Anonymous Poster
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- Sep 27, 2005
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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
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