Awww rats! Bought wrong size chains

Hey all,

Went on a quest for double ring chains for my 4430 loader tractor. I found LaClede's online catalog, so I KNEW what size to buy - 19 cross chains, 13 links wide.

I posted an ad on CL seeking this size. 12 hours later, a guy calls me with chains he had on 18.4-38 tires. I drove down and looked them over, they're in excellent condition, nearly new. One catch, they only have 16 cross chains, and one H chain someone threw on at some point. He told me he had them on 18.4s, and I believe him. He didn't seem the dishonest type.


BUT they're too short! Tried every which way to mount them. The inside chain will clamp on the very last link, but the outside is then 6 inches short. I even got a big snap chain binder and couldn't get them to reach. Looking at LaClede's catalog, these fit an 18.4-30. I called the seller and he swears he had them on an 18.4-38 tire. He said his were worn Bias plies, mine are 4 year old radials at 90% or better. Must be the difference.

So now I'm gonna hafta go up to the hardware store and see if they have any cross chains by-the-piece and stretch these.

An interesting side note - I checked the chains I recently bought at a sale for my 16.9-38 tires, and they fit just about perfect. They're exactly the same size - 16 cross chains, 13 links wide. They should fit an 18.4-30, not a 16.9-38...

http://lacledechain.com/tc_catalog/FLASH/index.html

I mistakenly put my 18.4x34 H style chains on 18.4x38 tires they almost fit better only had to drop 1 link. Found that out the hard way when I went to mount the 38 chains on the 4020 with 34 tires.

We had a 4030 on our farm and I remember having to
help my uncle put on those rear wheel chains to
push snow or to feed cattle. Not much fun! It was
nice to go out this past week with our 6320 in 16"
of snow to feed and not put on any chains!

The chains for my ford 640 were a tad to short
too. I added 2 weldable repair links to each end
they fit great.

(quoted from post at 04:09:48 02/23/15) We had a 4030 on our farm and I remember having to
help my uncle put on those rear wheel chains to
push snow or to feed cattle. Not much fun! It was
nice to go out this past week with our 6320 in 16"
of snow to feed and not put on any chains!

Click to expand...

I'd like to find a nice, affordable 4030 for light chores someday soon. I just don't see why they bring as much as a 4430 these days. Seems they should be worth 10-12K with a decent cab and 8-10K as an open station or 4 post ROPS.

These double ring chains are definitely heavier than the H chains, but nothing I can't handle....yet. Ask me again in 30 years!

Had there been ice or mud under that snow, I don't think you'd have had much fun.

Yep I know exactly what you are going thru. Mounting chains is never fun unless you do it in a heated shop on concrete. Just put mine on the other day. Of course no heat and no shop just outside. Had really worn out 16.9x34 tires on it. Replaced them this spring with new 18.4x34 tires. The chains I have were a little long for the old tires, but on the new ones they barely fit. Pulled and tugged and got them on. Quite a bit of difference just going up one size with new tread.

Problem fixed. A good local hardware store is a tremendous value. My local store is Gasser True Value. They had the cross chains for $19 each. I had a spare cross chain, so I only needed three. I only needed to add one link, so these chains were still a good value.

Now, to go out at try 'em.... err, still don't have much for ballast, maybe not!

I sure would like to find some used double ring chains but really would like to find the old field style chains for my 4020 loader tractor

"Field style"?


Man, these chains make the tractor! I wasn't gonna go out, but the tractor was running and the chains were mounted - I just COULDN'T resist. The difference between the H style chains and the double ring chains are night and day. I went anywhere I wanted to go. I even brought a few firewood logs back with me

So more ballast would be nice, but better chains made a huge difference.

We have a set of field chains for our A JD. They have large rings in an X pattern across the tire face. I have never seen another set like the ones we have. They make that 2 cylinder unstoppable pushing snow. You run out of power or you push the snow all the way across the yard before the tires spin.

I have those style on my MT for pushing snow and like you said it will dig to chain trying to push before it slips. They look to me like a logging chain you see on skidder tires around here.

Per my previous post you'll be having more trouble than just chains if you don't ballast your tractor properly. Seems to be the biggest overlooked problem with users of loaders. Be safe.

(quoted from post at 04:32:00 02/24/15) We have a set of field chains for our A JD. They have large rings in an X pattern across the tire face. I have never seen another set like the ones we have. They make that 2 cylinder unstoppable pushing snow. You run out of power or you push the snow all the way across the yard before the tires spin.

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They're kind of an extra large twisted link? You know, I might have one of those I got with another set I bought at a sale. I'll poke around and see. One chain isn't much good, but you'd be halfway there, then. If I remember right, it was in pretty good shape.

Back in the blizzard of '78' we ran chains on our 4630 with 20.8 X38's had a big snow plow on it,,they really helped but when a cross link would break it was tuff on the tail light,

So here's a pair of pics from my two sets of double ring chains. It looks like a set with 18 cross chains at 13 links each fits nearly perfect on an 18.4-38 radial on a 16" rim. The LaClede book calls for 19, but I don't think that'd fit tight enough. The second set of chains is on a 16.9-38 bias ply on 14 inch rims. The chains are 16 cross chains at 13 links wide. According to the book, these only fit an 18.4-30. It says I should have 17 cross chains, but again I think they'd be too loose. You can see in the picture that I've cinched them up three links as it is. These have a fair amount of wear, so they might just have stretched a bit, but I got a spare cross chain at the sale as well. I wonder if the owner didn't take out a cross chain when he first got them.

No real moral of the story, other than size charts for chains are not always perfectly accurate. Order the appropriate size, but expect to possibly have to cut them down.

Here is the chains I would like to find for my 4020.

Double Ring style chains ,Both the X type your looking for, & the straight double ring, rocky r. has , could be called a JD part. [TY 4541 on the 18.4x34 size] they're in the Genuine JD Parts catalog's 75" thru 83"... pics.. we still run a straight set & a X style [ we call them criss- cross] set.. on tractors, they ride ruffer than , road style , But are NOT Near as good traction wise; as the 3 1/2 in. twisted loop,[criss-cross] field chains, we use a set on one of the spreader tractors... prices in 83' cat.

Now if I could find a set of them in 18.4x34 I would be set. And maybe a set in 18.4x38 also.

I posted a pic of the one chain I have on another topic. It's not that. I'd bet a set of regular double rings would be nearly as effective as those. I'm guessing the connecting chains in the middle are prevent sliding sideways down a hill. Wouldn't it also make them a lot rougher riding?