blowing/plowing on an incline

[sven1277]

I have a Kubota b7610 and use it to plow commercially. It has a soft cab with heat and a front 60" blade. I have r4 tires on it. The rears are filled. Several years ago we plowed a condo assoc with hilly drives. We might be doing it again this year. The tractor would often have problems with the inclines. I purchased chains for the rears, which helped, but the design gave a horrendous ride. So bad we removed them. I'm considering buying r1's just for the winter. Would studs help? I used them on my track skid steer with success on a different hilly property. The only downside was they scratched the pavement to ****. The following year they sealed the pavement so I couldn't use them. What ways have you found to gain traction?

On a side note, I am planning on a rear blower in addition to the front plow, so I should have decent ballast. Haven't decided on which unit to buy. Will be 50-60" wide. Thanks.

 

[sven1277]

Another question. Could I get r1's just for the rear or is the o.d. different? . Wouldn't want to destroy the 4wd components.

 

[crazyal]

For the cost of new wheels and tires I would suggest going with something like the Aquiline MPC tire chain. It's designed for pavement and I think (don't have) the low profile will give a better ride than a standard chain.

 

[moship]

SVEN1277,
For what it is worth I've used rubber tire chains on the rear of my L3130 the past few winters with good results. Nearly every driveway I snow blow is on a steep incline and I've had zero traction problems. The ride is significantly better than metal chains and they don't mark up the driveway (if that is a concern). They have the added benefit of being a lot lighter making it easier to install and they provide additional inner fender clearance versus chains.

Here's where I bought mine if you interested: Rubber Tire (Snow) Chains - Traction without damage.

 

[BuzzardA91]

Moship - how long do you estimate it takes you to put the rubber chains on?

 

[sven1277]

I just bought a pair of the rubber chains. They weren't that expensive and even if the tractor stays at home this winter, they will still be helpful.

 

[moship]

BuzzardA91,

I'm guessing 25 minutes. The biggest difference is in dealing with the weight of the chain ones. The rubber ones only weigh a few pounds and are much easier to maneuver during installation. I use a small chain binder to aid in pulling and holding the ends together before using the cam-lock link to secure. I usually put them on when the blower goes on and only take them off in late spring. My neighbor has been using them for about 6-7 years now and he just leaves them on full time... He bought a new set last year as they were showing their age.

 

[BuzzardA91]

I may give the rubber chains a shot for the price. Moship - what type of tire do you have? I have r4's on mine. So far traction has been fine but more is always better.

 

[Franko]

These rubber chains look interesting, but what how well do they work when a layer of snow packs down and turns to ice under the tires? I can get up and down my steep driveway in deep snow (at least a few times) with my normal luggy tires. However, while plowing, if I don't get all the way down to bare pavement and I leave a thin layer of snow, it gets quickly burnished down to an ice layer in just a single pass. I found that I have too little traction even with the lug tires to get back up the hill. Steel chains took care of that - I think the steel bites through the ice. I don't like scarring up the drive, and became interested in rubber chains, but I don't see how rubber will bite through the ice. Can any rubber-chain users tell us what happens on inclines in icy conditions with these?

 

[moship]

BuzzardA91, I have Turf (R3) tires.

Franko, I have not noticed any difference in traction between the metal and rubber chains while plowing/blowing snow over the years or had buyers remorse with the rubber ones. Please note I had the standard ladder style metal chains before and agree there are a lot more aggressive styles such as V-bar that would work great on solid ice. The rubber chains are not for everyone or every situation but they have worked surprisingly well.

The link is for reference to the metal chain styles mentioned above. 13.6-16 Tractor Tire Chain