In short, you basically don't ever have to use the foot clutch if you don't want to. I was told that starting heavy loads ......... if the machine was already "loaded" should be done with the foot clutch, and this would provide marginal additional life to the tranny ........... I don't always do this, LOL.
Just shift into 1st and push to 2nd and push to 3rd all the way to 8th and never touch the clutch............ when "dozing" back and forth you can just toggle between forward 1st and backwards 1st by flipping the lever back and forth after the machine has come to a "sorta stop".
As to the hand clutch you do not need to engage it quickly, that is the main clutch between the engine and the tranny, which is why they start so easy when its disengaged, as there isn't any load on the engine. Let the engine warm up first and then engage it and let the hydro and tranny warm up. If the hand clutch isn't engaged nothing will move, not the blade, not the wheels not the winch, because the engine isn't hooked up to anything at that point.
Better of the 4 tires on the back and chains on the front is the best compromise of performance and cost. I love Ice Chains/I hate ring chains. Ring Chains just beat your brains in, especially on a small machine and rattle your machine to death in 4-8th gear. I personally rarely or barely ever use chains, but then I'm barely ever on anything that would be consided a slope anymore............ life is good, hills suck, LOL.
I use synthetic and change at 200 or less hours, but look into bypass filters, basically your engine will never wear out and you don't have to change your oil, with one of those and good oil, and leave your engine running ......... instead of start and stopping it. They idle for cheap, starting and stopping is hard on everything, that is the key to long engine life. A $500 starter, plus down time, buys a lot of diesel for idling the machine and reduce the starts and stops buy 80%.
Sam