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Butch

Plowing snow with lug tires.

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Butch

Anyone plow snow with them and without chains? Any luck with them? I've been using

rubber chains and was wondering if there is much difference.

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octfst

plowed last winter with loaded lug tires with no problems, but my driveway is flat concrete. had my chains ready but never needed them.

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Forest Road

They're fine until you encounter ice. I use chains on gravel driveway. There's nothing better for my needs. Well...... Ok a mini skid steer blower. But then I'd be divorced so ill continue to love my WH!

Edited by Forest Road
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KyBlue

I use em... Don't even have any weight in the tires... Course we don't get much ice, when we do that's what the ice melt is for (it's loaded in the spreader already)

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JERSEYHAWG /  Glenn

I use chains, but on regular turf tires. Need them to. Asphalt driveway.

Glenn

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Butch

I'm gonna give the tires a try then. I've used both the rubber chains and lug tires in the dirt. The pull

was pretty much the same.

 

Thanks Guys!

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cheesegrader

I used to use loaded ags on my 520 loader on a steep gravel drive.

OK early in the season, but bad once there was much ice, and useless if there was any water on the ice in the spring.

Now i have diamond v-bar ATV chains on them.  The chains make a big improvement.

V-bar chains give a much better grip on the ice, but they would shred asphalt, and can't be good for concrete either.

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Tankman

Gravel driveways, flat. I use turf tires and chains. I set up one Horse, probably in November or earlier 'cause I often grade the stone driveway.

 

At times, 'specially if icy, add the wheel weights. Never a problem for the Horses.

 

Edited by Tankman

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scotty

I personally have had good luck with my ag tires so far. Plowing a gravel driveway with an incline. No chains just loaded and wheel weights. For me they got preobably the same amount of traction as my turfs with chains on them. I dont regret buying them at all.

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Ken B

It really depends on what the surface is like Butch and whether or not its a wet heavy type snow that gets slick as it gets packed. My driveway is packed gravel which no doubt helps with traction. I tried using ags only with weights and without weights and sometimes even with the weights on chains were needed. I think the tractor makes a big difference as well. I'll take a good strong hydro tractor over an 8 speed tractor for pushing snow any day of the week. I made this video a few yrs. ago of my Electro 12 with ags and no weights. The snow was fairly heavy, you can tell I had to gather up a little ramming speed at times but it did ok... In all of the different tractors I have used thruout the better part of the last 30 yrs. this Electro 12 was second best to a strong 520 H. 

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AMC RULES

Cool tractor...   :handgestures-thumbsup: 

but, who's that young guy on the :wh: Ken? 

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Firpo701

Used ags and weights last winter with no problems, and my lane is far from flat, but, it is gravel.

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Kelly

I live in MI we get snow, not so much this year yet, but ags work in the deep snow till you get a layer packed down and drove over for a few weeks and it turns to ice then ags suck, you can set in one spot spinning tires and never move, and I have 200lbs of suit case weights on it, my blower tractor has chains and 55lbs on each wheel, it goes every where, so I guess if your like me where we get snow that stays for months and it gets packed on the gravel road and driveway, turning to ice or your where the snow melts away for the most part, at least off the drive and roads in a week or so, as to what tire set up you want, chains and turfs are hard to beat anytime 

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Fun Engineer

I live in MI we get snow, not so much this year yet, but ags work in the deep snow till you get a layer packed down and drove over for a few weeks and it turns to ice then ags suck, you can set in one spot spinning tires and never move, and I have 200lbs of suit case weights on it, my blower tractor has chains and 55lbs on each wheel, it goes every where, so I guess if your like me where we get snow that stays for months and it gets packed on the gravel road and driveway, turning to ice or your where the snow melts away for the most part, at least off the drive and roads in a week or so, as to what tire set up you want, chains and turfs are hard to beat anytime

Ag tires look great and with added weight work well in the dirt but as most have said they don't do well once you build up any hard pac or ice.

As Kelly states, " chains and turfs are hard to beat ..."

Sent from my tractor seat.

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pfrederi

If you have packed snow/ice under fresh snow you will have problems with just ags. Especially if you are trying to back up.  Ags are directional.  If your driveway clears off between storms ags alone may work.

 

I have a Farmall M with about 1250 lbs of beet juice in her rears and front plow.  She can push in deep snow but if there is Ice under it not so well and when you raise the blade and try to back up forget it.  I also have a DC3 Case with back blade and 600lbs of weights. She has duo link chains and I would not try plowing it without them.  (you get one of these stuck and recovery is a bit of work)

 

I am with Ken.  They Electro 12 with her limited slip rear end is a plowing beast!!! 

post-1023-0-16932100-1419951880_thumb.jp

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Kelly

Another thing most people don't understand or think about, and the last pic made me think to share, the narrower the tire the better the grip you will get, it relates to PSI pounds per square inch, a fat tire spreads your weight out over a larger area, defeating the purpose of more weight, were a skinny tire puts it in a small spot and in a way makes it act like your tractor is heavier, wide tires in mud or dirt is fine but not ice and snow. 

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Ken B

Kelly hit the nail on the head with the narrow tires... Years ago I had a 1276 with a healthy 14 hp Kohler transplanted under the hood. We had a serious blizzard going for a few days and we ended up with 2 feet of snow. I wasn't home for a few days because I was working on a snow crew at the time driving a pay loader with a 24 ft blade on it. When I got home that old 1276 (1476?) Got it done! Sure, I had to work the livin hell out of it but with the only other alternative being a snow shovel.. You get the drift. Other than a few bolts comin loose here and there nothing broke. I did have loaded 6x12's with 2 link chains on that tractor, it was unstoppable and I could ride it right up the snow banks...  Them narrow tires saved my back that day.Thanks for reminding me about that one Kelly...

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ericj

i don't disagree with the theory of the narrow tires giving better traction but, my dad's D200 with 26x12x12 turf tires and 180 # of calcium and 50 # of wheel weights we ran it most of the time with out chains and last year i have a 416-H and was plowing but really struggling, getting the job done but with a lot of wheel spin. now it has Carlisle 23x8.50x12 ag tires and then i got my 520-H with 23X10.50X12 Carlisle super lug tires on it. and it went real good with out chains it went as good with out chains as the 416-H with chains. so i know how it's suppose to work, but that's not the way it played out last year for me anyways   :twocents-twocents:

 

 

eric j

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Kelly

Well I don't stick to the narrow tire rule myself, the 520 with 26x12x12 ags is my plow tractor with over 200lbs hanging on the back of it, the other 520 is my blower tractor with 23x10.5x12 turfs with cleated 2 link chains and 55lbs wheel weights both do great till ice builds up and the then ags don't cut it, the chains pull through everything, if I had a choice turfs and chains will win 

 

 This was last year, no real snow this year

 

post-85-0-69888000-1420074576_thumb.jpg

 

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Mike

We dont get a lot of snow here, but ags and frozen ground pulling cart full of wood is no go, pul 600 sheet metal screws in ags 30 years ago and will pull anything, plus rides better than chains. works great on ice and frozen ground. :woohoo:

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decksetter

We dont get a lot of snow here, but ags and frozen ground pulling cart full of wood is no go, pul 600 sheet metal screws in ags 30 years ago and will pull anything, plus rides better than chains. works great on ice and frozen ground. :woohoo:

Ever had any screws come out? Just curious.

I've done great with 4 link chains over turf tires. No problem pushing snow the depth of the blade uphill in my gravel drive.

A couple years ago I plowed my drive with a big Farmall cub with ags and no chains, it was fine until it started to pack into ice and then just spun, even with wheel brakes it was hard to keep free. Honestly the 416 or 520 can push through a lot deeper snow than the cub and are way more maneuverable, that's why I didn't keep the cub.

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Butch

It really depends on what the surface is like Butch and whether or not its a wet heavy type snow that gets slick as it gets packed. My driveway is packed gravel which no doubt helps with traction. I tried using ags only with weights and without weights and sometimes even with the weights on chains were needed. I think the tractor makes a big difference as well. I'll take a good strong hydro tractor over an 8 speed tractor for pushing snow any day of the week. I made this video a few yrs. ago of my Electro 12 with ags and no weights. The snow was fairly heavy, you can tell I had to gather up a little ramming speed at times but it did ok... In all of the different tractors I have used thruout the better part of the last 30 yrs. this Electro 12 was second best to a strong 520 H. 

It did great Ken!

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Phatboy

See i never have ice build up cause i have a black asphalt driveway ,, and i have my plow skids set to only leave like 1/32 dusting behind and i use tru power ags with never a issue .. Even last winter with the blizzard and over 2 foot of snow and my driveway is on a incline,, a good set of ag's with weight not the cheap knock off ag's either ,, carsile or firestone,, and keep the driveway clean and dont drive on it alot before plowing ,, the dusting i leave behind becase my driveway os black melts no matter how cold cause of the day

light ,, so yea im AG's all the way ,,

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