Tire Chains on industrial tires?

[MiserableOldFart]

Well, UPS couldn't get here, but they called and I had them drop the chains off at my cousin's house. I got chains (v-bar 2 link) for the front tires only.

I don't see how this should be that much of a problem for the tractor. I run it only about 50 hours during the winter, and most of the plowing I do is "momentum" driven (downhill) rather than traction per se. The front chains will be working more heavily when I'm coming back up the hill to make a plowing pass back down again, but only in terms of just driving the tractor itself, not plowing, dragging, or pulling anything.

The chains were a bit tougher to put on than I anticipated - the deep tread of the industrial tires catches the cross llinks and requires a lot of patience and fiddling around with. I took advantage of a 24 degree heat wave, but still had to take frequent breaks to warm my stiffening hands. Clearances are really quite tight, but I believe nothing is touching, and hope that if anything does, I will hear something. I can certainly see why you would want special X type chains if you were to put chains on the rear, because the bigger tires with the same industrial tread would make getting chains on properly VERY difficult with the ladder type.

The spreaders I got from Tirechains.com are a bit on the flimsy side, but with patience I was able to get the chains on tight enough so they are really just there to take up any slack as the chains wear in, which they probqbly won't do much in the course of the next three months anyway.

If I were really doing heavy work in deep mud or snow, maybe I'd get chains for both front and rear, but from what I've seen of the way the tractor performs with the front chains, they won't be necessary. The cost of the big chains for the rear tires and the hassle of putting them on every winter are substantial, and the rear tires will always supply at least some traction to relieve the stress on the fronts..

Looking at the rear tires carefully, I guess there is enough clearance for chains to go on, but I think it will be a lot tighter than the front as well.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

I got my chains today from tirechains.com. The spreader is a bit flimsy and a bit of a pita to attach, but with enough breaks to warm my numbing hands and the appropriate amount of foul language, I got the chains on tight enough so they probably aren't really needed anyway. The industrial tires make it a lot more difficult to get the chains on right than auto tires or turf tires. On cars, at highway speeds, the chains wear a lot faster and loosen up quite a bit, but here on snow and ice with dirt underneath and at tractor speeds, I don't expect there will be enough 'wearing in' to even notice.

After a lot of thought on the matter, I decided to put chains on front tires only. I know a lot of people don't like that idea, but given the relatively light usage the tractor gets in the winter and the fact that almost all of my actual plowing is downhill, and more momentum driven than traction driven, I don't think it's going to put too much strain on the front drivetrain. I guess I'll find out though..

 

[MiserableOldFart]

OOPs, sorry for the double post. I thought I was in another thread, dealing with spreaders.. in fact, I WAS!! I don't know how that happened..

 

[jdgreg]

People do express concern about stress on front driveline with front chains, I think overblown as my snow traction is still less than my dry gravel road traction. I would maybe share that concern though with ONLY front chains.

I tend to agree. I had run front chains only on my JD for several years, only in the winter time, and only because the FEL snow blade will push the front end without them. I've never had an issue with the tractor, and never felt like the front end was working too hard.

I just recently put rear chains on my R4s and love them. I just wished I hadnt been so cheap and got them a long time ago.

 

[ELMO67]

I have an L3010 with rear Duogrip chains and I leave them on year round. I got tired of taking them on and off- they are heavy- and I have had "NO" problems after 5 years of this.

 

[Compact1]

Today was the first day I was able to use my new chains - and they were awesome!

I bought 2-link ladder chains for both front and rear tires. What a difference they made on my Industrials!

 

[Glen Watkins]

They look good Compact1! Did you get vbar or just regular ladder chains? I think if I get chains, I would go the same way, two link ladder front and rear!

 

[Compact1]

They look good Compact1! Did you get vbar or just regular ladder chains? I think if I get chains, I would go the same way, two link ladder front and rear!

Thanks Glen,

They aren't V-bar's, just ladder. I thought about getting the more expensive V-bar's but was worried about them being to aggressive on concrete and blacktop. I don't think I'll be disappointed with my decision.

 

[JB4310]

Thanks Glen,

They aren't V-bar's, just ladder. I thought about getting the more expensive V-bar's but was worried about them being to aggressive on concrete and blacktop. I don't think I'll be disappointed with my decision.

Set up like that on all fours with the 2 link spacing, you don't need v's. Unless you were logging in the woods or something.

What's on the back of your tractor, A heavy duty blade? at first I thought maybe a log splitter. looks like it would have very little upward travel, or is that just an illusion?

JB

 

[Diamondback]

Compact1,

Looks ready for anything. Couple questions: Did you use Tirechain.com? How'd the install go? Did you get the handy dandy install tool? Do work around any steep inclines?

Sorry that's more than a couple but it looks like some chains are in my not too distant future and I'm trying to do the homework. Right now I'm on the fence between the 2 link ladder that you have and the 2 link V bar. We have some pretty steep slopes in our drive and the tires alone just don't get the job done safely. Still hesitant about the front. Lots of folks here have me a tad gunshy. What tipped the scale for you on the front tire chanins?

Thanks, Diamondback