Slippin Slidin...

[MikeyB]

I have a 3320 with 300CX loader and moved alot of snow today after our blizzard here outside of Denver. Got 36" and drifts up to 7' high. It was cold enough that it iced up and I had no traction whatsoever. I had a 6' blade on back with a wooden weight box that I built that holds chains etc. for weight. I am impressed with the tractor except for the traction. I was getting enormous bucketloads of snow but the traction problem was torquing me off. What do most of you guys do: chains, loaded tires, tire weights, etc? Chains seem so so with the small clearance with the fenders, calcium rusts tire rims, so what do you guys do? Thanks for any replies.

Mike

 

[orlo]

Hi:

I assume your running R4's. If it was pure ICE I'm not sure much would help but I would load the tires (900+lbs) and put a ballast box on the back. The 3320 will take a lot of weight. I have a concrete filled box for 1000lbs in back AND loaded tires (900+lbs). You'd be surprised how light the rear wheels can get without proper ballast on the back. before I loaded the tires I used to 'skid' down a small slope in my yard pulling an 84" RFM (Actually I guess it was 'pushing' me down the hill), and that was with NO weight in the bucket (In fact, I think it was with the bucket off but the loader On I think).

I have yet to use my 3320 in the snow (I envy you... but my 2305 works well with R4's snowblowing with just the loaded tires even on pretty icy stuff. Any weight I add on top of that is just gravy. Using the bucket in snow adds a whole new issue since you are unloading the rear tires with the heavy load in the bucket (It's basically a big see saw with your rear wheels as the pivot).

I'm no expert but I'd load the tires first (Cheap) and that'll give you another 900+lbs (with the larger R4's - The stuff mine are filled with is 11lbs/gal) right over the tires. And if that's still not enough Put 1000+lbs on the back. If that doesn't work I think your choices are R1's or chains. Although I have heard that the turf special tires (Very expensive) are pretty good on ice and snow also.

 

[zzvyb6]

My tractor (4wd) also had poor traction until I chlorided the rear tires and added a full front bar of iron weights (600 lbs). Tire pressure is very important and correct front/rear pressure ratio is critical with 4wd because the slip ratio must be exact. Otherwise the fronts will eat all the drive torque when spinning. A plow does a better job for me than a loader because I want to keep the machine moving in the presence of heavy, wet snow. Stopping to back-up is a waste of time. Also, for me, keeping the plow blade as close to the front tires as possible helped immensly on my 1070 because the blade side force does not try to counter-steer the tractor as much. I tried to use a blade on the loader arms but it's too much trouble to keep the tractor going straight without constantly using L/R brake steer. Now I can keep the machine moving in top range and do the drive (800') and the whole street in just 1 pass. You'd never do that with a loader....

One more thing (2 actually) . Brands and tread patterns of tires make a huge difference in snow traction but you will pay for this in wear rates. Also be sure to check front toe because the scrub of an improperly aligned front axle affects traction (and wear).

 

[NoMo]

A couple of weeks ago we got over 1/2" of ice topped off by ~12" of snow with drifts up to 3ft. Even with unloaded R4s, my 3520 had no traction problems at all. Of course, we have no hills on our place but I was still impressed on how the tractor performed flawlessly in the snow-covered ice.

I think these things helped:
1) I used "B" range instead of the lower-geared "A" range.

2) I keep the MotionMatch setting to "long_9" or thereabouts. This greatly reduces pedal response so I didn't immediately break traction.

3) I run the minimum allowable air pressure in my tires to get maximum traction.

 

[Havoctec]

As others have said, weight is your freind when you are looking for traction. However, if you are not on flat ground and there is ice, more weight just means a bigger mass sliding down the hill.

The only way to get complete control of your tractor on ice is to use chains or studded tires. I have chains on all four and have no problem on our 1/4 mile drive/hill and it is steep. We can get a good run at the drive and it is still difficult to get up it at times durring the winter.

I would not be without chains. The traction is awsome.

 

[minimax]

I have a 3720 cab tractor and we had some snow 3 weeks ago and it got very icey and I had very little traction with loaded tires but I got some quick fit chains for the front wheels only and that thing will go anywhere with the chains on!! I plow a few 25-30% driveways and with the chains on I have no prob. with getting traction

minimax

 

[RalphVa]

Chains make a big different in slick snow or ice. I had them for my Gravely. It would push my 4' plow with dual turfs, but I had to put chains on to push the heavy snow blower.

BE SURE TO SECURE any loose ends on chains. A loose end on one of mine on the Gravely caught on a brake backer spring and broke a chain. Thought it was gonna tear the tire for before the chain broke.

Just before I bought my JD, I bought a set of dual ags for the Gravely and put some metal screws into the outer part of the lugs. Never had enough snow or ice to try this out, and was using my JD by that time, too. With metal screws into the lugs, you don't have the problem of a loose chain catching on something. Chains are difficult (at least on the Gravely with its tiny wheels) to keep tight, too. On a bigger tractor, you could use tension cords to keep them tight.

I've loaded tires on my JD and haven't had any tractor problems in snow with it, with turf tires in 4wd. Not much slope to my driveway, but there's a little hill just up from the cul-de-sac that I ran the JD with FEL up in the snow.

Ralph

 

[JJT]

I have a 3320 with 300CX loader and moved alot of snow today after our blizzard here outside of Denver. Got 36" and drifts up to 7' high. It was cold enough that it iced up and I had no traction whatsoever. I had a 6' blade on back with a wooden weight box that I built that holds chains etc. for weight. I am impressed with the tractor except for the traction. I was getting enormous bucketloads of snow but the traction problem was torquing me off. What do most of you guys do: chains, loaded tires, tire weights, etc? Chains seem so so with the small clearance with the fenders, calcium rusts tire rims, so what do you guys do? Thanks for any replies.

Mike

1) Load the tires, but install a tube. I had a flat 2 years ago and I watched the off road service guy put in a new tube. The inside of the wheels were still shiny. I wouldn't worry about CaCL with a tube.

2) Get a set of chains and keep them tight. I have a set of double rings, the traction is amazing. I can go places with the chains in 2wd with an open diff that I cannot get to using 4wd and a locked diff.