Rear chains

[sal64]

hello vbar chaines make a huge diff i bought them for my jd990 now i can go throu anything without them i was slipping and sliding all over couldnt clime anything i had tires filled and weight box and still no help, only disadvantage is they will dig blacktop if u spin and the are hard to get on very heavy.

 

[bjmsam]

Thanks for the input. After spending several hours reading other threads and compiling the following opinions (which favor 4WD yet suggest that 2WD can usually get the job done), I'm still struggling to decide whether it makes sense to trade my 38hp John Deere 2WD gear shift manual steer (plus cash) for a 33hp Landtrac (bankrupt) 4WD HST with power steering.

The difference for me between chains and no chains was amazing. I have a large CUT, (L3710), with loaded R4's and a FEL and a 78" snow blower. I did a test, without the chains 18" of snow was enough to force me to use the diff lock with 4wd to go more than 20 feet, with the chains I was able to do several 1 acres loops using 2wd and no diff lock.

Of course with the snow blower I never need to drive thru deep snow, I just need to follow the blower.... My drive is long and has a good rise, chains prevent slipping and sliding.

Chains can also be used in the mud.

Plowing up hill on hot top doesn't work real well, even with 4 WD.

i have ring chains on the rear of my ag tired, L4400. i can do most of my plowing in 2wd, and am not afraid to brake-steer. i can easily push snow that is hood-level in 2wd. i only use 4x4 when extra icy.

My previous tractors were 2WD and I run chains on them year around and they did what I needed them to do in the snow. I will have to say it is nice having 4WD when the going get tough.

You can use tire chains but they are very expensive and tend to dig things up. I went the 2wd way with the tractor I owned before my 1920 and moving snow was difficult even with chains.

I am a big fan of 4WD in light weight tractors but the truth is that most of the time I operate in 2WD. My father-in-law used a 2WD IH cub low boy for years to mow the lawn, plow the snow and pull a cart. Hills, loose soil and mud are some of the reasons for 4WD.

for my property a 2wd with chains is going to push as much snow as a 4wd. A 2wd with a chains and blower is the same as 4wd. A 2wd will mow a lawn as well. A 2wd with a bush hog will mow the pasture.
Now don't get me wrong, I know the 4wd will do MORE than a 2wd and it adds power because of the added traction. But to be reasonable you must look at need.
I'm know a little about marketing and the biggest plus for the 4wd is it has been marketed to make the average Joe believe he has to have 4wd to get any thing done.

I agree that if your tasks are limited to what you mention, a 2WD will do you fine. I had one, and although there were times when snow blowing that I wished I had a 4WD, I managed to complete the job fairly easily.

Had a Ford 800 2wd and even with chains I had to plow snow, most of the time downhill with rear blade angled to push or to pull if snow wasn't too deep & I kid you not.

A word of caution:

Most 4wd CUTS have much weaker front drive trains as they are designed to 'assist' rather than really work.
Just look at the wheel size differance as compared to a front end loader.
I believe that chains on the front could really contribute to damage to the front drive train. (don't ask why I know)
The answer is really rear weight and good chains.
A buddy who has a front mounted blower just had the whole front end break loose on his 500hr 2 year old tractor!
I will cost him a rad, fan assy, plus lots of misc parts and labor.
He is probably facing a $3000. repair bill.
The dealer reminded him that a tractor is meant to pull implements as the basic design is for farming.

The wife's stepdad keeps reinforcing to me the big difference having chains make. He's been plowing snow for years without problem using chains on a 2WD Ford.

I have a 1620 that is 4WD and has turf tires on it. I needed to use it in the woods on occasion in the winter and even in 4wd it would not go up some of the slight hills. Same issue if it was muddy.

I found a set of heavy duty ladder chains on EBAY for under $80 (what a deal). ... in the snow and mud it is basically unstoppable. I sometimes don't even have to use the 4wd.

my 4wd tractor with no chains and calcium-loaded R1's can push virtual mountains of snow and it cleans right down to the stone or blacktop driveway even in icey conditions. ... I previously used the same blade on a smaller 2wd tractor with calcium-loaded R1's with chains. That setup worked OK but the chains scratched up the blacktop and it could only push about half the snow with out spinning the chained tires as my new 4wd pushes without chains. In fact, I cant recall if the tires have ever spun while pushing snow with the new, big 4wd. I think that the ammount of snow you can push is mostly determined by the weight of your tractor. Tire type matters also (R1's are best) and chains will help especially on ice, but there is no substitute for weight. Also remember that it is best to have the plow on a drive axle. That means you can put one on the front or back of a 4wd but it should always be on the back of a 2wd.

I would not buy a 2WD tractor either for snow clearing or for loader work. I live on flat property and I still would not buy any thing other than a 4WD. That said, I do know a number of people that clear snow with a 2WD just fine but they do use chains.

Chains will make a world of difference on a light tractor. So will added ballast.

...

We had about 14 inches of wet snow this last Wednesday, and while I spent most of the time with the fronts in the air, steering with the brakes, I did not lack for traction.

I've used chains in the past on a 2wd Ford 2000 - They worked great. Just a little tough on the pavement if you happen to spin 'em.

used an 8N(vintage 2WD tractor) on a 200' driveway w/ 10% average slope with a rear blade no chains for years. with the wet snow weight added to the blade helps.

As for traction gain,,,, there's no way to explain to someone that's not ran chains how much you gain. On snow or ice, a 2wd tractor with chains will easily outwork a 4wd tractor without chains.

The only time I needed chains was with a 2WD tractor (Cub Lowboy w/ front blade) I had years ago. It had turfs, and wouldn't even move, let alone push snow without chains. With chains it was almost as good as 4WD.

I've got the V bars on my 2wd Ferguson TO-35 and they are amazing! I am almost able to plow up hill.

They do chew up concrete so I have to hand shovel the pad infront of my garage.

If there are any hills, you will need chains probably all around with 4WD. I never tried just front or rear, but I do know that you can easily slide down a hill with chains all around in 2WD. (not a good feeling).

Chains on the rear will make a world of difference. I use double rings when the ice gets bad, they're also useful in the mud. No way would I chain up the front. I'm sure a little weight up front wouldn't hurt, but adding the chains will easily double or triple your traction in the snow and ice.

I did a little experiment when I first got my chains, I drove into 12"+ of hard snow in 2 wd and went less than 30', made it another 20' or so with the diff locked, 4wd got me a little further in. I had to use 4wd and the diff lock to get out. On went the chains and I circled my front yard, (10+ acres), in 2wd, no diff lock.

You will have better control of the 2wd in the snow. When plowing snow, much of the steering is done with the brakes. You put some good hog ring chains on that thing and there almost won't be snow you couldn't plow. I plowed my driveway with a JD model 50 for years, and during the blizzards, I would plow out the neighbors driveways because their little 30 horse 4wd's couldn't push it. They would nibble at it like hitting a boulder with a chipping hammer. I could push a full blades worth. The only thing that would stop me was that the blade wasn't high enough.

I had a 2WD tractor till about 10 or so years ago. It had turfs. My mowing includes some small hilly areas, and if the grass was wet - even with dew - things were a bit dicey. I had chains for the rears, and with the chains on it went almost like 4WD in the snow. Without the chains, it wouldn't move.

For plowing snow on pavement, the chains didn't really help that much, they scuffed up the driveway, and made for an uncomfortable ride, so I don't use them for snow removal.

For several years in MI I plowed fairly deep snow with a 2WD Allis Chalmers D14. I used a 7 foot rear blade, R1's with wheel weights and tire chains. It was very effective, but the chains were the main advantage. When I would remove them I went no where.

Then I started using my 4WD L4330 Kubota with R1's, 7' rear blade, no chains, loaded tires, wheel weights and it was even better. Never stuck.

The blade also has some nice shoes which prevent it from digging in before the ground is froze up good over stone sections. I use it on a 43 hp 4wd with loaded R1's, no chains and I have never lost traction although I do not have hills. This tractor pushes much better than the old 2wd I used previously which had loaded R1's and chains. I also no longer need to reseal my blacktop driveways each year because of chain damage.

With a 2wd tractor such as yours mounting ballast and chains will allow you to plow most things.

Some parts of my asphalt driveway are steep. On my old tractor, 2WD, I had to use chains, etc and still there was a good deal of slippage and wheel spinning.

The tire chains do help with traction. I can now operate the tractor in 2wd over terrain that used to require the tractor to be operating in fwd.

I just installed Duo-grip chains from Tirechain.com on Saturday. The chains really fit very well, and the amount of difference in traction was quite amazing. I was able to plow up a hill in 2wd, with the diff. locked, that I was having trouble climbing in 4wd, not plowing. I haven't had a chance to try them on ice, yet, but I would think if you have constant, heavy ice, the v-bars would be the only way to go.

I have been plowing my fathers driveway for the last 25 years with the FEL bucket on his 2wd 2440 but i have been using chains because without4wd you second you hit an ice patch your all done.

I owned an 8N for more than 20 years and used it to plow the driveway and then some. I had a 6 1/2' Meyers plow mounted to the FEL. however, I never had a rear blade on it.

That tractor with 2wd with chains did really well in the snow and ice. They weigh more than tractors of the same horsepower today and the weight was more on the rear wheels.

Moving snow with a front plow allows you to go a little faster than you can with a rear blade. Speed is your friend most of the time when moving snow. Also front mounted snow plows tend to be higher than rear blades and will carry more snow and roll it better.

4wd makes getting through the snow and up hills much easier.

When ever plowing or bucketing with either my TN or 2120 I steer with the brakes. Bucket float makes no difference. what I am pushing is always off center enough to pull me one wy or the other. The parking lot at my building has enough slope so that I am always sliding downhill. 4WD or 2WD makes no difference, I'd be lost with out usuable split pedals. One bid negative aganst most hydro setups in my opinion.

I've had pretty good success pushing snow with my B6100DT. Most of the time I don't run it in 4wd.

I do not like chains either, they are a hassle to put on, can potentially damage the fenders and provide an awful ride.

My dad has used a 1960ish 2wd MF Industrial 30 w/a FEL and a 6' bucket plowing snow here in upstate for ~15 years now, it has well worn R1's on it (or they might be R4's, I dunno), with loaded rears and wheel weights. last winter we found a set of chains for $150 and put them on, it makes worlds of difference on ice, before when he spun a little it turned to ice and he couldn't go anywhere, now it just goes.

2WD with chains is better than 4WD

One advantage of 4 wheel drive is you may be able to get along without chains for snow plowing if that is an intended use, especially if you have ag tires. Chains can be a clearence problem with fenders and front tie rod ends.

Sometimes a larger 2wd tractor will out work a smaller 4wd unit simply because of the weight factor.

 

[Dead Horse]

Awesome tip!

Thanks!

There is no need for side tensioners if you get them on tight.
Take a small rope, power saw starter ropes work great.
When doing up your chains use the rope to pull the ends together. One for each side
Tie it to one end then looping it through the other, then back through the first, repeat until you have a couple loops too increase the pull. (think of a pulley block and tackle)
Now pull the ropes tight and tie the end off. Forget about the chain clasps for now,the ropes will hold it.
Drive ahead and repeat until you have all the slack gathered up.
Your chains will stay on, grip better and wear better if they are tight.

Take it from a guy whose has installed a mountain of 1000 lb tire chains on big skidders (chains too heavy to man handle). This system works better then any chain jack you can buy (we have tried them) because you can snug it up and drive ahead without worrying about hitting the jack on your fender. A boot lace will work in a pinch too.
Ken

 

[Deadman]

If you have enough rear weight, your tractor should do just fine.
But as you lift, you take traction off of the rear tires, and thats when a 4wd shines. When my 2520 starts spinning, I lift the loader up a tad and that puts all the weight on the front axle, and it literally sling-shots you ahead.

 

[bjmsam]

I can see how 4WD is particularly important for lighter tractors like your 2520, which at 1865 lbs (not counting ballast box) with 14.0-17.5 R4s is roughly half the weight of my 1050 at 3600 lbs (not counting tire ballast) with 13.6-28 R1s. I'm increasingly optimistic that chains will suffice and am leaning toward ordering a pair of duo-grips (I'd rather get double rings, but ladder types aren't as compatible with ag tires), which I will try not to let spin on my paved driveway!

 

[etcallhome]

B6100E is only 2wd and wondering if rear chains would give it enough pushing for to clear heavy snow with a hydraulic blade on the front.

If you are putting any amount of down pressure down on that blade , and like snowman said depending on surface . I plow on concrete, asphalt, and gravel .
My personal driveway is concrete and a neighbors both pretty good slope, this past Sat. while the storm was hitting, R4 Tires and chains on rear I could not plow in a straight line with any amount of down pressure.
Same on the asphalt later that evening Gravel I don't seem to notice that much difference. But on my driveway I would be replacing my garage doors about everytime I plow if I didn't have chains.

just my 2 cents

Merry Christmas

Have fun and be safe !!

 

[ChuckinNH]

I can see how 4WD is particularly important for lighter tractors like your 2520, which at 1865 lbs (not counting ballast box) with 14.0-17.5 R4s is roughly half the weight of my 1050 at 3600 lbs (not counting tire ballast) with 13.6-28 R1s. I'm increasingly optimistic that chains will suffice and am leaning toward ordering a pair of duo-grips (I'd rather get double rings, but ladder types aren't as compatible with ag tires), which I will try not to let spin on my paved driveway!

The duo grip chains have great traction, but they really ride rough on any kind of pavement. I bought some, and wouldn't do it again for my use. Since you usually don't get them in sync side to side it's like riding on two oval wheels that are out of time.

 

[bjmsam]

The duo grip chains have great traction, but they really ride rough on any kind of pavement. I bought some, and wouldn't do it again for my use. Since you usually don't get them in sync side to side it's like riding on two oval wheels that are out of time.

Won't any chain above the lugs cause a rough ride? Double ladders may be smoothest for R4s, but I'm not sure they would work for R1s. Chain patterns vs tire types

These might, however:

 

[sal64]

 

[Deadman]

Mine are not rough, because the chains are so closely spaced.