Thoughts on leaving my snow chains on year--round?

[SpokaneDude]

I have a Kubota BX2350; I just spend all day putting chains on 1 wheel! Makes me wonder if I would damage anything by leaving them on all year long? The tires are the ones with the knobs; I only use the tractor for small gardening (1.5 acres), rototilling and small jobs around the property...

 

[Biker1mike]

My father in law left chains on his tractors all year for decades.
I left mine on for a long time to make up for the lack of tread left on the rears.
With new tires I have not need the chains.
Your speed with getting them on will improve over time. The cussing will remain about the same.

 

[jimh406]

I suggest watching some videos on YouTube on how to put them on. You may have to watch several to find a technique that works for you.

As far as leaving them on goes, I think they would do significant damage to your yard. Basically, the track that you see when you use them on snow would be in your yard. So, I wouldn't do it.

 

[SpokaneDude]

My father in law left chains on his tractors all year for decades.
I left mine on for a long time to make up for the lack of tread left on the rears.
With new tires I have not need the chains.
Your speed with getting them on will improve over time. The cussing will remain about the same.

You got that last sentence absolutely correct! I'll do the other tire tomorrow...
Thank you for your time and comments..
SD

I suggest watching some videos on YouTube on how to put them on. You may have to watch several to find a technique that works for you.

As far as leaving them on goes, I think they would do significant damage to your yard. Basically, the track that you see when you use them on snow would be in your yard. So, I wouldn't do it.

I suggest watching some videos on YouTube on how to put them on. You may have to watch several to find a technique that works for you.

As far as leaving them on goes, I think they would do significant damage to your yard. Basically, the track that you see when you use them on snow would be in your yard. So, I wouldn't do it.

 

[SpokaneDude]

I suggest watching some videos on YouTube on how to put them on. You may have to watch several to find a technique that works for you.

As far as leaving them on goes, I think they would do significant damage to your yard. Basically, the track that you see when you use them on snow would be in your yard. So, I wouldn't do it.

Watched lots of videos, some helped, most didn't apply;

My father in law left chains on his tractors all year for decades.
I left mine on for a long time to make up for the lack of tread left on the rears.
With new tires I have not need the chains.
Your speed with getting them on will improve over time. The cussing will remain about the same.

Don't have to worry about yard, only used for small jobs and tilling... thanks anyway...

 

[woodsy]

I left my studded chains on year round for 20 years on my other
tractor which i sold with them on it.
No noticeable damage running around 20 acres of mostly woods. I did stay off the gravel driveway when it wasn't frozen.

 

[mcfarmall]

Ran chains on the Farmall C for 30 years on every surface imaginable. Very little damage to any. I took them off because I didn't want them to wear out!!

 

[BigG]

We had a 12 hp Wheel Horse that we used to mow the yard with. We also used it to snow plow. The tire chains never came off of it in 20 plus years.

I have always felt much safer with the chains on the tractor. I grew up in SE Ohio and the hills are steep and slippery with turf tires.

 

[ve9aa]

I leave mine on 24/7/365. Mow, Snowblow, whatever.
The only noticeable effect is sharp turns on my hard packed gravel driveway tear at it a little
bit.

No biggie

 

[skeets]

I ran chains on the yellow tractor almost from day one till it went south, unless you try to drift it chains pose no problem

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Wondering why it took 'all day' to put ONE chain on. Providing they're are correct size chains for the tire size, it should only take 5 minutes per side ,once tractor's jacked up. usual rookie mistake is having them 'inside-out' or 'upside down'.
It does take practice.spend the time, get into the rhythm of how they go on and off, after all you normally only do it ONCE a year and that makes it easy to forget the tricks and techniques.

 

[mikester]

I studded my tires and leave them in all year round.

I would't leave chains on unless they were the euro style cleated ones and I was working my machines exclusively in forested mud bogs.

I have double ladder chains but I don't like using them because they suck when it comes to ride, putting them on, and watching them walk around while driving. It takes me about an hour to chain up R4's, drive around a bit, then to adjust and re-tighten. The studs have been a dream come true in terms of ride and ice traction for snowblowing.

 

[fried1765]

I leave mine on 24/7/365. Mow, Snowblow, whatever.
The only noticeable effect is sharp turns on my hard packed gravel driveway tear at it a little
bit.

No biggie

Yea......but in NB there is only one week of poor sledding,..... and that is in August!

 

[top gnome]

My euro studded chains will probably never come off. the only drawbacks are the studded chains tear up the yard a little on really muddy days but I figure airating the yard is a good thing. They make a mess of the garage floor because they hold the mud and drop it on the floor. Now my tractor shed is done and it has a gravel floor so no worries. I never took the ladder chains off of my farmall. The chains fell off of my 8N once and that was enough of a hassle that once on I never took them off again.

 

[Oil pan 4]

Leaving them on is normal up north and in places that have mud for most of the year.

 

[jimh406]

I thought of another issue. Chains supposedly will stretch and loosen, so if you left them on, you'd need to retighten, for sure.