First time in snow

[RoyJackson]

Mine did pretty well today, but I have on heavy ballast on the 3pt as well as the loaded tires.

Another thing you can do is the cutting/siping thing with your R4s to add some more traction.

James K0UA

Robert's best bet would be adding that ballast on the 3PH.
Frankly, filled tires don't do much for traction...definitely do add stability though. But, for best traction, get some weight on that 3PH!

As far as the suggestions about sipping...for a minimal snow area, MHO is it's not worth it...and definitely no chains.

 

[kevin37b]

I have read 100000000 posts on this chain thing . If you do not want to deal with them , then suffer . I don't care what tire you have , loaded or not ,ice is not intimidated by your big bad tires . If you want to handle snow it will take steel gouging it . Any sort of grade or offset doubles the problem . Think about your tractors weight , how much you are pushing just there . Let alone a blade / bucket full of snow . Tires engage dirt , pavement quite well . They do not get along with ice .

 

[LJH]

I have read 100000000 posts on this chain thing . If you do not want to deal with them , then suffer . I don't care what tire you have , loaded or not ,ice is not intimidated by your big bad tires . If you want to handle snow it will take steel gouging it . Any sort of grade or offset doubles the problem . Think about your tractors weight , how much you are pushing just there . Let alone a blade / bucket full of snow . Tires engage dirt , pavement quite well . They do not get along with ice .

True dat. ^

I can't speak with any tractor experience because my Baby John is not allowed to play in the snow until I can budget for some chains. But trucks I know. The bigger (& heavier) they are, the harder they wreck. Don't screw around with ice.

 

[HillStreet]

I will use my chains tomorrow morning for the first time. Got 4 inches of snow this afternoon on my newly paved steep driveway. Freezing rain also forecast tonight on top of that so I'll push and sand first thing in the morning. Didn't really want to spend $550 for wheel spacers and chains, but now I feel better that I did.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Not sure what I am doing wrong(or correct...lol...)... but I run Titan R4's loaded with 3pt blower in winter and other 3pt items in summer. I only got stuck once in winter and that was due to the front tire getting stuck in a narrow ditch beside our lane while trying to plow/blow 12"-18" of snow with 24" to 30"+ drifts with a layer of ice to boot. I originally wanted agr tire but the dealer suggested I try the r4's. He said if there were issues he would replace them... never did. I often wonder about getting chains but they are pricey up here. Everything you guys in New England and south of that towards Virginia got over the last 24-30 hours we are getting tonight and tomorrow. Both the 2013/14 American and Canadian Almanac call for a mild winter with above average temps and precipitation. I looked back through my journals and almanacs and we had the same scenario 2 years ago. Snow, rain, cold and warm days which gave us lots of the ice. The ground would freeze and when the rain came it would freeze as it hit the ground = skating rinks for roads. I just hooked up the spreader today and loaded it with crusher dust. The guys at the pit said it would not freeze solid like sand - and it didn't... -8 Celsius last night and the crusher dust was wet from a previous rain. I broke through the crust of the pile and loaded the material into the spreader with a shovel. I also loaded a 24"x32"x48" plastic tote with the material when it was dry in the summer for winter use as well. I previously bought sand and it froze solid... lesson learned.

Tomorrow morning will either be a joy to wake up to or a pain in the butttt.... time to put more wood on the fire.

 

[Code54]

I must say chains work. I have a 2 wheel drive Kubota I mow with and put chains on it. Now it will go most of the places a 4x4 goes without chains. It is simply amazing!

 

[RoyJackson]

I have read 100000000 posts on this chain thing . If you do not want to deal with them , then suffer .

I have chains...had 'em for years. But I'm in Vermont and previously lived in an area (south central PA) that would get a major Nor'Easter every few years.
Robert is just outside of Sacramento, CA in an area that, in his words:

...we usually do not get more than a dusting now and then. Today, had 4-5".

I wouldn't suggest the expense of chains in his circumstances.

 

[dave1949]

I have chains...had 'em for years. But I'm in Vermont and previously lived in an area (south central PA) that would get a major Nor'Easter every few years.
Robert is just outside of Sacramento, CA in an area that, in his words:
we usually do not get more than a dusting now and then. Today, had 4-5"

I wouldn't suggest the expense of chains in his circumstances.

Exactly. It is likely a once in 10 years event for his location.

I don't think Robert was asking for advice about chains, or anything else, just commenting on R4 traction.

 

[RoyJackson]

Exactly. It is likely a once in 10 years event for his location.

I don't think Robert was asking for advice about chains, or anything else, just commenting on R4 traction.

That's correct...but I think others were responding to my post #11 in which I wrote:
"...for a minimal snow area, MHO is it's not worth it...and definitely no chains"

 

[RobertN]

Ya, last good snow was 4-5 years ago. But my tractor was 30 miles away at my parents house. That was my old, smaller 19hp Kubota. I figured this TC40D at about 5000lbs with loader, filled tires etc would get better grip.

I've spent a lot of time over the years in Jeeps and pickups 4-wheeling in the snow closer to Lake Tahoe, so know how to drive ok in it.

Kind scared to think what chains would cost for 17.5x24 R4's...

Exactly. It is likely a once in 10 years event for his location.

I don't think Robert was asking for advice about chains, or anything else, just commenting on R4 traction.