What are automatic tire chains, and how do they work?? 

You are absolutely going to love these chains. I've had On-Spot chains on my bus for years and wouldn't be without them. Our district has 80+ buses covering an extremely large area with routine ice- and snow-covered roadways during winter months. These chains not only make it nice for our drivers but enable to deliver students in a timely and safe manner. Our maintenance staff is also happy with the O-Spot chains because they are not impacted by numerous call outs for stuck buses. Great to see you support such a miracle mechanical product. It amazes me that every fire truck, ambulance and or UPS truck are not equipped with these. Thank you for getting the word out, these devices are truly a hidden gem. Enjoy each of your videos looking forward to the next one, keep up the good work, and thank you for what you do.

I didn't even know autochains were a thing or how they worked before watching your channel. Absolutely wonderful idea and the concept is brilliantly realised.

years ago i worked for the ambulance service in the highlands of Scotland .. we had a set of auto-chains fitted to our incident support vehicle ( 5000kg / 10,000lbs Merc sprinter 4*4 ) as a trial .. first major incident was a multi vehicle pile-up in snow & ice ..road conditions were that bad some of the paramedic units had to get towed to scene ( by the ISV ) .. by next winter all frontline , paramedic & Intensive care units had them fitted

OnSpot is a Swedish invention and started to sell in Sweden 1977. In 1988 US started to import OnSpot, in 1993 a big Swedish insurance company made a study on truck with and without onSpot. OnSpot trucks reduced the accident frekvence with 50%.

I have a LOT of experience with On-spot auto chains, let me give you some tips. 1. Inspect them after each use and any time you think you'll need them soon. There's a selection of things to look for: a. The chain fingers will sometimes flip over the top jamming them. If you engage them they won't spin, so they'll rub. This will flat spot the rubber wheel right down to metal and cut right through your tire causing a blowout. b. Spin them by hand, the bearing seal sucks, make sure they spin freely. If they do not, or even as regular maintenance spray some penetrating oil on the bearing. Again if they don't they'll rub the rubber right off the wheel, etc. c. Cycle them, they will freeze, the electric valve for the air to operate them gets sticky when it's very cold. This can cause them to stick in either condition, up or down. d. They'll rip themselves apart, if you run them in conditions where you have a lot of traction they'll pull the chain fingers right off the wheel. 2. You'll need MORE stuff not less. a. Get yourself some spare chain wheels, you'll need them and won't want to have to wait on them. b. Still carry your 3 rail chains, the auto chains DO NOT provide even close to the same level of traction as traditional chains, most of all when stopped, going slow, or with any level of wheel spin. You WILL still need your 3 rail chains in some conditions. c. b is true even with the outside wheel chained separately. As you said in the video it is absolutely a viable option to chain the outside wheel and run the autos on the inside. However this will not provide the same level of traction as 3 rail chains. You'll still find situations where you're stuck with the inside wheel spinning on ice and outside with chains has no traction. The auto chains are near worthless in that situation. 3. If yours have the plastic cover on the top of the chain wheel just rip it off now, all it does is jam things up. 4. Realize that the primary utility of auto chains is NOT traction, while of course they provide some traction it's not even close to what good standard chains provide. The real utility is not having to stop to chain simply because some bureaucrat says so. Or because some little spot you need to get through is is bad. They're great for situations where the main road is clear but the side roads, shoulders, etc. aren't. However if YOU think you'll actually need significant traction you should not rely on them for it. 5. If you get stuck and want to get unstuck using only the auto chains the On-spot advice of spinning up to 5mph and engaging them does not work well. Just leave them engaged and spin the F out of your tires until they bite. 6. It's likely that the switches were wired to only be powered with the truck on. This means that if you turn it off with the chains under the tire they will try and pull them out from under the tire. So if the chains are under the tire do not turn the truck off and if it idle times out don't let it.

I know there are people out there who are going to claim they can chain up in under 10 minutes. Well, those people are WRONG, plain and simple. Now yes, the act of physically putting the chains on the tires can be done in 10 minutes, but they are conveniently leaving out how long it takes to get to that point. The true amount of time it takes starts as soon as you slow down to pull into the chain up area. From there you have to get parked, get your jacket and gloves on, get out and get all your chains and bungees pulled out, untangled, and laid out next to all your tires, then you have to place the chains over the tires, four separate times, get back in the truck, pull it forward, get back out of the truck and hook the chains up and tighten all the cams, four separate times again, and then bungee them all tight. After that you can head back out on the road, and once you’re back on the road and up to speed, you can finally stop the timer of how much time it really took you to chain up. Losing a half hour of time to do all of that would be a VERY fast time. So you’re at one hour per chain up event, and you need to ask yourself how much it cost you for that truck to sit for an hour instead of spending that hour moving the load down the road. That $4k to put auto chains on both drive axles starts to make a whole lot of sense

As a subscriber, I’d like to thank On Spot and Utility Trailers for hooking Casey up. This is truly a game changer for his business and he helps a lot of people. And that means more money going into his home to care for his beautiful family, then those businesses deserve my gratitude!

If these auto chains would save even 1 trucker from being hit while chaining up they are worth it at any price. Trucking companies should take note. Casey you do so much for people with no thought of payment you truly deserve all the help that comes your way to get the job done quickly and safely. Stay safe and GOD bless

Awesome video of how the auto chains work! It is the best video that I have seen of how they work. There are a lot of auto chains in my area on School Buses and Home heating fuel deliver trucks. Thank you to "On Spot" for helping Casey with the Auto Chains and thank you to Utility Trailer for the excellent install. And of course thank you to Casey for taking us along. I am looking forward to your next video! 👍💯

I think the fact that OnSpot actually reached out to you after seeing one of your videos speaks wonders about the level that you reach, and by that I mean that you are often brutally honest in your appraisals of equipment, yet at the same you are also open and honest about the good products. I would much rather see you showcasing a product and know that you aren't going to read a script and blow smoke up our tails about it, and I'm glad there are companies that are seeing that fact. I've seen instant chains in use before, but thanks to you I now have a far, far better understanding since we were able to actually see them being engaged and disengaged on your truck.

As I watch your videos and see a new product, I can't believe how many times I've said, "I'd've never thought of doing that, that way!" Auto chains are another one of those! There are some really smart people out there, doing things in REALLY creative ways!

Casey, thank you for solving a mystery for me. I knew of auto chains and seen vehicles with them hanging but never knew how they functioned. Great job!!

I knew auto chains existed but never understood how they worked. Mostly because I'd never been around them. Great video, very informative. Thank you.

Have used them on plow trucks for years, great systems. Only problems we ever had were the actuating solenoids would go bad, not sure if it was the location, salt environment or the nature of the beast, always kept a spare on the shelf an easy fix. IIRC we relocated the solenoid higher and closer to the cab with less problems so it may have to do with where it is located by the installer.

Thank You On Spot & Utility Trailer for helping Casey!👍😎 Great for his safety and getting home to his family 😊 Keep up the great videos and stay safe out there!❤️🙏

Casey I want to thank you for promoting these auto chains. I was the Parts Manager at Utility Trailer in Tucson, AZ for 42 years and never once had any of our customers even ask about these chains but then we don't see hardly any snow down here but we had customers all over the state of Arizona and many of them ran thru our mountains on a regular basis and most all of the mountains in Arizona see quite a bit of snow in the winter. This video just proves the fact that we can learn something new every day. Thanks for all that you do and I watch all of your videos. You are certainly a fine young man, so thanks again.

On Spots are great. Been using them on fire trucks for over 20 years. Good only up to about 6 inches of snow. 2 items of caution, do not try to raise them unless you're moving, and make sure you exercise them at least monthly, even in the warmer months. You'll want to chain up the outers for maximum traction when needed.

My fire department has used auto chains for over 20 years. Both Onspot and Ruud. Work well when needed. First time I saw them in use was on a ford van a salesman drove. Need to remember to activate them on a regular basis to make sure they are always available when needed. Thanks Casey for all you do.

Never heard of such a thing before, and even when you mentioned them I couldn't imagine how they'd work. Nice demo video, thanks.

I watch all the videos you put out. But on this title I was like what am I going to learn about auto chains? I know what they do and I know how they work. That was a good video Casey! I'm glad to see a company reaching out to you to make your life easier 👍👍👍

Hey Casey, Great Video ! You never know who is watching ! Great thing to remember. The work you do provides a great proving grounds for so many products. It is no wonder that smart companies are watching you and offering you their products to try. It is real world demonstration to their potential customers as well as to the designers and their R&D people. A Win / Win situation ! Work Safe, Be Well Stay Warm

I love those chains - I have them on all 51 of my school buses! Hardest part is to remember to disengage them while moving. Over the past 25 years, I’ve found that they stop being effective at 6-8” of snow. Best wishes Casey!

Huge Shout out to OnSpot for taking care of you with this. And thank YOU Casey for showing this. I could not wrap my head around how this would work. This is truly a marvel of modern engineering. Amazing.

I grew up in Vermont snow country. I now live in Phoenix, Arizona and I don't worry about them any more, "Chaining up", was always very dangerous and time consuming. These chains are amazing. Thanks for showing them off!

WEll that blew me away when you were talking auto chains all i could see in my mind was normal chaine that wrap around the tyres and thought how do they do that. Thanks for showing them in action now i totally understand. Maybe i am a bit slow but i bet im not the only one who couldnt work out how they worked. Keep up the good work Casey thanks for the entertainment

When you first mentioned the auto chains, I was always thinking "How the heckles are you going to put those shackles on the tire while driving?" .. but this system is so much easier than I thought it'd be.

Wow, those auto chains are pretty cool! I have been contemplating getting into #vanlife, and I think that a converted ambulance is one of the possible vehicles, auto chains would be a really good idea. Next month I turn 60, and much as I like snow and such, if I had an ambulance camper, putting chains on one might be a little too risky and taxing physically, so auto chains do look like the way to go! Thanx!

Thanks for video. When you mention these awhile back, I tried my best to explain to my wife how they worked. Including "You tube" videos. And showed her the local school buses that had them. This one is the best for explaining them.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the auto chain video! I have always wondered how they worked and was surprised that they work in reverse too, which actually makes a lot of sense now that i see how they work.

I love OnSpots. They have been used in emergency services on fire apparatus and ambulances for decades. When seconds count, you can't afford to stop and chain up. FYI, these chains are really only good for the first 6 inches of snow cover; after that, the chains just kind of flop on the surface and you'll need full wheel chains.

Thanks for yet another entertaining and educational video, Casey!! Having worked with OnSpot back in the late 1980's, and onwards, I am glad OnSpot/D'Orlando reached out to you with a good deal! You can add 1 or 2 links to the chains as the are today, but as you mentioned, always carry an extra set of regular snow chains. In stuck situations OnSpot is not always ideal, so thats where an extra set of snowchains come in handy. It would not surprice me if one, or more, of your subscribers have tipped VBG/OnSpot about you and your channel....... Just saying😁😉😁. THanks for sharing! Best regards from snowy Norway!

Hi Casey. I went out to the Onspot site to make a comment about your demo. I didn't register since I don''t live in snow country, but left a comment on their latest video on their channel about your demo. I encourage other subs to do the same on their own choice of media. Thank for rescuing stranded motorists without charge. We can see the relief on their faces when you them know it's complimentary. 😃

13:05, when I was truckin logs we were WELL versed in chaining up! Some days we installed & removed them for 4 separate trips. We'd enough practice that within 15 minutes, & ALL drive tires on the truck had bracelets installed. Since I haven't installed tire chains in 10+ years, & have gained winter weight that NEVER seems to melt away, I'm sure I COULDN'T get it done that quick anymore!

Good Morning, Casey, That is an excellent upgrade to your truck. You deserve the On-Spot gift and their support. The school district here in Beaverton has On-Spot chains mounted on their buses. We have used them since before 2008. I'm no longer driving for the district. I'm Grumpy's age. The automatic chains added a VERY welcomed level of safety when carrying students in the hills over here on the west side of the state. Be safe. Thank you for your videos I look forward to seeing your stories and adventures there on the east side. .

Another informative product review, Casey. Was never quite sure how well the On-Spots worked but know that you will give us an honest no BS review at the end of the season. Your video editing is getting better all the time. Thanks!!!!!

You get the coolest toys! So happy for you, I'm grateful that all of these companies watch you and see a thing and think hey we got a fix for that, and send it to you.

Had seen these years ago, mostly for emergency vehicles, but certainly looked cool. We don't normally see mandated area for chains (Michigan), but plenty of foul weather. & as a kid we were still able to use studded tires (talk about proper traction!!), & chain certainly get you outta tight jams. Glad you've got such responsive partners AND the ability to stay safer out there! Thanx !

very cool auto chains, Casey. When you first showed them, I was wondering about the colours - didn't take long for the colour to disappear...lol. That's seems like it'll be a real safety change for you

Very informative. I became familiar with auto chains a few years ago while a school bus driver in the Boise, Idaho area. We only used them on our buses that ran up to the local ski resort. Your video and explanation of them is spot on. I did not realize until watching your channel that the show was so heavy over there in your part of eastern Oregon. Auto chains totally make sense for your work. Looking forward to more of your videos.

I just randomly came across the concept of automatic tire chains and couldn't really fathom how they would work. Thanks for making it easy to understand.

i worked for a company that used On Spot automatic tire chains for years. They are very nice. These chains work best when you can maintain slow but steady speeds, such as in shallow snow, or on intermittently clear/covered roadways. Automatic chains do not work well in accumulations over six inches of snow or when driving conditions do not permit apparatus speed to exceed approximately 5 mph.

So funny to see a kid play with his new toy Keep on trucking!

Congrats on On Spot for letting you try out their product at no cost. Looks like they're going to work out great for you. Tremendous time saver.

The cynical side of me says “Of course Onspot gave him chains, it’s cheap advertising.” But my better side is saying “They recognize the good that Casey does and they want to help him continue by keeping him safe.”

Hi Casey I have seen them before on other equipment. It was cool to see them in action. 👍👍

I was a school bus driver in western Washington and I LOVE drop chains. 💖❤💓 Retired now, but on the rare snow occasion it was so nice to flip a switch and bingo chains are engaged! What a blessing!!!!

Omg. Auto chains. Never knew those where a thing. I love it! I really enjoy seeing the gear and tech. I also appreciate when you show the beautiful snow landscapes. Thanks again. 🎉❤

When I was on an all volunteer ambulance service in Eastern Oregon I always wanted a set of these for our ambulances. Had way to many times on freeway where we were almost hit as we put on chains. Good addition to your truck

So cool, asked to see how auto chains worked and you delivered! I thought they would be regular chains with a mechanism to roll em on and off. Total surprise. great invention!

You peaked my interest several videos ago about Auto-Chains, I never heard of them. Great video explaining them and demonstrating how they work. Very cool system!

This is awesome. I’ve seen these things hangin under our fire trucks in North Carolina and I couldn’t figure out what they were. Someone told me they were for traction but nobody could explain how they worked. NOW I GET IT !! Thanks Casey.

Cool stuff. What a gain of safety for a driver! Keep on trucking!

Bonus of the chains on the rack, they won’t be all slushy and icy from the tires when you have to put them on

Yes, sir! Super enjoyed that!! I've been wondering since you first mentioned them, how automatic tire chains worked, and now I know! Way cool! And, as I was watching I was concerned about how much of the traction patch they were actually reaching, so I totally agreed when you said that you'd still carry traditional chains for the outside tires. Great video, Casey! 😃

Thank you to OnSpot for helping Casey help people.💪

Thanks Casey! I now finally understand how auto chains work! Great Video.

Awesomene Casey! I did some work on Davis and drove past Utility Trailers every day for years. Cool to be able to follow someone local. Been going snow wheeling every weekend hopefully I won't have to give you a call!

For your safety, I'm glad you have those on your truck.

Casey I really enjoyed the under the truck camera showing the new automatic chains I never knew they even had those. I am glad you have companies working with you they see the potential you have and know it will be a good business partnership which you will benefit from. I really like your idea of adding another toolbox that way you will have everything that you need

Wow what a video! I assume the auto chains are specific to a proper length so if chains are installed on back axle they don’t become entangled….? Good stuff. Thanks for your videos and taking us along on your adventures

Davis Tires rocks and Art and Kathleen are wonderful people! Thank you so much for their shout out! Great video as always, Casey. I first saw those chains while following a Sisters school bus and my mind was blown! Very cool!

As a non-trucker, I'd never heard of automatic chains before, but I can see how convenient they would be. A very clever invention! Thanks for showing just how they work.

I've heard of those systems, but my old "prepare for the worst and enjoy it when it's not " side would have to find storage for the full set incase of a breakdown on the system. Other than that I love how you are setting it up. Have a great day.

Seems like an incredibly efficient way of removing paint from chains....... excellent work! 🤣🤣🤣

I love how simple it is. It actually just throws a chain into the path of the tire, using the tire to do it. It's brilliant.

I’ve seen and heard chains on ambulances for years and guessed they must be a traction aid but had no idea how they worked. Awesome tutorial

Never seen an autochain system before, pretty cool. Great video presentation. I wonder if there's a difference in grip as compared to a manually rigged system.

Those chains are pretty cool, but I can't imagine they would be as effective as regular tire chains.

Thanks for showing how this works. Where i live we hardly ever see snow. When we do get snow everything just shuts down because it will be gone in two days at the most. I don’t recall ever seeing snow chains before. But after watching your channel for all this time, i could use them now. Not that i would want to, but it’s been fun watching your channel and learning some as you go. Keep up the good work. But more importantly, stay safe out there.

5:29 Casey crosses the creek to recover the camera, giant squatch comes out of the woods and grabs him. His squatch buddies drive the truck into the woods never to be seen again... Props to OnSpot for the automatic chain setup. Those things are sweet.

Cool, those would be real handy and a huge time saver for all the times I've had to chain up but I have to wonder, are they really worth it compared to a full set of chains? Those chains don't go all the way under the tire. For the real crap weather, will they cut it?

Do you choose how long the chains are? I know you wouldn't want them dragging on the road when not in use, but it looks like the chains only go about half way under each of the inside tires. Will be interesting to see them in use on a real recovery in some deep snow.

So rad to see the next chapter for the Camry. I think I need a video/edit crash course from you Casey! you are so good at this! So rad OnSpot chains hooked you up with a full set of them. What a rad system, so neat to see it in action Casey! Adding more storage to the back and putting the extra snow chains on the current rack makes total sense.

Yet another very educational and informative video, Casey. Prior to watching your channel, I knew squat about towing and recovery/rescue. I am better informed now about all the intricacies about your business. I am happy to see the subscriber numbers continue to increase for your channel as the videos are at once entertaining and informative. Great job, Casey.

Casey, you got a great deal on the type of automatic tire chains that you wanted! I have seen them before, but this was the first time seeing them work!

Good Casey thanks for all the info. Shout out to Onspot. And the shop on the install. Enjoyed the video.!!!

This is incredible. On Spot picked the perfect business to offer their amazing snow chains. You will seriously promote their chains. Utility Trailers must understand the quality of On Spot and the importance of installation in a timely manner. And I am sure both companies feel that you will represent their service and product in a professional manner. Stay safe and drive carefully.

Score! On Spot tire chains for free. You deserve them for all the people you assist with no charge recoveries..

Those Auto Chains are slick, Always wondered how they worked, Thank you for showing us.

I had On Spot chains on some of the buses I drove over the years. I loved them. There was one day it had snowed at least six inches during the day and the town I was driving in was very hilly. Those automatic chains were the only reason I drove up the hills and didn’t get stuck. Good choice, Casey.

When you first said "auto chains" I'm your video a while back, I was so interested in how that works (as we are not allowed to have chains in Michigan). Thanks for sharing! That's so rad!

Very cool! I've seen these on fire and rescue trucks and wondered how they actually worked. Thanks for showing us.

Thanks for having the camera under the truck to show how they work. I’ve seen them on emergency vehicles only. I remember when we had sanders on trucks. They would work until you ran out of sand. I knew the premise of how they worked, but I never seen a video like yours.

Crazy cool concept. Now to see them actually work in the snow . Never heard of such a chain . Even those tire Soxs shocked me . Hell yah !

You mentioned auto change in a few videos back. I had no clue what you were talking about. Holy crap those are cool!! thanks for making that video!! definitely learn something!!

Thanks for sharing because you have been talking about auto chains but I did not have a clue what they were. Now I know. Learn something every day.

What a cool addition to your truck. Another benefit to moving your tire chains from the back is that they won't be covered with ice and muck if you ever need to use them.

New toy! It's the little things that brighten a day

just found this channel and I enjoyed the video lots! I'm a WA native and its fun seeing a local guy doing good. cheers! subbed!

That's a great ad for those automatic chains. You are blessed. Thanks On Spot.

As a non-trucker fan of this channel, I have to say that chain system is phenomenal. It would be a great option for cars too...I think. But definitely a must have for truckers.

Good job Cassey, I started using the OnSpot auto chains on the Sisters School busses in the early 90s. Never had a single complaint and drivers loved them.

Well that's a new one on me. Just show's that at 84, you can learn a lot. Wish they had THOSE during the 1960 saved me hours. The od rope and sheet days.

I had a similar experience in North Carolina. The GPS indicated a shorter route back to I-40. I took the suggested route. the last stretch of "road" was a 13 mile single lane up a mountain. As we approached the beginning of the road, a single car appeared going in the opposite direction. So I figured the road was navigable. My wife was understandably nervous. I shifted my 2006 Mitsubishi Montero into 4 wheel drive and drove slowly and carefully up the narrow road. We made it all the way to the top and noticed a sign that read "One-Way" pointing in the opposite direction as we exited the road. As a result of this experience, my wife changed her mind about living in North Carolina. All is well that ends well. Thank you for all your videos.

Congratulations to On Spot for stepping up and increasing the awareness of this chain system. Smart. Glad you will benefit Casey. I had a buddy that started with a school district bus shop that used them. The chains themselves are a wear item and need to be replaced as needed. Carry spares. It's funny you mentioned moving your 3 rails to the headache rack. I was thinking you could put the milk carton crate chains there. I think you will be happier with them there and the storage boxes.

Nice follow-up, thanks! And congrats on the not-chaining-up-on-the-roadside chains.

I see those on a school bus I was thinking how it work thank you for explain it to me can't wait until you show a video of you using them

Very cool from a mechanical standpoint. You’re a beaver man than I to be excited to be in snow and ice with a large loaded rig. Can’t wait to see more.

Thank you for recording and posting this educational/informational video.

That was really cool of them to install your auto chains at no cost!!! BONUS!!! It pays to be a great guy, help people in need and then not charge them. I'll bet OnSpot has seen several of your videos!! 😁