Snow, driveways & tractors.

[Boondox]

I'm having the same dilemma with my upgrade. My first CUT had ags and turfs on separate rims. In my conditions (steep, much snow and rain, muddy patches in spring and much ice in winter) I found the turfs essentially useless. No traction in snow, they would load up with mud and spin, and even driving up my meadow after a rain they would spin and slide. So I used the Aggies, with chains in winter and without when the snow went away. Never got stuck, and the little B1750 was light enough that I could mow without damaging the turf.

But then I traded up to an L3010. Much heavier tractor. Still use Norse ice chains in winter. Still have great traction and never get stuck, but this tractor is much heavier and the damage to the ground when moist is considerable. Now I am trading up again to either an L4330 or L4630. And with so much of my work in the forest harvesting firewood or cutting channels with the backhoe, I have another couple of concerns. On the one hand, aggies have fantastic mud traction and I never have to worry about getting stuck. But on the other hand they are not the most robust of casings and I live in dread of punctures or tears in the sidewalls from sharp stones or fallen branches. Going with R4 tires would give me a much more durable tire, but would I get stuck in the woods?

Stick with the tried and true (but damaging) R1 aggies...or go with the durable R4s and keep the chains on for forest work?

Pete

[hayden]

If you have any significant slopes, I'd just plan on getting chains, and choose between R1 and R4 based on your non-winter needs. When it gets icy, both tires will slide, and there is nothing more un-nerving and dangerous than a tractor sliding uncontrolled down a hill, especially when you are on it.

Rear chains alone will probably cover you, and you can always add front chains at a later date if needed.

[28RedHorses]

Bruce,

My R4s do just fine in the snow. Like you I have a long gravel driveway and I've not had a problem in the two plus years I've had the tractor with R4s.

28Red [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Boondox]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bruce,

My R4s do just fine in the snow. Like you I have a long gravel driveway and I've not had a problem in the two plus years I've had the tractor with R4s.

28Red [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] )</font>

28Red, I noticed you live in Virginia which is an entirely different winter experience than we have in New England. With lows in the minus 30s and highs in the teens above zero, our ground freezes solid. Even our snow is different than yours, and the flotation of an R4 just doesn't help if there is any incline worth mentioning. That said, under the conditions I've mentioned no tire without chains will do...but the taller profile of aggies lets them cut down to the ground so the chains have something to dig into.

Pete

[LBrown59]

I have a Bolens 2 wheel drive with a 4' front blade on it.
Turf tires with chains and a 12'' concrete block filled with cement on the back for weight.

Between the Bolens and the BX 23 I should be good to go for driveway clearing.

[daTeacha]

The guys who live where the ground doesn't freeze just can'tcomprehend mud season properly. It is most emphatically not the same as spring mudiness elsewhere.

For you southerners, try to imagine the ground filled with frost -- frozen solid into a cold and very hard mass much like concrete -- to a depth of a couple of feet. In northern areas, you need to put your footers 4 feet, 5 feet, or in extreme areas like West Yellowstone, 8 feet below the surface to be sure your buildings won't be cracked by frost heave. Here in Ohio, we need to go just 3 feet down.

When spring begins to arrive, it takes a long time for the ground to thaw. Whatever meltwater or rainwater there is early on cannot penetrate the frost very easily, so you get a layer of gumbo mud than can bear a strong resemblance to thick gravy sitting on top of solid ice. When at it's worst, it's hard to walk on any kind of hill, much less drive a heavy piece of equipment on it. Imagine an ice skating rink with a couple of inches of jello on it and you'll have a decent idea. This lasts until the thaw penetrates deep enough to let the water perk down through the soil, then you just have regular mud like anywhere else. The whole thing takes 4 to 6 weeks, so you can't easily just sit and wait for it to go away if you have chores to tend to on your ground.

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The guys who live where the ground doesn't freeze just can'tcomprehend mud season properly. It is most emphatically not the same as spring mudiness elsewhere.

For you southerners, try to imagine the ground filled with frost -- frozen solid into a cold and very hard mass much like concrete -- to a depth of a couple of feet. In northern areas, you need to put your footers 4 feet, 5 feet, or in extreme areas like West Yellowstone, 8 feet below the surface to be sure your buildings won't be cracked by frost heave. Here in Ohio, we need to go just 3 feet down.

When spring begins to arrive, it takes a long time for the ground to thaw. Whatever meltwater or rainwater there is early on cannot penetrate the frost very easily, so you get a layer of gumbo mud than can bear a strong resemblance to thick gravy sitting on top of solid ice. When at it's worst, it's hard to walk on any kind of hill, much less drive a heavy piece of equipment on it. Imagine an ice skating rink with a couple of inches of jello on it and you'll have a decent idea. This lasts until the thaw penetrates deep enough to let the water perk down through the soil, then you just have regular mud like anywhere else. The whole thing takes 4 to 6 weeks, so you can't easily just sit and wait for it to go away if you have chores to tend to on your ground.

)</font>
Not to mention this is a great contributor to the spring floods due to there is no way for the saturated frozen ground to absorb the water from the spring rains so it all runs of into the creeks streams and rivers over flowing them over their banks.

[jvic]

Hello from a new member. I thought I would relate what worked well for me when I spent 5 winters in Genesee Twp.God's country Pa. We averaged over 100 inches of snow each year. Our gravel driveway was level to steep in grade and recieved lots of wind but no sun. I had a Ford 2120 with a 78 inch front mount Erskin blower. Rear tires were loaded Firestone Turf and field. On the front were R4s with chains. This setup seemed unstopable. The front wheels did most of the work. If I was still living there I would have a cab as a change in wind direction can give you an instant brain freez.

jvic