Plowing snow

[jack casey]

I had a bracket made to hold 4 small suitcase weights (40 lbs each). I have another bracket for the front, made from an old mule drive, so I can use the same weights on front for plowing with the moldboard plow. I also have a pair of the cheap plastic wheel weights, and 2-link chains, to go along with my 275 lbs of bodyweight, so traction is not a problem. lol.

Never heard of suitcase weights and I've had tractors a looong time. If Digger has them and if I was plowing snow, would buy them. Great idea, easy install.
Jack

 

[Ken farmer52]

Rear weight bracket for garden tractors and SGT is 190-447. 42# suitcase weight is 759-3388 for single, 190-390 for a set of 2.

 

[rfunk]

I use a floor jack to raise up the rear of my Cub Cadets an inch or two to put the chains on. Makes it easy to mount them. Drape the chain over the tire and rotate it to wrap it around the tire. Hook up the ends, adjust as needed, rehook as needed to tighten.

Yupp. That's the way I do it, too. Only 20 or 30 minutes and I'm done.

 

[dgeary]

Since everyone else has been chiming in on the subject, I just have an extra set of wheels/tires that have chains and weights on permanently. Takes me about 10 minutes to swap. It usually takes me about an hour to remove the deck, swap the wheels and put the snowblower on.
On the subject of farm tractors and chains, I grew up in Minnesota on a dairy farm. We would put chains on two tractors every fall. One was a Ford 9600 that we used the snowblower on and the other was a smaller tractor like a Ford 961. We would just jack one side at a time, slide the chains under, lift one end up and hook it on the tires lugs. Then we'd just turn the wheel until the two ends were underneath and hook them together. Had to adjust a couple of times after driving around. I don't recall it being difficult even as a young teen. I think it may have taken longer to raise the tire off the ground far enough to slide the chains under than it did to actually install the chains.

 

[tkhoffman]

Since everyone else has been chiming in on the subject, I just have an extra set of wheels/tires that have chains and weights on permanently. Takes me about 10 minutes to swap. It usually takes me about an hour to remove the deck, swap the wheels and put the snowblower on.
On the subject of farm tractors and chains, I grew up in Minnesota on a dairy farm. We would put chains on two tractors every fall. One was a Ford 9600 that we used the snowblower on and the other was a smaller tractor like a Ford 961. We would just jack one side at a time, slide the chains under, lift one end up and hook it on the tires lugs. Then we'd just turn the wheel until the two ends were underneath and hook them together. Had to adjust a couple of times after driving around. I don't recall it being difficult even as a young teen. I think it may have taken longer to raise the tire off the ground far enough to slide the chains under than it did to actually install the chains.

With the weight of the chains helping, I lift them up and kind of hang them on the tire Lug. Also a cloths line rope ahead hooked on a tire Lug. Then drive forward. The chains go on straight and pretty darn tight. Can't do that with Cub
sized chains. Like this guy,
but I have solid rims so rope just grab tire lugs farther up on tire.

 

[PACub100]

I use a floor jack to raise up the rear of my Cub Cadets an inch or two to put the chains on. Makes it easy to mount them. Drape the chain over the tire and rotate it to wrap it around the tire. Hook up the ends, adjust as needed, rehook as needed to tighten.

Just did this, can't believe how easy it was to do and how easy it was to elude me...

I don't have a floor jack anymore since the cylinder went bad but I do have 2 jacks that came out of mid 90's Silverados... They are awesome, just as fast, 10 ton capacity, hang them on the wall and they're out of the way.

 

[jack casey]

Just did this, can't believe how easy it was to do and how easy it was to elude me...

I don't have a floor jack anymore since the cylinder went bad but I do have 2 jacks that came out of mid 90's Silverados... They are awesome, just as fast, 10 ton capacity, hang them on the wall and they're out of the way.

Really, I salute chains guys. There's a spot in heaven for youse. For snow plowing on a pretty flat driveway I used Carlisle 23x8.50-12 AG tires; I understand there's a big cost difference between these and chains, I absorb the added cost because think chains, along with wheel weights are a P I T A.
Cheers, Jack