New Aquiline Talon tire chains!

[Oldpath05]

I'm sure and positive if I got hold of Aquiline Talon tire chain people, and complained, they'd say that's the first we ever heard of chains breaking or I had them on to tight, to loose, weather was to cold, to hot, global warming, Murphy's law, act of God........
I'll have to measure my chains to see exactly what they are, maybe there 5/16 or 8mm instead of 9mm-3/8 then check out these Telefsdal tire chains, I'd like to here someone pronounce that name.

 

[crazyal]

I use my chains pretty hard trying to break up ice on the driveway. I get a little speed up and then either brake or even go into reverse forcing the wheels to spin so the studs shred the ice. After 4 seasons mine look like new. Hardly any rust on them. It sounds like your chains either didn't get hardened or maybe they saw too much and are brittle. I would call Aquiline, what's the worse that can happen? Maybe they are a stand up company?

 

[jimainiac]

I'd just like to mention another excellent brand of chains, Trygg, also made in Norway. I got a set last winter for our Kubota L3830 and they're great. I bought the "Flexi" style, which have the nice feature of adjustable side links, three per side on each chain. In my case, I shortened them by one link in each place to give them the proper fit without the need for tensioners. In their instructions and their video on the internet, they recommend enough slack in the cross chains to put a fist between the chain and the tire. Very high quality.

 

[Freddieboy]

Here is the video......

TRYGG Installation part 2 - YouTube

 

[dave1949]

Canadian Chains [Home]

This place near Skowhegan is where I bought my Telefsdal chains. Still a bit of a ride from Liberty, but it's a source. They probably do not stock on-hand the chain you would want, so calling is advisable if you are interested.

 

[Oldpath05]

According to that Trygg tire chain video, I have my Talon tire chains on way to tight, I cant get my fist under my chains, just the flat part of my hand. What's the reasoning for chains being that loose? It absolutely makes no since to me to have tire chains loose as a goose, and then put chain tensioner's/bungee cords etc. on it. On that Trygg video, they use a chain on the out side for some reason, it sure would be nice if I could stand there and watch , and ask questions, why you doing this, why you doing that?
When I plowed snow with my ATV, for the past 15-20 years (before it burnt up), I ALLWAYS let the air out, then put the chains on tight, then put air back in the tire so the chain tighter than a banjo, and the chains never broke, and those tire chains was no ware's as big as the Talon chains on my tractor.
But what really struck me was the guy was putting chains on the FRONT FRONT wheel, and that tire look as big as my rear tire on my tractor. Norway must have stronger front ends on there tractors, every body around here says, don't put chains on the front because it will break/brake the front end, I'm gonna put that Norway tractor on my Christmas list.

 

[crazyal]

I have my chains on tight as well. I have them cut so that they are very tight and as I use them they loosen up to the point that you might get a finger under the chain, not a fist. The US distributor for Telledsfal was in New Hampshire. The dealer I bought the chains from said they got free shipping because the salesman would come up once a week from New Hampshire and would just bring the chains with him. I don't know where though. What I'm wondering is if comapnies like Aquiline, Trygg, and Telledsfal just buy the chain in bulk from the same supplier. They all seam to have the same types of chains.

 

[Coyote machine]

Another possibility is Aquiline MPCs which is what I run. They're meant for low clearance fenders, don't have the talon barbs and have worked great for me last winter. They're no a logging in the woods type chain, more of an all purpose, driveway, parking lot chain....
Oldpath05, I'd definitely give the manufacturer a call and discuss your situation...lots of companies want satisfied customers, you owe it to yourself to try, IMHO.:confused3:

 

[Gordon Gould]

According to that Trygg tire chain video, I have my Talon tire chains on way to tight, I cant get my fist under my chains, just the flat part of my hand. What's the reasoning for chains being that loose? It absolutely makes no since to me to have tire chains loose as a goose, and then put chain tensioner's/bungee cords etc. on it.

There are two reasons I know of to have the chains loose.
First picture a car tire with a tight chain. This is good. Because the tire is relitively flat with a tight tread design compared to the chain link size. No matter what the tire rolls over the chain will have a tire backing. The tire will support the vehicle not the chain and the tension in the chain will not increase.
Now put a tight chain on an ag tire where the chain bridges big void spaces between the tire lugs. When the chain rolls over a rock between two lugs there is a hole there so there is no tire backing behind the chain. Now the weight of the tractor is being held up by a short piece of chain bridged across two lugs. The tire is no longer supporting the tractor the chain is. The tension in the chain increases to many times the weight of the tractor. Think of it this way - tie a 20' rope to a tree about 3' off the ground. Run the rope thru a concrete block lying on the ground 10' away. Grab the other end of the rope about belt high and pull horizontally to pick up the block. The pull or tension in the rope has to be much, much greater than the block weight to pick it up. Basically the same thing happens to tight chains on ag tires, there is tremendous pressure on the lugs and high tension on the chain. If you loosen the chains they can collapse down between the lugs and be supported by the tire. The chain tension will not skyrocket. You get your traction where the chain goes over the top of the lugs.
Adding tensioners lets then run tight but also allows the chains to stretch down between the lugs.

The second reason for loose chains is so they will be self unloading of packed snow or mud. The loose chain shakes the packed snow off the chain/tire so it won't build up an reduce traction.

Edit - I don't t run tensioners on mine, I have plenty of clearance so the chains don't hit anything. They stay centered just fine.

gg

 

[Coyote machine]

Stated another way, if they have slack the chain can move to a position of less stress and not break in the process. Slack is good. The chain will still give 'gription', maybe just in the next set of links in any given stressed section event. Now if you tie a mouse to a treadmill and light a fire under the mouse's arse, you will definitely get traction.:anyone: