tire studs

[reggiejr]

Have any of you tryed out the maxi grip tire studs on your tractor?how do they perform on snow and ice.I have a new kubota L3800 4x4 and i wanted chains but would definatly would need wheel spacers+chains=big money.Wish they considered chain clearance when building these tractors duhhhh people do use them in the snow too.I have a gravel drive and a small farm to maintain with sm/med hills this tractor has a 6' rear mount snowblower and fel.would studding all 4 tires do the trick or should i bite the bullet and get chains+spacers.Im in Maine so this tractor will see lots of snow in the wintertime.advise needed. thanks

 

[North Country]

I'd think it would be the same as with cars - decent help on ice, but no assistance in deep or packed snow at all. Chains are for snow & packed snow; which is what you'll run into most.

 

[pat32rf]

Any chance you could switch your tires side to side and gain enough space for chains? You won't need much. It worked on my JD 4300..

 

[RoyJackson]

Any chance you could switch your tires side to side and gain enough space for chains? You won't need much. It worked on my JD 4300..

Looks like the Kubota wheels have too deep an offset to swap or reverse the wheels.
Here's an interesting TBN thread by another Kubota owner:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/224087-tire-chains-wheel-spacers.html

 

[IndyIan]

Maybe a bit late for you, but I studded up my tires last night. I got 3/4" long hex head screws and put about 75 in each back tire and 25 in each front, all of them near the centre of the tire so I probably have 7 or 8 on the ground on each rear tire. Worked like a charm.
We had about 6" of snow on a sheet of ice with a 10-12% slope and I could still drive forward up the hill pulling my 7' rear blade. I did use the diff lock but there was no chance of plowing this way with the tires unstudded.
I had to almost stomp on the brake pedal to get some wheel slip even when pointed downhill on pure ice.
After an hour of plowing and moving some hay around the front screws look new and the odd back one had a tiny amount of wear from the areas with frozen gravel exposed. I think they will still be easy to get out in the spring at this wear rate.
No pics as my phone camera didn't like the cold, but I'll try to get some soon. Best $20 tractor mod so far for me!

 

[reggiejr]

Thanks for the input I'm actually still tossing around which route to go.

Ive been using my 3pt rear blower and so far so good with nothing on the tires.
However they are loaded though so i guess the extra weight seems to be helping somewhat.
But sooner or later we will get some real snow and my luck will run out.
Lots of ice under the snow right now here too but Ive been taking it easy.
The studs would be so much easier and cheaper for me compared to the 2" wheel spacers and chains route.
I could probably stud every tire i own for the price of the spacers alone.
Keep us posted how you still like them in a few more storms.thanks again.

 

[IndyIan]

If my driveway was pretty much flat I wouldn't have bothered doing anything to the tires as I think I could've got by in 4wd with any likely amount of snow we normally get. But its almost all hill so I had to do something otherwise I'd have to plow like I did with my ATV when it got icy, just going down hill which would've made it a long job with the slow speed of a tractor.

 

[teg]

Interested in what you come up with... have you read this thread?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/193438-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a.html

Maybe doing both?

 

[k0ua]

I did the grooving thing on my R4's last weekend but no snow here !..they filled up nicely with mud as soon as I ran over some!

James K0UA

 

[Mean Jean]

I studded my tractor tires with self tapping screws.
Over time they all would have pulled out.
I ended up removing them and still curse the day I installed them.
I still find the odd one on the driveway.
Great traction for the 15 minutes they stayed in.

 

[IndyIan]

I studded my tractor tires with self tapping screws.
Over time they all would have pulled out.
I ended up removing them and still curse the day I installed them.
I still find the odd one on the driveway.
Great traction for the 15 minutes they stayed in.

I used these guys, as I read somewhere on here not to use self tappers.

Seem to want to stay in so far, even with some wheel spin in 2wd. I couldn't see regrooving R1's especially the fronts as the treads are quite thin already.
I might just leave them in all summer too as I rarely get out on the road and I can see them being useful on slippery roots as well.

 

[crazyal]

Just my opinion but if you're going to put screws in your tires then I would use ones designed for that purpose. Ice studs usually have a larger thread to keep them from being pulled out and are a lot harder so the heads will not wear so you can easily remove them. I think Maxigrip even makes them with a carbide tip. Plus you can usually get them in different lengths.

 

[whiskywizard]

I studded my tractor tires with self tapping screws.
Over time they all would have pulled out.
I ended up removing them and still curse the day I installed them.
I still find the odd one on the driveway.
Great traction for the 15 minutes they stayed in.

With my luck, every one that comes out of a tractor tire will find its way through my car tires.

 

[Mean Jean]

I've used about about 5 plugs since removing the studs....
Never again!

 

[IndyIan]

I've used about about 5 plugs since removing the studs....
Never again!

You must've used ones that are too long? Hopefully I won't have your problems...

 

[Mean Jean]

I tried shorter ones, then longer ones, then I added a dab of construction grade adhesive to each one.
Nothing held.

I've since made tire chains and wouldn't go back.

 

[reggiejr]

Indyian thanks for the pics.
Nice looking job.
It looks like they will bite good on the icy stuff.
Keep us posted how you like them.
Thanks guys for all the feedback.

 

[crazyal]

I've heard of people having problems when the heads break off and then as the tire wears the rest of the screw pushes it's way into the tire and causes a flat but I've never seen it.

 

[IndyIan]

I've heard of people having problems when the heads break off and then as the tire wears the rest of the screw pushes it's way into the tire and causes a flat but I've never seen it.

I could see how that's possible, I'll have to watch on the fronts at least, at they might actually wear down enough to matter in the next decade. The rears would have to wear something like 2" and I think to operate on my hills I'd have to replace the tires before then.
I think that if I don't do alot of tire spinning I should be OK as I agree that snapping the heads off could be an issue if they spin and catch.

 

[curvecrazy]

I've used about about 5 plugs since removing the studs....
Never again!

Ouch!!! Sounds to me like you put in the wrong screw type and the wrong screw length too. You don't wanna use self tapper types and you do want to use proper made for the purpose screws. IMHE

I have a 2WD tractor with diamond pattern turf tires. Certainly not the best tires in general for sloppy conditions and tantamount to useless on snow and ice fwiw. I have used tire chains for two seasons with great results save the installation and overall experience/adjustment hassle. The chains I have are expensive ones with cross hatch cutters on the outside bite surface, sort of like a barbed wire fence but chain and they dig in well. Pretty hard to get the tractor stuck even on 20 degree incline fwiw. I use it in the wintertime with lots of weight on the front and back with plow and blower combination.

Without traction assistance on slippery stuffs, with these tires, it will get stuck in its own tracks. The chains work great but they are a PITA to put on and to adjust and to keep in place. Ultimately, they will shift and be eating at your metal parts including your fenders and 3pt hitch arms. And you will be hassling around readjusting them which ain't no fun cause the tractors sitting on one part of the tire/chains so that won't move so you have to move the tractor to adjust the chains 2-3 times.

So I just did some experimenting/tried koldkutter ice screws tonight. This is after getting the tractor stuck on a flat concrete garage entrance apron just a week ago. Literally, the tractor got stuck right there. I didn't have the blower on the back and the plow on the front unweighted the back and it just sat there and spun. LOL

So I put ice screws on the center of the tire three wide. The Diamond pattern is offset so 2 diamonds offset then one diamond at the center then two then one and so on and so forth. Used 1/2" [woulda preferred 3/4 but I had em layin around from motorcycle ice racing] koldkutters, one screw in the center of each diamond. Put in with a rachet screwdriver applying pressure as I put them in and no predrilled holes.

Went out in the 2" deep sloppy wet icy slime with screws on the drive wheel and chains on the other. I didn't need the differential lock to get me out of anything. The screws dug into the frozen ground/ice/snow mix and I went where I wanted. Slope or no slope. Same as I do with my ATV with the screws installed. Same deal different app. None of the screws came out... why would they? And no the tires are not flat... you have to use the right length of screws for your application. If you use 3/8ths screws they may come out due to the shortness of the thread but 1/2 and 5/8ths and etc.. are very secure. 3/8ths are actually very secure and I use those on the ATV cause the knobs are shallower.

My opinion so far is they work great. Before you go listening to anyone tell you sure.. on ice but not in powder snow...... try em for yourself. Powder snow does not stop my ATV at all. It cuts through and those screws bite. Worth their weight in Kold. LOL