When do you take your chains off?

[jimh406]

My tractor has been idle other than snow since I got it almost 4 weeks ago. We are warming up this week which should melt all of the snow.

I currently have front chains on, and my rear chains just arrived. I don’t need it for plowing, but it is helpful to move big piles. I feel like I need to install the rear chains just to make sure they fit. I think the majority of the snow is over. Fronts are pretty easy to put on. The rears are quite a bit heavier.

When do you take your chains off?

 

[mikester]

I took mine off 2 weeks ago. One side wandered and needed to be re-adjusted. No glare ice and I hate using them so took them off.

 

[Ikc1990]

Mine stay on till mid season starts to dry up here usually till mid to early may. But we usually put them on around Thanksgiving or before.

 

[RCW]

Mine come off when the mower deck goes on. Usually have some dirt work to do when snowblower comes off.

 

[jajiu]

I leave mine on until mid or late March because I have a very long gravel driveway with a steep hill up to the house. Without the chains I would never be able to plow the driveway let alone get up the hill. I don't like having them on, but like insurance, it's nice to have when you need it.

 

[fruitcakesa]

When "actual" mud season ends, not the midwinter melts.
Usually end of March to end of April

 

[Henro]

My tractor has been idle other than snow since I got it almost 4 weeks ago. We are warming up this week which should melt all of the snow.

I currently have front chains on, and my rear chains just arrived. I don’t need it for plowing, but it is helpful to move big piles. I feel like I need to install the rear chains just to make sure they fit. I think the majority of the snow is over. Fronts are pretty easy to put on. The rears are quite a bit heavier.

When do you take your chains off?

After 16 years or so I took mine off a year or two ago. I got tired of them hitting the fenders on the inside, if they shifted a little.

With R4 tires, the chains add extra grip when soil/grass is wet, so I really like having them on all year round. BUT I do not have any pavement to drive on, so it is not a big deal in that regard.

When I get wheel spacers I will put them back on and keep them on all the time. Nothing much flat here. Different story if your land is mostly flat.

 

[Tommieboy]

After 16 years or so I took mine off a year or two ago. I got tired of them hitting the fenders on the inside, if they shifted a little.

With R4 tires, the chains add extra grip when soil/grass is wet, so I really like having them on all year round. BUT I do not have any pavement to drive on, so it is not a big deal in that regard.

When I get wheel spacers I will put them back on and keep them on all the time. Nothing much flat here. Different story if your land is mostly flat.

I dished my rims out on my L4060 to give wider footprint and allow for chains. By doing that I didn't need spacers.

 

[Henro]

I dished my rims out on my L4060 to give wider footprint and allow for chains. By doing that I didn't need spacers.

Unfortunately that option is not available with R4 tire/rims on my tractor...

 

[doublebass73]

I take mine off at the end of April.

 

[Tioga Tim]

My tractor has been idle other than snow since I got it almost 4 weeks ago. We are warming up this week which should melt all of the snow.

I currently have front chains on, and my rear chains just arrived. I don’t need it for plowing, but it is helpful to move big piles. I feel like I need to install the rear chains just to make sure they fit. I think the majority of the snow is over. Fronts are pretty easy to put on. The rears are quite a bit heavier.

When do you take your chains off?

Agree with the end of mud season - usually middle to end of April here in upstate NY. I have had to plow snow the first part of April several times.

 

[BobInSD]

When "actual" mud season ends, not the midwinter melts.
Usually end of March to end of April

My snow fence is often up till May. I try to not use the tractor much when it's very muddy--once I'm done moving snow I'd rather not rut things up. I didn't even put chains on this winter now that I have 4WD.