Best tire chain style for snow?

[dave1949]

CobyRupert, Maybe you could consider a log skidding siding to your driveway where the logs are loaded.

 

[PhysAssist]

Best value for my money was with tractor tire chains for farm tractors

aka tirechains.com

I went with the DuoGrip style - best match for my needs. Helps keep the chains out of the valleys when running deep lug tires. Adding Vbars would have made for more aggressive bite, but I left them off for the bit of pavement use they see.

Pics at the above link and what the other poster linked should help you understand the chain styles.

IMO, some key questions:

1) Flat land or hill use ?

2) How much glare ice do you get ?

3) Rear chains only, or are you doing all 4 ?

3) Do you have pavement or concrete ? If so, what level of surface scratching/gouging can you live with ?

Answering most/all of those should nudge you in the right direction.

Rgds, D.

What D said,

I bought my truck chains from them and they are great!

Tractor chains will have to wait until we stop using the truck to plow.

T

 

[CobyRupert]

1. There some hill use, even some side hill, which I think the "duo" pattern would work better on.
2. Glare ice happens, but not too often. Usually happens on driveways/roads that have been cleared, versus a logging trail with snow on it.
3. Rears only. I remember seeing farmers use two wheel drive tractors to run manure spreaders through fields in the winter, sometimes, they'd even have chains.
4. It's a very confined operation, limited access and space for a header, that's why I'm doing it myself. I sometimes have to ask my tenants to move their cars when I draw logs. So yes, I stack the pile while backing across a blacktop driveway.

 

[FatTire]

I don't think there's much better than the Talon's for logging, but the $$$ is tough to swallow. For snow plowing, on my rear tires I went with the Duo's from Tirechains.com. They work great for plowing and have a good price point. HOWEVER, if doing much work where a slide could lead to a roll-over, then the $1200 for Talons might start to seem "not so bad".
I was working yesterday at the edge of an embankment which was partially created with fill. I knew what was fill and what was "solid" since I did the work, but at one point one of the rears sank several inches, and simultaneously moved a tiny bit toward the lip, maybe 2 inches. WOW, talk about "pucker factor". In reality this wasn't even close to a roll-over, but it got my attention. And an additional point: the tractor would probably have hit our house if it rolled from that position. So not only could I be seriously injured and tractor damaged, but my wife would be pissed. Yikes.

 

[PhysAssist]

I put in a new driveway 2012 so I purchased rubber chains didn't want to mark up or damage it. I have a hill and they did a good job with snow but needed some sand if froze under the snow. I recommend them.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

Where/from whom did you buy those? How much were they, if you do not mind my asking?

 

[PhysAssist]

I've got studded ice chains, pretty much the same as the Aquiline Talons. Great working chain, but as the guys mentioned not good for hard surfaces. Not that the chain won't work on them, but they chew it up. Mine are Norse Super Tractor, made in Norway I think.. by a company named Tellefsdal. They were about $550 for 11.2 x 24 AG type tires.

View attachment 344208View attachment 344209

I run them loose, as recommended by the manufacturer. They've never come off, there's no way they can really unless something breaks. I'm on the 4th winter with them now, no signs of excessive wear yet.

Sean

Hi Sean,

Those look gnarly as all heck, and therefore, they are likely to be as effective as all get out!

Looks like you all have to register your farm tractors, can I ask what that plate set you back? Luckily, we haven't gotten to that point yet, but our farm truck costs $2/year for a new license tag, although liability insurance is still required and pretty expensive, given that the use of it is limited to within 26 miles of home.

Thomas

 

[Marveltone]

Here's what I use on my turfs for excellent winter traction: SkidSteer Net Tire Chains I have been very pleased with them over the last two winters since I got them. Even though I have a gravel drive, I still like the fact that they don't have aggressive studs to tear up my trailer decking if I have to haul my tractor.

Just another option.

Joe

 

[Chilly807]

Hi Sean,

Those look gnarly as all heck, and therefore, they are likely to be as effective as all get out!

Looks like you all have to register your farm tractors, can I ask what that plate set you back? Luckily, we haven't gotten to that point yet, but our farm truck costs $2/year for a new license tag, although liability insurance is still required and pretty expensive, given that the use of it is limited to within 26 miles of home.

Thomas

Yeah, they've been everything I hoped for traction-wise.

The plates were $5 I think.

If your tractor isn't used on a public road, there's no requirement to register them at all, nor any legal need for insurance. Mine travels between a couple of properties on occasion, so I needed to register it and get insurance.

Sean

 

[3930dave]

Where/from whom did you buy those? How much were they, if you do not mind my asking?

I came across these flextrax in an article recently.

Home - Tired of Tire Chains? Advanced Traction Systems, GoClaws, SnoClaws, SnoBootz, Inventor Tony Bright

Started a thread on here for feedback, no bites yet. I'm interested for emergency road use, but they might be a solution for a compact tractor, esp. for somebody who just spent a fortune on paving, interlocking.....

Rgds, D.

 

[PhysAssist]

That sounds more reasonable than I was thinking.

Ours only sees the road when working on the end of the driveway.

We save a great deal registering our truck as a farm truck, but los little, since with the price od diesel, we don't want to be driving far with it anyway.

Thanks,
Thomas

Yeah, they've been everything I hoped for traction-wise.

The plates were $5 I think.

If your tractor isn't used on a public road, there's no requirement to register them at all, nor any legal need for insurance. Mine travels between a couple of properties on occasion, so I needed to register it and get insurance.

Sean