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Driving tractor in winter

#1

X-man

X-man

I didn't post this in the "Snow Removal" forum because then nobody will see this.

Given I don't have wheel weights or chains (can't afford them at the moment), if the roads in my trailer park are plowed, would my lawn tractor do fine driving in the winter? Might use it in the winter to get from one driveway to another faster rather than walking. I'm not gonna use it for any plowing, I usually just shovel it, because in my eyes real men shovel snow :tongue:.

I already have plans to remove the mowing deck in November (blades need sharpening anyway).


#2

exotion

exotion

X-man said:
I didn't post this in the "Snow Removal" forum because then nobody will see this.

Given I don't have wheel weights or chains (can't afford them at the moment), if the roads in my trailer park are plowed, would my lawn tractor do fine driving in the winter? Might use it in the winter to get from one driveway to another faster rather than walking. I'm not gonna use it for any plowing, I usually just shovel it, because in my eyes real men shovel snow :tongue:.

I already have plans to remove the mowing deck in November (blades need sharpening anyway).
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You should be fine my murray with no weights or chains I mob up and down my alley witch never gets plowed and is full of potholes


#3

Kodie's Lawn Service

Kodie's Lawn Service

Should be fine just make sure to change the oil to a 5w30 oil cause in the winter the oil needs to be thiner.....


#4

X-man

X-man

K-Pro-Mowing said:
Should be fine just make sure to change the oil to a 5w30 oil cause in the winter the oil needs to be thiner.....
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Yeah I already plan on changing the oil to 5W-30 in November.


#5

Kodie's Lawn Service

Kodie's Lawn Service

Nice your good to go :thumbsup:


#6

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

I moved your thread to the Snow Removal Forum. :smile: Me posting this might spark some more interest in the thread. :thumbsup:


#7

exotion

exotion

Drop the deck get some thinner tires and a bigger pulley on the engine to the drive and hang on :)


#8

X-man

X-man

exotion said:
Drop the deck get some thinner tires and a bigger pulley on the engine to the drive and hang on :)
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Lol, man if I had the time and money I would love to do that :tongue:


#9

exotion

exotion

X-man said:
Lol, man if I had the time and money I would love to do that :tongue:
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I play with my murray in the winter :) one winter I actually used it to drive to the corner store a couple times :)


#10

metz12

metz12

ya my mtd is fast. it goes about 8mph. i covered the deck with a tarp this past year and drove it around. i towed my buddy around on a sled with it in my yard the first storm we had! I also gave a ride to a guy that works down the road from me in my trailer with it! i want to pulley swap my craftsman and put more aggressive tread on the thing so i can have another mode of transportation in the winter! :laughing:


#11

reynoldston

reynoldston

I am thinking that snow in Michigan is like NY and if so your mower will be useless in the snow. You will have only one wheel drive with turf tires and no speed. One of my ATVs is a two wheel drive and its not very good in deep snow and that's made for off road riding. You will better off if you can get some tire chains and weight which can any thing like box full of rocks on the back.


#12

X-man

X-man

reynoldston said:
I am thinking that snow in Michigan is like NY and if so your mower will be useless in the snow. You will have only one wheel drive with turf tires and no speed. One of my ATVs is a two wheel drive and its not very good in deep snow and that's made for off road riding. You will better off if you can get some tire chains and weight which can any thing like box full of rocks on the back.
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I live in a trailer park. The only time that I will be driving the thing is when the roads are plowed.

exotion said:
I play with my murray in the winter :) one winter I actually used it to drive to the corner store a couple times :)
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I would probably do the same thing if the liquor store I go to wasn't a mile away. :p


#13

reynoldston

reynoldston

X-man said:
I live in a trailer park. The only time that I will be driving the thing is when the roads are plowed.



I would probably do the same thing if the liquor store I go to wasn't a mile away. :p
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I guess it sure sound good to me as long as you are on private roads in the trailer park, also if you are buying liquor my advice is don't drank it till you are off the ice covered public roads.


#14

exotion

exotion

reynoldston said:
I guess it sure sound good to me as long as you are on private roads in the trailer park, also if you are buying liquor my advice is don't drank it till you are off the ice covered public roads.
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Haha "don't drank it" sounds like you already had a few dranks


#15

reynoldston

reynoldston

You said you can't afford tire chains, just maybe you cut back on some of the bottles liquor you could buy the tire chains?? Then just think how much easier it would be to get to that liquor store after that.


#16

exotion

exotion

reynoldston said:
You said you can't afford tire chains, just maybe you cut back on some of the bottles liquor you could buy the tire chains?? Then just think how much easier it would be to get to that liquor store after that.
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Drive some wood screws in


#17

X-man

X-man

reynoldston said:
You said you can't afford tire chains, just maybe you cut back on some of the bottles liquor you could buy the tire chains?? Then just think how much easier it would be to get to that liquor store after that.
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Gotta have something during a nascar race :tongue::drink:


#18

reynoldston

reynoldston

X-man said:
Gotta have something during a nascar race :tongue::drink:
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Never did I say quit drinking liquor, just save up for the tire chains. Now the post that exotion had is a good idea. Put bolts or screws in the tires like the racing bikes use on the ice. You would need inner tubes so they wouldn't leak air is all.


#19

metz12

metz12

reynoldston said:
Never did I say quit drinking liquor, just save up for the tire chains. Now the post that exotion had is a good idea. Put bolts or screws in the tires like the racing bikes use on the ice. You would need inner tubes so they wouldn't leak air is all.
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or use slime. stainless ones would be your best bet: 8 x 1 stainless Phillips Flat Wood Screw from Monster Fastener
I would drive them in so the head is sticking out about an 1/8" so its sticking out a bit. maybe even less if its paved roads.
the problem is taking them out. you would either wreck the threads or the head of the screw to get them out.


#20

Carscw

Carscw

You can use tin roof screws they have a rubber washer on them

(( cowboy up and get over it ))


#21

exotion

exotion

Before I had a car my road bike had a solid piece of rubber for tires no air. In the winter I drilled about 100 3/4" screws in left about 1/8 between head and rubber people couldn't believe I was riding on snow and ice with no problem. If there wasn't snow or ice my plan backfired and was very dangerous to try and balance.


#22

X-man

X-man

Another question, would I have to worry about rust on my tractor in the winter? There's no rust on it now except for two small spots.


#23

reynoldston

reynoldston

X-man said:
Another question, would I have to worry about rust on my tractor in the winter? There's no rust on it now except for two small spots.
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Don't know anything as to where you live, but here in NY anything that looks like a road get salted down. Yes your tractor will rust if ran on salted roads in the winter time. I have a tractor just set up for snow removal and ever few years I have to give it a good coat of paint to cover the rust.


#24

metz12

metz12

ya its going to rust. salted roads and metal dont mix. i would paint the rust then when give it a good cleaning come march when it starts getting warmer.


#25

exotion

exotion

Ever think of washing the salt off?


#26

Carscw

Carscw

exotion said:
Ever think of washing the salt off?
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That would make to much sense.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))


#27

metz12

metz12

Carscw said:
That would make to much sense.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))
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the water might freeze off too. unless he has a heated garage. i just clean mine off after winter because i dont have a garage like the rich folk


#28

exotion

exotion

Ill take freezing water over rusty salt anyday. And generally speaking spicket water that comes from inside your house is above freezing. This will give you enough time to rinse it off before it freezes.


#29

X-man

X-man

Well in general I disconnect my hose in the winter because the plumbing in my trailer is set up weird but I'm sure I'll find another way to wash it after driving it. Maybe a rag and some water.

I typically store my tractor indoors and yes, my shed is heated.


#30

X-man

X-man

Mobile homes are notorious for freezing pipes in the winter. I would rather have a little rust than have one of my pipes burst.


#31

reynoldston

reynoldston

exotion said:
Ever think of washing the salt off?
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Washing it off isn't a option I have. No way of doing so in the freezing weather winter months. That is why I have just a tractor for snow removal. Just a good sanding and paint job when the rust starts. Tractor is 21 years old and still looks good. If you can wash your tractor in the winter where you live you must have a heated place to do so or live in a lot warmer climate then upper NY. Yes we do have car washes but I sure am not going to load my tractor to do so and after the wash job have every thing freeze up on the tractor.


#32

Carscw

Carscw

reynoldston said:
Washing it off isn't a option I have. No way of doing so in the freezing weather winter months. That is why I have just a tractor for snow removal. Just a good sanding and paint job when the rust starts. Tractor is 21 years old and still looks good. If you can wash your tractor in the winter where you live you must have a heated place to do so or live in a lot warmer climate then upper NY. Yes we do have car washes but I sure am not going to load my tractor to do so and after the wash job have every thing freeze up on the tractor.
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Do you repaint it the same color every time or change it once in awhile?

I sometimes forget that it gets freezing up north.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))


#33

reynoldston

reynoldston

Carscw said:
Do you repaint it the same color every time or change it once in awhile?

I sometimes forget that it gets freezing up north.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))
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Rust-Oleum sunrise red with black trim. Same color ever time because it matches the OEM Wheel horse red which the tractor was painted when made. I like to keep thing original.


#34

exotion

exotion

We get some pretty crazy weather up here in pacific nw I'm in spokane wa it got neg 6 degrees last winter.

We used mag chloride all year last year we had to wash all our snow blowers, spreaders, and trucks we used spicket water and yes it was below freezing we scraped windows and ran the truck the whole time and 5 mins after we were careful where we sprayed water

Freezing water doesn't hurt paint it can cause mechanical problems if not careful.


#35

reynoldston

reynoldston

exotion said:
We get some pretty crazy weather up here in pacific nw I'm in spokane wa it got neg 6 degrees last winter.

We used mag chloride all year last year we had to wash all our snow blowers, spreaders, and trucks we used spicket water and yes it was below freezing we scraped windows and ran the truck the whole time and 5 mins after we were careful where we sprayed water

Freezing water doesn't hurt paint it can cause mechanical problems if not careful.
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I think you will find the average home owner has no way of washing there snow removal equipment in the winter time. I find when I get done using mine I brush off all the snow I can and oil the drive chain. Then I keep it in a building what is not heated at all. The only problem I have is that the cables will freeze up in real cold weather and I will have heat them. Its the salt they use on the roads that doses all the damage but its a way of life for us upper New Yorkers.


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