Snow Equipment Owning/Operating S'no traction at all

[moship]

From my experience the difference between adding rear weight or chains is significant when it comes to traction. The 1st year the JD 750 (turf tires) was used with a JD 7A backhoe that added about 1100 lbs to rear of a 1900 lb tractor, plus the boom could be adjusted to shift the center of gravity. It was getting embarrassing how easy it was to get stuck or have insufficient traction. After adding conventional chains I never got stuck once in 12 years and in these 12 years I was significantly more aggressive in taking the tractor into traction limited situations. After adding chains a simple rear blade was used in the rear which couldn't have weighed more than 300 lbs.

My neighbor had a similar sized tractor as the JD750 (Kubota 9200 w/turf tires) with calcium filled tires and he had to go to chains also. He chose the rubber chains option because he didn't like the lumpy ride conventional chains give, plus he didn't have the tire/inner fender clearance needed for metal chains (we attempted to put my chains on his tractor). He leaves the rubber chains mounted year round and based on the longevity and traction he experienced, elected to go with them on my current tractor. After 3 years of use I've been very happy with them. I am not saying rubber chains are for everyone, but they are more durable and aid traction significantly. If it wasn't for seeing how they worked for my neighbor over many years, I'm not certain I would have purchased them. Then again, I don't have much inner fender clearance either.

Yes rear weight will aid traction, but the % increase is not comparable to chains based on what I've experience. Others and your experience may differ.

Good luck and I hope you find the traction your looking for.

 

[MikePA]

This is my first winter using anything other than a shovel to clear snow. I have a NH TC45DA with front end loader. Worked like a champ for our first two snows of the season. Today, not so much. I got stuck twice on what was essentially level asphalt.

It was markedly colder than before (10F) and when pushing snow on the asphalt part of the driveway, I had hardly any traction at all. The rubber tires were actually leaving ice prints that matched the tread - anywhere I was going, the weighted tires were compressing snow and making ice. Where the wheels would spin I'd make a sheet of ice. The snow conditions were 8" of powder on a clean cold driveway - it cleaned up completely with a broom. On the gravel part I had no issues, just the asphalt sections. My car with snow tires got around just fine.

What are my options when the rubber tires have no grip on the asphalt? I certainly don't think chains will be safe for the asphalt. It's not like it's a spot or two where I can spread cinders or salt - the whole 700' was super slick.

Hi David,

I'm a few miles south of you near Ski Round Top, have a TC25D, R4s, rear wheel weights and had (and have had) the same experience. Fortunately, our area doesn't receive these kinds of snowfalls all that frequently. My theory is, the paved driveway, being black, absorbs heat from the sun. The initial snowfall melts then the snow on top of it insulates it (to some extent), then when you uncover it, it instantly freezes into ice. I noticed this on the driveway where I used a shovel. Removed the snow, underneath the driveway is black, and within a minute, it's ice. I've also seen the same thing you did, no snow removal attachment removes all the snow and what's left compresses into ice. I managed to finish the 3 driveways I plow, but had all four wheels spinning at times. I also decided not to plow one area of a neighbors driveway that has a slight slope to it because I've slid on it before and sliding off the paved area sends me down an embankment . What do I do about it? I started siping the tires last summer but never finished (we won't get one of those storms again). So, I will finish the siping this summer and see how next winter goes. The rubber chains look interesting as well. Given the length of your driveway, I'd opt for the rubber chains.

Finally, I have plowed these same 3 driveways, and occasionally a 4th, using a FEL for over 10 years and it has worked fine. I have a rear blade I could use and could never see the benefit, in our area, of having to twist around in the seat to use it, then still have to use the FEL to move snow piles.:confused2: Push the snow off the driveway with the FEL, or until the bucket is full, dump it, repeat. With the snow we got yesterday, I even used the FEL to plow a 400' path down the road to our barn since the township had not plowed the road yet. I got about 350' when I lost traction. Use the FEL to dump the snow pile on the side of the road and continue.

 

[k0ua]

This would be in the "only my opinion" department, but here goes. When you have one of those driveway instantly turning into ice situations I don't think the siped tires or the rubber tire chains will help much. Here is my theory of operations on the siping of the tires. They provide many more surfaces for snow to stick into vs. the regular R4 lugs, much the way a snow tire works. The snow sticking in the grooves actually has a higher coefficient of friction with the new snow you roll over, giving you more traction. The rubber tire chains work by acting like paddles to push against the new snow giving you a little better traction. Now we come to ice on the asphalt. I don't think either will make much difference. What I do think will make a difference is either metal chains or studs. They break down thru the surface interface layer of ice/water and since the weight of the tractor puts tremendous pressure on some very small area of the metal chains contact patch, it bites down into the ice and gives very good traction. Studs work the same way on ice by biting down into the ice/water surface, down into the solid ice. Chains probably work a bit better in snow than studs, and studs probably work a bit better in pure solid ice than chains, but they both work well. Do chains and studs cause damage to your asphalt, yes, they do, some more than others. But I believe they will all, even the 2 link simple cross chains put little "checks" in the surface of your asphalt. This is mostly cosmetic for the simple 2 link cross chains, and more damaging for something like the talon chains. There you have my thoughts on a very technical subject, that I have no qualifications in.

 

[Earl Ohl]

This is my first winter using anything other than a shovel to clear snow. I have a NH TC45DA with front end loader. Worked like a champ for our first two snows of the season. Today, not so much. I got stuck twice on what was essentially level asphalt.

It was markedly colder than before (10F) and when pushing snow on the asphalt part of the driveway, I had hardly any traction at all. The rubber tires were actually leaving ice prints that matched the tread - anywhere I was going, the weighted tires were compressing snow and making ice. Where the wheels would spin I'd make a sheet of ice. The snow conditions were 8" of powder on a clean cold driveway - it cleaned up completely with a broom. On the gravel part I had no issues, just the asphalt sections. My car with snow tires got around just fine.

What are my options when the rubber tires have no grip on the asphalt? I certainly don't think chains will be safe for the asphalt. It's not like it's a spot or two where I can spread cinders or salt - the whole 700' was super slick.

Lots of good ideas in this thread. Here's another idea. Next time you have your driveway sealcoated, get the sealcoating with sand mixed in. It helps a bunch with traction issues. My BIL works for Sealmaster & that's how I found out about that.