Snow Chain Recommendation

[John_Mc]

It appears that OFA no longer sells anything called "EKO" chains. It appear the same thing is now sold as "Tapio" Compact tractors would use the Tapio 9 chains. (They also make Tapio 11, 11HD and 13 chains for larger tractors and skidders more than most of us on here would need, I suspect.)

I finally did sell my v-bar Duo Grip chains that have been sitting in my garage for years. Ended up selling them to a guy who lived a few miles down the road who jus bought a tractor a year or so ago. He runs mostly in his own woods, and th eonly over the road use is just a couple hundred yards down the road, so they work well for his needs.

 

[John_Mc]

I'm doing my research. Anyone running the double ring style?

I don't really see them used around here other than by farmers. I did see some on a skidder at one point. I don't know if I've seen them on a compact tractor in at least 20 years (and wasn;t paying much attention to what chains were on CUTs before that

 

[LouNY]

Double ring chains are really only effective in deep snow or mud. Their grip on hard pack or ice is very poor.
The ride on anything but mud or deep snow is so rough it is indescribable.
When used on the older 25-50 hp tractors pulling a manure spreader from the barn to a field close by to spread every day regardless of the weather they enabled you to get the job done when tires alone could not do the job.
They did not help much when plowing snow, they were just a small amount better then bare rubber. You could not use the higher gears to get around with so just 1st and 2nd and putt around on hard ground.
We have used them a few times on the larger tractors on the front axles when they got into situations that 4wd and good rubber wasn't enough, dig out an old set and cobb them onto the front tires as they wouldn't come close to fitting the rears. Use them to get out of the situation then drop them off.

 

[JJT]

I'm doing my research. Anyone running the double ring style?

Me, for 25+ years, only on the rear tires. Great traction in ice, snow or mud. Rough ride on the road....

 

[Fallon]

Front wheels spin about 2-5% faster on most front wheel assist tractors. Helps pull the front ens around when steering in 4wd. Also counters out the fact small front tires wear out a lot faster than rears. Probably contributes to that wear as well.

I figure tire slippage with chains is a non issue. If I have chains on, conditions are bad enough I have less traction with the chains than I would without on dry ground. I haven't broken anything yet due to overloading my front with chains. So much easier to put chains on the front than the rear.

 

[John_Mc]

So much easier to put chains on the front than the rear.

LouNY started a thread a while ago about putting on chains. You can find that description here: Mounting Tire Chains. My method varies slightly form what he described. Those changes are described in response #37 in that thread.

The technique is basically the same as what was described. In the instructions which came with my OFA EKO 8 ("Euro style") chains. I had been doing it that way for years, ever since my friend at the tractor dealership described it to me. After struggling with chain installation with my V-bar Ladder style chains for a couple of years, I asked complained to him what a pain in the butt it was. I ended up trying his system and loved it. It worked on my original ladder chains, then the Duo Grip style, an dI've never used anything else on my current Euro style chains.

As long as I don't wait until it 0˚F and blowing snow out, I can get both my rear chains on in a total of about 20 minutes from the time I lay the chains down on the ground behind the tractor until I'm ready to drive off, with no cussing required.

 

[LouNY]

I'm getting slow, it took me just under an hour this late fall to get my rears mounted.
Of course it was quite cold that afternoon, my fingers would stick to the chains at times.
With my fat fingers couldn't tie the rope on or fasten the links and fastening clips with gloves on.
The fronts were about a half hour a week or two later on a nicer day.
18.4-30 rears and only 11.2-24's for the fronts.

 

[Fallon]

I only have front chains these days. Fronts were good enough so I've never bothered with with the expense or effort to get rear chains on this tractor. Plenty of ways to get rear chains on, but at the end of the day they are a lot heavier to even move around the shop much less put on.

 

[nyone]

I have used double ring chains in all weather and I can tell you that there nearly useless on any type of frozen ground. They dont dig in like flatter style chains because they tend to roll over.

 

[Bushbunnie]

Thanks for all the advice here. I was wondering about a set only for the front