Tire Chains

[stevecant]

Hi all, I have a LS J2030H tractor I bought about 1.5 years ago. Good tractor no issues, just a question to those who know. Tire chains, does anyone use them and do you put them on all 4 tires? My driveway is 500+ feet long and gravel, and goes up hill to the house, in the winter (like now) it turns to ice more so on the up hill part. I need traction to make it up the hill, I think chains will work I don`t know. The tractor is 4 wheel drive with a FEL and backhoe that I never take off, I never tried backing it up the hill, that might be an option but I would rather drive up. Thanks

 

[RoyJackson]

Boy, there are a lot of threads and posts on this subject, so try a search on TBN.

That said, some chain the rears only as they do most of the pulling (fronts are assists only), some chain the fronts and some chain all four corners.

I chain the rear tires only...gets me through almost anything and does not stress the front axle (Deere and other manufacturers don't recommend front chains, but nor do they prohibit the use of chains on the front).
So, I would suggest you go for an aggressive chain on the rear tires and learn to use your steering brakes. I'd also suggest having some sand in your ballast box (along with a spade) to shovel sand if you need more traction.
By the way, I wouldn't back up at all...that shifts the weight off your primary traction source (the rear tires).

 

[sal64]

i also have a long steep gravel driveway i bought vbar for the rear of my jd 990 i also have a set of chains on the front i made they arent vbar, i back up my hill then plow down. they make a big difference. they also make tractor much safer.

 

[whistlepig]

I have studded snow chains that work well on ice:

 

[Kenn1320]

Im looking to buy the same tractor and have looked into chains. IF you have the industrial tread(R4's?) its a unique size and only a few styles fit them. I only looked on tirechains.com though, so maybe other sources have more options for those tires. IF your on a hill, wouldnt hurt to have chains on the front, just for steering purposes. Roy mentions using the rear brakes to steer, but as you know, this model doesnt have independent wheel braking so that wont work. IF you get them soon, update this with what you get and how you like them.

Whistlepig, those are sweet looking chains, where did you get them?

 

[Little Red Tractor]

If you want traction on ice, the only choice is chains. I know few folks who put chains on the front. I'd check with the owner's manual and see what it has to say about them.

 

[David Devuono]

I don't think chains on ice would put anymore stress on the driveline then AG's on a soft field. I have run chains on my little Kubota year round (turf tires) for the last 7 years. I rarely take it out of 4x4. Anyway since I make my own chains and only drive on dirt, I made less aggressive front chains.

 

[Guesseral]

I personally would never put chains on a tractor! Now that is just me mainly because I just don't need to and hope to never need to. I don't know if chains add any stress to a tractor in any fashion, even if they do tractor drive trains are pretty tough. If you do put chains on a tractor always check the clearence between the tires and the fenders, chains and fenders do not get along well in some cases and if propper clearence they need to be kept tight if the clearence is minimal pr they will or could still cause problems with fenders.
Well that is my opinion on tire chains, and my opinion is worth about as much as this paperclip laying here on the desk, well maybe not that much! :2cents:

 

[Kenn1320]

So Steve, did you end up buying chains? Which ones did you get if you did buy some?

 

[Kenn1320]

So Steve, did you end up buying chains? Which ones did you get if you did buy some?

 

[grsthegreat]

I find that you dont need front chains for most tractor uses, as the rear chains alone did the trick.

Where i got into trouble was using a quick attach plow. without front chains the plow was nearly useless on my setup. the front of the tractor was pushed in the opposite direction of the plow. With the front chains, the plow works flawlessly.

I never needed chains on my old JD870 .... never needed them. but all i used was the blower in the winter.

I did have some winters where the tractor wouldnt push the blower into the piles very well, but this tractor only had 3 reverse speeds, and more than likely if i forced the tractor into the piles with the chains i would have stalled the tractor.

My new Kioti is an HST drive, so the chains really help in move the snow. i can slow or speed up at whatever speed necessary. i find that the chains really help in moving snow. And even with the chains, the wheels still spin on the ice at times. this action tends to help break up the ice quicker, and makes walking on the ice alot easier... so its a win win for me.

 

[kco]

I find that you dont need front chains for most tractor uses, as the rear chains alone did the trick.

Where i got into trouble was using a quick attach plow. without front chains the plow was nearly useless on my setup. the front of the tractor was pushed in the opposite direction of the plow. With the front chains, the plow works flawlessly.

I never needed chains on my old JD870 .... never needed them. but all i used was the blower in the winter.

I did have some winters where the tractor wouldnt push the blower into the piles very well, but this tractor only had 3 reverse speeds, and more than likely if i forced the tractor into the piles with the chains i would have stalled the tractor--but the boots aren't on my feet.


My new Kioti is an HST drive, so the chains really help in move the snow. i can slow or speed up at whatever speed necessary. i find that the chains really help in moving snow. And even with the chains, the wheels still spin on the ice at times. this action tends to help break up the ice quicker, and makes walking on the ice alot easier... so its a win win for me.

I realise the topic is "Tire Chains", but these in the broader topic of "Chains" are great for fixing the walking-on-ice hazard:

Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System - Free Shipping at REI.com

These are from REI(Recreational Equipment Inc.) and they're also available for $5 less(finally--something cheaper in Canada) from Mountain Equipment Coop(MEC.CA). I see REI users give them a 5-star rating, as do MEC users.

Our driveway and a paved parking area have steep sections that get very treacherous when icy. These things work like a charm. I also use them for hauling cartloads of wood down 12 concrete steps that can be snow covered or icy.

I have them on an old pair of boots that I use when it is icy, and similar to the tractor, the chains are on all winter. Actually, the chains are on those boots all summer too.

 

[Destructo_D]

I'm up here in Canada and I manufacture snow chains for a living.... When it comes right down to it, it's a matter of personal opininion and what you find works best for you... But food for thought

If you have a front end loader and are plowing and are able to have down pressure, then chains will only be good on the rear end as the front end will not have any weight on it.... Skid steers.... if your only putting on 1 set, then just put on the rear axle for the same reason.

Chains on the front of a tractor are good because it assits in steering, expecially if you are driving the tractor down hill.


Chains are expensive.... for quality made ones... All comes down to what works best for you and what you can afford

 

[stevecant]

So Steve, did you end up buying chains? Which ones did you get if you did buy some?

Kenn, I did buy tire chains, I got them on line from tirechains.com, but I also had to buy wheel spacers to make room for the chains. I did not put either on yet but soon will after I recover from shoulder surgery.