Any reason 'NOT' to stud tires?

[millerized]

Been lurking and learning since acquisition of my fathers BX22 a few months ago. Amazing what a little machine like that can do to speed up your property chores! Now I have so much more to do with so much more time available.

A little geography: I live in WV, in an out of the way "development" back .5mi of dirt with hills (In WV no less, go figure!) that will stop most anything that doesn't have 4wd if it snows. Off our court, which much of the main road, is northern facing, and doesn't receive sunlight on it from November til March. If it snows, and the temps don't get above freezing, it just doesn't melt. This means solid ice after a few vehicles hit it. 36 houses = lot of vehicles = ice constantly.

The question: (yeah, finally!) Besides ballasting the tires, which will be fine for just snow, would studding the tires be detrimental to anything? I've got several boxes of studs, a $$$ Bruno Wessel stud gun (from a previous adventure of studding motorcycle tires) and more than enough time to do it. Won't be that big of a deal. Will be using the 11mm studs, with carbide tip. No ice studs in the picture....yet

Just want to make sure that there's no downside to it. No paved surfaces to worry about scarring up, no real reason not to do it in my book....just asking the hive mind to see if there's any 'oh, h3ll no, don't do it because: reason.

Thanks in advance
Jim

 

[meanjean]

Have you got enough studs to do aboth tiresv
That's a pile of studs!

 

[millerized]

Have you got enough studs to do aboth tiresv
That's a pile of studs!

Just checked, 2 1/2 boxes....1000 per box = 2500 studs....that should do at least the outside of the tire

Wondering how thick the sidewalls are
Kidding.

I've got approximately 2500 of the 11mm studs below. They're 11mm tall, and about 3/16" diameter. Hardest part about the whole process is drilling all the 1/8" holes in the tread, offsetting the next stud enough that it doesn't slide into the same groove as the stud in the previous tread. Makes for a long day, and a lot of holes drilled.
These are what I use, ordered from Prier Tire Supply:

 

[meanjean]

I don't know that I'd have the patience to drill 2500 holes.
That's a pile of beer.

 

[millerized]

I don't know that I'd have the patience to drill 2500 holes.
That's a pile of beer.

Have a fridge full. No hurry for this, tho. I usually don't see snow of any quantity until late December at the earliest. Great part is that I don't have to dismount these tires to drill the holes like I did on motorcycle tires.

But, yeah, it'll be a lot of holes. Figure 4 to 5 per lug....going to be several hundred at least per rear, and probably at least half that on the fronts.
Hey....what else do I have to do right now. Can't plow leaves, so the tractor sets.

 

[smog]

Just want to make sure that there's no downside to it. No paved surfaces to worry about scarring up, no real reason not to do it in my book....just asking the hive mind to see if there's any 'oh, h3ll no, don't do it because: reason.

Thanks in advance
Jim

any reason not to use a set of chains ?

I had a 2wd tractor before and trust me it will beat the studs in every possible way when you get ice and snow. ( I'm Canadian )

another thing for the builder : a local guy made a set of rubber tracks for his small ford tractor (2wd) and use the independents brakes to steer it.
I didn't see the tractor last winter but I know he used it with a front blade and a rear snow blower and went back to stock wheels for summer mowing.

examples :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Q56uS1n00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGzKIgqj88I

 

[millerized]

any reason not to use a set of chains ?

I had a 2wd tractor before and trust me it will beat the studs in every possible way when you get ice and snow. ( I'm Canadian )

another thing for the builder : a local guy made a set of rubber tracks for his small ford tractor (2wd) and use the independents brakes to steer it.
I didn't see the tractor last winter but I know he used it with a front blade and a rear snow blower and went back to stock wheels for summer mowing.

Was going to reply to your holes comment, but it done disappeared on me

Why no chains? Only the fact that I have the gun and the studs, and don't have chains right now. Not that I'm precluded from purchasing chains, just want to use what I have. One mentioned the clearances are slim for chains, and while I haven't checked yet, it is a valid opinion.

To me, studding will work for 99% of my applications since this will probably never leave my 3ac back a hillside court. Worst case scenario, I put studs in now and forced to purchase chains later.

But, if I get that much snow, I'm not going past the end of my court. Since the county (who frowns on, and often cites, ANY involvement with THEIR road) won't get back that far for 3-5 days, if at all. The big snow in 2003 (30+") families had the road cleared enough to move on a week before the county even tried to come back. All the county did was plow shut the connection to the paved road at the entrance, making it even harder to get out. Days like that, well, that's what 'vacation days' were made for.

 

[smog]

Was going to reply to your holes comment, but it done disappeared on me

I'm a magician !!

also, if your BX22 is 4wd (I think it is), you can get a cheap set of garden tractor chains at tractor supply and put the chains only on the front tires. It does the trick on my B7200 after an ice storm.

is the BX22 still on turf tires ?

 

[smog]

oh, and here is a factory Kubota BX with a lot of traction :

... well it's OEM in Japan for rice fields

 

[Kubota_Man]

oh, and here is a factory Kubota BX with a lot of traction :

... well it's OEM in Japan for rice fields

Can I get a set of those for my BX24????????????
I don't know about NEED but I WANT

 

[millerized]

Can I get a set of those for my BX24????????????
I don't know about NEED but I WANT

http://www.mattracks.com/ maybe?
Hows about this: http://www.mattracks.com/vehicles/select-by-vehicle/index.shtml?tab=3&panel=3#VTabbedPanels4

 

[smog]

http://www.mattracks.com/ maybe?
Hows about this: http://www.mattracks.com/vehicles/select-by-vehicle/index.shtml?tab=3&panel=3#VTabbedPanels4

the japanese kubota picture look like they are using something similar to the Mattrack !

it's good for the mud but wouldnt be that good for ice.

 

[millerized]

the japanese kubota picture look like they are using something similar to the Mattrack !

it's good for the mud but wouldnt be that good for ice.

Careful now.....

To be fair, my brother spent 2 seasons on the ice in Antarctica...these type of tracks were common on everything from buses to a few ATV. They work just dandy, and you can also stud the tracks with ice spikes. Just no way you can lose with this system.

Go ahead, buy them.....it's only money! (and make sure you get the bright green ones...it'll clash with the orange nicely!)

 

[Jim-Iowa]

The laws and regs vary a lot form state to state. So you should check locally.
If you run your tractor on the road there could be a problem, unless you can afford two sets of wheels and tires.
In Iowa you can only run studs on the road from October 30th - April 1.
They set this up to reduce pavement abrasion.
And the fines are heavy.

I just read about the heavy fine a Mennonite kid got for running steel wheels on asphalt. That went to the state supreme court, argueing regs violates his freedom to practice his religion. And He lost.

 

[millerized]

The laws and regs vary a lot form state to state. So you should check locally.
If you run your tractor on the road there could be a problem, unless you can afford two sets of wheels and tires.
In Iowa you can only run studs on the road from October 30th - April 1.
They set this up to reduce pavement abrasion.
And the fines are heavy.

I just read about the heavy fine a Mennonite kid got for running steel wheels on asphalt. That went to the state supreme court, argueing regs violates his freedom to practice his religion. And He lost.

Not a big chance it'll ever see pavement with the exception of my concrete garage floor and my 40' asphalt driveway. All dirt with the exception of those areas. Getting another set of rims/tires, while not in the budget right now may be a possibility in the future. But, once studded, there should be no reason to ever change them until worn out. (which takes longer with studs installed )

We're 1 November to 15 April for studs here in WV. Mine for the truck are mounted and ready to go on as needed. Nice to have an extra set of rims.