traction.

Chains worked well for snow blowing, mowing, running through woods, pulling stuff. I had fluid and wheel weights added for additional traction improvement and it worked like a charm.