Starting to think about getting ready for winter. This will be the first year I have a quad with a snowplow on it and am wondering about what kind of chains, if any, most of you use.

I was thinking about cutting down an old set of light truck chains and putting a cross chain on every other link of the side chain rather than every fourth link like they come. Opinions? Experiance?

The tires will be the ones that came on the Prairie 360.

Thanks

 

Hey Bud, don't know how much snow you all get up that way. Last winter the most we got was maybe 12" at one time and I didn't have any trouble without chains. My driveway is on the north side and uphill a bit so it's either clear it off or drive the 4wd. One thing about using the plow is it's a whole lot more fun than a shovel! I usually clear a spot for my elderly neighbor lady's car across the street and do my Mom's and Grandma's driveways too. I put on my slow moving vehicle triangle and got a magnetic base flashing caution light to keep from getting run over for the small amount of time I have to be on the street. I figure that makes it look more like I am working too, and not just having fun [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img], take care, DK

 

I don't use chains either, but I've only plowed around 6" of snow at a time. Given it was wet, but I could still run in 2wd once I got moving. Only time I've used chains on my quad was when I plowed a section of the pond for an ice hockey game.

 

if you aren't on an icy surface chains will not help that much......but on ice or hardpack snow the chains will make a world of difference in DEEP snow.....I pushed 24" hard snowbanks out of my driveway last year....it takes time but is still more fun then using the snowblower....and I only put chains on the front tires. I believe I got them from TSC, can't remember the price but I think they were kinda spendy but well worth it. I also use my atv to pull the icefishing house out on the thin ice. For that I must have the chains on.

 

Thanks for the replies. We sometimes get around a foot of wet snow but more often our problem is powder stuff that all moves off the fields and forms big drifts where you want to drive. Lots of bare ground and then two to five feet of snow that is wind packed.

Sounds like the chains may not be needed so I will wait on making up a set. Usually no big rush in getting out to town anyway as we are pretty well set up at the farm.

Sorry for the delay in response, been over at the farm attempting to wear out the quads. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Hi Tencubed, I did some reading up on snow fences a couple years ago, sounds like that might do the trick for your big problem areas if you have a prevailing wind. I put some up at my Mom's a couple years ago and it worked pretty well keeping her garage from getting drifted in. I don't recall the formula for spacing but remember it works better to leave a gap, 6", or so at the bottom. I got the gaudy orange construction fence since it was inexpensive and readily available, a few t-posts and some tie wire and took it back down in the spring. You can get it in green if you look for it, never know, might hang a trophy buck unintentionally and have to take mercy on him? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] take care, DK

 

We get a lot of snow. It's pretty light but the drifts get pretty deep and long. I have used chains on the back of my 300 Fourtrax for as long as I can remember. It just makes your quad work a lot less for pushing snow. I think I will put chains on both the front and back of the Grizzly.
The best ATV chains I have are from JC Whitney. Least expensive too.
I put chains on my Raptor when I had it. It was awsome. I had to take the heel guards off so I could go fast, but you should have seen the roostertail behind me. The only problem was getting out into the middle of a field and then slowing down to turn around and sinking into deep snow. What a beatch to get out and running again. That was the only time I ever heard my fan come on.

 

Thanks for the replies fellows, I don't think the snow fences would help much as we get some very strong winds. The state used to put them up along the hiway in bad drift areas and they didn't seem to do much good.

Talked to a neighbor that has used his ATV to plow snow around his feed bunks for a number of years. He has been using chains and swears by them. Says he has cut his plowing time considerably since starting to use the chains. Guess I'll go ahead and make a set up and give them a try.