Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Tire chains on blacktop

[Rustywreck]

I am considering using my tractor to remove packed snow/ice from the paved driveway at work. My tractor has v-bar chains on all four tires, which I know can damage blacktop.
I had a great deal of difficulty putting the chains on the rear tires, and would rather not have to take them off and on.
My question is: Are tires with chains more likely to spin on blacktop than tires without chains?

 

[leonz]

Are planning on salting heavily it to break the bond of the ice and snow
before you do it? If so you need to do it in the daylight hours and you
may end up with more ice if you do not resalt it several times.

About spinning:
It all depends on whether the tires are loaded with liquid ballast
as you can move slowly provided you have the traction to do the work.
Yes, either type of chain will spin on blacktop if you start off to fast.
It may be better to have a plow truck come and do it if you are concerned
about chain marks. I just do not worry about them as the black top will bleach
out from the exposure to the sunlight anyway.

I would rather use sand in any case if there is thick ice.

 

[Deadman]

First off I'm going to guess that you have the R4 industrial tires on your tractor. If so, they are the culprit of no snow traction. I grooved my R4's and they do twice as good in the snow as they did before. I would HIGHLY suggest doing this instead of chains. The tires won't hurt the pavement, the chains will. The tires will do so much more that you will likely never reinstall the chains again unless u go in the woods, or are on solid ice.

Theres a huge post on tire grooving.

 

[oosik]

I used V-bar chains on my previous tractor - Ford 1700 4WD. As far as damaging asphalt/cement - unless you operate like a wild man - any marks left by the V-bar chains will be MUCH less than a person spinning out with studded tires. In all likelihood, your bucket will scuff up the asphalt - trying to scrape up the snow/ice - a lot more than the V-bar chains.

 

[dickfoster]

I used V-bar chains on my previous tractor - Ford 1700 4WD. As far as damaging asphalt/cement - unless you operate like a wild man - any marks left by the V-bar chains will be MUCH less than a person spinning out with studded tires. In all likelihood, your bucket will scuff up the asphalt - trying to scrape up the snow/ice - a lot more than the V-bar chains.

As far as the loader bucket tearing up the asphalt I put a snow edge on mine and it seems to work well as do my grooved R4's.

 

[Dave M7040]

I have a M7040 with an inverted blower and FEL.

I use TRYGG tire chains on pavement with minimal consequence.

Small white marks from individual chain studs which quickly turn black when the summer sun returns.

I am more concerned with ripping up large chucks of pavement with the FEL bucket than any damage by the TRYGG.

Dave M7040

 

[Rustywreck]

Thanks for all the replies; however I believe some are reading more into my question than need be.
My question is: Are tires with chains more likely to spin on blacktop than tires without chains?

I ask this because blacktop is harder when it is frozen than it is during warm weather. I have also experienced using Cleats (the spring like things which are placed over shoes to avoid slipping on ice). On ice Cleats provide excellent traction for shoes; however, they are very slippery on a tiled kitchen floor. I wonder if there is a parallel with tire chains: are tires with chains more likely to spin on a hard surface than a tire without chains?

I am very familiar with sand, salt and the use of my tractor - I simply have never used it on blacktop.

 

[PILOON]

I have run studded chains for some 8 years and come spring I very rarely see any signs of chain skid marks and if I do they fade away really fast.
Any skid marks seem to actually be more like shine like marks*, like the dirt was worn off.
Now my studded chains are every 3 link cross type and those simply refuse to slip but occasionally pushing a full load up hill that occurs.

As another poster said, frozen asphalt is very tough.

*in fact it might actually be metal that was worn off of the blade or skids.

 

[oosik]

If you consider bare ice as a "hard surface" - then chains on your tires will give better traction than the tires alone. Otherwise, why would anybody use chains. When I use to do 4WD ice racing - chains were such an advantage over bare tires - even studded tires - we had to create a special class for 4WD with chains.

I would consider hard, cold asphalt very similar to ice. Whether the chains will "scuff" the asphalt will have a lot to do with - how you drive the tractor, how heavy is the tractor, what style chains are you using, etc, etc.

There is one thing for sure - if you are going to be spinning your tires - then chains will scuff the asphalt, bare tires probably will not.

 

[Dave M7040]

Thanks for all the replies; however I believe some are reading more into my question than need be.
My question is: Are tires with chains more likely to spin on blacktop than tires without chains?

I ask this because blacktop is harder when it is frozen than it is during warm weather. I have also experienced using Cleats (the spring like things which are placed over shoes to avoid slipping on ice). On ice Cleats provide excellent traction for shoes; however, they are very slippery on a tiled kitchen floor. I wonder if there is a parallel with tire chains: are tires with chains more likely to spin on a hard surface than a tire without chains?

I am very familiar with sand, salt and the use of my tractor - I simply have never used it on blacktop.

Rustywreck

I guess in my area we rarely have the luxury of completely asphalt. Rather it is a combination of asphalt covered with ice, asphalt covered with hard packed snow. In the spring and fall the asphalt will be wet.

If the asphalt was clean and at worst wet then the rubber tire will do best. But if there is hard packed snow or ice then the tire alone is next to useless if any driving force is being asked of it.

My experience with the TRYGG studded chains is that they spread the pressure over many points and thus are less likely to do damage.

Previously I had a Nuffield 465 2WD. the first chains I bought were cheap ladder style and they offered little improvement on ice or packed snow as the cross chains were down between the lugs.

That tractor was much heavier than my M7040 Kubota and the added weight made a difference in traction except on pure ice.

Later I bought a surplus Volvo military truck which came with 20 pairs of very tough tire chains. I laid these chains over the ladder chains and finally I had real traction.

If I was faced with the challenge you seem to be I would have chains on the rear and none on the front but would be using 4WD much more. If the asphalt is dry or wet the front driving axle will keep you moving without the rear chained tires needing to spin. When it is slippery you can go back to 2WD and let the chained rear tires provide the traction.

Hope this answer is more response to your question

Dave M7040