Tires Stud the Tires?

[atgreene]

The reason that tire chains on front only are not recommended is thus: when useing the front loader much of the weight is transfered to the front axle, thus anything that gives the axle more grip puts more strain on the front drivetrain. The front drivetrain is much smaller than the rear. If you put the entire force that the tractor is capable of producing onto the smallest parts of the tractor something will break. With no chains the front is LESS likly to grab enough to break something. The wheels can still slip and allow some room for error.

I was bucketing snow in '98 with my Kubota 345 (34 hp). I had chains on all four tires and a lightweight rake on the rear for weight. The loader on these tractors were notoriously heavy and had more capability than the tractor could really handle. Upon trying to back up a hour into digging snow/ice I heard a snap and there I set. Rear wheels would spin, front would not. Disengaged the front and drove the tractor home. Tore the tractor apart and found that the slide gear for the front axle drive had split from the bushing it sat on. Kubota could not find one, could not tell me when they could get one and had no idea what I should do. Ended up having a friend tig weld it. Took a while, but with some machine work and a little finnese we had it back together. Lost a pile of money and spent a bunch trying different stuff, but I learned my lesson.

As far a chains on 4 wheels, when I bought my current tractor dealer told me no go with chains on all four. I walked over to the rack and showed them the sales flyer that showed kubotas with 4 chains. They did the usual Kubota shuffle (seen that alot) and said yeah, ok, but use counter weight when using a loader.

So easy answer is this: If using 4 chains use lots of counter weight and do not horse the FEL. I run 4 on my 4150, but I don't use the fel much, that's why I have an excavator and a blower.

 

[jim_n_nh]

The chains I purchase will not be overly aggressive, they are to get me back up the hill. It should not be any worse than if you were off the side of the road spinning your tires to get back up onto the road and the front tires get on pavement first.

The key is not to abuse it, use low rpm and let off the throttle. My vehicles are not allways pretty but I do maintain them well.

Jim

 

[IXLR8]

AT- Thanks for the reply. I was afraid that might have been the reason. I have V-bar chains for all 4 tires. I have not put the chains on yet this year, I have spent numerous hours moving snow. I did get stuck several times and I was able to get moving again by using the FEL bucket to lift the tractor up and push it backwards. I was tempted to just put the front chains on as they are easy to put on. The rears are a real headache, last year I also had a loose chain end catch on the 3pt stabilizer arm and bend it up. The hassle of putting on chains sure beats rebuilding the front drivetrain!! Guess the next sunny day I will be putting all 4 chains on the tractor... with ty-raps to secure the loose chain ends.

 

[Northland]

Wow...that's a steep driveway you have Fred....and I thought my hill was steep

I think a snowblower and chains on all four wheels would serve you well-at least that has worked for me.

 

[gerard]

AT- Thanks for the reply. I was afraid that might have been the reason. I have V-bar chains for all 4 tires. I have not put the chains on yet this year, I have spent numerous hours moving snow. I did get stuck several times and I was able to get moving again by using the FEL bucket to lift the tractor up and push it backwards. I was tempted to just put the front chains on as they are easy to put on. The rears are a real headache, last year I also had a loose chain end catch on the 3pt stabilizer arm and bend it up. The hassle of putting on chains sure beats rebuilding the front drivetrain!! Guess the next sunny day I will be putting all 4 chains on the tractor... with ty-raps to secure the loose chain ends.

Not sure why putting chains on the rear is so hard. Try using a floor jack under the draw bar and lift the back end of the tractor off the ground so both wheels are in the air. Put in neutral so you can spin the tires. Lay the chain under the tire, hook it to a lug and spin the wheel, the chain self tensions and comes right up and wraps itself around the tire. When you have the top of the tire draped with the chain so both end are hanging down, just pull together at the bottom and tension. Spin once or twice and re tighten if needed. Takes me less than 10 minutes per tire and the chains are about 80-90 lbs. Not a big deal when only doing once per year and a lot easier than driving over the chains.

 

[IXLR8]

Not sure why putting chains on the rear is so hard. Try using a floor jack under the draw bar and lift the back end of the tractor off the ground so both wheels are in the air.

For me.. the floor jack just goes down in the dirt, tractor doesn't do much going up in the air. My chains are over 100lbs each... not so easy for this old fart to fight with.

 

[mrutkaus]

There's a picture in tbn somewhere about how to put on chains, you lay them on the ground business side out, attach to bottom of tire, drive forward, etc. Chains automatically come up over tire.

Picture originally came from Hungary or Poland I think, but it's here somewhere. Doesn't take too much imagination to figure it out.

Mike

 

[jim_n_nh]

I picked up a pair of single bar chains via my Kioti dealer for my front tires this week. If this works out and proves my theory I will get more aggressive chains for the back after getting some wheel spacers. Previously Kioti offered spacers for my tractor but my dealer has a call into Kioti Tech support to see if they are still available.

If I get the back chains fwd will be engaged only when the rear wheels are spinning.

Jim

 

[Gary Fowler]

Man, reading all this hassle with chains and ice and 4 WD tractors that wont climb a driveway, sure makes me glad that I live in the south. All we have to worry about is mud and a good R1 tire takes care of that pretty well.

 

[Northland]

There's a picture in tbn somewhere about how to put on chains. Picture originally came from Hungary or Poland I think, but it's here somewhere. Mike

Norway maybe?
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/94114-putting-chains.html