How much life are you seeing from these u/c ? and what is the apprx replacemnt cost for the u/c?
If you've never run one before, you'll get about 500 hrs. After you buy the next set and learn what and what not to do, you should easily get over 1000 hrs with a little care. Two years ago, 287b replacement was $12,000.
I've got a 287b with 500 hrs and undercarriage is thrashed. I still run the machine occasionally, I figure I can't do any more damage to it as all rollers are trashed and tracks look like rubber bands.... The one no no i learned is never use them in gravel or base rock, the rocks get stuck in the "wipers" for the rollers and burn up the rollers. Very strong machine.
I've got a ASV RC50 that I just replaced tracks on at just over 2000hours. I've been either selling or owning tracked machines for over a dozen years and the ASV undercarriage is very competitive on operating costs compared to everyone else. Much of what it costs you is determined by how you operate and maintain it.
@Pushcat: Did you replace the whole rollers? Here in Germany our Cat Dealer said that the replacement of the rollers would about 22.000$ at the Cat 277B. So we´re thinking about change to the new 279C with steel u/c. We have one here for testing. Bytec
Cat 289C CTL is your answer. Check them out online
we have 700 hours on ours and the undercarriage still looks nearly new
I used a 247 cat that I got about 1900 hrs out of the first set. They did replace several idlers and I think a drive sprocket.. This was on all type of surfaces, rock, sand, dirt, snow and crushed concrete. It all in the way you treat the machine, if you set there and spin the tracks trying to load a bucket of dirt or rock, then the tracks will wear more... You can turn them like a skid steer , but a 3 point turn is just a fast, and tears up less ground. the first set replacement I think was around 4500 bucks... the second set which only lasted 900 hours due to it being used by almost everyone. that bill was about 7000 bucks, because the replaced everything
it also depends how you operate it and maintain it a guy down the road from me has over 2500 hours on his original under carrage on a 287b and is still in great shape but he cleans it every day
1400 hours on a 2004 RC60. Tracks, front wheels and needs rear wheels but they will last a little longer. All middle wheels are fine. Wheels are about $240 each for the fronts with all bearings + seals assembled. Other smaller wheels are $200 assembled. Total after 1400 hours was $4k with no labor. I did the labor.