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best rear tires for snow ??

20013 Views 49 Replies 36 Participants Last post by  Wfburton159, 
A
I just bought a John Deere 445 tractor, and I'm thinking about replacing the 20 year old turf tires with something with a more aggressive tread for snow. There are a few tires that I'm considering at the moment, but right now my head is swimming with information and questions that I'm trying to sort out.

I've never bought tractor tires before, and I buy car tires maybe once every 5 or 10 years or so. And when I do, I get the impression that when the sales guy tells me about the different tread styles, their stories seem to fit whatever tire they want to sell me. I talked to customer service of an online ATV tire website, and his information didn't jive with other information I've found. So I'm confused.

I'm going to be using the tractor mainly for snow removal with a snowblower attachment. I'm guessing at least 80% snow removal, and maybe 20% summertime work on a dirt and gravel area. I figure anything I pick, from my current turf tires to AG bar tires, would work OK for the summertime work, so I'm focusing on the performance in snow.

I have a 900 foot gravel driveway with about an average 10% incline, but there are several areas that have a short distance of up to 15% incline, and one of those areas is down at the beginning of the driveway which is farthest from my garage, and I'd hate to get stuck way down there. And you don't need a long distance of 15% incline to get stuck. So I'm looking for the best tread for snow on top of gravel.

I have chains that came with the tractor, but I would like to avoid using them if possible.
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So my first question is: what type of tread works best in snow? I know that my turf tires aren't the greatest.

Right now I have a 26x12-12 turf tire on the rear. I'm looking at a couple different tires right now. Here are the top 3 at the moment:
- Maxxiss Big Horn
- Carlisle Tru Power
- Sedona Rip Saw R/T radial

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What about bias-ply vs. radial on a tractor in snow? What are the performances differences?
I know most garden tractors have bias-ply, and I know radials work well on a paved surface. What about snow and gravel? Does it make much difference which type I choose?
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What about tire bead size vs. rim size? The JD 445 rim is 10.5" wide. What kind of leeway do I have in selecting a tire width?

Would there be much difference in performance between a 26x11-12 tire vs. a 26x12-12 tire? I would be giving up 1" in width. How significant is that in snow?
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Any suggestions?

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jensenkennels
I love my Kenda Terra Trax. http://www.millertire.com/products/lawn-garden-tires/26x12-00-12/26x12-00-12-kenda-terra-trac-4-ply/ Miller Tire is a vendor on this site, find the MTF discount code and save some $$.
Want more traction? Fill them with Rimguard or the like.
Want morer traction? Step on the little orange pedal next to your left foot.
It looks like I need to adjust my chains.

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Sergeant
abjman said:
I just bought a John Deere 445 tractor, and I'm thinking about replacing the 20 year old turf tires with something with a more aggressive tread for snow. There are a few tires that I'm considering at the moment, but right now my head is swimming with information and questions that I'm trying to sort out.

I've never bought tractor tires before, and I buy car tires maybe once every 5 or 10 years or so. And when I do, I get the impression that when the sales guy tells me about the different tread styles, their stories seem to fit whatever tire they want to sell me. I talked to customer service of an online ATV tire website, and his information didn't jive with other information I've found. So I'm confused.

I'm going to be using the tractor mainly for snow removal with a snowblower attachment. I'm guessing at least 80% snow removal, and maybe 20% summertime work on a dirt and gravel area. I figure anything I pick, from my current turf tires to AG bar tires, would work OK for the summertime work, so I'm focusing on the performance in snow.

I have a 900 foot gravel driveway with about an average 10% incline, but there are several areas that have a short distance of up to 15% incline, and one of those areas is down at the beginning of the driveway which is farthest from my garage, and I'd hate to get stuck way down there. And you don't need a long distance of 15% incline to get stuck. So I'm looking for the best tread for snow on top of gravel.

I have chains that came with the tractor, but I would like to avoid using them if possible.
------------------
So my first question is: what type of tread works best in snow? I know that my turf tires aren't the greatest.

Right now I have a 26x12-12 turf tire on the rear. I'm looking at a couple different tires right now. Here are the top 3 at the moment:
- Maxxiss Big Horn
- Carlisle Tru Power
- Sedona Rip Saw R/T radial

------------------
What about bias-ply vs. radial on a tractor in snow? What are the performances differences?
I know most garden tractors have bias-ply, and I know radials work well on a paved surface. What about snow and gravel? Does it make much difference which type I choose?
------------------
What about tire bead size vs. rim size? The JD 445 rim is 10.5" wide. What kind of leeway do I have in selecting a tire width?

Would there be much difference in performance between a 26x11-12 tire vs. a 26x12-12 tire? I would be giving up 1" in width. How significant is that in snow?
------------------
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Well Between My 425 and My X485 I ran AG tires for 14 years starting in 2000 In Northern NY and Finally Northeastern IL for Plowing snow and No chains. On My AWD X748 I run the Kenda shown Below.

I also Run them In a smaller size On MY GX335 which I also Plow snow with The GX335 with 4 suitcase weights, Kenda Terra Trac 4 ply and Wheel weights. The GX335 is almost unstoppable.

Haven't used Chains on the Kenda's Yet On either tractor.

But In the Past for 2WD tractor I have always Preferred AG tires My JD 425 Had 23X turfs for the summer and 26X12 AG's for the winter or Garden work so I Just swapped rims/tires Back and forth.

When I Bought the X485 In 2003 I ran AG tires Year round. Which I have found on a Gravel Base the AG's are Great Tires. The Kenda HDAP style are Good as well :thThumbsU
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RT3360
My son has the X730 version which appears comparable to your 445. He uses turf tires with chains on a gravel drive similar in length and maybe steeper than yours and concrete in front of his garage. He’s only had trouble when he had ice on the steep incline and it rained.

Here’s a link for comparison https://www.mytractorforum.com/12-john-deere-forum/1203465-final-tractor-choice-x730.html

I really like my HDAP’s on my X738, but it’s hard to compare since I have 4WD. I don’t even need chains. They could be an alternative since they are the same size.
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TJR345
I have the Hdap's on my 345 with no diff.lock.No problems moving snow,and great all around tire.
Land vehicle Vehicle Tractor Agricultural machinery Lawn
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C
I currently use and like the HDAPs but imo they arent great at clearing themselves in challenging conditions. I know you aren't supposed to admit such things but I have had to pull mine out with the truck a couple times in the three months I've owned the machine. Nothing beats tall narrow Ag tires in deep snow/loose sloppy conditions especially with chains on them and some weight on your machine. That may or may not be a benefit to you if your tires never leave the path of your blower. All depends on what you expect to face.
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FTWingRiders
I run both AG's and HDAP's with pretty equal success.. The key is ballast, My 455 with winter loaded HDAP's has about 800#s of ballast, and the 425 with loaded AG's has about 600#s.. I don't use chains.
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D
TJR345 said:
I have the Hdap's on my 345 with no diff.lock.No problems moving snow,and great all around tire.
Click to expand...
+1 - I have All Trails on my GX345 with wheel weights, 4 suitcase weights no differential lock and couldn't be happier with its traction for snow blowing. I use it on concrete and asphalt, not gravel. I don't use chains.
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tracktortag
I now have Carlisle "All Trails" ATV tires on three of my tractors. They work well in snow.

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moondawg
I just swapped out my Tru-Powers for some All Trails. We're supposed to get a big pile of snow on Monday so I should be able to have a good comparison. I hated the bar tires on pavement... once things got just a *little* packed down, traction was gone. I had a couple of times last week when I would drop one front tire off the edge of the concrete... just 1 inch! And it was enough to lock the tractor in place. I'm hoping the HDAP tires will help in this area, but I am also shopping for a weight bracket for the rear.
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T
If your tractor is following a snow clearing implement (blade, blower, or FEL bucket), there isn't much loose snow on top of the hard pack. Aggressive treads need deep snow to be effective while turfs work very well in the skiff remaining after plowing/blowing. A tire tread with a multitude of sipes (thin slits in the tread blocks) has a distinct advantage in traction on hard packed snow over block treads with few or no sipes.

Given roughly equal weight and similar gearing, a 2wd GT will out push and out pull a 4WD SCUT when both have the same loaded turfs and the GT also has chains. The GT will also deal with a steeper slope.

A 26x12-12 turf tire will hold approximately 140 lb of Rim Guard. Reduce the width by 1" and the weight of liquid ballast is also reduced in proportion. Any reduction in weight is a disadvantage for snow traction.

My GT weighs about 2250 lb and my SCUT weighs about 2350 lb. My neighbor has a CUT that weighs several hundred pounds more with loaded R4 industrial tires, and it doesn't compare favourably with either of mine.

For best traction, load the tires with Rim Guard (for the best weight), install 2-link tire chains (for bite on hard pack), add wheel weights, and add suitable rear end ballast. The 445 is lighter than my MF1655 and not using chains puts your tractor at a significant disadvantage for traction.

The other difference between the 445 and the 1655 is the lack of a 2-speed rear end that doubles available axle torque. I can stall the 22.5 hp diesel in my SCUT at 3/4 throttle when pushing a snow bank back in HI range. In LO range It will push the bank measurably farther before it starts to spin the turfs. The same applies with the 20 hp gas engine in the GT.

My GT saw 60% of its 2200 operating hours doing snow duty. For my SCUT, it's more like 80%.
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burned300
about 4 winters ago I got to compare my 26x12-12 carlislie Ag tires to same size Carlisie HD field trax on basicly same tractors, John Deere X485 & X720. the Ags are loaded with rim guard & starter weights bolted on, so bout 400 lbs. total weight. the Field Trax tractor only had 6 suit case weights, so only 240 lbs weight. neighbor has snow packed hill up their drive. the Ag's just sat there and spun. the Field trax just walked right up hill with no problem. the ags could not back up the hill, just spun, the Field Trax again just backed up the hill no problem.

So now, my Ag's are only used on plow day to play in the dirt. Field Trax for snow removel & some fall clean up. turfs used for grass cutting. chains just hang there.
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wirlybird
The best thing you can probably do on a tractor is look for a tire with a softer compound.
Winter tires for a car/truck are made with a softer compound and generally contain more rubber.

Think about a hockey puck vs. the sole of your winter boot. Which will grip the surface better?!

There are other things you'll find in car/truck winter tires such a siping or silica but not likely on tires for the tractor.

I think good HDAP tires are probably a good choice.
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VALurker
I don't know what are the "best" snow tires, but to chime in with others above, the HDAP's that my x748 came with have had good traction while driving from my shed to my driveway over "unplowed" grass with the snow higher than my blade can clear with the blade all the way up (i.e. while I am not plowing the yard between my shed and driveway, the plow blade was still "plowing" some even raised all the way up). Not gotten stuck (knocking on wood) yet, in snow. I don't have any weights, chains or other traction assistance other than the basic tractor with a plow blade and HDAP tires (filled with air) and it plows my driveway (gravel/dirt) with 8 - 10 inches of snow with no problems, other than I can lose traction after enough snow piles up in front of the blade that the tractor cannot push it any more, but then I can re-position and take a lesser bite and push the pile in multiple passes. When I eventually need to change tires on my tractor, I won't hesitate to put the HDAP's or an equivalent (if Carlisle changes or does away with the current HDAP design when that time comes) back on, so there's my vote for you.

Edit to ad since I just remembered: I have also had a couple of occasions where the tractor stalled while pushing a large pile of snow, so in those cases the tires provided more traction than the tractor could handle. But it was more often, that I lost traction and had to re-position as I mentioned earlier.

Paul
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6
These are the tires I put on my 425 this summer. 26x10-12 ATV tires to replace the 23x10-12 Ags. The main reason I replaced the tires is because I wanted taller ones to allow more mowing deck clearance. We've had a couple snows this winter and they work as well, or maybe better, than the Ags. The larger size of these did allow me to add 2-3 gallons more WWF as compared to the Ags so there is a little more wheel weight.

Why did I choose these?

1. My 425 is AWS and 26x12-12 have fitment issues, and the typical Ags and All-Trail/HDAP tires are only available in 26x12-12 sizes. The only 26x10-12 specific mower tires I could find were turf style, which led to the ATV tire line.

2. Price.....I found these tires for around $100 for the pair on Amazon. There were tires with tread patterns I liked better but they cost twice as much.




For radial vs. bias ply, I would lean towards the radials but don't think it is that big of a deal. Again, if money was no object I would have gotten a radial version tires but wasn't willing to spend twice the money.
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H
6.2Blazer said:
These are the tires I put on my 425 this summer. 26x10-12 ATV tires to replace the 23x10-12 Ags. The main reason I replaced the tires is because I wanted taller ones to allow more mowing deck clearance. We've had a couple snows this winter and they work as well, or maybe better, than the Ags. The larger size of these did allow me to add 2-3 gallons more WWF as compared to the Ags so there is a little more wheel weight.

Why did I choose these?

1. My 425 is AWS and 26x12-12 have fitment issues, and the typical Ags and All-Trail/HDAP tires are only available in 26x12-12 sizes. The only 26x10-12 specific mower tires I could find were turf style, which led to the ATV tire line.

2. Price.....I found these tires for around $100 for the pair on Amazon. There were tires with tread patterns I liked better but they cost twice as much.

For radial vs. bias ply, I would lean towards the radials but don't think it is that big of a deal. Again, if money was no object I would have gotten a radial version tires but wasn't willing to spend twice the money.
Click to expand...
What brand are these? I'm having trouble finding it, but I'm very interested
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Merc1973
wirlybird said:
The best thing you can probably do on a tractor is look for a tire with a softer compound.
Winter tires for a car/truck are made with a softer compound and generally contain more rubber.

Think about a hockey puck vs. the sole of your winter boot. Which will grip the surface better?!

There are other things you'll find in car/truck winter tires such a siping or silica but not likely on tires for the tractor.

I think good HDAP tires are probably a good choice.
Click to expand...
Great advice. I will say that my Kenda Terra Tracs (HDAP style) have a soft, low durometer compound even in cold weather. Softer than my prior Ag tires.
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MISparty
I know you probably don't want to hear this with your thoughts on chains....

BUT...on my 445 with the 47 blower on front, I run the 26x12x12 turfs with a set of chains and 5 suitcase weights.

I too have a 1/4 mile gravel driveway with about a 10% grade at the end. Haven't had a single issue and I don't think I've even spun a tire.

For me, chains are cheaper, and easier than a separate set of tires. I also have a concrete upper portion of the drive and haven't had any scratching or damage to the concrete.

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CAW455
I have virtually the exact same setup as sparty only on a 455, and I don't have any issues either. For a rear wheel drive tractor, you just can't beat turfs, chains and weight.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using MyTractorForum Free App mobile app
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jensenkennels
MISparty said:
I know you probably don't want to hear this with your thoughts on chains....

BUT...on my 445 with the 47 blower on front, I run the 26x12x12 turfs with a set of chains and 5 suitcase weights.
Click to expand...
Holy Buckets!! Look at the traction!!:sidelaugh



*only pun intended. I just couldn't help myself.

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