Larry,
I have hopped over from the JD forum because I have an interest in this topic. I live in western NC and although we do not get NY sized snows often, we do get quite a lot at times (and it get darn cold, too). My area has a unique problem, that being of snow with icy underlay and steep grades, many of which can be greater than 20%. My understanding specifically related to compact tractors, is that the spur gears in many of these lighter weight, higher horsepower machines might not be up to the potential torque peaks that could occur when plowing with front chains. Interestingly though, many of us do this daily when we use our loaders or move gravel, etc. Also, our local dealer has said he recommends against them mainly because people with limited experience do not install them correctly, making a potential for the chain to come loose and damage the tractor or operator. This would not be a issue so much for machines with heavier front differentials and for folks with more plowing experience, such as commercial or municipal plowers. That said, JD for example offers a front tire chain for its compact tractor. This probably says as much as anything about what the company thinks about front chains on its compact machines. One would think (and hope) that if they felt it unsafe or not beneficial, the chain would not be offered. I do not have any now, but have a set on order for our big snow months of Jan and Feb, so that I will not slide off the hill. For me, I would replace a spur gear rather than lose control on a steep unguarded roadside, so my vote is "pro" front chain.
John M
