Chains for snow

   / Chains for snow #1  

redleg105

New member
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
7
Location
Lyndeborough, NH
Tractor
Kubota 2650
I have a 1000 foot long dirt driveway with a few slight grades which are enough to make the tractor slide in snow. Tractor is Kubota 2650 with front mount blower. Looking at a set of Titan round twist link chains for 12.4R16 tires. Need some advice. Only need them in Winter. Photo shows chains and type of tire I have.
 

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   / Chains for snow #3  
I had been shopping around for a few months on and off for a set of chains for the new to me Bobcat CT450 tractor and just ordered a set of chains from tirechainsrus.com free shipping in lower 48 which made them the best deal I could find.

I ordered their duo grip chains in 14.9 x 24 with a pair of tensioners as well for 453 bucks. Most other Duo grip style in this size were more expensive or close to the same price but shipping adds anywhere from 50-100 bucks to most sites price.

Duo Tractor Tire Chains | Free US Shipping
 
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   / Chains for snow #4  
Even though they cost more I highly recommend the euro style chain, they will positively anchor you in place, the ride is much smoother.
The duo grip will give you a bump on every tie point. The street type will dropdown in between your lugs some even on your R4 tires.
I can run down the road at 15-18 mph if I need to with mine, smooth ride amazing traction, no side slip and they don't tear up or mark up the paved road much.
Branson chains.jpg
The rear ones seem the best overall, the fronts are a bit too aggressive.
 
   / Chains for snow #5  
1000’ Road with a little grade on a dirt drive? Skip all the fancy stuff and get some chains online for the fronts only. They should run under $200. I’ve had zero sliding on my tractor with front chains. I use a plow, box and bucket. I blower is far easier to control with the low speeds.

Mahindra 1538 snow blade/plow setup - YouTube
 
   / Chains for snow #6  
My Kioti DK35's tires are close to yours. If you are planning on ladder type as shown in your photo I recommend 2-link ladders rather than 4-link. I originally tried 4-link ladders on my R3 tires. They were smaller gage old truck chains and got lost in the treads. Larger chains would not get lost as badly but patterns such as DUO, H-pattern and the Euro-styles louNY do a better job of keeping the chain out of the tread.

RNeumann's suggestion for front only may work. Some suggest running front-only can harm the front end but I don't think that is the case as long as you don't operate aggressively and spin the tires a lot.

As LouNY states about DUO's; they can be very rough. I was not happy with mine and converted them to the H-Pattern as shown in this link:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ed-modifications-post3150916.html#post3150916

It made a huge difference.

I got H-pattern chains for the front and am very pleased with them. They are a lighter gage than the rears. Here is a link showing my front H-pattern chains:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...hains-dk35se-cab-post4071972.html#post4071972

I had 2-link ladders on the front before that and they worked well as shown here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...cknow-snowblower-post4063330.html#post4063330

but they were worn out and interfered with the front components. So I added front spacers and light H-pattern chains. The space for my rear chains is also very tight and I may add rear spacers next year so I don't have to be so fussy about installing the chains. (I won't do it until then because the chains are on now and I don't want to mess with them again until spring).

If you go with front-only chains the smaller gage H-pattern may be a good choice. They are lighter and easy to install. If you found they were not enough you could always add rear chains later.

One thing...chains make a huge difference in snow.
 
   / Chains for snow #7  
Hard to do damage with a front blower. I have buddies with blowers who joke about walking faster than the blower moves. I understand the theory- I’m just thinking it won’t be an issue here.
 
 
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