A Look at Automatic Tire Chains
With technology always advancing, it is no wonder that automatic tire chains have made their way into the tire chain market. These tire chains take away the pain of attaching tire chains in wintry or wet conditions, and can save drivers a lot of time.
Automatic tire chains can be used on pickup trucks, RVs, mobile homes, trucks, and buses, and they offer the traction of a single set of conventional snow chains at the touch of the button, which means an end to stopping and getting out of the vehicle.
To install automatic tire chains, drivers mount an electric switch to their dashboard, which provides 12 volts to an air solenoid mounted on the vehicle's frame rail. Compressed air is then supplied from either the vehicle's onboard air system or a 12-volt compressor kit. When the dashboard switch is activated, the solenoid opens, thus allowing compressed air to enter the air cylinder and lower the chain wheel so that it contacts the inside of the tire. The friction between the tire and the rubber-covered chain wheel then causes the chain wheel to rotate, which creates enough centrifugal force to wave the chains out in front of the tire.
Chain is spaced at 60-degree intervals in sixth lengths on the chain wheel. This guarantees that there are always two chains between the tire and the road service, regardless of whether the driver is accelerating or decelerating. The traction is obtained both in forward and reverse. When the dashboard switch is turned off, the solenoid exhausts the air, and the chain wheels are brought back to their resting position.
Automatic tire chains are a great new technology for anyone who wants tire chains -- but does not want the inconvenience of getting out of their car and installing the chains in adverse weather conditions.
Automatic Tire Chains
Skidder Tire Chains
Buying Skidder Tire Chains
Anyone involved in the forestry or logging business knows a thing or two about skidder tire chains. Skidders, those heavy, four-wheel tractors used to haul logs - especially over rugged terrain, are an extremely useful tool for getting logs from one location to another. Because the landscape around loggers tends to be more harsh than most drivers are used to, special skidder tires provide extra traction. 
Of course, when skidder tires aren't enough, skidder tire chains can provide the extra traction necessary to get through any job. Running upwards of $1,000, skidder tire chains are available in several different varieties. With grapple skidders, most loggers prefer to use heavier skidder tire chains because of the horsepower. For the forwarders, which don't have a lot of clearance, the same result can be achieved with lighter tire chains.
As with other tire chains, the golden rule for getting the best performance is to keep them tight. If the skidder tire chains are too loose, they wear out. Of course, some loggers experience the other extreme - they put the tire chains on so tight that the tires wear out right in the center. Once you've got your tire chains on, remember to rotate them every 800 or 1,000 hours, as tire chains wear down just as tires do. When looking for new skidder tire chains, the ideal time to buy is when purchasing new tires. Not only does this ensure a better fit, but it also allows for easy installation to ensure that the chains fit the tire properly.
By purchasing the right tire chains for your skidder tires and taking good care of the chains, loggers can get years of use out of a product that can cut deep into pocketbooks.