Snow Attachments Snow Chains

[Bigboyskioti]

I have a question I've been reading alot on snow chains here and other places. First my situation... I have a 600' concrete drive. It's all of 2 months old. The first 350 feet is somewhat flat to the last 250 feet being pretty steep hill. I'm a little worried about the hill when there is ice on it. The snow I think I'll handle that without any problem. My qustion is this should I put chains on this new drive? I know the "V" bar ones work good but leave the concrete scratched when the tires spin. But I would rather have a scratched up drive then a mangled tractor or a dead owner.... What would be the best answer here?

 

[ToadHill]

I have a fairly steep drive as well and with loaded tires and in 4wd I've never needed chains.

 

[jdgreg]

My drive is asphalt, and I never really needed chains until I get a FEL snow blade. Now I only run chains on the front tires, and the marks on the driveway are very few. You may need to try using what you have for a season or two to see what, if any, changes are needed.

 

[Egon]

Most people seem to be able to get by with no chains on steep portions of their driveways.

Me, I'm always in trouble with no chains. Vbar back chains and just ordinary cross links for the front seem to help me out quite well.

Can't see all the damage on the concrete/asphalt come spring time! Course maybe my eyesight is failing! I am getting on in years.

 

[jimmysisson]

I don't normally need chains, but they do have one advantage. Mine are called, I think, ag double-ring, no bars, not sharp on any side. At middling temps when the snow is driven on (hard to keep the help out of the yard) and packed into ice, the chains help break it up. Ag tires in that case just drive over packing it more. That said, I don't put the chains on until I need them, since it's a heavy half hour's effort.
Jim

 

[rbargeron]

My place has paved slopes. Several years ago my tractor got loose on ice and came within inches of demolishing a garage. Since then I've used chains front and rear. Just simple link chains, no v-bars, no extra rings. They make all the difference - can go anywhere with confidence. The tires don't ever spin - the chains do leave little marks on the concrete floor, and on the asphalt - but they seem to disappear soon enough. For a less bouncy ride, the tire pressure can be reduced.

 

[Bigboyskioti]

Looks like you have them on front and back? Is that better?

 

[skippy957]

A part of my drive way is steep enough to get scared so I install ATV tire chains on my BX 2350 and they work great.

Catalogue

 

[Hardscrabbble]

I have used both my X485 with and without chains. My drive has a fairly steep incline. Without the chains I slip and slide everywhere. Went to my friendly John D. Dealer got a set of chains designed for minimum damage to concrete. No problem. The only evidence of chain damage to the concrete is when I have a heavy ballast on the back and spin the tires. Then I will see a slight damage to the concrete. Doesn't probably me though. I am more interested in getting the snow and ice off the driveway than have my granddaughter slip and fall. Due to Cerebral Palsey she is challenged when she walks. I want a non slip driveway for her.

 

[Destructo_D]

I don't normally need chains, but they do have one advantage. Mine are called, I think, ag double-ring, no bars, not sharp on any side. At middling temps when the snow is driven on (hard to keep the help out of the yard) and packed into ice, the chains help break it up. Ag tires in that case just drive over packing it more. That said, I don't put the chains on until I need them, since it's a heavy half hour's effort.
Jim

I work for a shop up in BC Canada... We sell stuff like grader blades, bucket teeth, loader edges, street sweeper brooms and..... tire chains.... I am the unofficial head manufacturer there... you have a tire, I can make chains for it...

with that said, I think the chains you are trying to describe are called Duo-Grip, a common kind of snow chain used on tractors