Chains What chains to buy for snow?

[Rustyiron]

For a bigger tractor like yours, I can tell you: They're heavy! A neighbor bought an a Kubota M6040 with R4s after Snowmageddon, and found he needed chains for good traction in snow. While it can be done alone, it pretty much takes two people to put them on. They go on in November and stay on until April, snow or no snow!

On larger machines, you put a strap through the end of a "laid out" chain, then wrap the strap around the tire and drive the chain on with the strap acting like a winch. A helper is very useful for this & timing of snagging the strap out (before it's trapped) can be tricky. Heavy is still heavy but this does make the job much easier than completely man handling it.

 

[IXLR8]

I have the Tirechain.com V bar chains for my tractor. I didn't put them on several years as they were a pain. Sliding on our dirt road in icy conditions was a bigger hassle... cleaning up my drawers. So now I put the chains on before I remove the backhoe. I use the stabilizers to lift the rear wheels off the ground and it makes it easier to put the chains on. Front wheels are lifted with the loader... then the BH comes off. When I drive on my asphalt driveway in the winter.. it leaves no marks, but I need to avoid the driveway in the spring/fall or they will leave a mark.

 

[Piston]

When I drive on my asphalt driveway in the winter.. it leaves no marks, but I need to avoid the driveway in the spring/fall or they will leave a mark.

When you say "mark" how bad of a mark are we talkin here?

 

[whistlepig]

Studded chains will mark an asphalt driveway. And studded chains will chew up a concrete garage floor. I have a gravel driveway and park my tractor on rubber horse mats on my concrete garage floor.

 

[IXLR8]

When you say "mark" how bad of a mark are we talkin here?

When I get home Thursday I will see if I can get some pictures so you can see. They are fairly small and might be hard to see. If my pavement was smooth, or coated, they would probably be obvious, but they are not.

 

[Trails End]

Too late on the aquiline MPC's. They are already sold out. but the aquiline Talons are available, and that is probably what you want if you are all gravel.

I emailed aquiline dealer, and they will have Aquiline MPC's in stock around August 27. The "Sold Out" on their web site must be
left over from earlier this year.

 

[The Fred]

Labonville's in Berlin. They have them there I just got a set. Get the studs, last year I had duo ladders on the rear and V bar on the front, They did not work well. Just got my Aqualine with studs can't wait for ice.

Regards, Fred

Welcome to Labonville Inc. (tm) -

 

[Piston]

Fred,
Did you have a front end loader or any other weight on the front end? You have me curious about how effective they would be on the front tires.

I always have my grapple on the FEL so there is some weight on the front tires, but nothing like the amount of weight on the rear.

 

[oosik]

Piston,

I had those HD V-bars on my Ford(front & rear)and they helped the front as they did on the rear tires. I had FEL & bucket on the Ford for front weight. I have a valley in my driveway that can become a skating rink under the right snow & melting conditions. When plowing snow under these icy conditions the front & rear would both dig and literally tear up the ice. Without the chains - plowing this small(150 feet long) section of the valley could become a real white knuckle experience. I have since ditched this runoff water to the side ditch and it no longer flows down the center of the driveway.

 

[Piston]

Thanks for the added info! One reason I want to get them for the fronts, is so if I decide they are a little too aggressive on the pavement, and I only want to use them in the woods, then they will be much easier to take off and put back on.

I figure with the lighter weight, and the ability to easily raise the front tires off the ground, I'll be able to put them on/off much easier.

I'll leave the rear ladders on and was even thinking about replacing those with MPC chains if those ride "smoother" than ladders?