Tire Chains 101

Tire Chains 101: Is your equipment ready for harsh winter conditions?

Are you prepared for winter?

Whether or not you have already seen the first snow of the season, forecasters are predicting a very cold and snowy winter for 2017. Tire chains should be part of your preparations for winter if you rely on operating equipment during the harsh winter season.
Business owners know they need to keep their equipment moving no matter what the weather conditions happen to be. Using snow chains is the best way to guarantee that your equipment will continue to operate no matter what weather conditions happen to rear their ugly head.

Why use snow chains? Simply put, these chains will provide your vehicle with the additional traction needed to safely and efficiently keep operating in muddy conditions or icy, snowy conditions that are often nearly impossible to navigate without chains. Even if you are just a homeowner or weekend farmer, chains will keep your equipment operating safely in any type of weather conditions. This is particularly true if your property has any type of slope or incline.

Ken Jones stocks an incredible selection of tire chains that you can use on all of your heavy-duty equipment. From the smallest snow blowers to the largest forestry skidder equipment, we either have what you need in stock, ready to ship, or can help you find what you need through our vast network across the US.

Support

We work hard to provide the necessary support to meet all of your needs and answer all of your questions. As with all of the product we sell, we try to offer our customers choices- such as good, better and best options to meet your applications needs and more importantly, your budget! With live chat on our website, and phone that are answered only by experienced chain experts, our customers appreciate the time we take to make sure you are getting the right products.

What you Need to Know Before Choosing Tire Chains

Before choosing tire chains, there are certain things that you need to consider. They include the following:
Clearance
It’s very important to check to see if you have enough clearance BEFORE buying tire chains. It doesn’t matter if you own a snow blower or a large backhoe, some machines simply don’t have enough clearance for using tire chains. To measure clearance you should measure the space between the tire and wheel well- all round the tire.Larger machines such as skid steers and backhoes, we recommend 3” to 4” on clearance ALL AROUND the tire. Sometimes clearance is an issue because of a fender, a gear box or even the machine body itself. Snowblowers need about 2 inches of clearance all around the tire. Always measure your clearance before ordering chains. If you do not have enough clearance to use chains, our screw in ice studs may be a great alternative.
When in doubt, feel free to give us a call and our customer service staff will help you figure it out.
Working environment
Considering the work environment and application is definitely important when choosing chains. Is the environment typically icy? Does it contain any hills? Do you operate in woods or on rough terrain? Consider these questions when making your final choice.
Tire size
You have to know your tire size in order to get the right sized chains. Tire sizes are found on the sidewall of the tire. One size tire chain may fit many different tire sizes, so give us a call if you can’t find which size chains will fit your tire size right away. Our new website, allows you to simply search by tire size and should be pretty easy to use. We understand that this is confusing and we are available to help.
Tread Style
Knowing the tire tread style is important because deeper tread designs and lugs will require the use of a different style chain to help prevent the chains from falling between the lugs. We have many videos on our Youtube Channel available for specific chain styles- or you can live chat or give us a call.

Watch the Video Below for more tips for buying Tire Chains

More Tips for Specific Types of Equipment Chains

Since there are various types of vehicles and equipment that utilize chains for snow and icy conditions, here are some videos with more tips on how to choose chains for that specific type of equipment.