Tires 4WD Tire Chain Survey: Front, Rear or Both?

[Boomer33]

I was wondering how many of you use chains in the winter and which wheels you have them on. Some say that "fronts" are all you need. How do you deal with snow?

 

[bphillips]

Just chains on the rear for my NH 29D. Nothing fancy - ladder chains every 4 links. They're not heavy, so they're easy to install. Three rubber bunjees on each side and away we go ....
Also, loaded rear tires and a Woods 7500 backhoe. Plenty of weight, but the chains bite on ice. Just use the loader - no plow, but I plow a wide area so have plenty of room to maneuver.
Got to play in about a foot of the stuff yesterday. Fun Fun !!

Brad in NH

 

[Hoeman00]

I don't use any and have plowed snow
a long time, 400' drive and 300' square turn-
around for semis.
Just plowed out drive after 6" snow w/rear
blade and drove forward rolling snow to sides.
Didn't lock in 4 wd. just sensi-track.
Man the hydro plows better than the Kubota w/
GST (stops when changing gears) I used
hi rabbit and adjusted speed on the fly.

 

[JJT]

I live in snow country and don't run chains. I have loaded R4's on an L3710 HST and have never been stuck in the snow. I've had occasional tractions problems that were solved by lifting the blower slightly to add weight to the rear or by filling the FEL with snow to add weight to the front.

Christmas day arrived with 27" of snow, the Kubota handled it with ease.

 

[Corm]

I run ladder chains on 2 link spacing on the fronts only. I made them up from old dump truck chains the guys in the town garage were getting ready to discard. I have loaded R4s on a Cub 7260. I find chains in the front give me the traction I need to plow my 1/4 mile hilly driveway, and they also help a bunch to steer when I have my 3pt blade angled off to one side or the other. I have chains for the rear tires, and have used them, but had troubles steering (they also made for a bumpy ride). Chains in the front work the best for me. Keep in mind that what works for one person, may not work well for the next. A lot depends on if you are plowing a paved vs. a gravel driveway, flat or not, if you are plowing on top of a packed snow/ice base, or if you are plowing down to bare blacktop or gravel. In any case, it is always fun /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif!

Corm

 

[Spencer]

I have only had my TC33D since last December so I have only gone through one winter with it. I have R4's and 2 sets of rear wheel weights on the back. I have not found the need for chains at all.

 

[BigDave]

I would say, it depends upon whether or not slippage is acceptable to you? If I had a relatively flat area to plow or to tranverse, I would not be to worried about chains at all. Maybe chains on the fronts would be fine. I live on a steep hill, and slippage is not acceptable to me. A 10 degree slope turns into a 45 or even 60 degree slope very quickly. I currently run 2 link ladder chains on the rears, but I also own 2 link ladder chains for the fronts. The rears are on for the winter, and the fronts will only go on if I have lots of ice to deal with. I only use my tractor for plowing in the winter. I also ordered chains for my cars too, since I'm getting tired of hiking half a mile up or down the hill to or from where my car is parked during bad weather.

I guess other questions to be considered; what do you want to do with your tractor in the snow? What are the consequences if you get your tractor stuck? Is durability of the chains an important issue? The front chains from tirechains.com are not the same thickness as the rear chains.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I have R4s and do not use chains. My drive is flat and paved so it hasn't been a problem

 

[Bayrat]

I used front and rear on my TC29D with R4. Used truck chains on the front and ladders on the rear. My tractor was useless without them due to the light footprint and hard rubber compounds used in those wide tires (I plowed with a loader blade). My 2910 is not too bad with the R4 tire even though the tractor is lighter, the tires are quite a bit smaller lending better traction. Different brand R4 as well, the lugs are not as wide. I noticed the side slippage on the slight grades with the 2910 last week and will install the rear chains if the weather gets real bad but for now the truck can handle the plowing, using the tractor for piling and playing.

 

[Boondox]

I use Norse ice chains on the rear only, but our road is pretty steep and has a spring halfway up. UPS refuses to deliver to us in winter, but my L3010 makes it up the hill just fine.

Pete