tire chains

[randyo]

I've decided rather than buying yet another set of wheels to mount a set of tires with ice screws, it would be more cost effective to use tire chains for off road winter use

anybody use  tire chains, if so, type, size, sources?

[airshot]

   When I had my 4wd ATV, I never had any issues going over icy roads or getting enough traction to make headway so I am curious as to why the chains or ice screws?  I am expecting my UTV to do even better in the snow and ice due to the increased weight. Now if your tires are worn out....that's another story.

[randyo]

I will most likely be completely off road and pulling a sled loaded with wood, sometimes on steep grades, even in summer, I have to put it in 4 wheel lock sometimes and get a running start

[randyo]

this will be my use, but winter conditions,  sled is loaded with about 1000 lbs


diamond pattern would obviously work best but is most expensive


or ladder pattern - 2 link


ladder pattern 4 ling is by far the cheapest , but will it be adequate for my needs


 

[airshot]

    Just throwing out a couple things to ponder here....my experience with tire chains is limited to a snow blower, a big one, but I think some of these findings may pertain to your usage as well.  I have a set of ladder chains and the gain in traction was minimal, yes there was a gain but not as much as expected. A good friend has the cross track pattern chains on his blower and he gets a serious increase in traction.  Now for the downside of that serious increase in traction....it digs things up if it stops forward travel. Like me he has a stone driveway which normally freezes over in the winter so no issue, however, if the gravel is not froze and he runs into heavy snow and the tires/chains start spinning, it digs a hole real fast! I guess I am seeing that as a potential problem you might have in your dirt based towing area. I can see the cross link chains doing the job well, but if you get into a serious pulling situation like you mentioned going up hills and you get wheel spin you might just dig yourself a hole. Honestly the ladder type chains added only a tiny bit of extra traction and I am not sure the gain would be worth the investment unless you only need a little more. With the ladder chains you would not be digging a hole nearly as fast as with the cross link chains......tough call without actually trying them out!!!

[randyo]

my only real experience with chains is with the ladder type (4 link) on a 2wd pickup truck in blizzard conditions, made a big difference, but that was street (hard base surface) with deep snow

my observation with almost all the loggers I know, run the diamond pattern on their skidders and they don't dig as deep a hole as they do without chains

my main trail will get packed causing it to freeze pretty solid, so I'm not really worried about digging holes in my main trail,

[randyo]

After a bit of research, I'm gonna spring for some Trygg 425230 chains thru Labonville, a company somewhat local to me, theyh are currently offering $105/pr off their regular price, still a $320 investment for a complete set for all 4 wheels, but I doubt I will ever wear them out like the zinc plated ones everyone else sells

http://www.labonville.com/TRYGG-Studded-ATV-Chains--425230_p_121.html

[airshot]

   For what your doing your probably better off going with the good ones as it appears your using them hard. Nothing worse than buying something cheap then having to buy it again. Let us know how they work..

[randyo]

I just ordered the chains thru Labonville, toughest decision was should I have them shipped for $26 or drive there for the same amount of gas, opted to have them shipped, saves me 3 hours of driving and a trip thru the notch in the winter

[randyo]

these are some heavy ass chains

[randyo]

One down, three to go, no way would I want to put these on in a snowbank, not like ladder chains at all

[randyo]

[airshot]

    Those are some wicked looking chains, bet you could almost climb mt Everest with those puppies!!  Looks like a real pain to put them on as well.  Will be waiting for your test report on how well they work.

[randyo]

the rear chains are 425230s and will probably loosen up a bit and I only have one more notch to take up on the chains without cutting out a link, but they snugged right up when I aired the tires back up, possibly I might need spring tensioners for the rear.
the fronts are Trygg 425220, just a 230 with a few links off and the cross link chains are every 3 links on the perimeter chains instead of every 4 like the 230s, they were a bear to get stretched on, would not have been able to do it with a fully inflated tire, and most certainly not with an inflated tire in a snowbank while the tire is mounted to the UTV, after bounding the fronts around a bit without air in em, I got the chain to loosen up enuf to take up 1 link before I aired them back up, they are tight

all my previous experience with chains is cheaper grade zinc plated ladder chains, that can't even come close to the quality of Tryggs

[randyo]

even after about a mile of driving on my trails, the chains didn't loosen at all, goes like a tank

we have about a foot of heavy wet snow on the ground, it's warm, so my driveway is wet, icy and so slippery, I can't walk on it without cleats or my walking stick