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

[Jstpssng]

Five inches of ice on hills with sharp turns doesn't care how big or small you're tractor is, if you can't steer, you're just going to make a bigger project of getting out of a ditch. We have big tractors, you guys act like you have big tractors but in reality big tractor owners are not members on a hobby farm site. Big tractors start about 150HP, the rest are nothing more than landscape equipment..

A female friend was telling about her BF sliding off the road while plowing and getting his pickup stuck. He called his buddy at the wood yard down the road, who came up with a tractor to pull him out... and slid off the icy road right next to the pickup. So they called and got a payloader to come help them out... he slid off the road right next to the tractor. So they brought up ANOTHER payloader,... who also slid off the road into the previous one.
She never did tell me how they got all 4 pieces of equipment out.

 

[grsthegreat]

Oh brother. ive had chains on both of my tractors since 1993. Both front and rears. Why would chains hurt the front end. the tractor is designed such that the front and rear work in harmony when working on dry ground. Why would giving it traction hurt. My dealer sells and installs chains for tractors. I actually called Kioti in 2010 when i bought my tractor just to make sure it wouldnt void the warranty, and they told me the DK series was major tough, and the chains would not affect warranty one bit. My old tractor was a JD870. I had front and rear chains on that one from 1993 till i sold it in 2010. I have used the Kioti for 8 seasons now, had 980 hours on it. Change all axle fluids yearly. And it snows up here

 

[atsah]

Skidder all chained up would have taken care of that. People talk about winter conditions and chains, small tractors, big tractors it doesn't matter, ice, corners and hills don't care what you have unless it's chained up, they never lived in Maine..

 

[atsah]

Oh brother. ive had chains on both of my tractors since 1993. Both front and rears. Why would chains hurt the front end. the tractor is designed such that the front and rear work in harmony when working on dry ground. Why would giving it traction hurt. My dealer sells and installs chains for tractors. I actually called Kioti in 2010 when i bought my tractor just to make sure it wouldnt void the warranty, and they told me the DK series was major tough, and the chains would not affect warranty one bit. My old tractor was a JD870. I had front and rear chains on that one from 1993 till i sold it in 2010.

There just scared and don't give there machinery enough credit... Everyone is worried about breaking things, not me, I use my equipment like my dad, he had chains on everything including his trucks and never broke a thing in 45 years..

 

[npalen]

I may have missed it but don't recall anyone mentioning whether FWA is engaged when using chains on the front. I suppose it seems a given that FWA would be engaged to make use of the chains but better steering would seem to be an advantage of front wheel chains without FWA engaged.

 

[atsah]

My tractor goes into 4x4 in December and doesn’t come back out until end of March.
Depends on where you live and if there enough ‘give’ snow, ice etc on the ground.

 

[atsah]

Oh brother. ive had chains on both of my tractors since 1993. Both front and rears. Why would chains hurt the front end. the tractor is designed such that the front and rear work in harmony when working on dry ground. Why would giving it traction hurt. My dealer sells and installs chains for tractors. I actually called Kioti in 2010 when i bought my tractor just to make sure it wouldnt void the warranty, and they told me the DK series was major tough, and the chains would not affect warranty one bit. My old tractor was a JD870. I had front and rear chains on that one from 1993 till i sold it in 2010. I have used the Kioti for 8 seasons now, had 980 hours on it. Change all axle fluids yearly. And it snows up here View attachment 592713

Oh it snows up there all right..

 

[DK35vince]

My tractor goes into 4x4 in December and doesn’t come back out until end of March.
Depends on where you live and if there enough ‘give’ snow, ice etc on the ground.

+1
Chains on all 4 and 4x4 stay on in Dec -March. (and no I don't need a bigger tractor)

 

[MHarryE]

I called my dealer and had him send me a set of front chains due to my steering problem on hard pack snow and ice. Excellent improvement but I wish I’d looked into them more. My dealer sells 4 link 3/8 inch chains and I found a local auto parts store has 2 link 5/16 I think would not ride as rough. Yes it’s going to be tougher on the front drive train than before because before there was almost zero traction. With chains in winter the fronts still aren’t pulling anywhere near as much as they are on bare ground, like hard gravel, in the summer.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Skidder all chained up would have taken care of that. People talk about winter conditions and chains, small tractors, big tractors it doesn't matter, ice, corners and hills don't care what you have unless it's chained up, they never lived in Maine..

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

SR