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My tractor Sucks Plowing snow

C

cArNaGe

Member
I have an 860 with ladder chains and I use a backblade to plow snow. I can tell it needs more weight on the rear but it does ok until the chains slip in between the tire treads. My neighbor can out plow me two to one with his 8n.

I was thinking about getting some duo-grip chains from tirechains.com

But thats alot of money when I already have chains. Maybe I'll try and make duo-chains out of my chains.
 
Do you have your chains pulled up fairly tight. Are you using chain tighteners.

I plowed alot of snow with an 850 and chains and never seemed to have much trouble.

Have fun.
steveormary
 
Do you have anything on the back end for ballast? Cast weights or fluid in the tires? Fluid-filled tires make a HUGE difference for plowing snow, and there is non-corrosive stuff available now. (having a bit of a brain-fart at the moment...can't think of what it's called)
 
Use Rimgaurd in the tires. Also you can make a half a&& setup for putting sacks of salt or concrete on the platform or rear 3 point. I saw this done once, a guy had sacks of concrete (50lb bags) on the platform for added weight. It makes it tough when you have to step on and off the concrete bags. (this was a larger NH)
 
I almost never put chains on my Ford 841. Only time I use them is when theres ice on the ground but I do have a front end loader and the tires are filled with fluid and also have a blade on the back with 6 suit case weights on the blade. I use a 8.5 foot V plow on the loader and it takes me about an hour to clear my mile long drive with it
Hobby farm
 
Hey Old can you post a picture of your ford you use with a V plow. Just kind of courious how you have it set up.
Ben
 
Plowing snow probably has more to do with operator than any other factor.

Having said that there are ways to improve. Have the tires on your tractor got 20-30 degree treads. The old 45 degree work much better for chains, chain stays out of tread much better. There is also a difference in those rear blades, and some of this may be setting. There are a few of those rear blades, nothing but junk. If the blades is heavy with a sharp angle cutting edge, one can apply termendous weight on rear tractor tires.

My neighbor has a box blade device with 1/2" plate curved blades back to back thus he can plow both ways. This blade must weigh 1,200 lbs. He plows most of the time without chains, about the only time he uses the chain is if he has ice underneath from last storm. He has snow piled 6-8 feet high in his yard. I've seen him pick front end off ground when pushing backwards and lifting at same time. Therein lies your secret, keep blade weight on your hitch.
 
(quoted from post at 09:31:08 12/20/08) Plowing snow probably has more to do with operator than any other factor.

Having said that there are ways to improve. Have the tires on your tractor got 20-30 degree treads. The old 45 degree work much better for chains, chain stays out of tread much better. There is also a difference in those rear blades, and some of this may be setting. There are a few of those rear blades, nothing but junk. If the blades is heavy with a sharp angle cutting edge, one can apply termendous weight on rear tractor tires.

My neighbor has a box blade device with 1/2" plate curved blades back to back thus he can plow both ways. This blade must weigh 1,200 lbs. He plows most of the time without chains, about the only time he uses the chain is if he has ice underneath from last storm. He has snow piled 6-8 feet high in his yard. I've seen him pick front end off ground when pushing backwards and lifting at same time. Therein lies your secret, keep blade weight on your hitch.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. The tires do not have any fluid and the chains are tight. I'll need a prybar to get them back up on the lug. About how much does it cost to fill your tires with fluid? Any DIY kits? I inherited this tractor 5 years ago when my father passed. I remember him restoring it back in the late 70's. Still runs good. I only use it to brush hog a 2 acre field and plow snow.
 
I plowed with my 4000 for several years without chains before I broke down and bought a set of duo-grips. They do work very well, particularly when there's ice under the snow. But there could be more to it than just your chains. Are your tires ballasted? Also, a trick to use when a wheel starts to spin is to tap the brake on that side; the inertia of the spinning tire will get transferred to the other side, giving your tractor a little bump forward.
 

No fluid in the tires or weight on the tires. I bought the chains thinking they would give me more traction that the weight. I guess I'll do both. I'm still having the issue of the chains slipping between the lugs though.

I have a front mounted plow for it but no frame. What I should do is build a frame for it.
 
Leave your chains loose so that they flop down on the ground ahead of the tire. That way they do not work down into the tread.
 
We live in Wis where it's winter 8 months and the other 4 it's only wet and cold and been here for 5 generations(not very smart?!?). Anyway we've plowed lots of snow for many years(long driveway and big dooryard too), and never used chains,(rear blade, front blade, loader, used them all). The thing most people overlook or don't believe is to pay attention to tire pressure, You can't expect a tire to work in all the conditions year round without major adjustments. This is easy to change and doesn't usually cost too much. By the way, the weather will change in 1-3 months, trust me, Dale
 
Ladder chains only work on worn tires. Get a set of duo-trac chains and it will make a big difference. Fluid in the rears makes a huge difference too. Grandpa plowed snow and moved round bales on the loader with an 860 for thirty years. That tractor should be able to make an 8n look silly moving snow.
 
Send me an e-mail and I can then send you a few pictures I have of it. I built it my self about 15 year ago. It is set up so it has one hitch pin and 2 chains that hold it on. I can plow in 3rd gear and only need to make one pass to have my drive done
 
I went downstairs to get another cup of coffee and seen the camera on the end table. So I took a couple of pictures.

DSC03871.JPG

DSC03870.JPG
 
Get a JD 750 4x4 with ag tires,no fluid will move snow circles around that Ford. Even out pull that Ford on solid ground too.
 
The duo chains will make a night and day differance from those ladder chains. I run duos on my tractors with no fluid "I hate fluid" and never have trouble. You might be able to sell those chains locally and buy a set of duo's. Converting them to duo's will work if your handy but repair links are spendy so new might be cheaper in the end.
 
If he's going to do that why not buy an old $1500 dollar ford F-250 with a snowplow that will outpull the 750 JD in ANY condition and he can still drive it to work and have a heater and save $15,000 dollars in the process.
 
The Picture shows Item # AQF1 $14 from Gemplers There is a cheaper one but the fluid goes in a lot slower and you have to let the air out of the tire often. Use AQF1, a length of washing machine hose, a plastic 50 gallon barrel with a valve in one bung, get some used antifreeze from an auto dealer, fill the barrel with antifreeze, lay it down in the back of a pickup attach the hose let the tire down so all possible air is out , open the valve jack it back up so it just touches the ground. You could put about 5 pounds of air in the barrel to make it go in faster but I don't recommend it. takes about 20 mins per wheel. There is usually oil mixed with the antifreeze at the dealer, So when you pump from his barrels to yours stop pumping before the oil floating on top gets sucked into your barrel. Ask OLD, on this forum to send you his instructions There are sites to tell you how much fluid you need.
quick-fill-tractor-AQF1.jpg
 
Here's mine, but I don't think an 8N has the casting under the radiator to bolt something too.
Start another thread on the Ford 9n section and ask about mounting it. or search the archives on that board Ask about Dearborn Snow plow diagrams or
pictures.
a38231.jpg
 
your picture says it all, when your cross links are down in between your tire lugs they are not doing any good at all, you must keep them on top of the lugs, you can either tie every 2 crosslinks togeather or get a set of duo chains
 
I've never had any problem plowing snow, gravel, dirt or anything else with my 2N 12.4 rear tires loaded with calcium, a wheel weight on each rear wheel. I use a 6' scraper blade on 3 pt hitch. I use this tractor for many years doing all sorts of things thusly weighted with the greatest success. A small Ford tractor unballasted is good for pulling an empty grocery cart down hill at best. Ballast the same tractor with loaded tires and weights, you'll have a very powerful little machine for its size.
Mr. Bob
 
I agree with Dave your chains are too tight, you should have them loose enough so as they pickup behind your tire one cross chain strikes the next. Those tires are the poorer type for chains, the old 45 degree tread works much better.

I've plowed a lot of snow in my day, with a lot of different machines. I still like the blade out front, and use a heavy box blade for a counter weight. Mankind was never meant to plow snow going backwards, if he was, he'd have been born with eyes on orther side of his head. Anyhow I started out using a Farmall H with a factory blade on a 31 loader. We used chains like you have and 1,200. counter weight. Went from that to 300 same idea and again on a 560. The beauty of the counter weight, you can get rid of it fast when not needed. I then plowed snow with 45 hp skid loaders, then an articulated Deere with power shift. I did some snow plowing with a Champion road grader. However for all the investment involved I still give top marks to my current snow plow machine, My Farmall 130, 7' angle blade, chains like yours, no chloride and with a heavy counter weight that I can drag snow away from buildings with.
 
Dad used to use chains on the 960. One tire went flat, & he didn't put the fluid back in it. Spun a lot, but he got through the snow with a rear blade.

I got fliud back in the tire so both were filled, & I have never put the chains on. No need for them with the fluid.

If you run those chaind, let thrm s little loser as mentioned. You can't drive in road gear, but the loose chains will then cross over your tires, not stay locked inside the lugs.

--->Paul
 
Here is my snow plowing machine, 20" high 7' wide angle blade, chains like yours but 45 degree tire tread. No liquid or wheel weights, but a counter weight I can use as a blade to drag snow away from a building. I have opened roads with 3' of snow, your Ford should do as well or better.
a122585.jpg
 
Paul: Weight will not compensate for hard frozen ground or ice. That is why we have Canadian ring chains with 2" deep corks
 
I have driven our 750 on solid ice up a hill you couldn'y even stand up on and I also have 4x4 pickups so I know they can't go where this tractor goes.
 
So..........

Reading around this board and across the internet. Windshield Washer Fluid seems like the cheapest way to load the tires with fluid.

Any Opinions?
 
No, the old standard, a solution of calcium chloride is by far the cheapest ballast pound-for-pound. Washer fluid is expensive and lighter than water or chloride. But of course chloride does have very corrosive properties if you spring a leak.

Some places now carry Rim Guard, which is a sugar beet solution that is as heavy as CaCl without the corrosion. I don't know anything about the price.
Rim Guard
 
Adding tire weight won't help. Either get a set of big ring tire chains that won't drop in your tread or add some cross links to keep the chains up.
 
Well I was out cleaning up today. Another 4" last night here in NEPA.
My neighbor was out plowing to. We were chatting and I asked if his tires were loaded. Yup! :D So.... I think I'll add some fluid and try and add some cross links to my chains. I did loosen up my chains but they still fell down in the treads.
 
Weight helps, but the right chains make more diference. Put both weight and duo grip chains on, and you should be able to push lots of snow.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Well to bring up an old subject again. I loosened up the chains which helped some. I have a friend that said he would give me wheel weights. I just haven't been able to coordinate a time to pick them up.

But here's another question. I have a 5 foot tiller that I can't use because its just to rocky here. A guy at work wants me to trade my tiller for a 6 foot snowblower. I've been reading threads and I didn't find what I was looking for. Most don't recommend a snowblower on this type of tractor because of the reverse speed and non live pto. I can understand this but all the answers I've read on here are related to 8n's and 9n's, not an 850. My neighbor has an 8n and its way faster than mine in reverse. So think I could benefit from this oversize snowblower? I really have no use for the tiller. I've lent it out and tilled a two small gardens for friends over the last 5 years.
 
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