Snow 2305 Stuck in the Snow

[Jackpine Madman]

Hello Gents...

This afternoon was the first time I tried to get the 2305 out of the barn to move some of the piles of snow that have been accumulating here in western PA. The barn door opens to a medium slop that I thought would pose no problem for the 2305. This is a new machine, last year, with little over a hundred hours on it. It has the R4 tires, which show little wear.

At any rate, once I got out the door I couldn't move! It was in four wheel drive, and I was using the differential lock in as well. Nothing! The irony is that to get out the tractor, I had to move the JD 797 zero-turn which just climbed the hill with little slippage up the hill with about 6" of snow! Are chains mandatory on this tractor in this situation? Do I need to add wheel weights?

I bought the machine specifically because I thought the low center of gravity would make it a little less treacherous on our mostly sloped 16 acres, and it's performed admirably until today. It could use a bit more juice, but then everything I own couild use a little more juice. Thanks for your comments.

Steve

I assume it was a traction problem? That is, one front wheel and one back wheel were turning but you weren't going anywhere. Then you kicked in the differential lock and both rears turned but you still didn't go anywhere. The onloy occasions I can recall having anything like this happen was when there was a layer of ice under the snow or something so that I couldn't get traction. Your zero-turn mower might have been light enough to get enough traction in the snow on top of the (hypothetical) ice, but your tractor then dug down through the snow to the ice & spun. Is this a possibility? If so, chains would of course help.

 

[gerard]

If you do much snow work chains are worth the money, I don't care what tire you have (unless you have studs!). If your land is perfectly flat you may be able to get away without chains but you still won't be as effective as with chains and loaded tires. I just broke down and ordered front chains after almost getting stuck snowblowing downhill through some 5 foot drifts. ( I have R1's, duogrip chains on the back, loaded rears, laoder on front and with the diff lock on I was spinning 4 tires trying to go up hill). Bottom line - get chains. I never heard anyone here NOT use them after they've had them!

 

[jimfish]

I got my 2210 stuck a couple of times due to insufficient clearance in heavy snow. My 2520 has done this only once, and that was on a slope when I foolosihly kept mooving forward, blowing snow, and kept slipping into ever deeper drifts. I had LOADED R-4s on both tractors, and always have a weighted back blade on as well (two-4 suitcase weights, well secured to the blade). We are very hilly, but the R-4s had no problem most of the time. However, I finally bought chains - and WHAT a difference!!
I am wondering if you were in LOW range when trying to move the tractor? High range will do very little in terms of 'push' or 'drive' thru heavy snow - or even steep hills. Again, as at least one other postee asked, we assume that your drive wheels - front AND rear - were spinning, indicating that the issue is lack of traction, NOT a mechanical problem with the 4-wheel drive OR that you were trying to move in heavy snow while in HIGH range.

 

[S. Shaner]

Thank you all for the comments. After review, it sounds like I need spacers and chains. The rear weight was not the problem - I have a backhoe on, and the parking brake wasn't on. The four wheel drive seems to work properly with both rears turning and one front turning with the differential lock in. There was wetness under the several inches of snow, and I guess it's simply a matter of not enough traction. The backhoe mount dictates the need for spacers, and they certainly won't hurt the stability in the warm months. Once again, thanks to all...

Steve

 

[Airic]

Don't under estimate your zero turn. I have a zero turn and it is extremly hard to get it stuck. Before my tractor I would rig a home made V plow to the front and plow my drive. I once drove in 8" of snow and have very little issue.

 

[jcmseven]

The R4 tires on your 2305 are not good snow tires. One other option you might wish to check out are a set of HDAP tires which are used on the X series tractors. I had an X595 a few years back that had these tires front and back and I had them loaded, which was about 60-70# per tire. I never had a traction issue with these tires on that machine and it was stable even on steep hills. The R4 tires are really meant more to be good wearing tires that can handle loads well (such as not having sidewall distortion with a full loader bucket.) They are not good snow tires. Some folks weight their machines down and get OK traction, but I have had machines as large as a 4520 and would not plow some of my roads with those tractors and R4 combinations due to safety concerns, so it is not merely an issue affecting the 2305. It is a bit more expensive, but either having a spare mounted HDAP tire and wheel set or having another rear wheel set which you keep mounted with studs or chains for use with snow or in deep mud is a great option. My experience is that it is easier and faster to lift the rear and swap out wheels than it is to fight with those infernal chains. I doubt you would need any fluid in the rears unless you don't run a heavy implement in back. Remember, chains are better than weight in snow in most cases. Studs are great also, but not as good as chains unless it is really icy. The other consideration for me was that I plowed for some of my neighbors and they did not want their driveways marked up by the chains when turning, etc.


John M

 

[jcmseven]

Yes ZTR's get great traction due to the ability to modulate the amount of force applied to the wheel motors power the wheels. They, of course, have a large rear weight distriubtion as well. When I was growing up, we had a four wheel Gravely garden tractor, 19 hp. It was great for plowing snow due to its rear mounted engine. The ZTRs manuver very well in snow or on slick grass--to a point. The downside is that if they lose traction, either going or sliding, they lose it quickly and there is no hope of regaining it. As I have mentioned before, though, if one is wanting to really move snow, get a Gator. It will plow circles around anything I have ever used, including some pretty large tractors.

John M

 

[JDeerekid]

Why did you have to use another machine to pull it out? Dont yoy have a loader on the front to push yourself out with?

 

[Willl]

spacers

Shaner, some before, during and after pics would be awesome.

 

[megotatractor]

I would like to say that I have the HDAP's on my 2210 and they make AWESOME snow tires! BUT, they are very soft and I'm not sure they could handle the backhoe. I have NEVER been stuck in the snow except one time I slid sidedways into a small ravine in which case two scoops with a shovel got me out. Other times a little push with the front loader got me out of DEEP snow where I had run into a big pile too fast and buried the tires. Ice is always a problem if you don't have chains...