# Tire chains, opinions... Worth it, or waste of $$



## oldgeezer (Feb 3, 2015)

??? All feedback appreciated....
White stuff getting pretty damned heavy up here in northeast.


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## AandPDan (Nov 18, 2014)

I have them on my Ariens 924050 and love them. On packed snow I get good traction and if there is ice, it's not an issue either.

I can still roll the machine around with ease.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

I think it depends on your tire. I have a really aggressive tread on my 824 that I don't think a chain help much. Probably similar to your powershift.



It might also depend on your In-law neighbor...if he has them, then you're left with no choice


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

classiccat said:


> I think it depends on your tire. I have a really aggressive tread on my 824 that I don't think a chain help much. Probably similar to your powershift.
> 
> 
> 
> It might also depend on your In-law neighbor...if he has them, then you're left with no choice


That's a real nice blower you have there. Neuclear power or solar power?


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Never had chains on a snowblower. Never had the need for them. Unless you have lots of hills, ice or EOD problems you shouldn't need them.


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## 404 (Feb 1, 2015)

I have a steep driveway and I like the chains. They will dent and grab into the ice where the rubber tread may not.


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

micah68kj said:


> Never had chains on a snowblower. Never had the need for them. Unless you have lots of hills, ice or EOD problems you shouldn't need them.


+1 with Micah though I'm glad I had my chains this year with the ice we got early January, couldn't go without them.


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## 762mm (Dec 22, 2014)

It's one of those things that you don't need... until you do.

Think of it as an insurance policy. Just because you don't usually get ice followed by snow (or compacted snow) doesn't mean that it won't happen. I have worked with a brend new Ariens snowblower last year that had no chains and took a tumble once or twice with it on slippery snow, trying to push it because the wheels would spin and the f*****g thing wouldn't go through a fairly small pile of snow (this was at my parents' place who happen to have a sloping down driveway, which doesn't help things). At least one time when I slipped and fell because of poor traction, my back was sore for over a week.

Also, the rubber has a tendency to harden in very cold weather and adheres a lot less to any surface, which is another thing to consider. Just because it performs well on a mild winter day doesn't mean it will perform the same on a very cold day. Chains, on the other hand, are unaffected by that.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

I have chains on the 826, they were on it when I bought it. I've only had a need for them once. I just purchased a set of wheels for my 521E with plans to put chains on them. i'll switch between chained tires and non-chained tires as needed if needed


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

micah68kj said:


> That's a real nice blower you have there. Neuclear power or solar power?


 Thanks! It's VERY quiet!


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

Chains help me drive into the EOD.
Sid


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## whimsey (Oct 16, 2014)

I have a hilly, rutty, gravel driveway. Chains and the Armor skids make the snow blowing bearable. As it is with wet snow I still struggle to go up hill even with the chains. 

Whimsey


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I wouldn't add chains unless I needed to. It's so much nicer running a machine that isn't rattling the fillings out of your teeth the way chains do.
On an older machine with basic tread tires I'd go for better tires before I added chains.


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## WestminsterFJR (Dec 30, 2013)

i second what classicat says, as the amount of improvement depends on what tires you currently have. For example, my jd with aggressive tires does fine for traction. I'm sure it will do even better with chains, but it's suffice. However, my vintage Ariens with their turf tires definitely benefit with chains.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Your snowblowing experience without chains:
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Your snowblowing experience with chains:
BUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMPBUMP

...but they do help with traction. 

Seriously, it depends on your situation. If your machine has tires with not-so-great tread and/or you're working on hills a lot, chains will probably be helpful. My situation is about the opposite: relatively flat driveway, decent tires, and I don't mind giving the blower a little "help" from time to time going through plow drift. And I hate the added vibration - so no chains for me.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

YOU do not need them for THE POWERSHIFT.


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

My snowthrower had a set of chains on it when I bought it, and I haven't tried running it without them. It doesn't seem to bump when it rolls, but my driveway is gravel and I like to leave behind a snow pack. I haven't had any traction issues even when it's slick enough for me to fall on my butt. Once the tires do spin they will dig straight down, and the chains will tear up your grass if you move it around the yard without much snow on the ground.


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## JerryD (Jan 19, 2014)

Last year was my first year with my snowblower and we had record snowfall. I was moving 20" snowfalls with no problem or chains. My tires actually have steel studs in them so they get pretty good traction on ice.
This year was a different story....We got a 17" snowfall that started as rain so the bottom 3" was basically slush and by the time I got out to move it, the slush was freezing. My snowblower would not get enough traction to get under the slush and move through it. I don't know if chains would have fixed the situation but I ordered a set...If I need them I will install them.
Better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.


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## bosco659 (Feb 1, 2013)

On every machine that I have owned, I make sure they had good tires and the chains came off or never went on. Too bumpy of a ride for me. I suppose in some situations you might need them but not at my place.


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