tracks over tires

[ehp]

I bought a new bobcat S740  and it has 12 by 16.5 tires on it , She is kind of fat for those tires on blow sand so was thinking tracks, What does anybody use rubber or steel and how did they work. Bobcat makes a set of steel tracks to fit this machine but just wondered how rough they ride. I could go wider tires but they would need to be quite abit wider as Im not just sinking abit , its alot 

[mike_belben]

Not that i think you have the time to build them.. But i have seen some REALLY wide floatation tracks made from basically a 1" C channel grouser bar and two bands per side of 6" conveyor belting, with a stamped tire edge on the inner diameter.  They had a bit of overhang off the outer edge of the tire to accommodate the extra width.  Probably 20 or 24" swamp tracks.


Ive got the chain and cleats to build my set of OTTs but need to make a bending jig and do a bunch of repair on the machine first.

[mike_belben]

Look up righttracksystems.  Similar to those. 

[Haleiwa]

I have tracks for my 763.  They work well in soft ground,  but are a nuisance to put on or take off.  It's important to be sure they will clear the frame,  otherwise you will need spacers.  Tracks do not generally work well in forestry application.   Sticks and rocks that get caught between the tires and the tracks (and there will be a lot of them) will either damage the tire or jam the drive train. They are downright dangerous on ice; about like a drunken pig on roller skates. 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Rubber tracks offer better flotation and ride than steel tracks. But steel tracks win the traction and durability categories. 

As for ice bare steel tracks are no worse than plain tires. Weld come cleats on the tracks and ice is no problem. Good chains are the best you can get for icey conditions tho.

[ehp]

I guess my wheelbase is to be different but by my tape measure my wheelbase is the same as the older S300 models . I got ice chains so Im going to put all 4 on in morning and see if that helps 

[mike_belben]

Let us know how the chains work.  My guess is theyll just dig it right down until youre parked on the undercarriage. I have never had chains work better than bare rubber except on frozen ground. 

[ehp]

Im at that point already , the sand is so soft I get hung up all the time . I called bobcat and the big track skid steer place up here but so far no one has any thing in stock , I even tried to get the wider tires  15.5 by 16.5 but no one has rims  

[doc henderson]

i went to a track loader cat 277c.  we built our pool and had to fill in inside the 4 foot retaining wall.  35 dump truck loads of sand.  i could drive and turn on it.  left about a half inch impression first time going over fresh sand.  is there not an after market custom track maker?  we have a company here that does the big 3 wheel tracts that go on trucks and tractors.

[Walnut Beast]

Loegering VTS versatile track system. Unbolt your wheels and bolt track system to your hubs

[BargeMonkey]

 Yrs ago I bought a garage built set of tracks for a 170 NH, they worked but they weren't right. Had a set of factory tracks for that S175 i peddled and they looked rugged with grousers on them. We run truck chains on the front of the 170 at the sawmill, tires are about slicks and it still keeps going but you want to pay attention when it takes off. 
 How these guys are running rubber tracks in the woods i cant imagine it ? We get roughly 800hrs to a set on a CTL and 800-1000 on a 5 ton class mini, I've got it down to a science putting a track back on unfortunately. 

[Walnut Beast]

ASV Forestry's CTL been running in the woods for years. Prinoth Raptor 300r dedicated mulcher runs rubber or steel tracks. No doubt steel is superior. But open tracks on ASV kick out the debris in the woods. 

[ehp]

machine only sits on the landing so pretty much its in a field , I have no real plans at this point of putting skid steer in the bush 

[mudfarmer]

Not a great solution but if you can't get what you need track wise can you spread a couple loads of something in the landing where you run the skidsteer most?

Or make a set of redneck duals?? 8)

[mike_belben]

Yeah a little threaded rod and some car trailer tires or something like that squished up next to your existing rubber might stop the sinking.  

Actually if you got junkyard 16" rims available,  chinese tractor steers are cheap.  7-16, 8-16 and 9.5-16 ag lugs can all go on an accord or camry oem 16" steelie and then still go on your beater jeep if you holesaw the pilot bore out.

And be a grand or more cheaper than OTT tracks.  Easily recoup all your money if you dont like because of 5 on 4.5" fitment with camry and accord [5 on 114.5]

Youd wanna mount them backward so the dish is inward and the fasteners are short.  These wheels have a ton of backspace
 


Years ago id seen metal cones made for the outside of a stock tire and rim with bar paddles.  They actually worked once sunken in.

[mike_belben]

Found em.

The J-wheelz ATV attachment is available at Trike Zone. - YouTube

[ehp]

I put my ice chains on all 4 wheels are it did alot better , the sand here is just like trying to work in flour , its just a real fine powder 

[mike_belben]

Fine sand is a pretty valuable commodity.  

[barbender]

I have a worn out set of Grouser brand OTT on my Case 1845C. I don't need them most of the time, but I usually just leave them on because they add a lot of stability and counterweight. I live on what we call blow sand around here (it's very fine, kinda silty, and turns into absolute powder when dry), and they work well on that. I have run into coarser beach sands where the tracks don't do you much good, go get a CTL on that stuff. Btw mine are the narrow bar style, I've never used the ones that have the wider pads that would give better flotation.

[Walnut Beast]

A friend of mine lived in the Sandhills in Western Nebraska and has been one of ASV top dealers. Simply put no other tracked machine could 
 match the flotation in the Sandhills taking out cedar trees on thousands of acres of ranch land. You are definitely limited with the wheeled machine with whatever you put over them

[ehp]

I tested 3 different size track skidsteers before I bought this machine , with the chains on it I had not much trouble today . Guys you have to remember Im in Canada and with all this Covid stuff its pretty hard to get stuff you would normally get and if it comes from the USA its tough still to get . Once I move a couple miles either way I should be ok , the sand will have a touch of clay in it 

[mike_belben]

What made you choose the one you did?  Just curious.

[DR Buck]

I have a set of steel Grouser tracks for on my Gehl 6635.   The rubber is completely worn off the pads so they are 100% steel now.   ;D       The work fine in mud, which I had lots of at the farm.    The tracks tear up the ground.  Kind of like driving a rototiller.   :D    As already mention on snow and ice they are worthless and dangerous.   Several times I've slid sideways down sloped ground without any control.   Two years ago I slid into the front of my newly build steel garage/shop.   It wasn't pretty.     Shortly after that I took them off and don't use them now.     I was going to replace the pads but Grouser wants almost $2k just for those.      I'll probably end up selling the tracks one of these just so they are out of my way.

[tawilson]

My Bobcat/Groùser steel tracks have a series of square 1/2" holes for studs they sell for ice. They looked pretty extreme so I used 1/2" carriage bolts with the heads out and it worked. Not great traction but it didn't just slip uncontrollable any more. Now I have chains for ice and snow and the tracks go on in the spring.

[ehp]

I choose this machine cause of these things , First and most important to me is I have a very good dealer and he is pretty big . I can phone him at any time and get stuff fixed or if I have a small job a couple hours from my own skid steer he will just send one of their rentals for me to use . Next is this machine does not use any DEF fluid so I like that, this machine has cushion boom on it and is the smoothest riding machine I have ever driven. The T 650 they sent with this machine rode alot rougher . The S650 I had worked very well but Im always pushing its limits on lifting, I cut alot of longer timber logs that are quite heavy so the S740 does lift them easier . This machine has the bigger 3.4 litre engine in it . It does have more grunt but does burn more fuel. I think its got every option on it that it can have, There is no 75 inch flat screen or micro wave in it thou lol . I have been doing ok with the ice tire chains on it now