Chains Good chains for R4's?

[20 20]

Groving may be cheap, atleast initial cost but once chunks fly and tire replacement is due how much savings is there? I may be wrong but the tires are made to specs for a reason, seems like an expensive gamble. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but I own excavators and sure have seen how they're tracks can lose chunks of rubber, they have less ground pressure.

Another thing you may try{not sure of your mechanical skills} that I have not seen mentioned is build your own. You may be able to find a used set for next to nothing and tweak that to fit or you could build from scratch. I have done this and saved myself lots of $$$'s. This works good for me because I only use the chains in winter, 3-4-5+ hundred dollars seems like a lot for occasional use.

 

[Reg]

Groving may be cheap, atleast initial cost but once chunks fly and tire replacement is due how much savings is there? I may be wrong but the tires are made to specs for a reason, seems like an expensive gamble. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but I own excavators and sure have seen how they're tracks can lose chunks of rubber, they have less ground pressure.

Another thing you may try{not sure of your mechanical skills} that I have not seen mentioned is build your own. You may be able to find a used set for next to nothing and tweak that to fit or you could build from scratch. I have done this and saved myself lots of $$$'s. This works good for me because I only use the chains in winter, 3-4-5+ hundred dollars seems like a lot for occasional use.

There is another thread on this, he sketched a pattern that uses a single length of chain that zigs and zags back and forth to form both the cross links and side chain, with joining links.

Imagine a letter Z with its mirror image beside it on the right, put a connecting link between them in the middle at the top, repeat the pattern and alternately join the top and bottom "folds".
I measured mine and figured it would take under 50 ft for each 17.5L24 tire, so a 100 ft drum of chain would do it.
LOTS of connecting links, a couple of dozen as I recall.

The DOWN side is that it probably isn't hardened, not for abrasion against a road surface, not an issue for a few short uses a few times a year.
The UP side is cost and having a couple of 50 ft chains around for other uses if you don't like it.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have the 2 link ladder chains on my DK45SE and they have tremendous traction on the ice...... but no matter what the ads say they are starting to make some marks on the concrete slab where i park the tractor. I now have a bunch of small dimples on the previously flat concrete.

Next year ill throw down 3 sheets of scrap plywood before i park on the concrete.

Luckily none of the places i plow/blow snow have either concrete or asphalt. Otherwise id be leaving marks.

Im just GLAD i DIDN'T get the v-bar chains...or i'd really be making a mess of the roads.

i got mine at Tire Chains by TireChains.com and they wernt cheap...about $1,100 incl shipping for all 4 wheels as i recall.

 

[jsb408]

Hey just thought I'd show off my new set of chains. The front chains I pieced together years ago and worked well for a while. Now I'm clearing the driveway to the cabin and they didn't cut it on the hill. Since my wife runs the machine when I'm at work, I thought to keep it safe as I could and got the 9/16 diamond chains on the rear. Lots of traction. Next is to ballast the rear tires...

 

[jsb408]

Oh, and here is a close up.

 

[Reg]

My Peerless chains are on their way, apparently factory shipped from MN.
Again, thanks for the lead on tractiontirechains.com
$336.59 for PEERLESS chains with free shipping (supposedly 58 lbs each) hardly worth my time to make something lower quality and almost certainly "softer".
BTW, I added the big chain pliers for $45, which I think were $90 at the other place.

Now come the "OTHER QUESTIONS";
Since these are for my small tractor and that is the one I use when I need a tractor somewhere else, I got to thinking how practical it would be to trailer this tractor with chains on it.

The first and most obvious "detail" was space between fenders, but I have already taken care of that.
Then climbing the ramps, which are the ladder style with inverted V bars across them.
I am concerned about the possibility of jamming a DUO square in the ramp and ... whatever happens after that.
I am thinking of filling the rams in, i.e. boarding over the gaps.
Does that make sense ?
I assume it would be best to go on/off in 4WD, I can't see a reason not to.

I could cut a couple of strips from a used horse stall mat and lay them over the hinges as well.
For those who don't know, these are HARD rubber, 3/4 or 1/2 inch thick.
They stand up pretty well to horse traffic, steel shoes under HEAVY animals, so this isn't flimsy stuff.

I'm starting to like this idea, say 16 inches wide and 4 ft long.

What have others done ?
or are you all too smart to try trailering with chains on ? (-:

 

[Reg]

Reg:
'welcome. Yeah my experience also. For the price I paid I expected a poorer quality product (only need them a couple of times a year.) What they sent me were top notch, solid and well made. I guess everyone uses tirechains.com so these guys have to fight a bit harder for the business...

Interesting details on the source.....

Interesting indeed (-:
UPS tracking says they checked into Eagan, MN.
Eyeballing my map, Winona (HQ of Peerless) is 70, maybe 80 miles south east of Eagan.

tractiontirechains is way out in Cal, so I guess they just have Peerless ship them out factory direct - makes sense and confirms the source.

 

[RoyJackson]

I could cut a couple of strips from a used horse stall mat and lay them over the hinges as well.
For those who don't know, these are HARD rubber, 3/4 or 1/2 inch thick.
They stand up pretty well to horse traffic, steel shoes under HEAVY animals, so this isn't flimsy stuff.

I'm starting to like this idea, say 16 inches wide and 4 ft long.

I think this would work fine....the only thing I could see that may be a problem is if the chains start to skip the matting off the ramp.
So, how would you prevent the mats from slipping?

 

[Reg]

I think this would work fine....the only thing I could see that may be a problem is if the chains start to skip the matting off the ramp.
So, how would you prevent the mats from slipping?

I was assuming (I know, "***_U_MING") that by using 4WD there shouldn't be much skipping.
There is a few percent lead by the front wheels, so if anything the rears would drag a little - Nahh, the fronts will slip/skip.
The wheelbase on this thing is only about 10 ft., so the fronts will be off before the rears get on.
It may be moot, the upturned V-bars on the ramps would almost certainly grip/dig into the underside of the mat.

The more I think about it the better the idea of having rubber farther up looks, i.e. the next 4 ft or so to keep the chains off the wooden deck itself.
GENERALLY having a few spare stall mats around for when I have to cross concrete walks is a good idea anyway, the rears are loaded and when I have a back hoe on there is some fair point pressure back there.
Mats aren't THAT much heavier than sheets of ply, I think 3 could provide "continuous path" if I don't mind climbing down every 4 ft (-:

 

[grsthegreat]

i use my old stall mats for everything...i have several lying on my shop floor for laying on while under a truck..tractor or whatever..nice and soft and warm

 

[Reg]

Reg:
'welcome. Yeah my experience also. For the price I paid I expected a poorer quality product (only need them a couple of times a year.) What they sent me were top notch, solid and well made. I guess everyone uses tirechains.com so these guys have to fight a bit harder for the business...

Interesting details on the source.....

One little question on your order;
Did they include a T-Handle key for the cam locks ?

There is nothing on their web site stating one is included, but neither do they suggest/recommend that customers need to purchase one.
Most web shopping sites these days do list suggested accessories, either right with what you are browsing or right after you have added it to the cart.

No biggie, just a minor hassle if I have to trek out and buy one.
I know myself too well to have two of them around;
I will take care of one, knowing it is my ONLY one.
I will misplace each of two, sub-consciously knowing I have a back-up(SOMEwhere).
(Is this just another "Guy thing" ?)

Does a 1/4 inch socket drive fit ?
(OK, two little questions)

 

[Reg]

Just another idea, especially if you are worried about chain damage. And trust me chains damage concrete and asphalt. I done mine, but no snow so far, so I cannot comment.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/193438-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a.html

James K0UA

PS.. chains on a L3800 are very iffy due to clearance issues.. most guys have had to put on wheel spacers.

Is that a diameter or inside clearance issue ?
If it is just inside clearance you should be able to re-jigger the wheels.
You MIGHT be able to get them far out enough to solve a diameter issue too.

 

[RoyJackson]

Is that a diameter or inside clearance issue ?
If it is just inside clearance you should be able to re-jigger the wheels.
You MIGHT be able to get them far out enough to solve a diameter issue too.

Also, some Kubotas' fenders can be repositioned. A TBNer had posted pics of his rear tires (from the side) and I saw holes for repositioning the fenders up...so look for alternate mounting holes.
Don't recall which model he had though...

 

[k0ua]

Is that a diameter or inside clearance issue ?
If it is just inside clearance you should be able to re-jigger the wheels.
You MIGHT be able to get them far out enough to solve a diameter issue too.

Inside clearance is tight, don't think I would want to try it without wheel spacers on R4 tires.. I think R1 are OK as they are not a wide. With R4 there is nothing you can do with the wheels on this model.

James K0UA

 

[Reg]

Also, some Kubotas' fenders can be repositioned. A TBNer had posted pics of his rear tires (from the side) and I saw holes for repositioning the fenders up...so look for alternate mounting holes.
Don't recall which model he had though...

There seems something basically WRONG in a tractor that has not been designed with enough fender clearance AT LEAST for chains.
Is this a "Looks" thing ? (Mahh_ketting)
For wannabe sports cars where it may be considered "kool" to have fractions of an inch clearance ? Maybe.
For a TRACTOR ? I just don't get it - not that there is wheel travel due to suspension movement, so I could agree that clearance isn't needed for that.

OK, so adjustable fenders for alternate wheel sizes, but it seems the "as delivered" set up is too close.

 

[outoftractorluck]

....I don't think the Japanese are as smart as people think. They don't know enough about American users and they are perfectionists. But, if you don't know what perfection is to the user..... I'm sure somebody in Japan measured the tire to the nth degree to get the perfect fendor clearance forgetting a main issue for the user - chains.

They also have a real problem fessing up when they have messed up. It means loosing face. That may be why their wheel spaced kit is kept so low profile - not advertised or listed anywhere and it should be a standard modification. I contracted for a Japanese company (who shall remain nameless) a few years back. They made great stuff but when we fixed or improved something in the States it had to be kept under the carpet incase somebody in Tokyo had to commit Hari-Kari for getting it wrong..

I look around at the Japanese stuff I buy. Made perfectly but sometimes with obvious user issues. Look at Betamax it took years for Japan to finally admit price/performance it wasn't the best solution and to give up on it.

Sermon over!

 

[dennisgw]

@outof.. Beta was the better technical product, it just lost out to lower price VHS by folks who accepted lesser technical product.

 

[RoyJackson]

@outof.. Beta was the better technical product, it just lost out to lower price VHS by folks who accepted lesser technical product.

Betamax never got a lot of support...as you wrote, more consumers wanted the VHS. Remember, these VTRs cost well in excess of $1000 back then...and Betamax machines cost more with less pre-recorded movies available.
I bought my first VTR (Panasonic) in 1979 or 1980. The price was about $1400.00.

Another thing, you couldn't find tire chains for the Betamax...OOPS!! Slipped back on topic!

 

[outoftractorluck]

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Reg]

Inside clearance is tight, don't think I would want to try it without wheel spacers on R4 tires.. I think R1 are OK as they are not a wide. With R4 there is nothing you can do with the wheels on this model.

James K0UA

I just found the specs for it; 15x19.5 R4s, no pics where I looked so they may be fixed one piece rims - would side to side swap help ? or are they centered (approx zero offset) ?

I have no experience of 19.5 diameter rims on tractor'ettes - on li'lul truck'lets yes.
(-:

EDIT:
Now I found the glossies and the L3200, 3800, and 4600 are all shown with R4s (probably because K wants to sell the back hoe image)
and they all APPEAR to have 2 piece rims with the inner half set wide, but the other half not at max width, i.e. there are normally 8 possible settings with that wheel type.
:End EDIT