Do you use tire chains on lawn tractor blowing snow

[Laker10]

I have been using my lawn tractor to blow snow for 20 yrs with tire chains and the chains scrathes my driveway. I'm buying a new JD X540 and it has knobby tires, salesman said he has the same setup and no chains. Works good for him and he has a small hillto go up? My old tractor had to have chains or no go. Chains are only 100 bucks but if I can get away from chewing up my driveway sealer it would be great. What do you use?

[Walleye507]

I have an X535. Concrete drive, 120' long, slight incline from the garage to the road. Tried it without chains once. That didn't work so well.

[Leinie]

I use chains and weight (as much as you can put on) but, I really don't care about scratching the driveway.

The HDAP tires you have are the best snow traction you can get without chains. I would have the tires filled with RV antifreeze and add wheel weights. If that doesn't do it, add 4 to 6 suitcase weights on a rear bracket.
If that doesn't cut it, get the chains.
By the way, the blade, or snow thrower are going to scratch, too.

[Skeeter175]

I have a john Deere X729. It's got hydraulic lift of the snow blower and 4 wheel drive. I don't use chains or weights and can plow through 2 feet of snow. I lower the blower down so it's not quite touching the ground. The weight is then on the front axle which has driving wheels as well.

I used to have a cheaper tractor that the blower would sit on the ground and you would push it with the 2 wheel drive tractor. That was a terrible set up and I needed chains and weights. Pay the extra money and get the X700 series tractor with 4 wheel drive. It's well worth the money when blowing snow.

[John N]

When I bought my tractor, I asked the JD dealer about that. I understand they have some plastic/rubber/nylon "chains" that won't hurt the drive. Might be worth checking. I never pursued it.

[REW]

It is not a rider, but my walk behind blower has no issues at all blowing snow with no chains.

The blower does have large knobby wheel, but it simply works.

When I had smaller blowers, I needed the chains. But the problem with chains is that when the chains hit ice, they would begin to slip a bit, but when the chains bit through; the chains would grab and break things in the drive train on the smaller blower. No issues with the larger sturdier blower.

Be safe

[thump55]

If your wife shovels the snow, don't try and put chains on her...everyone driving by has a cell phone these days and apparently it doesn't look good from a stranger's viewpoint.

[Walleye507]

[tv4fish]

What do you use?

I have a JD 318 (I put a Honda V twin 24 hp. motor in it), for mowing/snowblowing. In the Winter, I put a hard-sided Cozy Cab on it and put on my model 49 JD single-stage snowblower and chains. It keeps the 50 lb. wheelweights on all year round. There isn't much snow that she won't go through or blow. I would NOT suggest a 2-stage blower unless you REALLY need to blow it quite a ways as those things are heavy. We have a blacktop driveway and concrete sidewalk to clear. It just takes a little "carefulness" to keep from marking up the hard surfaces.

[B-lou]

Yes I use chains