SNOW

[CBB]

My concerns about snow plowing have been put to rest. I have the CK20 with V-Bar chains on the front tires and Rim Guard for weight in all four industrial tires. The tractor has a heated Sims cab, scraper blade on the back and 54” bucket on the front.

Our neighbor has a bigger Kubota with out chains or weight in the tires and ag. Tires and that tractor was worthless in the winter for plowing. Slipped everywhere, just terrible. I was afraid the CK20 might be the same but it is great.

 

[Thomas]

Evening CBB.
Its good to get the little things figure out before ole man winter dumps heavy loads...plow on.

Kubota..."Tires and that tractor was worthless in the winter for plowing. Slipped everywhere, just terrible."...be interesting to know the circumstances what cause the problem...worn tires,wrong range for snow removing etc...

 

[Dmace]

That heated cab sure is nice in the winter, aint it?

 

[CBB]

Evening CBB.
Its good to get the little things figure out before ole man winter dumps heavy loads...plow on.

Kubota..."Tires and that tractor was worthless in the winter for plowing. Slipped everywhere, just terrible."...be interesting to know the circumstances what cause the problem...worn tires,wrong range for snow removing etc...

Good question. This is a very old Kubota with one of the first Woods front loaders. The reason it was bad is that it had no weight in the front, good tires but no chains and no weight in the tires. We always used the JD 990 with chains to do the plowing for ours and four other homes. When the JD went into the shop last winter, we borrowed the usually parked in the winter Kubota and that is how we learned to appreciate weights on the front of a tractor, loaded tires and chains. It is really not so much that this tractor is Kubota as it is just not properly outfitted for the job we want to do with it. I will say we have three Kubotas on the hill, one JD, one Ford and one Kioti. The little Kubota is bullet proof...it is like a 2200 or something...so old the numbers are gone but it starts right up and works great but is used only 5-6 times a year for specialty jobs. The other two Kubotas are a real pain. Just endless problems that I am not going to detail. The JD is good. Had some problems last year because my Dad uses reservation gas and it tends to have some water in it...more than fuel additives would fix but I fixed that by siphoning and now have a tank for the tractors and that diesel is better quality and has no tax and so is cheaper by 30 plus cents a gallon over the reservation. The old Ford is like a stallion out to pasture...mostly parked but great for hauling a wood wagon and brush hogging. The Kioti is a really nice tool. It will fit down the row for spraying, is a heated cab and works well. I just did the driveway with a sweatshirt on in 20 degree temps and was toasty and actually enjoyed the job.
Those v-bar chains are most excellent.
I will get some pictures of some fun mods I have been making on the tractor but that is for another post.

 

[CBB]

That heated cab sure is nice in the winter, aint it?

Hey Derek,

I was at the Friday fish fry a few hours ago with my neighbors and we got to talking tractors and all the ole timers went on about how they like the cold and snow and how they just put a mask hat on if it really cold. I smiled and did not comment but I suspect they will change their tunes in no time. Some of these Southern WNY winter days and nights can be pretty fierce.
Yes. That heated cab is very nice!

 

[VictorW]

I had the cold and snow in my face the last few days. The CK30hst pushes snow fine, it just gets a little cold. Maybe I should think about a heated cab.
Or maybe not. The wife feels so bad for me when I come in that she has a hot cup of tea ready and asks me if I want anything else. A heated cab would ruin all that.

 

[LBrown59]

My concerns about snow plowing have been put to rest. I have the CK20 with V-Bar chains on the front tires and Rim Guard for weight in all four industrial tires. The tractor has a heated Sims cab, scraper blade on the back and 54” bucket on the front.

Our neighbor has a bigger Kubota with out chains or weight in the tires and ag. Tires and that tractor was worthless in the winter for plowing. Slipped everywhere, just terrible. I was afraid the CK20 might be the same but it is great.

Hard on the drive train not recommended.
Been several post about this.

 

[Oleozz]

I am not a fan of snow but am a bit curious to see how the 45 cab does in the white stuff. I have ag tires and loaded rears, no chains but never really needed the chains for my JD 870 and it had turf tires but I had to plow down the driveway. CBB, it sounds like you have a neat setup.

 

[VictorW]

Oleozz, A friend has a 45 cab without loaded rears and plows his 1/4 mile driveway using a 7 ft. backblade. It has R4 tires and he doesn't have a problem even with a foot or more of snow. I think yours will do fine unless you get on ice, which all tractors have problems without chains but I can usually get at least one tire on good ground. My CK30hst does fine with R4s not loaded and no chains. Have fun this winter if you haven't had all ready. A foot was dumped in two days last week and I got some seat time.

 

[CBB]

Hard on the drive train not recommended.
Been several post about this.

Thanks for the post. I did some checking, read the posts and then made the decision to buy the front chains. I think it will be fine but if not, sure will make a post about it.

 

[Oleozz]

Victor---Sorry to hear that you had some snow , must have been lake effect In the part of Pa where I live we have just had a few flurries so far and would suit me fine if it stayed that way all winter. Glad your 30 is doing the job, I debated about getting the R4's but do some field work in the spring and thought maybe I needed the extra traction.

 

[LarryRB]

Hard on the drive train not recommended.
Been several post about this.

Well, maybe so, however,, for the last hundred years or so, here in New England all municipalities and contractors have always used chains on the front tires only. I worked the local highway dpt myself, and never once can remember chains on the rears of any loader or backhoe tractor.... Even those few good years, some years back now, that the "bull" blade was mounted on our grader, it was chains on the front only... You have tremendous pulling power with chained front tires. I have never known or heard of chained fronts to cause a single problem for any contractor or municipality yet...

 

[Thomas]

Morning LarryRB.
One town over from us there highway department run chains on ther Cat 9?? loader,the loader has 45 degree plow w/wing and used for plowing snow on dirt roads also steep grade roads...man ole man its something to watch that Cat loader wing back those snow banks.

 

[Oleozz]

So what is the truth about running chains on the front tires of 4wd tractors? I went back and reread about 100 posts on chain use and some people are adament about not using them and others put them on and say they have no problems.

 

[LBrown59]

So what is the truth about running chains on the front tires of 4wd tractors? I went back and reread about 100 posts on chain use and some people are adament about not using them and others put them on and say they have no problems.

I'm inclined to lean toward the Nay Sayers.

 

[LarryRB]

I'm inclined to lean toward the Nay Sayers.

Well
pretty hard to argue with many, many years of municipalities that use chains on fronts only and no one has had problems. I've run probably three thousand hours, over a thirty year period on JD 710 TLB's, and these are about the largest loader backhoes one can get on rubber tires. All were four wheel drive, all ran St. Pierre roller chains on front. Never had a problem. Never ruined a tire or axle part.,.. Hundreds and hundreds of New England towns and many in upper New York state have been doing this since four wheel tractors have been around,, I have yet to hear of a problem. Of course there can be one somewhere and I or others are not aware of it.. Now, I have a Kubota L48 TLB with R4's. I have no need for chains even though my driveway is sloped upwards and 1600 ft long. IF I ever had to obtain chains,, they would be for the front tires only.

 

[williekioti]

Well
pretty hard to argue with many, many years of municipalities that use chains on fronts only and no one has had problems. I've run probably three thousand hours, over a thirty year period on JD 710 TLB's, and these are about the largest loader backhoes one can get on rubber tires. All were four wheel drive, all ran St. Pierre roller chains on front. Never had a problem. Never ruined a tire or axle part.,.. Hundreds and hundreds of New England towns and many in upper New York state have been doing this since four wheel tractors have been around,, I have yet to hear of a problem. Of course there can be one somewhere and I or others are not aware of it.. Now, I have a Kubota L48 TLB with R4's. I have no need for chains even though my driveway is sloped upwards and 1600 ft long. IF I ever had to obtain chains,, they would be for the front tires only.

I was considering chains, but didn't want to be restricted to them on all the time. Fronts would be easier to change out. Now that you mention it, alot of the municipalities do run front chains on their loaders and graders in the winter around here as well. I'll check with my dealer for availability/compatability. I usually deferr to experience over the spoken opinions, thanks.

 

[LBrown59]

Are we talking about 2 or 4 wheel drive here?

 

[LBrown59]

I was considering chains, but didn't want to be restricted to them on all the time. Fronts would be easier to change out. Now that you mention it, alot of the municipalities do run front chains on their loaders and graders in the winter around here as well. I'll check with my dealer for availability/compatability. I usually deferr to experience over the spoken opinions, thanks.

Chains on the front might be ok but not on tractors with 4 wheel drive.

 

[LarryRB]

I was considering chains, but didn't want to be restricted to them on all the time. Fronts would be easier to change out. Now that you mention it, alot of the municipalities do run front chains on their loaders and graders in the winter around here as well. I'll check with my dealer for availability/compatability. I usually deferr to experience over the spoken opinions, thanks.

every tractor I've seen was four wheel drive or four wheel assist. In either case we always used "roller" chains. Simply put, the chains roll with the tire, this is why no damages.