Chains: Front vs Rear. Are front Chains bad for tractor

[Sawyer Rob]

Putting chains on the front of a light duty MFWD tractor does NOT magically make the ring & pinion explode...

Putting chains on the front and doing heavy work that loads the front for heavy pulling, now that can and does make the front R&P explode. I've done it, and I never abused that tractor either... I also saw some one else do it...

DANG, that was an EXPENSIVE lesson for me! The hundred dollar bills were just flying out of my pocket!!

SR

 

[atsah]

Nope, never lived in Maine, but I did live in Alaska for 25 years, and Maine has NOTHING over Alaska.

SR

There are parts of AK that don't deal with the ice conditions we do, as a matter of fact we get as much or more snow than a large part of AK. I have never seen anyone in my 56 years of being around tractors have any issue with installing chains on the front wheels of a tractor. I'm sure there are morons that try to do stupid things and break stuff, you will always have that, that's a given.

 

[atsah]

As far as the "you need a bigger tractor comment", big tractors without chains all around will sit on the side of a SCUT in the same driveway and spin on the side of it, big tractors are great for some things and not for others, most people on this site have no use for a big tractor.. Bigger is not always better for everyone. If you have a big tractor and have use for it great but don't give the "you need a bigger tractor" nonsense to someone that's looking for better traction on there smaller machine, it just makes no sense..

 

[downslope]

You best have the rear fully ballasted up before installing front chains. A FEL plus front chains with insufficient rear ballast is just looking for trouble. I would start with rear chains and ballast first, then add front chains if needed.

Even for heavy pulling work in warmer weather, you wouldn't want to be operating with insufficient rear weight and relying on the FWA and a loader up front.

 

[atsah]

Normal people put chains on the rears and add the appropriate amount of ballast, if that doesn't work for them they chain up the fronts.

 

[grsthegreat]

I do have loaded rear tires and a 25 gallon rear hydraulic pump kit on my tractor to counter balance front loads.

 

[atsah]

As of today I have 5ft of snow in the woods Sunday I will have 6ft and by the end of next week I will probably have 7ft all with layers of ice on top of five inches of ice. The member that posted in Northern ID has probably more than I do, AK is colder than the lower states but we have our own places here that deal with extreme weather far beyond what they deal with in AK..

 

[LD48750]

Putting chains on the front of a light duty MFWD tractor does NOT magically make the ring & pinion explode...

Putting chains on the front and doing heavy work that loads the front for heavy pulling, now that can and does make the front R&P explode. I've done it, and I never abused that tractor either... I also saw some one else do it...

DANG, that was an EXPENSIVE lesson for me! The hundred dollar bills were just flying out of my pocket!!

SR

Have you ever seen or heard of someone "exploding" the front R&P without chains?

From that would you recommend people do NOT get tractors with 4WD or FWA or whatever?

 

[LouNY]

As far as the "you need a bigger tractor comment", big tractors without chains all around will sit on the side of a SCUT in the same driveway and spin on the side of it, big tractors are great for some things and not for others, most people on this site have no use for a big tractor.. Bigger is not always better for everyone. If you have a big tractor and have use for it great but don't give the "you need a bigger tractor" nonsense to someone that's looking for better traction on there smaller machine, it just makes no sense..

What is a bigger tractor?
I believe that my Branson 8050 would be considered large on this forum, even though I don't consider it so.
I could not even attempt to traverse my driveway when it is snow covered without chains, unless I studded my R1s.
And I have 1200# of wheel weights on the rear wheels.
My rear chains are on all winter the fronts as needed.
One reason for the fronts to be as needed is that chains do upset the front - rear bias a bit and I already have plenty of lead in the front.
Even with 80 hp I plow down hill and bob tail it back up to plow down again. I have attempted to plow up mainly out of curiosity,
it doesn't work well. Front blade, back blade, bucket it doesn't matter once they make contact with the ground even chained all the way around
progress tends to diminish rapidly and tire spin increase even with Euro style chains on all 4. Plow trucks with ladder chains on all 4 wheels and loaded sanders in the bed also couldn't plow up without losing traction.
On more level ground in previous years I have plowed with just the rear chains in deep enough snow that it was spilling over the top of the blade (which is 30" high) opening up fields to spread manure and give cows a path to and from feed wagons. Snow that was to deep to drive thru with 200+ hp and chained 4wd with a manure spreader.

PS. I believe in chains for all tractors in snow and definitely on ice if controlled travel is desired.
Lou

 

[atsah]

What is a bigger tractor?
I believe that my Branson 8050 would be considered large on this forum, even though I don't consider it so.
I could not even attempt to traverse my driveway when it is snow covered without chains, unless I studded my R1s.
And I have 1200# of wheel weights on the rear wheels.
My rear chains are on all winter the fronts as needed.
One reason for the fronts to be as needed is that chains do upset the front - rear bias a bit and I already have plenty of lead in the front.
Even with 80 hp I plow down hill and bob tail it back up to plow down again. I have attempted to plow up mainly out of curiosity,
it doesn't work well. Front blade, back blade, bucket it doesn't matter once they make contact with the ground even chained all the way around
progress tends to diminish rapidly and tire spin increase even with Euro style chains on all 4. Plow trucks with ladder chains on all 4 wheels and loaded sanders in the bed also couldn't plow up without losing traction.
On more level ground in previous years I have plowed with just the rear chains in deep enough snow that it was spilling over the top of the blade (which is 30" high) opening up fields to spread manure and give cows a path to and from feed wagons. Snow that was to deep to drive thru with 200+ hp and chained 4wd with a manure spreader.

PS. I believe in chains for all tractors in snow and definitely on ice if controlled travel is desired.
Lou

Sounds about right.. Ya 80HP is a big tractor on this forum. My brother has a 75HP 4X4 tractor and if he doesn't put chains all around he gets nothing done. He also has 110HP and a 150HP, they don't move all winter.