Chains fitting chains ? tensioners question (s)

[NIXON]

I'm about to get of the dime and order a set of chains . (420 -70-24 )Most likely Valby , but possibly St . Pierres . Any way I get the feeling from previous post that some fitting / trimming is part of the installation in a lot of cases . What if any specific tools are required for this ?
I seem to remember posts about chain tensioners . Are they necessary , or just highly desirable ?
Where would they be sold locally ? Automotive store ?
The reason for the tensioner question was that the Valby site show a tractor without tensioners . But then It might just be for clarity of the photo. Thanks , John

 

[Inspector507]

I haven't used the set I bought at auction yet, but did on my riding mower while "attempting" to move snow years ago. I used tensioners on it all the time. MY opinion is they are necessary, but ask when you order.
BTW won't those green chains look funny on that orange tractor.........?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Just teasing, they are green in their picture.

 

[Will_C]

Most places that sell tire chains will have tensioners for sale, or you can use rubber straps or bungee cords to tension the chains.
In my experience, the smaller and lighter the chains are, the more necessary tensioners are. Most of the farm tractors, log skidders, and plow trucks don't use any tensioners, but I can't imagine a set staying on a ATV, garden tractor, or a tractor like my BX without them.
Will

 

[Henro]

John,

If you have a lot of clearance then you don't need tensioners. My neighbor, for example, just leaves his flop around and it seems to clear the snow/ice/mud off his tires real well. I would call them sloppy loose, but they work for him on his 38 pto HP International.

In my case with my B2910, I need the tensioners due to close clearances. I think I like the chains tight anyway.

You cannot cut the cross chains [well, I guess you could with a gas axe] and the way I was told to shorten mine was to remove the cross chains as required to shorten the chains to fit my tires, and then to use bolt cutters to shorten the side chains.

The cross chains come off pretty easily if you can pry open the ends with something. I held them in a vise and used a small pry bar.

I got my chains and tensioners from tirechains.com. I don't know if you are looking for ladder or duo-grip chains. Not sure if duo-grips are shortened differently than ladders or not. You may not have to shorten anything, depend on what the supplier ships you.

I have attached a photo showing my chains and tensioners.

 

[Inspector507]

Henro,
Looks like most of the chain gets "lost" down between the treads /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I bought an old rusty set at auction for my turfs, had to do some work on them to get them to fit, but they do. I just haven't used them yet.
I bought 2 sets actually for $30. I don't need the other set. Figured I'd use them for fronts, if it got THAt bad here. They won't fit though.

 

[NIXON]

I'll play it safe and go with the tensioners .
Bill , from the looks of the picture it's warmer down where you are, we have ICE /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks for the posts guys ! John

 

[Boondox]

At first I didn't use tensioners with my Valby chains because the old timers said loose chains shed snow better, but all that metallic noise got on my nerves. So I bought three pair of rubber bungee cords just like Will pointed out. Cheap, they work just fine, and I can use them for other things in the warmer months.

Pete

 

[Inspector507]

Could loose chains also scrub rubber off the tires too??
Or would tighter chains do more damage?

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue">Looks like most of the chain gets "lost" down between the treads </font>

Jerry,

Yes, some is lost between the lugs of the R4s. I can't see any way around it. But enough is on top of the lugs, roughly about half of each cross chain, to give a pretty good bite. World of difference. After a pretty good slide last year [wet grass on slope] I started putting my chains on in the fall well before the first snow, and leaving them on until after the April showers have ended.

<font color="blue">Bill , from the looks of the picture it's warmer down where you are, we have ICE </font>

John,

Yep! Nothing but shirt sleeve temps and blue, sunny sky as you get closer to Pittsburgh... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

But I am sure you have guessed that that photo was taken at a warmer time of year...last year actually, before I got my shed enlarged. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Man I am sick ice! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[JerryG]

I don't think that they would scrub the rubber off. Back when I drove a truck, you could tell who kept their chains tight and who didn't. If you always keep your chains tight, they will last a lot longer on the street anyway. I would think that it would help some off road also.