test of the chains in deep snow

[randyo]

a couple things came out of this trial
#1 I need a winch
#2 bring a shovel along

we had a8-12" base of snow before the 16" storm we got on the 28th and another 3" last night, snow cover is about 2½ feet

goes pretty good where I have a smooth trail

not so good where there are hidden obstacles to clearance

turning radius in 4wheel lock in a 3 foot deep snow drift is a bitch

[airshot]

    Got a chuckle from your "results" of this test!!  Nice little videos, you have an awesome place with the woods right in your backyard.  Mine is the same way, goes thru deep snow well until it gets deep enough to hang up on the belly pans then the weight cant push the tires deeper into the snow to get traction. The deep drifts is what I have the snow blower for.

[randyo]

I figure it does well to go thru 2½ feet deep of snow when it only has 10" ground clearance. If I can keep the base of my trail packed, I should be able to pull my sled for some firewood harvesting,  I may not have had a problem yesterday, the snow was real light and fluffy still, today, the temps are a little above freezing (first time since or big snowfall 4 days ago)so the snow is settling and getting heavy

[airshot]

   Light and fluffy is way better than wet and packed. We don't often get fluffy snow in my area, normally wet and heavy and that stuff packs easily and when the belly pans get on it, it holds up the UTV and the tires just spin. On the rare occasion I get some fluffy powder it will go thru much deeper stuff.

[randyo]

I generally get wetter snow myself, this past big* storm, the rain'snow line was less than 5 miles south east of me toward the coast and it was an abrupt change, temps in my area were in the low 20s throughout the storm, and just a few miles away it was near 30 with wet snow mixed with rain

* big is a relative term,  biggest so far this year, we generally get a noreaster or 2 every year that dumps 2+feet,  most I remember were the blizzards of '93 and '78 where we got 3-4 feet, made surveying hard those years, by the time we dug holes in the snow for traverse stations, the tripod wasn't tall enough to see out of the hole

[airshot]

    Wow....most snow I have had is the blizzard of '78 where we got almost 20", but the blowing and drifting added some 5' drifts in my driveway.  Had a red pickup truck at that time, looking out the front window we could just barely see the very top of the roof of the cab. Wife and I spent the next day digging it all out by hand!!  Not looking forward to that again!!

[randyo]

A Canadian high pressure system dives, hits the warm gulf stream moisture laden air, the winds start swirling and it moves up the coast like a hurricane, but snow  on the northwesterly half  and sometimes rain on the southeasterly half of the storm over the ocean

I'm not sure I'd put a track kit on a 450i, but I sure would if I had a diesel Polaris Ranger

[airshot]

     Watched many videos on the track system and it is quite something however....just can't justify that price!!

[randyo]

We have an extensive state snowmobile trail system that does not allow wheeled vehicles, a track system would allow me to use the trail system litterally thousands of miles that crosses state and international boundary, it would be cheaper than buying a sled

[randyo]

more video, a ride around my backyard loop, snow has settled, 12-15" dense powder under a rigid crust that an almost hold my weight up, the Kymco tracks compact 4-5 inches