Farmall Cub

Hey folks. About ready to do some logging and I'm wondering what your thoughts on using tire chains would be. I may be just fine without them but winter is coming on and I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Specific maker and configuration?

Tire size is 8.3 by 24.

Thank you.

Turf or ag tires? Turfs definatly, ags, maybe. Lots of variables, wheel weights, liquid ballast, tire wear and condition. Regular chains won't work well on ags. Will you be on ice or loose/packed snow?

a lot of whether they will help with AG tires depends on the tread pattern. with some patterns the chains will drop into the spaces between the lugs and be of limited help. On some patterns the lugs overlap and the chains are held on top of the lug where they overlap. If you are using them for snow and ice, leaving them a little loose so they keep working on the tire usually helps, not sure how much help it would be in mud though,

If you are looking to buy tire chains, look for used truck tire chains. You can buy an inexpensive tool to repair tire chains or to shorten or lengthen them.

I do not use tire chains on my tractors. Actually, more ice than heavy snow in this area. Just wait a day or two for conditions to improve.

Depending on weather, planning to start harvesting next winters fire wood shortly.

Eugene, where do you find used truck chains? I have not had any luck. Want some for the turfs on the money pit

danovercash wrote:Want some for the turfs on the money pit

Park it when the weather is bad. But since it's a money pit, chains for turf sized tires are gonna be expensive.

Used truck and car tire chains. Way back when, I use to own a gas station. Included tire shop. Still have a set or two of car tire chains laying around. But, but these chains are not aggressive enough for farm tractor tires and would take major work to convert to turf type tires.

The ag type tire chains probably got sold at auction after my folks died. Use to have a couple of sets.

They are ag tires. The snow avalanches off my two opposing roof lines (metal roof) and winds up in a big solid heap by the time I usually get home from work. That was part of the pretense i used on justifying the tractor purchase to my wife. The snowblower won't attack it so I convinced her I could move it with a tractor. It's my back after all.

My real goal was to harvest the timber for the log home I intend to build, with or without her blessing...you can guess how excited she is about living like Daniel Boone. She was agreeable until we bought this house. I'll die old and lonely but content in my little log house...about three days after I get the thing built.

I'm thinking the chains will help with the snow removal but wasn't sure what benefit they might provide in the woods.

Thanks for the input.

You can build your own....I haven't in years but as a kid we built them for our doodlebug and I've built them for a couple of trucks....All the makings are available and a set of bolt cutters....We used to deflate the tires put the chains on and blow them back up if they were to be used continually...Never used them with AG tires though....Although they do use them on skidders...

i run double ring field chains on my case to skid logs sometimes, the chains really help in the woods specially on hills. loose chains that don't come off are better because they clean themselvs out, hence the double rings that rub together to stay clean. i'm not sure how big of a log the cub will pull. i suppose it depends on the soil conditions, weather, type of tree. i used to use a 46hp diesel case and it was not really big enough so now i use a dozer with 30t winch and it works ok. on a final note (nobody wants to hear this) tractors are built to do field work and can get pretty scary in the woods. even on only mild logging roads so be carefull.

gusbratz wrote:i run double ring field chains on my case to skid logs sometimes, the chains really help in the woods specially on hills. loose chains that don't come off are better because they clean themselvs out, hence the double rings that rub together to stay clean. i'm not sure how big of a log the cub will pull. i suppose it depends on the soil conditions, weather, type of tree. i used to use a 46hp diesel case and it was not really big enough so now i use a dozer with 30t winch and it works ok. on a final note (nobody wants to hear this) tractors are built to do field work and can get pretty scary in the woods. even on only mild logging roads so be carefull.

I agree with everything you're saying here. This will probably be a once in a lifetime deal for me, especially if it kills me. I've seen guys on YouTube hauling tree length with their little Cub's so I know it can do it and the log arch should help. Most of the terrain I'll be working on is right handy to farm fields so there won't be too many major excursions off into the deep woods

Thanks for the word of caution and thanks to everyone who responded. What a great forum. Should charge for the advice.

Check out Dave Winfield's post "Gathering Firewood", dated July 15th 2013....Great pictures of rigging a cub for various tree skidding etc....He seems to be pretty talented at rigging....

I have chains on both my loboy and my cub. Works great in the woods and on the dirt. The loboy just has weights and the cub has loaded rear tires. Loboy has AG but are worn a little. They work good as long as the cross chains are a little loose so they can flop over the AG ribs. Been doing alot of work in the woods and if I didnt have the extra traction I would have been stuck. I dont think these tractors have enough power to drag very large logs out of the woods especialy going up hills. could use a second pair of weights on the loboy and I have not tried to drag any thing with the cub, But yes if set up right chains will give you that extra traction you are looking for in the dirt. I have burried the cub in the mud when i sank the front wheels while pulling fence posts out with the bucket. Only way to get out of that was jack and 2x10x12's under the tires till I got on better soil. once you get in it deep enough chains wont hellp at all.

The used truck chains... You'll find them around. Nowhere specific. Yard sales, flea markets, swap meets, craigslist, scrapyards.

http://jxn.craigslist.org/grd/3962371325.html

4 for $35.00

Freight more than cost of chains, flat rate box maybe?