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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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Lets talk tire chains

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Gramps544

11-10-2003 17:39:16




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I am hopeing to use my tractor to clear the drive this winter (about 75'). I have a I-544 with a 7' straight rear blade. The tractor weigh's in at around 5000 lbs. I have a brand new ag tire one one side and one about 1/2 way thru its life on the other. They are air filled.

I get small drifts in my area (less then 4 feet). Do I need tire chains? Can I use the independent brakes to compensate for the limited slip differential? This is the first winter it hopefully will be working and I have never pushed snow.

I am assuming it is better to push (drive in reverse) snow then to pull it (drive forward). I can angle the blade to help minimize the amount of snow I push at any given time.

Do you think I will be ok without the chains?

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Gramps544

11-12-2003 19:23:06




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
After reading all these posts, this is how I am going to try clearing the snow.

I am going to turn the blade backwards and clear only a few inches at a time. When I get close to ground level, I will turn the blade and drive forwards. As I have a short gravel drive and it is flat, I am hopefully this will work..... I do get drifts from time to time (max 3' high). These are what I am worried about and will try to chip around them to clear. I am going as suggested to try it without the chains and if needed get some.

One point of consern is damage to the tractor and the blade. I recently knocked over a stump with my tractor and blade. A couple of times the blade made contact with the stump and the tractor did not move (couldn't budge the stump). I never used a lot of force hitting the stump, but did run the engin full when trying to knock it over (blade already touching the stump). I did no damage to the blade or the tractor doing this. What kinda damage could I inflict on my equipment with snow? I have a 7' King cutter blade.

I think as long as I go slow and don't wait to long for the snow to pack it I should be ok. I will post what works and does not work here in the future after it snows. Thank you for all the insite and your experences.

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ET

11-12-2003 07:17:13




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
I live in the snowbelt off lake Ontario in northern NY. and I would not be without chains in the winter. I use a 3pt hitch blade to plow with and pull all the snow up to the bank going forward and then swing the blade around to push it up on the pile. I have double ring snow chains on my tractor and they don't drop into the tread. I wouldn't give 2 cents for the twisted cross chains they are made for running the roads. The chains are a lifesaver in wet packy snow and in backing up out of the mess of snow you just draged. The chains that are set up with the cross chains hooked togeather work ok but we had some on the farm that rolled and knotted when we were spinning and had the tire squashed right in. It took a crowbar and a good eye for chinese puzzles to untwist them.

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Pete L

11-12-2003 06:32:24




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
My dad has been plowing with his Jubilee for a couple decades now in northern Michigan and not with chains. He's used a back blade, pulling the snow. Very rarely does he push due to dangers to the blade, and besides, 3-point hitches are designed to pull. Hitting something solid may damage your blade or 3-point system. Terrain is pretty flat in his area. You might want to put some shoes on a back blade though. It will dig deeper into your driveway than you want. We took some 1/2" X 3" flat bar, bent up a couple "C" shapes, and pinned them thru the grader blade. Spaces up the blade some and work fine.

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Craig

11-12-2003 14:06:26




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 Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Pete L, 11-12-2003 06:32:24  
Pete L.- I'm interested in your idea about putting shoes on the back blade to plow snow. I didn't understand how you pinned the 'c' shaped flat bar thru the grader blade. Also, how many of these shoes do you put on the blade? I use a 7 foot blade on a SMTA - the three point is hooked to the lift all system - it's either lifted all the way up or digging into my gravel lane. Please let me know. Thanks

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ET

11-13-2003 04:56:14




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 Re: Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Craig, 11-12-2003 14:06:26  
I have an ARPS blade that I bought with a skid shoe kit. The shoes attatch to each end of the blade with the same bolts that hold on the cutting edge. I still do bad things to the lawn every winter.



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Hugh MacKay

11-11-2003 21:39:06




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
Gramps: If you can keep the drivway scraped quite bare, and not get build up of hard packed snow, which turnes to ice on a mild or rainy day, plowing without chains is quite easy. If you live in an area where snow pack builds on you regardless, then you will need chains. I plow my snow with a Farmall 130 with front mount angle blade. I find the biggest item that gets me in trouble is pushing too far into the snow mass, then I can't back away without chains. One item I find that helps a lot is to get the snow plowed off before vehicles start driving through it.

I once had a neighbor always wanted me to plow his driveway. He could never understand why his driveway was so hard to plow compared to mine. I told him if he acted his age and sat by the fireside until snow was over, it would make a difference. He was 65 years of age and I swear the minute it started snowing he started driving. It wasn't uncommon for him to make 20 trips in and out his drivway during the storm. I used to tell him that was the reason the road department needed a 20 ton machine and I could plow with SA. If the road department could just convince people to stay home during storm, they wouldn't need half the equipment.

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scotty

11-12-2003 12:31:00




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 Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Hugh MacKay, 11-11-2003 21:39:06  
Boy Hugh isnt that the whole truth!

scotty



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ken

11-11-2003 14:45:13




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
my 460 utility i bought last year has fluid in the tires but with the loader it needs it get a loader full and it gets a little front heavy. where as you could probably get by without fluid or chains kinda trial and error i personnaly hate these fluid filled tires but they do work for me,i'm looking for another set of wheels and tires that i can use for summer use.



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Popcornsteve

11-11-2003 09:13:22




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
I have been plowing snow in mid-Michigan with an International 340 using a fast hitch back blade since about 1960. We have never used chains, and seldom had any problems. The rear tires have always been loaded, so perhaps that helped some.



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stuart

11-11-2003 08:26:41




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
you have to get the chains that have a square in the middle made out of chain and have diagonal chains going to the outer chains from the corner. they are designed just for new tires and ours work great on our 1466



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Red Barron

11-11-2003 06:07:14




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
While I have never used them myself, from what I've seen of chains they are a useless waste of money on tractor tires that are not badly worn down. The cross chains quickly find a place to lay in between the tread patterns and are held in by packed snow. They have essentially no contact with the ground and give you virtually no added traction.



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Randy in NE

11-11-2003 06:53:17




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 Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Red Barron, 11-11-2003 06:07:14  
If the chains are installed properly they will not lay down in-between the tread patterns. We used chains on an H and a Case 300 when I was a kid. Made a world of difference. We usually turned the blade around backwards and pushed in reverse. Not bad for a teenager. Not so easy now that I am middle aged and have grown around the waist. As long as the snow isn't packed a good set of tires will get you through a lot of snow. A couple of times getting stuck and digging/pulling the tractor out you may find that it isn't so expensive purchasing a good set of tire chains.

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Gramps544

11-11-2003 05:04:03




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
Well this is not looking promissing. I really thought I could get buy without chains. I have a gravel drive, so I do not have to worry about the chains breaking the drive.

As I have not experence with tire chains, is there anything I should know before I purchase a set? Are there different types of chains?



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Bob M

11-11-2003 06:10:12




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 Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-11-2003 05:04:03  
I've been pushing snow in the upstate NY snowbelt for 30+ years using a 7' backblade on an Oliver 1650. My experience is tire chains are unnecessary unless you get a very heavy snow on top of hard ice. But even in that situation, as long as the tractor can get a few feet of running start it will bang through and push snow just fine. Also unless there's just a few inches of snow, the backblade works best and does the neatest job pushing backward. You can easily place and pile snow this way. Also makes it much less likely to get stuck (and a lot easier to pull the tractor out if you do get stuck!)

My recommendation - especially with your relatively short driveway: Try your outfit without chains a couple of times and see how it works. If you find you DO need chains punch below. These guys offer a good selection and great service. (I'm no way associated with them other than as a satisfied customer….). I'd recommend the ladder type chains - will give all the traction you need without spending too much $$$.

Now let it snow!!

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Sam C.

11-11-2003 10:56:22




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 Re: Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Bob M, 11-11-2003 06:10:12  
Try without first, as Bob M suggests, and then if you need them use the link he provided. They shipped to me in a couple of days - real happy with the quality and price.

I run chains all winter in VT due to hilly driveway and tendancy of front tires to get stuck while backing up if I barged too deep into a pile or off an edge.



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Tim

11-10-2003 17:59:51




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
You might sneak by OK if you're working on totally flat ground - the weight of that tractor should be enough to move most snowfalls. But if you have any slopes, get a dump of heavy wet snow, or end up with ice under the snow - you'll have problems. You'll spin out regardless of the weight. Even loaded tires won't help much. If you live in a state that gets real winters, I'd buy some chains - even the cheaper highway type make a big difference.

A little advice - be real careful pushing backwards with the blade turned away from you. It plows great, but it also catches any protruding rocks, the edge of the road, frozen high spots, etc. I've ruined 1 blade and dinged up another one pretty good. And my tractor is a little smaller than yours.

Good luck - if you don't buy chains up front, I bet you end up doing it soon.

Tim - Upstate NY

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Nebraska Cowman

11-10-2003 17:57:10




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 Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Gramps544, 11-10-2003 17:39:16  
I don't think you will be able to anything without chains. The best method with a back blade is to run it in the forward position. Then push the snow backing up and go over it the last few times pulling the snow forward. If you turn the blade facing backward to will tear things all to heck when it catches on frozen ground.



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earl in Pa.

11-11-2003 16:30:55




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 Re: Re: Lets talk tire chains in reply to Nebraska Cowman, 11-10-2003 17:57:10  
On a gravel driveway you should not need chains unless your driveway has steep sideslopes. However if you try to push on pavement you will spin out no matter how much weight you have or how good your tires are.



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