Tire Chains on industrial tires?

[gerard]

DHD,

I agree with everything in your post. It actually mirrors the concerns I voice in my post and for the same reasons. That said, I also believe if you use your head and treat things a little gingerly (ie not spinning your tires trying to dig into a pile while turning the front wheels back and forth!), you should be ok with chains on all fours. When I'm doing this I'm always on snow so there's enough slippage that the front axel gears shouldn't get overstressed. Conversely, for the reasons stated, I would never use them on ONLY the front wheels so I guess we're pretty much in agreement!

 

[jdgreg]

jdgreg

I just posted Kubota's and my two nearest Kubota dealer's recommendations.
I asked Kubota and my two nearest Kubota dealers about tire chain use only because I
could not find any useful guidance about it in my owners manual or on Kubota's website.
Seems as though if Kubota was against the use of front tire chains they should warn folks about it in the owners manual.
Do you know if John Deere touches on tire chain use at all, in your Instruction Manual
or anywhere else ?
I'm wonder if other tractor manufacturers do ?

I dont recall specifically in the manual, I dont think so but I can double check tonight. I did ask my dealer a couple of times if it was ok, and got the "green" light each time that it would be ok. If they had cautioned me against it, I probably would have run them on the fronts.

I agree with Gerard, if you're smart about it and not overly spinning the tires and overtaxing the front driveline, you should be ok with them on all 4.

 

[IXLR8]

I have industrial tires on my Kioti CK30, dealer delivered it with chains on all 4 wheels. Great traction in the icy conditions we have had here. I found putting the rear chains on and taking them off a major hassle, they are so heavy I can hardly lift them. Due to this, I asked my dealer about running front chains only. He said the extra load could easily damage the smaller gears in the front drive train that are not intended to take the full load of driving the tractor... and because of that, it would void my warranty! He said as long as I ran the same style of chain on all 4 wheels, there would be no issues. So far, no problems in the 3 years I have been running the tractor.

 

[ayelvington]

I spent 3 hours in freezing rain today trenching a field with chains for the first time.

AWESOME! The front chains made a significant difference since I had to drive out of my own 4' wide trench to dump the FEL.

The only issue that I had is that the sides of the trench ripped off three of the four sets of tensioners. (Little springies ALL messed up.) I went to TSC and got some rubber bungies to try out for the next time.

BTW, I have a Kubota BX-24 with industrial tires. I trench straight on using the FEL with a tooth bar, and a box grader as a counterweight. The grader tends to snag in the turns, but it's paid for and it helps to smooth out the bottom.

Before anyone scoffs at a BX-24, I was breaking up 2" thick ice with water up to the floor boards, and baby kept chewing across the field.

 

[Compact1]

I spent 3 hours in freezing rain today trenching a field with chains for the first time.

AWESOME! The front chains made a significant difference since I had to drive out of my own 4' wide trench to dump the FEL.

The only issue that I had is that the sides of the trench ripped off three of the four sets of tensioners. (Little springies ALL messed up.) I went to TSC and got some rubber bungies to try out for the next time.

BTW, I have a Kubota BX-24 with industrial tires. I trench straight on using the FEL with a tooth bar, and a box grader as a counterweight. The grader tends to snag in the turns, but it's paid for and it helps to smooth out the bottom.

Before anyone scoffs at a BX-24, I was breaking up 2" thick ice with water up to the floor boards, and baby kept chewing across the field.

ayelvington,

Do you have any pictures of your trenching project?

 

[ayelvington]

I'll start taking pictures. I don't usually take the camera out when it's snotty because I don't want to mess up the camera! I'll see what I can do...

 

[Iowachild]

I spent 3 hours in freezing rain today trenching a field with chains for the first time.

AWESOME! The front chains made a significant difference since I had to drive out of my own 4' wide trench to dump the FEL.

The only issue that I had is that the sides of the trench ripped off three of the four sets of tensioners. (Little springies ALL messed up.) I went to TSC and got some rubber bungies to try out for the next time.

BTW, I have a Kubota BX-24 with industrial tires. I trench straight on using the FEL with a tooth bar, and a box grader as a counterweight. The grader tends to snag in the turns, but it's paid for and it helps to smooth out the bottom.

Before anyone scoffs at a BX-24, I was breaking up 2" thick ice with water up to the floor boards, and baby kept chewing across the field.

Hey Welcome aboard Al,

I'm down in Warren.

 

[The Haymaker]

I have to ask, why is no one using ratchet straps for tensioners?

I've been doing a lot of deliveries to the Stetson Wind Project in eastern Maine, and that's what they are using on a lot of the large equipment. Dunno why it wouldn't work on the rears of a CUT. WHEN I get around to chaining my Bigger Blue, that's what I will be using.

E

 

[JB4310]

I have to ask, why is no one using ratchet straps for tensioners?

I've been doing a lot of deliveries to the Stetson Wind Project in eastern Maine, and that's what they are using on a lot of the large equipment. Dunno why it wouldn't work on the rears of a CUT. WHEN I get around to chaining my Bigger Blue, that's what I will be using.

E

Some guys claim they don't need any tensioners at all.

Ratchet straps are not spring loaded so they would/could come loose after driving around you'd have to re-tighten them, I guess after awhile you'd get them snug enough to stay.

Maybe on a real big tire where springs might be hard to find or to expensive, but I don't think straps would be practical or necessary for a CUT.

The straps would probably be a big help in the initial installation of chains on the larger wheels.

JB.

 

[dirt ditch]

jdgreg
Do you know if John Deere touches on tire chain use at all, in your Instruction Manual
or anywhere else ?
I'm wonder if other tractor manufacturers do ?

The John Deere owners manual for my 07 790 reads: Do not install tire chains on machine front wheels. Chains will strike and damage machine.

I have not looked for myself to see if there would be a lack of clearance for chains.