The frustrating job of ......

Super-H-Mike · Nov 24, 2013

Yearly mounting of the tire chains. Anybody have any good tips to make it go easier? Cussing up a storm seems to have little effect. lol

Wile E · Nov 24, 2013

Deflate the tires first then put on chains, then reflate to pressure noted on tire. Life is way easier when you do it this way.

kevinj54 · Nov 24, 2013

Lay em out, back over them & tie the loose ends thru the wheel with a bungee, rope, etc, drive forward till they are wrapped and buckle em up.

Drive around a little bit and re-tighten.

Super-H-Mike · Nov 24, 2013

Thats pretty much what I do now, even still, one side took 3 minutes, the other side was an hour .

Super-H-Mike · Nov 24, 2013

I have often thought about trying that, I never thought it would shrink enough to make a difference, but next year I am trying that !

David G · Nov 24, 2013

I gotta do that this week.

kevinj54 · Nov 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 19:22:04 11/24/13) Thats pretty much what I do now, even still, one side took 3 minutes, the other side was an hour .

The 3 minute side is about right. What is the issue when it takes an hour to mount a chain on one wheel?

Tractors are easy compared to the big trucks

notjustair · Nov 24, 2013

I'm putting that off like crazy. I usually wait until the flurries start flying. What fun is it putting them in without the pressure of s snowstorm?

Anonymous-0 · Nov 24, 2013

The one side was especially tight, and the tires are near new with full deep lugs. However, once they are on and been used awhile, it gets looser. The cross chains get twisted and stuck in the lugs , have to work my way around straightening and tugging, fiddling , etc til there is enough slack to latch them. I have tried a come-along , springs , bungees and the like while driving around the yard, its almost always a battle....

JDB · Nov 24, 2013

House full of relatives and friends in a few days, any help there? I put the job off too, not looking forward to it at all. And no, no one helps

Mike (WA) · Nov 24, 2013

Daughter went to college in eastern WA, and she and the other west-siders had to cross a mountain pass to come home for holidays. She put the word out that she would put chains on their cars if necessary, by herself. They could just stay in the car, and move it forward or back as instructed. She had standing offers of rides from other girls- they all wanted to have her along. She packed a bag with coveralls, little tarp to lay on, gloves, pliers, wire, etc. She still does her own oil changes and minor repairs.

Dick2 · Nov 24, 2013

That's why I live down in the AZ desert!

Sold the snowblower, snow shovels and tire chains before I left ND 28 years ago.

rabbit-1 · Nov 24, 2013

No, but it might make you feel better as you do that frustrating job.

RodinNS · Nov 24, 2013

Throw them over the wheel, clasps ahead. Dress the chain into place and drive ahead so the clasps go to the rear, pull them up and close. Drive around to work the chains into place, do some spinning, then retighten. I like to get the inside chain a link tighter if I can right from the start... then I can adjust the outside as they wear.
I usually wire the clasps shut on the duo-trac chains but not on a truck chain.

Rod

wilson ind · Nov 24, 2013

I use snow tires not all season in winter. Put chains on summer tires in warm shop keep tires with chains in bed of pickup carry good floor jack when needed jack up vehicle usr cordless impact put tires with chains on in 10 min or less

Dick L · Nov 24, 2013

I seem to always wait until we have six inches of snow to put the tire chains on my tractor. Never been a problem other than frozen fingers and ears. I drive onto them after spreading the chains so the tire is not on the chain, pull them over the top of the tire, hook the inside and work the chains over and around the lugs until I can hook the outside. I use chain binders on the outside to keep them tight.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 24, 2013

What if you have loaded tires? The last thing you need is to have valve stem problems and you need to call a tire shop. Chains can be a pain but having a flat tire is an even bigger pain. Chains don't have to be that tight.

Royse · Nov 24, 2013

Once I got mine on good and tight and adjusted the way I
wanted them, I bought another tractor to use in the summer.

Now I'm working on one tractor for each implement so I don't
have to spend all that time hooking and unhooking them! LOL

Seriously, some guys around here just swap tires and rims.
One set with chains for winter, one without for summer.
It's not that expensive because tires with worn tread that
you were going to replace anyway work fine for chain use.
Those and a used set of rims and you're in business.

TomH in PA · Nov 24, 2013

Don"t try to get them tight. It"s better to have them rattle around a little to shake off the snow.

I prefer to lay them flat on the ground and drive to the middle of them. Then drag each end up to the top and connect.

Super-H-Mike · Nov 24, 2013

Yes, worn down tires would make the job easier. These are field chains by the way, not highway chains which are considerably easier to mount I have found.

Lyle Noland · Nov 24, 2013

Never had any problem put em on and off often never run em on the road go to the bush put em on and take off coming home just drive over tie a rope on each end go ahead be sure to keep links even each side or they will walk off no need to be tight

rick n ohio · Nov 24, 2013

not tryin to be a smart mouth guy here but i put them on a mf -35 every year takes me less than15 minuets for both tires,i throw them over the top and farten them on the bottom i do each one loose,i hook them in the first chain hook on each side,after they are both on i drive it about 15/20 feet or so,then put the adjusters back on the bottom and im done.maybe a larger tractor is a little more difficult.
RICK

VicS · Nov 24, 2013

I just put chains on the front wheels of our little JD. Point the bucket down and rais the front wheels up over a foot. Jam 2X4's to stop the axle from oscillating. I have cut the chains to fit the tires, just one link to long. Can do it in 10 minutes or less.

flying belgian · Nov 24, 2013

Got a front wheel assist to put the loader on about 10 years ago. They said you don't need chains with a fwa. and they were right. Happiest day of my life when I sold the tire chains.

J.Wondergem · Nov 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 20:15:39 11/24/13) not tryin to be a smart mouth guy here but i put them on a mf -35 every year takes me less than15 minuets for both tires,i throw them over the top and farten them on the bottom i do each one loose,i hook them in the first chain hook on each side,after they are both on i drive it about 15/20 feet or so,then put the adjusters back on the bottom and im done.maybe a larger tractor is a little more difficult.
RICK

Ha Ha. this is funny. Reread what you wrote Rick.

Determined · Nov 24, 2013

Just put chains on a set on 34's this afternoon.
Not sure it will help you any but this is what I do;
-Jack up 1 wheel
-Turn tire so valve stem is at 12:00 and pull core out
-Put valve core back in when air is out
-Drag chain up to back of tire
-Hook a bungee cord through rim and hook ends of cord to ends of chain
-Rotate tire until chain has climbed onto tire
-Hook a come a long on one cross chain back from the ends and suck it down tight until you can latch the link
-Turn tire so valve stem is at 12:00 and air up[fluid filled tires]
-Repeat other side
-Takes me 10 minutes a side after I find everything
Dave

Anonymous-0 · Nov 25, 2013

If you farten them up too much, you'll need a wipe, too!

showcrop · Nov 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 16:49:07 11/24/13) Yes, worn down tires would make the job easier. These are field chains by the way, not highway chains which are considerably easier to mount I have found.

Sounds like the size of the tire and the need to work them around is the main problem. I think that I would be jacking up the tough side. At our Fire Dept. we used to put chains on two trucks just before predicted significant storms, then off the next day. We always jacked up one side at a time and did not start the trucks.

danmcdonald · Nov 25, 2013

I put mine on last night in 12 degree cold. I always have a friend help its a lot easier. After we put mine on we went to his farm and installed his with two people it just takes a few minuets.

Texasmark1 · Nov 25, 2013

Yeah. Get a new GM PU. Plenty of room with the square fender wells with a foot of space all around. Make this nice shiny sheet metal and raise it up so all you see is the running equipment and frame. If it isn't for chains, wonder what it's for? I have 10" wide 20" wheels on mine and still plenty of room to install chains.

Mark

NoNewParts · Nov 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 20:34:21 11/24/13)
Seriously, some guys around here just swap tires and rims.
One set with chains for winter, one without for summer.
It's not that expensive because tires with worn tread that
you were going to replace anyway work fine for chain use.
Those and a used set of rims and you're in business.

after fighting with chains for years, that is what I do now.
common 12.4-28's
snow plow tractor, one loaded pair with 3 sets of tire chains per tire.
(yep, it was tough)
an unloaded set with no chains for the summer mowing.
far easier

DENNIS MIN · Nov 25, 2013

Texasmark1,

I used to like GM trucks, but the current models remind me of the old mid 80's Dodges too much.

D.

Super-H-Mike · Nov 25, 2013

I am going to try jacking up and letting out the air next year, thanks for the ideas guys. As for you guys that say they dont need to be tight, this is Minnesota, and they arent as effective if they are loose. I haul manure all winter , I can inch through very deep snow and frozen fields by just letting the chains dig me along little by little. When loose, they tend to fall in between the lugs and dont work as well. This is what I have found in tough going anyway.

Ken Macfarlane · Nov 25, 2013

lay chain studs/vbar/cleats/corks up behind the tractor straight out and inline with tractor.

tie a 3/8" rope about 8 ft long to each side link and loop middle over lug at top of tire. If the tire is bald tie it through the rim.

drive ahead until the chains have been pulled up to the tire. Get out and centre them on the tread.

drive ahead and watch the chain, if it gets off centre get off and fix it before it goes too far.

Once it get around so the ends are together about mid height on the tire at the rear connect the side links and cut the rope off.

Repeat for other tire.

This method works really well for ladder or net type ice chains and you don't have to hold the weight of the chains while putting them on.

The frustrating job of ......

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