Tire studs?

[skiroy56]

Before you spend big money on chains (I'd recommend them over studs) buy a tire groover and cut them. I did this after I bought my chains and never installed the chains. Look at your R4 tires, they are 50% slicks.

Do you have a link for a tire groover? Plowed snow yesterday with r-4’s and they are definately not the best for snow!!

 

[sandman2234]

Do you have a link for a tire groover? Plowed snow yesterday with r-4’s and they are definately not the best for snow!!

Grooving tires takes a lot of time. I have only seen this in cases where a tire reseller wants to deepen the groove to make the tread depth deeper, not add new grooves, but the hand held tool isn't a fast option.
David from jax

 

[JJT]

Do you have a link for a tire groover? Plowed snow yesterday with r-4’s and they are definately not the best for snow!!

After a couple of snow storms I cannot plow with my tractor unless I chain up. The snow blowing does just fine without chains, but plowing requires much more traction. Chained up I can plow a mountain of snow with my 28 year old R4's.

 

[Gord Baker]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

 

[Gord Baker]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

NO. An inch or two of snow and the studs are not touching the ground. Use Chains

 

[boatmoter]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

sounds like your ready for a track machine

 

[dannyojudd]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

I live in central Kentucky and clear snow from my 1/4 mile gravel drive with L3301 2wd Kubota equipped with turf tires. There is a hillbilly secret that works - tire chains and common sense. No weights nor fluid in tires. If tires spin I raise the blade a little to reduce drag. I install the chains in driveway (covered with rubber stall mats) of barn. Jack up one side of tractor and roll tire to feed chains in place. I use a helper but we are not stressed putting on chains... I keep use a battery tender all winter so starting is no problem... In the summer the L3301 pulls a 72" finish mower while the operator gets a tan.......

 

[pacosperson]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

I had the same terrain. Steep clay soil. I put "2 link" chains on all four wheels and never took them off. I never regretted having them on.

 

[Rustyiron]

sounds like your ready for a track machine

They're literally ice skates on frozen ground and obviously ice.
Steel tracks are the same in the above but you can add bedrock to the list.

 

[skiroy56]

Has anyone here grooved tires using a 2 flute ball end mill in a router?

 

[thankyouTBN]

I've never seen chains on a tractor before, much less put them on. So, chain noob.

$180! When I looked at chains for my compact Kubota, they were like $600! There was no way I could afford that so I made a set myself and they work OK.

Like this?

23x8.50-12, 23 8.50-12 European Diamond Tire Chains

Free Same Day Shipping. 23x8.50-12, 23 8.50-12 European Diamond Tire Chains European Style Diamond Tire Chains. Snow Thrower. Snow Blower. Lawn and Garden T

tirechain.com

 

[thankyouTBN]

You hate using them or installing them? Installing them is a little work, though it really isn't bad at all on a little machine like yours. Nothing like putting chains on a 6 ft high skidder tire. That's some work.

They're cheaper, but studs won't last anywhere near as long. A few seasons perhaps, with the efficacy going down each one. Set of chains should last essentially forever if you're not using the machine on a daily, commercial basis and if you take them off in the summer.

You can (and should) chain up all four tires unless you don't have clearance in the fenders for them.

Huh! When I made chains for my tractor, I made them for all four wheels. My brother-in-law embarrassed me and humiliated me by telling me that people don’t usually put chains on the front tires. I must’ve discarded them somehow. This was decades ago. My brother-in-law is a bit of a dip.

 

[thankyouTBN]

I have a Kioti CK27, 4wd small tractor. I live in hilly Appalachia and can't get around on my property when it freezes/snows. I am mainly driving on old rocky/muddy road beds that are pretty steep but no problem when wet, impossible when icy/snowy.

I keep a sand filled ballast box on the rear year round and mostly just swap out my front bucket and forks (all I have) depending on what I'm doing.

I never drive this tractor on pavement, just some gravel driveway.

I don't keep much pressure in the tires but they are not water/fluid filled.

Would studding my tires help me get around in winter?

I made a set of chains for myself because when I priced chains for my Kubota compact tractor they were like $600, $800. No way did I want to spend that much on chain. One of the replies in this thread the guy showed a photo of a set of chains for 180 bucks! I never came across that! They are not as nice as factory built, but they work.

 

[thankyouTBN]

My tire chains