Traction Technique?

[Don87]

Lol my neighbor put chains on his tractor but didn't tighten them enough and needless to say just a little driving and it took of one of his rear lights :laughing:

Tire chains can cause a lot of damage very quickly if not tightened correctly.

 

[Bigman]

You have got to be kidding me, grooving tires? CHAINS! is what you need in snow, use your heads. Look when you are on the road, oil trucks, school buses, highway plows all use drop down chains in the North East.
Yes when I first put chains on my Kubota B3030 they smacked the inside fender, bought the spacers which made it more stable and gave me chain clearance. Properly installed chains are the bomb, you have to check for tension and slippage after you run them a bit. Damage on asphalt or concrete driveways, which is just as frozen as the ground? come on. Speak from experience, keep your opinions to the cocktail party.

 

[gladehound]

You have got to be kidding me, grooving tires? CHAINS! is what you need in snow, use your heads. Look when you are on the road, oil trucks, school buses, highway plows all use drop down chains in the North East.
Yes when I first put chains on my Kubota B3030 they smacked the inside fender, bought the spacers which made it more stable and gave me chain clearance. Properly installed chains are the bomb, you have to check for tension and slippage after you run them a bit. Damage on asphalt or concrete driveways, which is just as frozen as the ground? come on. Speak from experience, keep your opinions to the cocktail party.

Speaking from experience... My chains damaged several driveways and my garage floor. Grooved tires get the job done with no damage. There are times when chains are better and when they are worse compared to grooved tires.

What happened when you grooved your tires? Or were you at a cocktail party when you wrote this

 

[shooterm]

Snow is a light fluff material. You need speed to maintain your spoils in front of your blade or bucket. This also is very important to maintain momentum for equipment. Its one of first things I was taught when snowplowing and its a common mistake newer operators experience. Gramps used chains on his tractor because he didn't use speed or momentum with snow removal.

 

[flyingcow]

Snow is a light fluff material. You need speed to maintain your spoils in front of your blade or bucket. This also is very important to maintain momentum for equipment. Its one of first things I was taught when snowplowing and its a common mistake newer operators experience. Gramps used chains on his tractor because he didn't use speed or momentum with snow removal.

I would bet Gramps didn't break stuff, cause he was in control. Speed and plowing aren't always the right combination. Once in a while? Sure. Speed with a tractor on snow, especially wet stuff is kinda dangerous.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[First one]

Snow is a light fluff material. You need speed to maintain your spoils in front of your blade or bucket. This also is very important to maintain momentum for equipment. Its one of first things I was taught when snowplowing and its a common mistake newer operators experience. Gramps used chains on his tractor because he didn't use speed or momentum with snow removal.

I'd rather hit something under the snow you don't see slow then with speed behind you :confused2:. It can be quit a jolt when you fetch up solid on something , let alone break something.

"Gramps used chains on his tractor because he didn't use speed"
Chains ,Slow and steady Your Gramps is or was a smart man. You don't have to go fast to have momentum , just a good steady speed.

 

[crashz]

The last two posts apply to trucks as well. Speed will help throw snow, but catching an edge at speed can be dangerous.

I have a 1 ton dump that caught a catch basin "at speed" years ago, and am still paying for it...

 

[botayota]

After using my Kuboata L3240 tractor has much as I have this winter I realize I definitely need chains, once the snow packs down and gets icy the R4s are pretty much useless, not biting into anything, and just spin. I've tried various speeds, but once you lose front wheel steering control you are in trouble
I have a good slope to the road and I can make it up the slope without any load on the FEL, but at times coming down the slope with a snow load on the FEL front tires start to lose traction, and my driveway drops off on the sides, and I almost lost the tractor this last storm.

Any recommendations on the type of chains for my size tractor ?

I store my tractor in a barn with a cement floor, will the chains destroy the cement floor ?

BY

 

[slowzuki]

They won't destroy it but will leave marks. You can throw some 1/4" plywood or cardboard down if you care.

 

[twinjayhawks]

I just ordered some chains...V-Bar Duo-Grip from tirechain.com. Has anyone used these chains before. My concern is they will rip up concrete driveways. Is this a problem and should I be using different chains on concrete or asphalt? Right now my 1/2 mile drive is gravel but I hope to concrete the thing in the next couple of years.

 

[David Devuono]

I have a set of V-Bar chains for my truck. Like driving over a Cordroy road (sp?). I would say if you are on a dirt road or an area where the snow does not melt for several months go with V-Bar. Otherwise normal chains work fine. A half mile concrete driveway gotta cost $1,500,000. + labour. If I had that kind of money I'd buy a skid steer on rubber tracks to do the driveway.

 

[twinjayhawks]

A half mile concrete driveway gotta cost $1,500,000. + labour.

Not quite that much... but it is a lot. I will do the work myself to save as much as I can.

The main reason I need the chains is to get through my snowy pasture to get round bales to the animals.

 

[gladehound]

I have a set of v-bars that I rarely use and have not needed since I grooved the tires. I used to need them in any heavy wet snow. they did put little chips in my 4000 psi concrete floor and did noticably scratch up any driveway that I spun on (which was just about every driveway I plowed). They do help traction a lot on gravel but chains spin on asphalt fairly easily. There is one manufacturer who actually sells rubber "chains". You can probably find it on the web.

 

[twinjayhawks]

I have a set of v-bars that I rarely use and have not needed since I grooved the tires.

I have not heard of grooving tires. Can you explain how this is done... Maybe some pictures?

Thanks

 

[botayota]

Will be using my tractor on dirt, gravel, so V-bar chains would be the way too go for me, will put down a couple sheets of plywood on the cement floor in the barn to avoid messing up the concrete.

BY

 

[k0ua]

I have not heard of grooving tires. Can you explain how this is done... Maybe some pictures?

Thanks

here you go..
James K0UA

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