Snow Deep Snow Traction

[vettemanwight]

I dairy farmed for 30 years . As one old farmer taught me YYEEEEAAARRRSSSS ago " Wait till the ground is ready it will let you know and you wont regret waiting " What he was saying is if you get anxios and get on the ground too soon you will make more work for yourself in the end and he was right. Be patient its a good thing ! V

 

[ChuckinNH]

Well, when you are making maple syrup, you either take the tractor to the sap, or bring the sap to the tractor. I have done it both ways, and know which I prefer. Those of you who have said it isn't easy to break a road through that much snow are right.

 

[Dargo]

I think something like this 07512 024 pictures from off roading photos on webshots would get you there.

 

[groundcover]

I wonder if some kind of 'snow roller' would help. The towns would roll the roads years ago so the horses and sleds could get around. You might be able to stay on top of the packed snow. The other option would be a big blower to open up the trails, kind of a project though. I don't think the chains will save you if the skidder is having trouble.

 

[aczlan]

what if you modified something like a Lawn Roller to go on your FEL or behind your tractor and pack the snow, it might not work this late in the season but if you started when you first got snow you could get a solid base of snow without having to plow/blow it.

links to some info I have found below:
YouTube - Roller Snow Compactor
Snow surface compactor and track apparatus invention
http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0461141


HTH

Aaron Z

 

[SPYDERLK]

My new JD 4720 w/R-1s had trouble getting around in the woods through deep snow in Vermont. It was fine keeping my 250' drive cleared and I had no trouble blading some deep stuff, but when I ventured out onto my hilly trail, the wheels started to spin once the snow started to pack up against the axles and under the chasis. Going straight and flat was not a problem, but trying to go uphill or turning was very difficult. I had my loader w/grapple, 650lb rear blade and rears are loaded, so weight was there but tires would just spin. Snow level was 30" average with some deeper drifts. Top was crusty and a little wet under the surface and then some lighter powder at the mid to bottom. Even when I hit ground with the r-1s, I was pulling up soil with no progress...turning had to be done carefully as the smaller fronts just wanted to go sraight and push more snow.

I talked with a few farmers locally who siad they were having trouble getting to their maple trees with their large ag tractors much bigger than mine and a logger told me he was even having trouble his tree skidder with chains on all tires. Anyone have any suggestions on whether chains would help or is it just a fact to live with?

(I also have a Polaris Ranger and it was useless unless I rode in 4720 tracks where the snow had been reduced down...otherwise the bottom skid plate rode up on top and the wheels just spun. It sure was great for snow machines!)

The snow up underneath was stopping you. I have a tricycle style that might go thru it since its like a knife on wheels and the rear axle it about 3' up. The front wheels arent driven tho [darn!]. -- Try packing the whole path width [at least the middle] down a little with a snomobile. Then your tractor should do fine.
larry

 

[ChuckinNH]

On a warm day, you can float a little BX on "packed snow" like a rubber duck in a bath tub. I don't have any memory about how I came by this information.

 

[ihookem]

Snowmabile and a sled. Next year make a trail in the snow as winter progresses. That way you have a hard pack underneath and only a foot of snow to pack at a time. It makes for nice walkes in the woods in winter too. I noticed you're from Southern California.

 

[Egon]

It will be fun having a deeply packed snow base and watching the weather turn warm!!

It may be downright aggravating also!

 

[horse7]

JohnK,

I leave ruts like that as well when it's the wet season. One of my problems is between my ruts are lots of stones of all sizes, so blading out the ruts is problematic. What do you do with your ruts? Blade them out or just keep em that way throughout the year? I was wondering if they could be filled with 2-3" crushed stone which would allow water to pass but hold up against further tractor damage? Any ideas?

My driveway is mostly flat and develops ruts, I originally filled them with smaller rounded stones and that worked very well since over time the stones tend to run flatter (shift so that there aren't potholes).

Then I hired a guy who apparently had only enough neurons to do the "same old same old" and he used item4. That was a bust, only got 3-4 years out of it. Soon I'll be going back to the small round stones. On hills angular material works better, have a few of those. The angular is more expensive, or it was several years ago, now I don't know but I'll know pretty soon-- the hills are slippery when the surface mud softens but the ground is frozen underneath. Stopping on a hill means backing up and trying again in 4WD vehicle, but R4s with diff lock hasn't been a problem...

Due to the snow, most people have more or less clear (ugly wide dirt) driveways so hired plowing is easier/cheaper. I prefer to have two wheel tracks through a field. The unexpected benefit of the ruts is keeping ricer roaches out... getting rid of the ruts might let them back in...