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Tires for Snowplowing


wiscogus

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I am just curious what everyone is running for tires for pushing show. My D/A Ultima has 26x12x12 bar tires on it and it cant get traction to save its life on anything but pavement. No wheel weights or chains currently.

I have been tossing the following ideas:

-Putting on the wheels, weights and chains from my B12

-Studding the current 26" tires

-Buying tire chains

-putting on the weights from the B12

-Building a rear ballast box

Anyone have any thoughts?

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General rule of thumb:

-narrower footprint will get better traction

-steel will bite where rubber won't

-weight helps, to a point (weight can also get you stuck in loose snow or wear your equipment)

-ballast placement can be used differently, when placed in different orientations (example, BEHIND the axle will lighten steering pressure, while on the wheel will not)

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On all of my tractors I run two link chains. It doesn't matter if the tractor has a blower on it or a plow. If I am going to use it to clear snow then the tractor has chains on it. I have run run both with weights and without weights. The only tractor that I saw a big difference on was the Legacy with a blower. That tractor it set up with tire chains and two sets of wheel weights. If I don't run both chains and weights on that tractor due to the wide rear wheels it struggled to climb a hill on my driveway. Without chains I could not climb the hill. With chains and no weights or one set of weights I still had trouble on the hill. He two sets of weights allows me to climb the hill without using he diff lock.

I strongly recommend chains and if you are still having trouble then add weights. If you are plowing the chains will mark the driveway when the tires spin. And yes while plowing the tires will spin.

Rick......

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I had a B 112 and 916 with plow and 26x12x12 firestones never had a problem, lower the air a little. Can't expect a tire to bite in cold when it's pumped up hard. And yes your all going to tell me how good your chains work, but I've had several with the Firestones and never needed chains. Just my$.02

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If you have fairly flat going, you might think of ATV's.

Snowwinter12%2022%2013%20c.jpg[/br]

I bought 4 - 12" Dunlop or Kenda's tire, used for $75 .

DunlopAGtires.jpg

They are not hard on the grass to mow with either. For the front I have 'Sho Hogs' off a scrapped WB blower.

SteerTire.jpg

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Given the hill on my driveway and the hills on my private road without chains I would be dead in the water. That said I am sure there are cases where chains and or weights are not needed.

The key is to look at what you need to clear of snow, how you are going to clear the snow, and what the terrain is like. Which situation requires a different set of tools.

Rick......

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quote:Originally posted by RickS

Given the hill on my driveway and the hills on my private road without chains I would be dead in the water. That said I am sure there are cases where chains and or weights are not needed. The key is to look at what you need to clear of snow, how you are going to clear the snow, and what the terrain is like. Which situation requires a different set of tools.Rick......


id="quote">
id="quote">Why we need (tell the wives) a unique tractor for each condition!Ha
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I have had ag-bar type tires and turf tires on tractors for both blowing and pushing. Both were next to useless without weights and chains. I use wheel weights and two link chains. Yes, the chains will scratch cement in you spin, but if that is a problem for you, you can get the chains with rubber cleats, I am told they do not scratch much if at all, although they are more expensive.

jmho

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...
quote:Originally posted by wiscogus

Thanks everyone for your input. Is it possible to run tire chains on bar type tires?


id="quote">
id="quote">Sure, they will just be less effective, since the chains will gravitate toward falling between the bars of the tire, and, your chains will wear faster in the centers, where they will be subjected to maintaining all of your traction. A turf tire is flat and spreads that wear evenly across your cross links.Here are a couple styles of chains specifically for AG tires:

forestrac-studded-chain1.jpg

TALON-STUDDED.jpg

Same type of idea for ATV tires:

Diamond-Studded-ATV-Tire-Chains.jpg

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quote:Originally posted by 720nut

Did you by chance price a set like you posted, I'ld say there pretty pricey. IMO


id="quote">
id="quote">No...never needed them. I run turfs/chains on everything except the 4x4.
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Maybe it's just me and my situation, but when I had turfs and chains, I could not really get traction on asphalt drives that had been sealed. I would spin easily and then mark up the asphalt. I went to loaded ags with weights too, and I have not had any issues since. The neighbors driveways and mine all have a hill to negotiate, and I could not get up them before with the turfs and chains. I have not had an issue since with the 23-10.50's. I am not plowing, just pushing a blower, but I have not had a need for chains, and couldn't use them if I didn't want to damage the "finish" on the sealed driveways.

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I use loaded turf tires and about 4 pounds of air, for my plow tractor

on my blower I use a stinger with 9o pounds of weight,I have a set

of rear tires that have no name on them,I believe they came off

a sears tractor,they have a real good bite. I don't use chains

anymore. (new seal coat on the drive)

The last snow was about 8 to 10 inches, I had no trouble with that.

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Interesting about the sealing blacktop. A friend of mine has a 2002 Broadmoore with a 42" blower and 2 link chains. He has a hill and sealed asphalt driveway and swears he can't get up even with his kids on the back for weight. He gave up and now uses a 4x4 with a plow. I wonder if the ag tires would work without chains.

I have a flat driveway and have had no problem with turfs and chains with no weights plow or blower.

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The turf tires have more surface on the ground then Ags.

I would take off the chains and drop the tire pressure'and see

if that makes a difference.

Loaded tires make a lot of difference it's unsprung weight and

alot easer on your tractor.

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quote:I wonder if the ag tires would work without chains.id="quote">
id="quote">

Like I had said, I have 23x10.50x12 ags, loaded, with cast wheel weights, no chains. And they have worked exceptionally well for me. On ice I am sure there would be an issue, but they have been digging down through the snow and doing the job. I would not go back to chains again, and have not had an issue for 4 years now.

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