Snow Chains On The Front Only ??

[Garandman]

Thanks. The ones we got are studded, described by the dealer as ATV chains.

 

[Whitbread]

Thanks. The ones we got are studded, described by the dealer as ATV chains.

I would've loved to run studded, but I purposely bought non studded as I have 3 concrete pads that get cleared and I didn't want to scratch them all up.

 

[LouNY]

I have never run just front chains,
I will say that the studded Euro style chains will normally grip well enough
that there is no reason to spin the tires and tear up surfaces.

 

[fruitcakesa]

With my old L4630, I ran the diamond lugged chains on the rear w/R4 tires. They worked fine in most conditions but
the front tires would push and slide when plowing in some conditions.
An equipment savvy friend advised against front chains as they would put undue strain on the front end. So I never did and dealt with push.
On the M6040 , I have the same rear chains as before but now on R1 tires and of course they go through most everything.
On the fronts I put some lugged ladder chains from my old pickup.
I have not yet had a chance to plow with them, but they look like they will be less affected by plow push.
I also feel the M's taller R1's and stouter front axle will not be harmed; especially since the chains are only used in snow season with lots of natural slippage to allow for strain relief.

 

[LD48750]

Same size tire, 25x8.5x14, two link lawntractor chains and it handles 8"+ snow & this ICE hill with snowmelt running down it just fine.
I did take it out of 4WD and it didn't move an inch.

You will be very happy with just those front chains on your tractor.

As an aside, I got my chains free but have seen them on Craigslist for as little as $25.
MUCH cheaper then the used rear tractor chains I got for my 2N.

 

[bdhsfz6]

My JD 4105 has R4 tires in it, and,, even in 4WD, it does poorly when there is snow on the ground,
Chains are prohibitively priced for the rear tires,, considering how little snow we get,
So, I am stuck using my larger 584 IH that has AG tires on it for snow duty,,

Well, I was digging through some stuff, and darned if I didn't find a set of chains that will fit the front tires,,
The chains are not an exact drop-on, I will have to lengthen the chains about 6 inches,,
so, before I try to lengthen the chains, I thought I would ask,,,

Has anyone tried plowing snow with front-only tire chains? Will it work, or is front-only chains a waste of time?

As others have mentioned, front-only chains work fine. I've used them on all six of the Kubota's I've owned over the years. I'm currently using an 8' FEL plow on my L6060.



If necessary, I can gain traction by transferring some of the plow weight to the tires by lifting the FEL slightly. I can plow uphill using this trick.

A word of caution when descending an icy grade. The rear tires without chains have a tendency to break traction and can cause the tractor to spin around on you. Go easy on the brakes. Disengaging the FWD can minimize this effect. I plow a private road with a steep hill. If the surface is glaze ice, I'll back the tractor down.

 

[CADplans]

OK, I finally went "digging" through my storage,,
I found the chains that came with my Mitsubishi MT372 for the rear tires,,
I thought they looked like they would be close to fitting the front tires on the JD 4105,,, size 10-16.5 R4,,

Well, all I had to do was drop them on, and add 3 links to the outside chain,, this was the result.

I think it will help the traction a little??

 

[BrokenTrack]

I have always just run front chains, and in some ways it is best if you are primarily pulling. Running chains on the back, or running four sets of tires chains in primarily pulling applications breaks things, or causes the machine to rear-up...also called "pulling a wheelie". That is silly because it keeps you from steering, and does not pull any better with only two wheels on the ground. Putting chains on the front gives you grip where you need it, and keeps the front end down.

I also prefer double-diamond ice chains, and not ring chains for what it is worth. You can see from this picture though that the chains are just about all worn out.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I like your choppers safety gear

 

[RalphVa]

Don't you have dual brakes on the 4105? My 4010 had them. That's what you use to steer in snow/ice. Yeah, R4s don't steer even on wet grass. One bad thing, other than their hard ride, about them.

Ralph