chains on concrete

[Money Pit]

First snow with a new concrete drive. Got the results I was expecting and dreading. Need better traction. Looks like Ill have to chain up. Heard about how bad chains are on concrete that they tear it up. How bad can it really get? I can put up with some surface blemishes but does any damage really go any deepr than that?

 

[Dean]

It can get very bad if one does not use common sense.

Friend dug a pair of holes into his very expensive concrete driveway with chains on a 2WD pick-up truck.

Suggest 2 link (twist-link) ladder chains.

Dean

 

[Jim.ME]

Amount of damage will be variable from minimal to major. There will be some cracking from those surface blemishes which will break away easier in the future. Are you going to use any surface treatments like sand, salt, calcium?

What machine are you using? Ballast? What type chains? What are you using to handle the snow (loader, front plow, rear blade, snowblower)? Are you going to be careful to avoid spinning the tires with the chains on?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Chains do lesson damage than salt.
Chains on my Jubilee never damaged my
concrete driveway.

 

[moresmoke]

Depending what you are using, and how much it weighs, twist link chain will cause the least damage.

I have a set of studded ice chains that will dig holes in concrete or asphalt if you are not careful.

Just adding weight will help your snow traction, but wont make a difference on ice.

 

[Money Pit]

ford 2000. rear blade. ladder chains. no ballast. was very obvious that current setup will not cut it. good point on not spinning the tires.

 

[rustyfarmall]

I have the heavy duty, cross-linked chains on my Farmall H. I also have a concrete driveway. The chains have never caused any damage to the drive other than to leave some scratch marks which pretty much fade away when spring rolls around.

 

[NY 986]

With enough weight you could chip pieces off of your concrete. Double ring chains are a much more aggressive design versus twisted chain which can create damage. Seams in the driveway most likely are vulnerable.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

The older the concrete, the harder it is. If your concrete driveway is less than a year old, yes I believe spinning the wheels with chains on could easily damaged the surface of the new concrete.
I have cleaned out old loafing barns with a two wheel drive tractor loader, all chained up, and it barely left a scratch. But the concrete floor was 40 years old.
The blend of material used to make the concrete also plays a part in how hard it cures, as well as how throughly the concrete was segregated and finished.

 

[MarkB_MI]

As long as the concrete has had a few months to cure, I wouldn't be too concerned. I have more damage to my concrete from the rear blade than from the chains. And that damage is minor.

 

[ss55]

Soft low pressure tires have eliminated the need for chains on consumer walk behind snow throwers. Maybe adding more weight, lower tire pressure and taking smaller loads can improve your tractor's traction without chains. If not, and you have a section of the drive you want to keep perfect, you could blow or push the snow off that section to where the tractor can take it from there for this winter to give that section of concrete another year to cure.

 

[lpgasonly]

I know a guy that used old automotive serpentine belts to make batter traction for his lawnmower with the blade on. Not sure how he attached them, but it worked pretty good. He said it rode good also. It didn't leave a mark.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Weights or loading the tires will be as much good as the chains, if you are that worried about the surface of the drive. Loading will require calcium chloride for the most weight. Weights on with the tire loading will also help. Weights alone will not do the job. As for all the nay sayers The only time the chloride will bother the rims is if you have a leak and don't fix it pronto. Then it will eat on the steel rims. We have some rims that are over 50 years old that are in good shape that have been loaded since day one. Changing the cores every so often is one of the keys to no leaks. I like to change them out about every 3-5 years.

 

[504]

just do not use any ice melt for the first winter,it will eat it. year two is ok.

 

[SVcummins]

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 17:21:12 12/28/21) Weights or loading the tires will be as much good as the chains, if you are that worried about the surface of the drive. Loading will require calcium chloride for the most weight. Weights on with the tire loading will also help. Weights alone will not do the job. As for all the nay sayers The only time the chloride will bother the rims is if you have a leak and don't fix it pronto. Then it will eat on the steel rims. We have some rims that are over 50 years old that are in good shape that have been loaded since day one. Changing the cores every so often is one of the keys to no leaks. I like to change them out about every 3-5 years.

Makes NO difference how much ballast is in or on the tires, if the snow is packed hard, or ice is involved, chains are the ONLY answer.

 

[Carlmac 369]

(quoted from post at 04:01:45 12/30/21)

What's the joke?

 

[Uncle murph]

I use chains on a jd 3010,maybe 6500#,leaves marks but no real damage.Sometimes helpless without them.