Thanks for the welcome everybody!
Roy, without knowing a whole lot about plowing a driveway with this tractor, do you really think chains are called for? The tractor is equipped with ag tires and weighs close to 2,000lbs without considering the loader. I hadn't considered chains, as I had assumed that the weight of the tractor, the fact that it is MFWD and has ag tires all around would be sufficient to handle my 200' driveway.
BTW, thanks for the link.
Eric.
Hi Eric!
I'm in southern York County...probably not too too far from you. So, we probably see about the same amount of snow.
I got by without chains for about 8 years. However, 5 or 6 of those years (2003-2007 or 2008) had very little snow. Anyway, I did pretty good without chains on bar turfs (first two years) then Industrials. Now, I did get stuck on occasion and had to use the loader to push me out or a bit of shoveling.
Then the double-whammy of Feb 2010 hit (two 15+ inch storms within a few days of one another) which I'm sure you remember well. That was a lot of snow!!
Anyway, after getting stuck numerous times, I decided chains were in my best interest. So did everyone else, unfortunately...no chains available (15-19.5 Industrial tires are very commonly used...I'd wager the majority of mid-sized CUTs use this size R-4).
During the late Spring, I traded the 790 (with the R-4's) for a 4400 with turfs. I'm sure the tractor would do fine with no chains for most snows (which are 6" or less around here), but wouldn't do so well in greater accumulations...especially if we get another major storm or storms. So, I bought chains (4 Link ladder style since my drive is level and hard packed gravel).
I install the chains after the last mowing of the year (late Oct or no later then mid-November). I have no interest in struggling with chains in the midst of a blizzard.
Although we didn't get a lot of snow last winter, the chains did quite well. I have them on the rear tires only and didn't need MFWD much at all. I did get a lot of practice using the steering brakes though.
How will you do with those Ag tires? Well, can't hurt to try them without chains for a winter or two, then make your decision. I got by for quite a while without them.
My comment in that post applied
if you were planning on getting chains, order them early.
