Snow Deep Snow Traction

[johnk]

Engine66.

I was pushing some spruce trees over as the ground was soft and that was the only way to get back in the woods when it was mushy. Perfect tree pushing weather. When summer arrives and it warms and dries up I use my box scraper and level the ruts in a couple passes.

A lot of tractoring on my website..
http://homepages.roadrunner.com/outdoorsman/

 

[Engine66]

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.

Yes, sadly, I am from Southern California, but grew up in Vermont & Connecticut...I miss the 4 seasons and the elbow room. Anyway, here's a pic of my land typical of the area...hilly, wet, rocky. I was thinking of placing some crushed rock in the ruts which are about 6-12" deep in some areas. Thinking stones 2-3" in size would work...don't know...may give it a try. Some of the locals I talked to said they did the same and no problems except having to occasionally dress them up as they wear down over the seasons.

 

[johnk]

The rocks will last for a while but will eventually sink back into the dirt. Depending on how long the bad spots are they sell a Membrane that goes under the gravel and prevents the gravel from sinking back into the dirt. I think a 15 foot wide by 400 ft roll is somewhere around $350 dollars. With the price of gravel if you have to buy it seems like a good thing to do to save money down the road. I'd box blade the area and get it halfway smooth then lay down the membrane and gravel in the trouble areas...

 

[jdmar]

The rocks will last for a while but will eventually sink back into the dirt. Depending on how long the bad spots are they sell a Membrane that goes under the gravel and prevents the gravel from sinking back into the dirt. I think a 15 foot wide by 400 ft roll is somewhere around $350 dollars. With the price of gravel if you have to buy it seems like a good thing to do to save money down the road. I'd box blade the area and get it halfway smooth then lay down the membrane and gravel in the trouble areas...

I put a lot of that matting down before I laid my driveway...it is worth every penny. I don't recall the exact price but I got 300 ft by 12ft rolls. THey had "good" and "best." I spent the extra few bucks on "best." I have muck soil (picture peat meets potting soil) over 13 feet deep and often standing water where I had to put a drive in. I have two layers of that "geo-textile" material with heavy broken concrete then normal driveway stone. I have had many trucks including cement trucks with 10 yards over my drive. I shakes but does not settle. I will never put in a drive without this material. I both stabilizes and prevents mixing of the dirt with your valuable stone. I also have seen no weeds...yet.
Peter

 

[pat32rf]

I feel for you 66. We have the same situation up here. Dug a short trail today to get at some firewood. Between 2-3 ft of snow, some from last November.
I have a set of tracks on my 600cc Polaris and have trouble on the hills unless I have kept the trail packed during the winter. Normally I use the bike to collect sap if there is too much snow for Johnnie.
If I have to get thru the snow, then the only way is to dig a trail, using the FEL to push back out when I get stuck. Even then its hard getting up the hills on the frozen snowy ground with chains and loaded R4s. Sometimes it is easier to climb the hill when there is a BIT of snow that the chains can bite, other times the chains dig holes in packed snow that you would have to climb out of.
There are times when all I can do is drive up as far as I can, dump and lower the bucket then drag the snow back down hill until I have enough traction to scoop it up and dump it out of the way. A long slow process.
I have also found that any downhill ruts just wash out more during the next rain so try to build trails with a crown on them. Of course this makes you slide off to the side in the snow......
This is the worst winter since I moved here ten years ago but its all seat time...

 

[KennK]

Does anyone make a V-plow that fits on the front of tractor? Much like those used by locomotives, that would push the snow to each side allowing the wheels to grab hold.

 

[Northland]

same issues as well here in Northern Ontario. We have been dumped with 20+ feet this winter and it isn't melting yet.

I added v-bar chains to the front tires of my tractor this winter to go along with the ones on the back tires and while my traction and steering have improved 100% I can't get up the hill on my road behind my house. After the tractor bottoms out at it's 14.7" of ground clearance I run into problems.

I am going to leave the chains on this spring do collect my firewood logs

 

[atgreene]

I tried to go for a ride on Wed. No go, even with iron all around. Just too deep still. Frustrating, I was looking forward to breaking open some roads so they would melt. I guess I'm just ansy for spring to arrive, but with 6" more of snow yesterday it just prolongs winter that much more.

 

[LBrown59]

== ==
Put chains on your car and jack up both back wheels so they are an inch or so off the ground.
Start it up and see how much traction you have.

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!)

 

[Northland]

== ==
Put chains on your car and jack up both back wheels so they are an inch or so off the ground.
Start it up and see how much traction you have.

Well said LBrown-I had thought adding chains all round would solve all my problems but now I realize that traction is dependent upon more then chains and weight.

Some of the road graders and big CAT and Case front end loaders up here have chains on them. I have seen the chain laden loaders spin their front tires when trying to push too much snow. Thereafter I didn't feel too bad about my little Kubota spinning it's tires.