# Chains for wet lawn traction?



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

Most of our property is on a slope. When the grass is damp it can be very slippery making it hard to get traction heading uphill. Does anyone here use chains for lawn mowing? Is there a better solution?


----------



## gmule (Apr 29, 2013)

Chains are great for traction. They will tear up your grass though. It is probably best to wait until the grass is dry or you can fill the tires with water for more weight or add some wheel weights


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

Neighbor is using chains and his lawn looks ok. I'm going to see what he has on his tires.


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

Whoa, he has heavy duty ATV chains on his mower. Says he digs up the lawn a lot less with them on then the slicks he made spinning out before.


----------



## velvetfoot (Apr 29, 2013)

I put windshield washer fluid in all the tires and wheel weights in back.  Seems to help.


----------



## Highbeam (Apr 29, 2013)

It's a fine line. You don't want the extra weight causing ruts either. Are your tires just bald?


----------



## PapaDave (Apr 29, 2013)

I started leaving the chains on after winter of 11-12, and don't have a problem tearing things up. However, I don't have a slopey yard/lawn.
I also don't mow when the lawn is wet.


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

No, our tires have lots of tread left. The rubber may be getting harder though. It's only a problem in spring time, but a royal PITA. Neighbor's property has the same slope as ours. His dad was visiting from PA and saw him slipping on the uphill. He told him to slap some chains on, so he tried them. He says it's made a world of difference.


----------



## gmule (Apr 29, 2013)

begreen said:


> Whoa, he has heavy duty ATV chains on his mower. Says he digs up the lawn a lot less with them on then the slicks he made spinning out before.


 
Interesting, I always seem to dig things up when I have the chains on. I guess with that information it probably wouldn't hurt to give it a try.


----------



## BrotherBart (Apr 29, 2013)

My garden tractors have always had chains on them from the day they come home. This place is red clay and only has probably twenty sq. feet of level surface on the whole 5.5 acres. Many years ago my father in law was visiting and he went home and put chains on for year around duty after that.


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

PapaDave said:


> I started leaving the chains on after winter of 11-12, and don't have a problem tearing things up. However, I don't have a slopey yard/lawn.
> I also don't mow when the lawn is wet.


 
I try to mow when not wet, but sometimes it is damp. We can't put off mowing here. If you do it will get ahead of you so you have to take the best that the weather affords you. In the field where it grows longer, the grass at this time of year is really succulent and juicy even on dry days. Level and slight slope mowing is not an issue. This is only on the steeper slopes (which is the whole lower portion of our yard).


----------



## heat seeker (Apr 29, 2013)

begreen said:


> Neighbor is using chains and his lawn looks ok. I'm going to see what he has on his tires.


 
Exactly what I do, even with traction control and a locking diff. I have to make uphill turns often while mowing, and the chains make all the difference. I mow when the grass is dry, but the grass has a high moisture content, usually. Chains do a lot less damage than spinning tires do, especially if I take it easy on the turns. OTOH, if I do get to spinning a tire, the chains do a great job of creating wide divots in the lawn!

My larger International tractor has ag tires, and if I spin those, they do more damage than the chains ever could!
I recommend chains on turf tires year 'round.


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> My garden tractors have always had chains on them from the day they come home. This place is red clay and only has probably twenty sq. feet of level surface on the whole 5.5 acres. Many years ago my father in law was visiting and he went home and put chains on for year around duty after that.


 
Great. That's what I wanted to hear. Just ordered them from Amazon. Thanks heat seeker and BB!


----------



## PapaDave (Apr 29, 2013)

Yep, need to stay on top of it so it doesn't get too long, or you end up with wet grass anyway.
Your climate has to be tough for mowing.


----------



## begreen (Apr 29, 2013)

At this time of year it is. We've had a nice spring and the grass is loving it.  I've been mowing since mid-March. Sometime I swear you can see the grass growing. At our latitude, long daylight hours really accelerates this.


----------



## nate379 (Apr 29, 2013)

I put ATV tires on my tractor which I used to use to cut the grass before I got a ZTR. Work awesome! I don't even run chains in teh winter for snowblowing.

Get something with reasonable tread but not ag lugs and it won't tear up the grass.

I have these on the back: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...RB_UYyaDpH2igLBz4C4Bw&ved=0CGQQ9QEwBQ&dur=360

and these on the front:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/32100006680...em=&sspagename=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr


----------



## BrotherBart (Apr 29, 2013)

Yeah I forgot to mention that I run wheel weights on the rear also. I need'em for traction with trailers loaded with wood coming uphill out of the woods.


----------



## NW Walker (Apr 29, 2013)

begreen said:


> At this time of year it is. We've had a nice spring and the grass is loving it.  I've been mowing since mid-March. Sometime I swear you can see the grass growing. At our latitude, long daylight hours really accelerates this.


Ain't that the truth!  I might have to follow your lead on the chains, I have the same problem.


----------



## semipro (Apr 29, 2013)

begreen said:


> Great. That's what I wanted to hear. Just ordered them from Amazon. Thanks heat seeker and BB!


I think you made the right decision.  I leave the chains on my mowers year round. 
They worked so well the first time I tried them I went up a slope and the mower flipped over on top of me. Luckily, little harm done.
Be careful!


----------



## nate379 (Apr 29, 2013)

Ok?  Guess I'm just talking to myself on here?


----------



## MasterMech (Apr 29, 2013)

begreen said:


> Great. That's what I wanted to hear. Just ordered them from Amazon. Thanks heat seeker and BB!


You may still need weight.  Add weight via tire ballast, wheel weights, or frame weights if you still spin more than you'd like.


----------



## MasterMech (Apr 29, 2013)

nate379 said:


> Ok? Guess I'm just talking to myself on here?


I would've suggested ATV or HDAP type tires myself but some folks balk at the price.


----------



## nate379 (Apr 29, 2013)

I got the rears used for $40 and the fronts I bought new for about $120 for the pair. I just got the fronts this year, had a leak in the stockers and got tired of filling it up. Was a good excuse to upgrade since the turf steer tires are useless in the winter when on a bit of ice or hard snow.

I gave up using chains because they tear up the yard and driveway if a person is not VERY VERY careful.  I don't have a manicured lawn per say but it was starting to look like I had mud bog racing events from the chains tearing it up!


----------



## billb3 (Apr 29, 2013)

Plus you can easily remove the chains when wet Spring is done.

Which will be , what, two weeks in September ?


----------



## begreen (Apr 30, 2013)

I checked on the ATV tires. At $150 a pair. I think I will see how the chains work out. Our grass is probably quite different and deeper rooted than some. It's pretty tough. Looking at his lawn, you would never know our neighbor has chains on his tires and he cuts at a good clip.


----------



## lukem (Apr 30, 2013)

I used to mow a yard for a guy using his tractor. It had a very steep hill. The riding tractor (can't remember what it was, but a typical low-end riding *lawn* tractor) was outfitted with rear chain. It worked great. Didn't scuff up the yard and really helped out with traction. The only negative was it left marks on the blacktop driveway when it got really hot.  The chains stays on year-round.


----------



## ironpony (May 1, 2013)

ran them for years, made a huge difference
then put the pavers in the driveway and court yard, wife said no more chains they mark the pavers
cant get the tractor out without driving on some pavers, so chains are now in storage and everyones happy


----------



## begreen (May 3, 2013)

Oh yeah! Chains are on the mower and I tried them out tonight. Wow, what a difference! It's a little tractor now! I'll need to change my mowing style, can't depend on slippage for starts. This thing bites in and goes. No damage to the grass that I can see. We have tough grass out here.


----------



## woodsman23 (May 4, 2013)

ag's all the way


----------



## nate379 (May 5, 2013)

The ags are pretty rough on the yard though.  Had a 4 wheeler with ag tires and it would leave divots all over the yard, especially if it was wet..



woodsman23 said:


> ag's all the way


----------



## begreen (May 5, 2013)

Sounds like a fragile lawn. Is it shallow rooted and on permafrost or close to it?

My son asked why I was mowing so late last night. I told him about the chains and how I was trying them out in all the tough places in the yard. "Oh, so you were joy riding on the mower, eh?" he responded. Yep.


----------

