Chains

woodlandfarms · Nov 28, 2010

So I know a few of you own chains, so I thought I would start in the PT section.

My question is this. I just got stuck going up a muddy hillside. Around 20 degree slope or so. tires loaded up with our sticky mud and I could not get any traction.

I know chains work well on snow, but how about mud? I assume so, but before I plunk 200 or so down for them, I want to make sure.

Carl

whistlepig · Nov 28, 2010

We have had 4 1/2" of rain this past week. I did some loader work today with the chains on without engaging 4WD. Something I could have never have done with out the chains on in dry earth before.

PILOON · Nov 28, 2010

Old farmers would use chains on bald tires all the time.

I chain for winter but shure dislike having them on when ground is not frozen. Makes for a h--l of a mess.

In fact I believe you would dig deeper and faster with chains in mud.

SpringHollow · Nov 28, 2010

In my experience, chains help your wheels from slipping and loading up. So if you have some grass etc on the soft spots, you are less likely to slip and make a mess. However, once you start spinning in deep mud with singles, it is all over. With the duals on and chains, i have yet to get stuck but i have made some messes.

In the woods, i tend to prefer the really cheap chains without studs. They are less likely to make a mess. The studded are great in the winter when plowing etc.

Ken

Gravy · Nov 30, 2010

Carl,

Trust me on this. You need chains. All four wheels. 2 link spacing.

They will tear stuff up, but if you need to be on the PT in bad conditions, you have higher priorities than preserving the surface.

woodlandfarms · Dec 1, 2010

Its the loading up that I have issues with. Our ground gets so sticky (clay I guess) and slick... I swear that I added at least 6" to the tires and the PT was sitting way higher.

OK. Chains it is. Now ken, are you an inny our an outtie?

Carl

ernemats · Dec 1, 2010

Ken:
Do you put chains on all the wheels or only one wheel of the duals. I bought ladder chains for my 1845 and I plan to just go with single wheels during the winter instead of the duals.

SpringHollow · Dec 2, 2010

When doing duals, i normally put the chains on the outside mainly because i do not have to worry about them scraping against the mounting brackets. I only use 4 chains, not 8. I have 4 cheap chains i could add to the wheels also but i never have.

I have done both singles and duals during the winter and i have not seen much difference in traction. Duals let me go in the woods to get firewood before the snow gets deep and let me ride partially on snow that has been pushed over the edge of drop offs without sinking in.

Ken

SpringHollow · Dec 2, 2010

By the way Carl, I have not found chains to be a big help in preventing loading up with clay once the wheels slip significantly. If I drive in reverse when the wheels are in soft clay and slipping, it is all over. The tires load up immediately. Unfortunately, all i have is clay here with springs flowing year around so it is definitely an issue. As i have written before, on these trails before the PT, my CUT was able to go down them only once in over 10 years. I had to use a walk behind or hand trimmer to try and keep my trails clear. The PT lets me go down them many times a year but there are still plenty of days where it is too wet.

Chains help keep my wheels from slipping allowing me to keep using the trails. Once the wheels slip, i have to stop using the trail for a while, letting the grass stabilizes the mud.

Ken

BobRip · Dec 2, 2010

SpringHollow said:
By the way Carl, I have not found chains to be a big help in preventing loading up with clay once the wheels slip significantly. If I drive in reverse when the wheels are in soft clay and slipping, it is all over. The tires load up immediately. Unfortunately, all i have is clay here with springs flowing year around so it is definitely an issue. As i have written before, on these trails before the PT, my CUT was able to go down them only once in over 10 years. I had to use a walk behind or hand trimmer to try and keep my trails clear. The PT lets me go down them many times a year but there are still plenty of days where it is too wet.

Chains help keep my wheels from slipping allowing me to keep using the trails. Once the wheels slip, i have to stop using the trail for a while, letting the grass stabilizes the mud.

Ken

Past a certain point all wheeled vehicles should stay home. Even tracked vehicles can be stuck.

SpringHollow · Dec 2, 2010

They logged some virgin forest on my property. The trees were damaged by an ice storm and the forester said they would be dead in a couple of years. Not a lot of trees but they were large. They had never been logged because they were in a ravine area.

They were logging during a drought everywhere else which meant less wet at my place. They decided to take a day off even though it was going to rain the next day. The next day, as predicted, they buried their skidder in my trail. The tires were taller than i am but they just dug down into the mud without moving the skidder. They had to wait a few days and bring in a huge bulldozer. The dozer they had on site would not budge it.

Ken

woodlandfarms · Dec 3, 2010

Does that mean you got a new tractor as soon as it dries out?

catsco · Dec 6, 2010

BobRip said:
Past a certain point all wheeled vehicles should stay home. Even tracked vehicles can be stuck.

Absolutely! I used to be the guy with the tracked vehicle to pull others out of very deep snow and/or mud.

When I got stuck, there was no one to call! If the ground wasn't going to freeze, it usually meant a number of days of waiting since you can never get a tracked vehicle stuck with the winch end facing the direction you want to move unless you plan ahead.

Which I seldom do with my penchant for doing things the hard way.

ponytug · Dec 7, 2010

Winches on both ends?

I once saw a jeep rigged up with a cable going through the chassis, enabling him to pull from either end off the same winch.

Yes, past a certain point, and past a certain need you stay home, but my hat is off to all of you don't! (For work or to rescue others).

All the best,

Peter

catsco said:
Absolutely! I used to be the guy with the tracked vehicle to pull others out of very deep snow and/or mud.

When I got stuck, there was no one to call! If the ground wasn't going to freeze, it usually meant a number of days of waiting since you can never get a tracked vehicle stuck with the winch end facing the direction you want to move unless you plan ahead.

Which I seldom do with my penchant for doing things the hard way.

Clumber · Dec 8, 2010

Chains seem to be expensive when you need 4 of them. I want studded chains for use on the ice storm we seem to get each year. I found these:
Secure Online Shopping for all of your Tire Chain needs
which seem good and cheaper than most -- still very expensive. Any comments?

How does one avoid buying a chain that will rub against the tub of the tractor?

Marks481 · Dec 8, 2010

Here was the last chain recommendation:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/163222-snow-removal-lmb-plow-2.html#post1875634

Tracdoc recommended www.tirechains.com out of Johnstown, PA... the GT18-2 --a 2-link Heavy Duty Tractor Chain. And said to avoid ATV tire chains, since they are designed for a more rounded wheel.

23-10.50-12 Tire Chains

SpringHollow · Dec 8, 2010

I also purchased my chains from the same place, Clumber. It is nice to see that their prices have dropped back down.

My chain page on my web site shows how i installed them. It is PT's slope mower tractor but the principle is the same. The studded chains are great, much better on ice than the standard ones.

PT1850 Chains

Ken

woodlandfarms · Dec 9, 2010

Sorry guys, More confused than ever

Ken, you have ATV Chains? Any issues? Tracdoc seems to have had some...

SpringHollow · Dec 9, 2010

My chains work great. I do not think i would use them on concrete or asphalt since they would gouge it up anytime your wheels started to slip.

You can see from my pictures that my chains are tight and do not slip. No issues there at all. Even the really cheap atv chains i have worked well except they do not grip as well on ice as compared to the studded chains. Tractor Supply used to sell individual chains. For my regular CUTs, i used to buy one chain for a huge tire and cut it to length to get two chains out of it, adding new ends to the cut pieces. I saved a huge amount of money doing this relative to buying two smaller chains. However, we do not have enough clearance on the PT's to use a hard core tractor double loop logging chain.

However, i think you do want chain "slap" for mud. If only for mud and i wanted the best solution, i would make custom chains. This is necessary because of your extreme mud needs and the close tolerances on the PT. Thin chain for the side chains and mounted tight. The cross chains i would do a few links of small chain on each end then double loop logging chain. I would evenly space these and make them long so they are loose. Maybe have a total of 3 or 4 cross chains that were small chain each connected in between two of the evenly spaced double loop chains. These would hold the whole chain assembly tight to your tire but allow the cross chains to flop some. That flopping will clear mud but not adversely affect traction at all. Self cleaning chains are messy when the mud is flying but they work much better. You will still get stuck if your tires dig down so far that your tractor pan rests on the mud.

Ken