Did I get suckered into something...or not???

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

This thread is a spin off from a question on tire chains I posted here</font color=blue>

When I tried to install the chains I ordered for the rear tires on my B2910 Kubota, I had a lot of slack and could see that they would not work. Either the chains were too long or the cross chains were too long...

Well, I called tirechains.com this morning...

I guess I am satisfied, pretty much, with the result. Here is the summary of what I was told:

The chains they sell for my tires, 12.4x16 are their #149 and the chains they sell for 13.6x16 are their # 150. The only difference between these chains is the length, the same cross chain is used on both. They normally cut the length right, and sell the chains as different items, at slightly different prices. That is why the 12.4 x 16 is slightly cheaper than the 13.6x16. If they are out of stock on the size ordered, they send the next longer chain at the cheaper price.

The guy I talked to said that this is even more common in chains for large trucks.

This seems to make sense. I can see the logic in this statement from the manufacturing perspective.

They did offer to pay the shipping and refund my money if I did not want to use their chains and should decide to buy chains [that I might not have to cut] from another source. The subject of them taking the 150s back and sending me 149s, was not addressed by me as I could see it made no sense, if indeed what the guy was saying was accurate.

Now had they informed me of this in advance I would have accepted it and had been happy to get chains.

Apparently, the longer chains they sent at the lower prices will result in my having a spare cross chain for each side. I don't find that desirable, as that means one less cross chain for contact with the ground, but if that is a cross chain that I would not have had anyway...I guess I gain, rather than lose.

I made the call with the intention of not being BSed into taking something that I would have to modify, in order to correct for their mistake, and especially did not want to lose a cross chain from the tire in the process. In my mind, I wanted all the cross chains that were there. I and could see how, if the right chains for my tire size had shorter cross chains, then the side chains would be pulled up more, and the number of cross chains would not change for different tire widths [of the same diameter].

In short, I could see how the wrong chain could be made to work, at the expense of losing a cross chain. But I did not want to do that to correct for someone's mistake.

The guy I was talking to spent the time needed to answer my questions. I was up front with him and told him I needed to feel comfortable with the situation and to be convinced that I was not just being talked into doing something to correct their mistake.

They are not that far from here, less than 2 hours drive. He assured me that the chains we were talking about had exactly the same cross chain length. He said he understood about the internet [got the impression he might be older than me...not that I am THAT old.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif ] and you don't know who you are dealing with, but that they don't want to scam anyone. Their business has been there for 127 years, and the current owners have had it for 54 years...I have been to the area where they are located. It is not the big city but rather rural [which for me means higher chance of meeting honest people...no offense city folks!].

If I wanted to, drive up and they would show me about chains and shorten the ones I had for me.

OK. I've been around a bit too and have been BSed by some of the best and learned from it. Even done my share to others!

I've concluded, after hearing what the guy said and how he said it, and after evaluating it, that he is probably being honest and truthful. So it looks like I will be shortening the chains myself this afternoon. Darn! Why didn't I leave them on the tires until after I made the call???!!! I took them off and put them back in the boxes I was so sure I was going to be shipping them back.

The guy I talked to also explained how to shorten the chains and that, should I buy a tractor with larger wheels in the future, there is a chance I could lengthen these same chains for use on larger tires. They could show me how...

So now for the real question:

<font color=red>Have I been suckered into correcting their mistake, or am I just doing what is reasonable </font color=red>and ending up with what I should have gotten in the first place, plus extra cross chains for future use???

What's your guess? Opinion? Vote?

Bill in Pgh, PA

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi Bill,

Think of it this way: You have 2-link chains. That means a cross link every two links on the side-chains. With a smaller wheel (12.4 instead of 13.6), there will be fewer cross links than the larger wheel since the circumference is smaller.


Since the chain is the same, the "extra" link you will be removing is one that you wouldn't have had if the smaller chains had been shipped.

If you want, I can count my cross links when I get home and I'll let you know how many there are.

~Rick

 

[Inspector507]

macher,
I think it makes perfect sense (to me) to keep the ones you have and cut them. That is, if the cross links are the same length.

Jerry

 

[hazmat]

Bill,

I don't think you've been swindled. Be glad the "smaller" size is priced less. Probably costs them more to keep track of the extra inventory item than the little bit more chain does.

Time to break out the bolt cutters and have at it.

Here's hoping I don't need chains (one of the reasons I got the R4 tires instead of turfs). Only time will tell, Still waiting for the first real snow.

 

[dlabrie]

Bill,
Last year I got the same chains for my B2910 from tirechains.com . My chains were one cross link short for my tires. After putting them on, I had an area where there was a 4 link space instead of 2. I called them and they shipped out the extra cross links right away. I didn't bother to take the chains off to fix it then. I did it about 2 weeks ago. I was very happy with the service and price. I think what you are doing is reasonable and those extra links may come in handy some day. Hope you have a lot of snow to play in this year.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

NO, you ain't been suckered. Someplace, in the back of your brain, it registered that you did business with an old time company, and they did the best thing they could for you.
20 years ago, it was common for most chains to come long, and wind up with an extra cross chain, before every dang warehouse got computerized and bar coded. They could have sent you a postcard telling you the 149 chains were temporarily out of stock, instead, they sent you the 150 set, presuming you had the smarts to run chains you'd have the smarts to cut em down if necessary.
After talking to you, and telling you how to cut them down, the fellow didn't try selling you a pair of chain tongs to cut them down with. Chain tongs are the most useless tool ever invented, and great bloodblister makers. Sounds to me like you got lucky and found a decent vendor.
Like you said, you're young. Wisdom is lifes accumulated set of knowledge. Allow an old faht to donate another bit of knowledge to a youngster; Get yourself a couple coldshut links for your tire chains and set them where you can find them. You may never need them, but if you do some cold miserable night, having one beats he!! out of having to remove a busted chain and limp thru the rest of the job.

 

[ronjhall]

Bill
I would do the modifications. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif It might be a chance to go out and buy some new tools to get the extra links off and shorten the chains. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

I purchased a set of front and rear chains for my 2910 two years ago from TireChains.com. They provided the same set you got. I have turf tires. The chains fit the tires. Only problem is there was not enough clearance between tire and fender. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif Chains were hitting the fender. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Had to add spacers to move wheels out 1 1/2”.
There is a thread about 27-2910 tire chains and spacers. Part of the discussion was about keeping tensioners tight. If chains loosen up they may start hitting fender. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=owning&Number=68534&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1#Post68534>Click Here</A>.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I think you're doing the best, simplest thing given where you are right now. It would seem to me that the seller should have told you at the time of your order, or, at worst, before they shipped them, what they were doing. Call them back and tell them it's costing you to have this done and see what contribution they'll make. If they were willing to pay shipping back for those and out to you for new ones I'd think they'd offer you that much.

You can use that money to pay for part of your new tool to do the job yourself. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Woody1]

oh just quit ur wine'in and cut them as you see fit and hang on to the extra material for sometime when it might come in handy. sheesh, all this over a tire chain! You got more than you paid for!. I had the same thing happen to me last year. same situation, same place bought from. same extra lenght of chain. I just cut them to fit and am a happy camper. I am not gut-wrenching and wondering if i got a good deal or not. Just deal with it and have fun in the snow! Bought the time you ship them off/wait for them to get there/wait for your other ones to return/wonder if they are going to be right/ it would have snowed and you'd be bitchin about not haveing the chains! a month from now....looking for intently at your credit card statement to make sure you didnt get ripped off...... is it really worth it? Its just chains! take some bolt cutters to them and make them work!

 

[DK35vince]

Woody,
It seams to me the whole point of this tractor site is for owners to ask questions without being criticized !!