Chains Chains on front tires only VS. rear only

[Wyld Bill]

I searched & found some stuff about this but not what I was looking for.
If your doing snow removal what are the pros/cons of jsut running tire chains on front or on back?

I know the obvious like the front axle is weaker than the rear.
My thing is how much abuse does simply putting chains on front for the winter or maybe just for days that the driveway is icy really do?

Here is my situation>
Mahindra 2615 HST tractor with a rear mounted 70" snow blower.
1000' long driveway tarred first 400' dirt the rest of the way.
Driveway 10 to 20 degrees steep all the way.

I bought some rear tire chains last winter but they wouldn't fit without wheel spacers.

So problems with tire chains:

HEAVY,..these things would be a pain to put on compared to light front chains that I could use the FEL to jack up the front of the tractor to put on. Just moving them around in storage is a pain.

Need wheel spacers. That's going to cost me a bunch more money & make my already wide tractor even wider. Right now my rear blower is 10" wider than my tires & I like it that way.

Road cruising. Occationally I go up the road to help out nieghbors. I bet the tractor will right pretty rough with rear chains. With front chains I could take them off & on more easily.

 

[PILOON]

Yes it will ride rough!
Kinda hopity-hopity--

Why not look at studs? many snow contractors around here use them.
Bigger studs are available for tractor tires tha you see on cars plus you can keep them on all year long.
I know of one contractor that has over 1300 hrs on his and ALL his time is on asphalt surfaces as well most of his drives are very hilly and short= much stop and go.
Also he does about 3 miles on a paved highway to service his clients.

 

[Usta]

Correct me if I am wrong, but my Kubota BX2660 4WD is actually only pulling with one front wheel and one back wheel. When stuck, I press the lever to lock the two back wheels together which is then actually 3 wheel drive (I have chains on the rear only). If I had chains on the front, I would have only one solid tire with traction. And YES the front axle and differential is weaker than the rear because it was never intended to be the solid drive for the entire tractor. I vote to never put chains on the front and especially never put chains only on the front.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

If I could only put them on one axle it would be the rear.I don't know if there is enough weight on the front axle with the blower lifted for front chains to help much. How far would you have to space out the rear tires. Are there different settings for rear wheel width.On alot of tractors there is.
Bill

 

[Millalien]

I've had chains on the front axle only for the 10 days that I've been waiting for the rear chains to come in and I haven't broken anything yet. Makes a world of difference traction-wise - we'd be dead in the water on our hill without them.

Ordering the set in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November or December before the snow comes makes no sense of course. Instead, I wait knowing full well I'll need them until the major snow storm comes and then have to fabricate to size the closest thing in stock at the local tire dealer for the front wheels of my Deere 3320 so I can deal with the 40 year snow event. Woo-hoo!

 

[irwin]

I'm using chains on the front only, it's a Kubota L35 and I have no doubt the front axle on this industrial TLB can take the limited extra stress the chains will exert on the machine.
I'm doing it this way for two reasons...the first reason is the same as yours..no room for chains on the rear without spacers, the other reason is the amount of use it gets here in SE Conn. usually we get minor snow with only occasional heavy snow fall...

I'm not worried about it, but I don't abuse my tools, careful judicious use of front wheel asist will help keep any wear to a minimum.

 

[dirtworksequip]

Your going to get both sides here. Some say yes some say no. A couple of reasons I went with fronts chains only is. They are easier to put on and take off, they are cheaper in cost and they do help a lot with traction. Several years ago we had a major snow storm. I plowed for 21 hours straight with front chains on. At that time the tractor had about 300 hours on it. I eventually sold the tractor years later with over 2000 hours on it. Never had any problems with the front end.Fronts only are not going to give you the traction of rear chains, but are a cheaper easier alternative.

Sincerely, Dirt

 

[SPYDERLK]

Correct me if I am wrong, but my Kubota BX2660 4WD is actually only pulling with one front wheel and one back wheel. When stuck, I press the lever to lock the two back wheels together which is then actually 3 wheel drive (I have chains on the rear only). If I had chains on the front, I would have only one solid tire with traction. And YES the front axle and differential is weaker than the rear because it was never intended to be the solid drive for the entire tractor. I vote to never put chains on the front and especially never put chains only on the front.

Both wheels on a differential axle pull as hard as the wheel with the least traction.
That is not the same as one wheel drive.
Yes chains on only one front would be practically worthless unless that wheel was the one that typically encounterd slippery conditions.
larry

 

[atgreene]

I have run chains on all four wheel for many years, the downfall is this. W/o a heavy weight on the back you can lift enough weight off the rear when bucketing to put a massive ammount of weight on the front axle. When doing so, the chains on the front take all the strain of the drivetrain. If they catch and dig-in you may break something. It happened to me with my 35 hp Kubota. Wasn't pretty. Cost me a pile of $$$$ to rebuild the front drive gear as Kubota couldn't get one.

Just a word to the wise, the easiest path may cost you the most. Buy a set of truck chains for the rear, less money and will help add some traction. That, or make sure you don't do any heavy digging with the front bucket when running front chains.

 

[knute_m]

If your 2615 has the same tire-to-zerk spacing as my 2015, you may not be able to put chains on the front. If I were to put chains on mine (A4 tires), the chains would be real close to the grease fittings -- not worth taking the chance.

But, if you can run front chains, they work well. I ran them on a Yanmar and an Allis Chalmers 4WD (Hinomoto) for a number of years with no problems at all.

As for putting chains on the back, chain weight shouldn't be a problem as long as you can drag the chains out to the driveway. A couple of years ago 1948BERG posted a great way to easily put heavy chains on a tractor. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/94114-putting-chains.html

It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" great ideas.

 

[PBinWA]

I've been running V-Bar Chains on my 2615 Gear for 3 winters. I always do the front tires first. I haven't noticed any front end issues (yet).

I have rear chains (and spacers) but the ride is murder when they are on, I only put them on when it gets bad.

I filled my tires this year and it has made a difference but the rears still slip a bit without the chains on.

 

[dsgsr]

If your 2615 has the same tire-to-zerk spacing as my 2015, you may not be able to put chains on the front. If I were to put chains on mine (A4 tires), the chains would be real close to the grease fittings -- not worth taking the chance.

But, if you can run front chains, they work well. I ran them on a Yanmar and an Allis Chalmers 4WD (Hinomoto) for a number of years with no problems at all.

As for putting chains on the back, chain weight shouldn't be a problem as long as you can drag the chains out to the driveway. A couple of years ago 1948BERG posted a great way to easily put heavy chains on a tractor. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/94114-putting-chains.html

It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" great ideas.

That's the way I put my chains on the rear, also the same style Ice chains

It's not a good idea to put chains on front if you're going to use 4wd because of all the stated reasons. However, This yr I am running lite duty chains on front for steering because the tread has worn to a point it's not very useful in snow over frozen ground. I won't be in 4wd unless I must for that second to get me through a hole. Having chains on front for steering also saves wear on the turning brakes.

David

 

[JoeL4330]

I run front and rear tire chains with no problems. Ditto on my 4wd vehicles. You might be interested in http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml_chains.html

Rear-only can be a problem going downhill if the rear end is unweighted ...e.g., no implement on tph and weight in the bucket, say ...then, no brakes ...but in 4wd, especially w. chains, engine braking ...no sleigh ride.

HST's, especially, should have enough transmssion slip that no harm is done.

I don't understand the front "zerk clearance" problem ...good chains, sized properly and adjusted right require almost no clearance (I run turfs, which are chain friendly...but don't know about Ags)...you could always look for a "S-class" chain, but probably not necessary with a few alterations ...incidentally, I used to use a dremel tool with the abrasive cutoff wheels to cut/remove links. Now, for removing and replacing cross links, I have a spiffy tool that does the job, even on my big-bear rears.

 

[AndyMA]

Both wheels on a differential axle pull as hard as the wheel with the least traction.

Yea, so if one wheel has "zero" traction tht is what you get from the entire axle.

45 years in NE Conn & central Mass (heavy snow area) plowing with tractors and never once used chains.

Andy

 

[atgreene]

Yea, so if one wheel has "zero" traction tht is what you get from the entire axle.

45 years in NE Conn & central Mass (heavy snow area) plowing with tractors and never once used chains.

Andy

You wouldn't get away with that around here. Chains are a must.

 

[RickB]

Chains on the front axle only is Russian roulette with the front driveline. I recently replaced the front ring and pinion in a NH class I compact as a direct result of loader work in snow with front chains only and too little rear ballast. There was no catastrophic failure involved, the pinion gear was simply worn out while bathed in proper lubrication. One poster in this thread attributes trashing the front driveline in a Kubota L35 to front chains only. An L35 is a pretty robust machine by compact tractor standards. How lucky do you guys feel? So you have run front chains only for 2, 3 years or whatever with no damage. How have you determined that? My customer would have told you and me the same thing two months before a hefty repair bill. If you need chains, put them on the rears where they belong. Space your wheels out, reconfigure the rims or centers, whatever it takes. Yes, they ride rough on the road. Got any idea how long it takes to wear out a good set of chains? Not many of you guys will ever find out.

 

[Wyld Bill]

Yes it will ride rough!
Kinda hopity-hopity--

Why not look at studs? many snow contractors around here use them.
Bigger studs are available for tractor tires tha you see on cars plus you can keep them on all year long.
I know of one contractor that has over 1300 hrs on his and ALL his time is on asphalt surfaces as well most of his drives are very hilly and short= much stop and go.
Also he does about 3 miles on a paved highway to service his clients.

You have sparked my interest. How would I put studs in my tires?? Do you actually drill holes in the tires (for the studs to go in)? Then you need to buy or borrow a stud gun right? Are they regular studs or special tractor tire studs that are bigger?

 

[Wyld Bill]

If I could only put them on one axle it would be the rear.I don't know if there is enough weight on the front axle with the blower lifted for front chains to help much. How far would you have to space out the rear tires. Are there different settings for rear wheel width.On alot of tractors there is.
Bill

No unfortunatley you can't reverse the tires on the rear. I need to be 1-1/2 to 2" wider on each side.

 

[PBinWA]

You have sparked my interest. How would I put studs in my tires?? Do you actually drill holes in the tires (for the studs to go in)? Then you need to buy or borrow a stud gun right? Are they regular studs or special tractor tire studs that are bigger?

Here you go:

Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

I ordered some of these just for fun. Maybe they'll let me postpone putting on my rear chains a little longer.

 

[Northland]

Just a word to the wise, the easiest path may cost you the most. Buy a set of truck chains for the rear, less money and will help add some traction. That, or make sure you don't do any heavy digging with the front bucket when running front chains.

I agree with atgreene. I have v-bar chains on all four tires. I had rear chains on my Kubota and while they worked well it wasn't until I added front chains that my traction and steering capability improved 100%

However, the biggest benefit of the front chains was that my tractor never slipped sideways again-even with my steep grades in a lot of snow. That benefit alone (no more puckering effect) made the front chains a good buy. However, without the rear chains I doubt the front chains would be of much use for my needs.

I had to reverse my front wheels in order to provide enough spacing to accomodate the chains.

Strapping a bunjie cord to the front chain links and placing on top of the tire and then driving slowly forwards and adjusting the link spacing really makes the tedious chore of chain installlation much easier. I learned that trick here on TBN.