Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Improving traction in snow?

[otus_branch]

Here's my situation: one Kubota L-39 with the standard Industrial R-4 tires, one 8' rear straight blade , and one very steep north-facing driveway. After today's ~4" snowfall, I tried to do some clearing so that my BIL could get out in his Toyota Prius which is the kind of car that will bottom-out on the crown of my road in the best of weather (otherwise, I wouldn't bother pushing 4" of snow...). Thanks to the wisdom of TBN posters, I knew to reverse and angle my blade to minimize gravel disturbance and make for easier snow clearing.

The first pass, going downhill in 4wd went OK. Then the L-39 lost traction near the bottom of the hill when I attempted to climb and clear snow at the same time on the way back up. No problem, I just back-down, raise the blade, stomp on the diff locker, and throw it into gear. This time, I make it 3/4 of the way up, and then lose traction at the steepest point. The L-39 starts skidding backwards as wheels continue spinning forwards. YIKES!!! I manage to keep it more or less straight on the hill with the steering wheel, and jam the shuttle into reverse, which slows the descent and averts disaster. So I back down the hill, and, fool that I can be, attempt to climb my drive AGAIN, but this time in a lower gear. Similar near-disaster results, except that this time the Kub almost turns sideways during its rearward skid.* Enough I say! I back down once more, and park my tractor in the lower field, defeated.

Clearly I need more traction for my tractor. The L-39 is only a backup-snow-clearer, since i will soon have a plow for my Arctic Cat ATV, but I sure would like it to be a viable backup-option. I guess the obvious answer is some chains, but the pain of putting-on and taking-off is a little daunting. Are there quick-attach options in the tractor chain world? Are there viable options besides chains? Thanks,

-otus


* - This second attempt probably belongs in the 'Dumbest things done with tractor' thread, but at least I had my seatbelt on...

 

[Adiredneck]

Would you need to install/remove the chains often? Why not just leave them on for the winter?

 

[MX5000]

I had a similar problem with my "06" B-21. I bought 2 link chains for the front tires and 4 link chains for the back tires. Now i can push a full bucket of snow while on the icy, hilly part of my driveway. I wish I bought them sooner.

Howard

 

[Woody_NH]

I have a steep north facing gravel drive and use the tractor for some snow clean-up and help in getting an ice covered drive sanded (sand in the bucket, wife drives, I hand sand with shovel). I keep chains on all four wheels all winter, nothing else will deal with ice on a steep grade. The chains are easy to install using the rope trick as covered in several past posts.

 

[Casco1]

This is my first year with 4 wheel chains. I'll never go through a winter again without them. With the fall water runoff that froze before the first snow nothing goes up and down the hill but the tractor with the chains. I've already pulled my truck up three times in the last two weeks. By next year I hope I have my water problem solved but this year the chains are king.

 

[john_bud]

Shhhh, don't tell "builder" that an R4 equiped tractor got stuck!

(Just kidding Builder!)

If you get chains, be dilly dern sure that you tell the person you're buying from that you have R4's and you don't want the chain to just slip between the lugs. You want Agressive H-Bar Ice chains. Normal chains will just go between the lugs and traction will be worse.

jb

 

[otus_branch]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and ideas. "Agressive H-Bar Ice chains" it will be, once funding permits...

I had not seen the thread where Builder had sung the praises of R-4's, but I will state that when it comes to packed snow (<4" worth!), the R-4's did not perform nearly as well as I had hoped.

-otus

 

[djradz]

Yep, R4s are pretty poor in snow. Doesn't seem to matter what the depth, but certainly they are worse the deeper it is. Both my neighbor with his JD 850 and I with my TC 40DA were out in the 9" inches that fell this past weekend in south Michigan, lamenting the poor performce compared to our old previous tractors equipped with R1s.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I love it. I was chastised for saying R-4's suck in snow. R-1's are the only way to go. Others say they will tear up your lawn, but its a tractor not a lawnmower. I have mowed with R-1's for years with no problems. I just wait a few days after a rain.

Chris

 

[jim_n_nh]

I as well have experienced the wonders of r4"s. I have a 1100 ft gravel driveway with 500ft steep. 200ft is at a 20 degree slope. My current tractor is a Kioti lk3054 tlb. With weighted tires and the backhoe close to 6000 pounds. It is useless on the snow but what I do is lightly sprinkle calcium chloride (safety step) on the steepest part of the hill and while that is working go clean out the rest of the drive. You only need a little gravel showing through to easily make the climb back up the hill.

If I keep the tractor I will modify a plow for the front and most likely have chains on the rears. But the heated cab and stereo of the plow truck is pretty nice.

Jim

 

[Z-Michigan]

The only tractor I have (or have had) has R1s, pretty big ones too (16.9x28 rears) with filled rears. Traction in snow, mud, or any condition I have experienced is great. Turning in deep snow requires smooth planned movements - otherwise the front end just plows, even though in 4wd with those big R1s on the front as well - but forward and backward works great. Of course this doesn't do much for you with an L39 that probably doesn't have an R1 option....

 

[diyDave]

Nobody got the joke that I planted in that R1 vs R4 debate thread that, mercifully was shut down by the moderator. If anybody wants to hear it again, let me know, or just go read the closed thread.

 

[RalphVa]

Some folks (incl. me with my Gravely I had) put metal screws into the lugs of R1s or R4s.

Ralph

 

[MrJimi]

I did learn many things about traction from living in Maine more than half my life.
Lot's of weight on drive tires.
Skinny tires will give you more pounds per square foot wide tires will float over snow and not compress it for traction.
and the VolksWagens did the best (the old bugs) except for ground clearance
and studded tires were great till they got banned from use
Jim

 

[otus_branch]

I like the idea of studding the tires with 1/2" sheet metal hex-head screws into the R-4 treads, but I "road" my L-39 quite a bit: sometimes for just a half mile, but occasionally (several times a year) for 18 miles between my land (a 'farm-to-be') and my parents' land (a working market-garden).

This need to "road" the tractor also has me thinking second thoughts about buying those aggressive chains, though the rope trick referenced upthread sounds pretty promising.

-otus

 

[jimmysisson]

How about just getting chains for the fronts? Easy to install and remove, and cheaper, maybe just the boost you need. You'll be able to put them on only when needed, and not disfigure the tires. A sliding tractor really gets your attention, doesn't it?
Jim

 

[streamin]

I put some of those screws on a dirt bike rear tire when I was a teenager and I could do a wheelie on an ice rink!

 

[JerryG]

A guy I know that lives in Canada told me he always put snowmobile stubs in tractor lugs for winter traction. Unlike cars tires studs, the snowmobile studs can be removed.
Snowtech Magazine - Snowmobiles, Snowmobiling, Snowmobile Techncial Data

Some folks (incl. me with my Gravely I had) put metal screws into the lugs of R1s or R4s.

Ralph

 

[Northland]

How about just getting chains for the fronts? Easy to install and remove, and cheaper, maybe just the boost you need. You'll be able to put them on only when needed, and not disfigure the tires. A sliding tractor really gets your attention, doesn't it?
Jim

If you don't want to put screws into the R4's (which I think is a good idea if they stay in place) then I would vote for jimmy's suggestion and put the chains on the front tires only.

I had 4 link v-bar chains on my R4 rear tires until this winter when I bought 2 link v-bars chains for the front R4 tires. My tractor can now climb my 10 foot snowbanks, my tractor drives straight and it doesn't skid sideways at all.

For $100 it was a great investment and as jimmy suggested they are easy to remove and install as they are much smaller and lighter then the big rear chains.

 

[yankeerider]

Improving traction is not only about tires, chains, and weight.

For a number of years I kept open a very steep, maybe 150' road to my back lot, using my 755 with FEL, turf tires and no chains. Now, this isn't an efficient way to work, but for a thrifty (ok, cheap)Yankee, it meant I wasn't spending money on chains or such.

Using the loader, make sure you scrape down to below the snow or ice. If you can't get below the ice, have some sand/salt to spread after you expose it. Push the snow downhill only. When you can't push anymore, fill the bucket and back up the hill (4wd engaged, rear diff locked) and dump the snow up there, keeping the path clear.

The other thing you need to do, if at all possible, is avoid plowing when the temp is at or near to freezing. Cold snow offers traction. Warmer snow packed by the tires-especially a spinning tire- gets icy slippery in an instant. And, as you've experienced, you haven't lived until you've slid backwards down a hill with three of 4 wheels turning trying to move you forward.

After several winters of such fun, I built a woodshed at the top of the hill so I no longer needed to make weekly trips down the hill for the week's supply of firewood.