Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Cutting / Groving / Siping R-4 for snow

[RoyJackson]

I joined "Club Sipe" today:



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Nice job, Kenny!
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the siping gun...and how much?
I have one on my Amazon wish list...not sure if it's a Ideal....price is about $72.00

 

[kennyd]

Nice job, Kenny!
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the siping gun...and how much?
I have one on my Amazon wish list...not sure if it's a Ideal....price is about $72.00

Got mine on Amazon Roy, since I am "Prime" member I but most everything from there anymore. $78.97 to my door (have to pay MD sales tax now since they opened the new distribution center here) from the "Racing Warehouse" seller.

If you still lived in PA I'd ride up...

 

[dragoneggs]

I want to sipe my R4s but just don't want to drop $75 for a one time tool. Anyone in Western Wa got one they would lend for a 1/2 rack of beer?

 

[Garandman]

Nice job, Kenny!
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the siping gun...and how much?
I have one on my Amazon wish list...not sure if it's a Ideal....price is about $72.00

PM me your name and address and I'll mail yo mine next week and you can mail it back when you are done for the cost of shipping. I'm traveling this week but will be in NH next weekend.

 

[PhysAssist]

I measured the groove width today and it came out to .230

Hi,

It has been a few months with some at least moderate snowfalls in your area [at least I assume so from the weather maps], how do you feel about having joined the tire grooving club now?

We still haven't had time to groove ours due to being so busy between the flu season at work, trying to keep up with snow removal using our F-350 with plow as our primary snow mover, and finally keeping the house stocked with firewood.

With the truck as our #1 snow removal tool, grooving the tractor tires has been a much lower priority for us than for most here, but if it keeps snowing as predicted, pretty soon, we'll have to use the tractor and bucket to physically remove some of our snow banks to allow continued plowing with the truck, and then having grooved tires might be more of a priority.

Thanks,
Thomas

PS: We have gotten the truck stuck a few times, and unfortunately, given the weight disparity between our truck and tractor, I fear that the tractor will never be up to the task of pulling or pushing out the truck, but we were able to use it as the winching point with a sheave block on the truck's trailer hitch and an anchor on a nearby tree- by digging the PTB into the snow packed on the driveway and keeping the winch point low.

 

[KenB2920]

Is anyone grooving their skid steer tires and noticing a difference?

 

[gbnpp05]

Hi,

It has been a few months with some at least moderate snowfalls in your area [at least I assume so from the weather maps], how do you feel about having joined the tire grooving club now?

.

It's only been 6 days since I grooved the tires on my tractor. Not enough snow has fallen during that time to give an honest evaluation. I used it one day when we had about two inches of snow and that was it.

 

[Garandman]

Hi,

It has been a few months with some at least moderate snowfalls in your area [at least I assume so from the weather maps], how do you feel about having joined the tire grooving club now?

I'd give it about a 20-30% improvement. Not like chains but I haven't slid much and climbed a pure-ice hill, no problem.

 

[Boris1]

OK, I read this thread and followed all the posts and went ahead and bought a groover. I did all 4 tires and it took about 45 minutes per tire at 20 degrees. I'm anxious to try them during the next snowfall. I did this on a JD2720. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/snow-removal/410044-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a-2-3-2015-rear-tires"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/snow-removal/410045-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a-2-3-2015-lf-tire"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/snow-removal/410045-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a-2-3-2015-lf-tire"/> Many thanks to all the contributors of this thread. I could not fit chains on my tractor since I have the optional mower lift option and hope this takes care of my traction issues without the need for the expensive spacers and tire chains. My tractor does "OK" for the most part but has also disappointed me in certain snow/ice conditions. You guys are a blessing.

Did you use the same knife throughout or change as needed?

 

[gbnpp05]

I broke a blade on the third tire I grooved but it was a front tire and I think I hit the tie rod when the blade went thru the edge of the tread. I changed out the blade and finished that tire and the other front with the second blade.
Maybe it wasn't needed but I took a rag and wiped the dirt and grit from the tread surfaces before I grooved them thinking it might dull the blade.