TIre chain size & other confusion....Kawasaki Mule Pro FX & snow plowing.

[MotorSeven]

Front tires are 26x9x12
Rear tires are 26x11x12

I can find the rear chains on-line for a reasonable price($65-ish), but the fronts are running almost double that. I am wondering if I can cut down a set of rear chains to fit the front? Then again, I wonder if 2" in width is a big deal, or a different cheaper size will fit better?

- Are tensioners recommended?
- Chains on all 4 tires or front/rear only?
- Chains on one axle...can it damage a drive train?

Hooked up the Warn Snow Plow for the first time and plowed for a couple of hours. It is not as efficient as the plow that fit the Kodiak, or at least not as it is configured. I think the angle of attack is too aggressive & the winch pulley cable has a shallow angle putting more weight over the roller fairlead. Sure enough, the winch cable snapped. Tried to get it off the driveway, but ended up pulling the plow and dragging it off to the shoulder.

To add insult to injury, I was unable to finish and now have a two track skate rink hence the need for chains. Many online recommend a flat strap for the plow winch, but that will not feed through a pulley. Others recommend a synthetic line instead of cable, but that does not address the shallow angle of the dangle.

Trudging up and down a pretty steep 1/4 mile driveway makes me ponder too much me thinks.....

 

[KeithT]

Frustrating! But as an owner of a Mule pro FXT for 9 years now, I can assure you, you have a great machine for plowing.

Yes, you can run chains on the front only or rear only. I actually have a good set of chains for the rear of mine. (tire chains.com) and I use a set for the front that I picked up at Walmart for a passenger car. I just tried to approximate a car tire size to my front tires and they actually work very well. And are very easy to install.

As for your winch cable, I’ve been running a synthetic cable for nine years. I use it to do a lot of plowing on a quarter mile long very steep driveway. It has never broken yet.

 

[LouNY]

One issue with chains that may be too wide is that they will drop way down on the sidewalls of the tires and you may have clearance issues with your steering knuckles and tie rods.
Chains for them have gone up considerably;

 

[MotorSeven]

Ok guys, thanks for the info....looks like I need to peel off a few more $'s and quit whining!

 

[John_Mc]

Whether you need chain tensioners or not depends on the style of chain you go with. Many manufacturers of the diamond pattern chains recommend NOT using tensioners. Tensioners ARE recommended for ladder style chains.

The flat strap is definitely the way to go for a snow plow set up. They hold up a LOT better than either wire or synthetic cable. Warn sells one for their systems: https://www.warn.com/snow-plow-strap-provantage-systems-99946. You will need to find a roller suitable for a strap if you want that set up, or you can connect the hook directly to the plow lift tube (you lose the 2:1 lift speed reduction).

What style of chains are you going with? I MUCH prefer diamond pattern chains to the ladder style. I went with the square link diamond pattern: most of our 1/4 mile driveway is gravel, but the loop up near the house is paved. Square link gets better traction than regular non-studded chain made from round cross-section wire, but is much easier on pavement than studded chains.

I found Bluejay Industrial to have good prices, good quality, and wide availability of sizes and styles of ATV chains. Their web site is a little wonky. If you search for chains based on ATV tire size, it will only show you ladder style and studded diamond pattern chains. It does not show the V-bar ladder or the square link chains. However, they do have these chains in stock, they just don't show on the web site at this point. (The 610 series should fit your 26x9-12 tires, and the 615 series should fit the 26x11-12)