skid steer tracks

country53 · Post by **country53** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:53 pm

I'm thinking of buying a set of tracks for my skid steer. Anyone had any expeireance with skidsteer tacks? I've seen chain type, Grouser type, something called flats and others, the only differance I know is the price.

digitup2 · Post by **digitup2** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:26 pm

Eight years ago I bought a 7753T Bobcat we have Loggering tracks for it I had a 270 Deere and Deeres track option several years ago .It was always in the repair shop the Deere even sheared off the wheel studs when there delivery man was trying to bring it back after repairs This was the fourth time it riped out or broke the studs so I traded it While in the Deere repair shop !! on a new T190 Bobcat tracked unit it has a lot longer track base and more power can get to the ground than the rubber tired 7753 but the tracks shure are nice over the tires .Loggering are cheaper than the rubber replacement tracks for the tracked T190 .We shure like the Loggering tracks these machines sit around the shop in nice weather but when it gets muddy they are usualy on a job site some where .Digitup.

country53 · Post by **country53** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:56 am

Thanks for the info. I just use mine on the farm thinking about cheap tracks right now. I'd like to have one with track frames and rollers.

digitup2 · Post by **digitup2** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:40 am

Tracked units are more expensive all around to,purchace, maintanance and tread replacement all are bigger bucks but the added traction is the bang you get for those added bucks .What I like about skid steers is they have good resale value.More resale than dozers backhoes and excavators .We have a clean up broom on ours and if you work in sub devisions that is a second right hand for any operator .We are finding more often that if you pack the skid steeryou will use it and our large customers requist it .They use very little fuel in an hour compaired to the big stuff and make nearly the same bottom line .Digitup.

hillbillyreefer · Post by **hillbillyreefer** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:17 am

I've been threatening to buy a set of tracks to put over the tires on my Bobcat 863. I've always found them to be too expensive. I've seen an ad recently at NorthernTool for a set. They are priced at $1400 plus shipping. Says in the ad they should last 1800 hours.

Does anyone have any experience with these? I'm wondering if they are reliable? I need to add some traction to the loader, in wet slimey corrals the machine is next to useless.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

TIA
Brad

Post by **Lavoy** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:19 am

What you really need is a crawler loader, than you will already have tracks.
Lavoy

Tigerhaze · Post by **Tigerhaze** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:02 pm

hillbillyreefer wrote:I've been threatening to buy a set of tracks to put over the tires on my Bobcat 863. I've always found them to be too expensive. I've seen an ad recently at NorthernTool for a set. They are priced at $1400 plus shipping. Says in the ad they should last 1800 hours.

Does anyone have any experience with these? I'm wondering if they are reliable? I need to add some traction to the loader, in wet slimey corrals the machine is next to useless.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

TIA
Brad

I don't have a lot of experience with them, but I have read numerous articles in construction magazines about the stress and related wear and maintenance issues that bolt-on tracks put on the drivetrains of wheeled skid steer loaders. I don't think it is a big issue for ocassional use but seems to be a big issue for daily use machines.

You may want to do some web searches on that topic before you decide to go that route.

hillbillyreefer · Post by **hillbillyreefer** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:40 pm

Thanks Lavoy. As soon as I get my 555 running I'll have a tracked loader. I have a few places that I can't get to with the loader though. I also use the skidsteer to drag logs out of the bush in the winter. Tracks would be helpful with the deadfall and a couple feet of snow.

Thanks Tigerhaze I'll do a search and see what I come up with. The tracks will only get used for a few hours per year. The machine only gets about 100 hrs per year, so it may get 20 hrs or so with the tracks on it. Not really worth owning a set, but they would come in very handy occasionally.

Keep the replies coming.

Thanks
Brad

digitup2 · Post by **digitup2** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:35 pm

You would be amazed the extra work and conditions you can manover in just take it easy and make shure that the drive train can take it .I realy learned quickly there are lots of machines out there that just can't take the added traction of tracks and others that you have to butcher to install tracks on like the left side of a JCB skid steer .It all depends what you have for a skid steer .They will add to your machine and if you put many hours on the unit than I highly recomend tracks most are under 2G and well worth it .Digitup.

hillbillyreefer · Post by **hillbillyreefer** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:28 am

I did some reading last night on whether they tear up drives or not. The concensus seems to be the older rubber tracks that didn't allow wheel slip inside the track were hard on drives. New designs that allow a bit of wheel slip inside the track aren't as hard on the drives. Please correct me if I've misinterpreted what I've read.

digitup2 · Post by **digitup2** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:53 pm

I think that may be the answer just a little slack would save a drive system a lot. My Deere 270 was new and it was sheering off studs like crazy even without the Deere tracks .The funny thing was that once it sheered off the first time it just got easyer to sheer them off with time .It got so bad that while loading onto the float there truck driver sheared the studs off one side laying it out on the ground .They phoned me in a panic and I just called the Bobcat dealer and told him where it was and I was trading it on a T190turbo .He went right into the dealership and looked at it .Between the Deere and Bobcat dealers I got what I paid for it towards the T190 and Deere bought the 270 from him to save face becouse the Bobcat dealer never took it home I heard that the Deere dealer just put all new rims on it and crossed his fingers .That latest Deere is a 320 and it has the same drives and more Hp for some reason the drives are the same !!The skidsteers get used mainly to move snow at the shop in winter mostly but they are finding more work year round lately .Digitup.

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