Chains - Quick Question

aeblank · Nov 20, 2014

I'm hoping santa will bring me a set of tire chains this year.
They're pretty spendy, naturally.

I put the V-bar ladder on my list, cause it is what my dad got.
The non-v-bar (but still ladder) is $100 cheaper for the rears alone. Naturally the fronts are a bit cheaper too.
So, for a set, perhaps $450 instead of $640-ish.

17.5-24 Tire Chains

I'm in an L3940 with R4 tires and a 72" front mount blower. I do ok enough without chains, but have to do one section of my driveway downhill-only. Sometimes turning is iffy, and I need to raise the blower, I suppose. Also struggle a bit when I widen our seasonal road that has gotten narrower all year from (someone else) plowing. Though again, I manage.

So..... Is the V-bar a requirement, or is the standard ladder also a large improvement?

Thanks!

George2615 · Nov 20, 2014

If you are snow blowing or plowing on any hard pack or ice or on hilly driveways then v-bar chains will give you the most traction. V-bar will bite better than ladder chains. Most of my plowing is on level or a slight incline. I have standard ladder or the rear and V-bar on front to give me better bite for steering. Anytime there is the hard pack or ice chains will help give the bite you need to continue plowing instead of spinning the tires. Rear ballast also helps.

arrow · Nov 20, 2014

aeblank said:
I'm hoping santa will bring me a set of tire chains this year.
They're pretty spendy, naturally.

I put the V-bar ladder on my list, cause it is what my dad got.
The non-v-bar (but still ladder) is $100 cheaper for the rears alone. Naturally the fronts are a bit cheaper too.
So, for a set, perhaps $450 instead of $640-ish.

17.5-24 Tire Chains

I'm in an L3940 with R4 tires and a 72" front mount blower. I do ok enough without chains, but have to do one section of my driveway downhill-only. Sometimes turning is iffy, and I need to raise the blower, I suppose. Also struggle a bit when I widen our seasonal road that has gotten narrower all year from (someone else) plowing. Though again, I manage.

So..... Is the V-bar a requirement, or is the standard ladder also a large improvement?

Thanks!

Depends on how steep the hill is. Ladder chains work well on ice even if the hill is at 45* grade (or a bit more than 20 degree slope) Otherwise, I do not think so especially if the fronts are 2 link. Chains are a game changer for the better and that includes just regular ladder.

dave1949 · Nov 20, 2014

V-bar is probably worth it. For true ice coatings I think it would make a big difference.

Every now and then we get rain on snow followed by cold air. I could ice skate on the driveway--well I could if I was younger and wouldn't fall and break my butt. :laughing: With that kind of hard ice when I drive on it with my 3/8" studded chains all you see is little pits where a stud landed on the surface of the ice. That's what the tractor is traveling on. I'm not sure if regular ladder links would work near as well in that situation.

If your drive is asphalt or concrete, regular ladder chains will not mark it as much or maybe not at all.

arrow · Nov 20, 2014

dave1949 said:
V-bar is probably worth it. For true ice coatings I think it would make a big difference.

Every now and then we get rain on snow followed by cold air. I could ice skate on the driveway--well I could if I was younger and wouldn't fall and break my butt. :laughing: With that kind of hard ice when I drive on it with my 3/8" studded chains all you see is little pits where a stud landed on the surface of the ice. That's what the tractor is traveling on. I'm not sure if regular ladder links would work near as well in that situation.

If your drive is asphalt or concrete, regular ladder chains will not mark it as much or maybe not at all.

They work Dave but I'm not gonna say they work as well. Ladders also leave little "pock marks" where the chain is actually imbedded into the ice. The op stated that he has only some inconvenience w/o chains and is why I figured the ladders would work real well for him without having to go through the expense of v-bars.

dave1949 · Nov 20, 2014

arrow said:
They work Dave but I'm not gonna say they work as well. Ladders also leave little "pock marks" where the chain is actually imbedded into the ice. The op stated that he has only some inconvenience w/o chains and is why I figured the ladders would work real well for him without having to go through the expense of v-bars.

That's a good point. He probably doesn't need aggressive chains, just a bit of help.

Our old house driveway was about flat. Some asphalt, some stone. I didn't need or own chains there on the same tractor as now. I used to leave the backhoe on and that weight helped with traction.

Current driveway has a long, continuous slope, and sloped away on the sides too.

k0ua · Nov 20, 2014

arrow said:
Depends on how steep the hill is. Ladder chains work well on ice even if the hill is at 45* grade (or a bit more than 20 degree slope) Otherwise, I do not think so especially if the fronts are 2 link. Chains are a game changer for the better and that includes just regular ladder.

I tend to agree with this, my chains are not the V bars, they are the aquiline talons, and the bars are flat, but they work well on ice. Night and day difference between them and no chains. I am sure other designs could be even better, but even here with my steep hills, I get along fine with the aquiline's on just the rear, and I tap the steering brakes when steering becomes iffy via the front tires. One of the hills I have is a pain to walk down in the summer as it is so steep and gravel covered.

aeblank · Nov 21, 2014

Thanks for the replies guys. My driveway is sand/dirt. Eventually it will be gravel. It's 800 or 900' long, too.
I noticed last night that my biggest problem is turning. Going up my one hill (maybe I need a level app on my phone and see how steep it is), I could do it with my diff lock on. But I am still scraping down into the sand, so that was giving me good traction, too.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that I'm strongly considering ladder rears and v-bar fronts.
Probably like the difference between snow tires and *good* snow tires. Any snow tire is a huge improvement, and then smaller improvements with better tires.