I am in need of a compact machine and the idea of rubber tracks seem to be ideal for working on soft ground and across finished ground like grass. My problem is that most of the work would be done in a campground and all of our roads are paved. Most of the work would be done in the dirt, but all the traveling to the projects would be on pavement, so I am looking for a ball park number of hours I can expect from a set of rubber tracks. Any help is much apprecited.
In my experience steel tracks tread lighter on delicate terrain. If you're nice to them you should get 2,000 hrs. out of them.
depending on who is running it owner the highered operator or some young kid owner if he knows how to run it and does not spin around on the pavement 2000 to 3000 opereator the same the kid 1000 800 hrs its all in how you turn on pavement and rocky ground dirt doesn't hurt them as bad but like i said its all in how you turn and operate it dont spin them to much in the dirt
joe901 Reckon one of the worst things is mud, soft deep mud, where the trak gear gets full and chokes up. When it starts to dry it grinds away at the rollers and when you get the odd stone in the mud it can rip those rubber rollers to shreds, when you can smell the rubber burning you gotta stop and dig those suckers out. The actual track will last like previous message posted but the rollers need carefull attention, as does track tension. Have found on Cat 277b the tracks need re tensioning about every 100 hours, not a huge job, but must be done. Hope this helps.... Tracks is way better than wheels !!
I would be the only person using it, and I wouldnt reach 3000 hours in 8 years. So i should be set with whatever I end up getting.
yeah if you are buying new get all the warranty you can it may not break in the first year but if it does like the a/c does on most "have a/c freon leaks most of the time easy fix" but just small things add up over time also the drive motors are still giving some troubles not as many as when they first came out but they still have a few also the idlers occasionally go out 500 -700 dollars depending on which one goes out back are about 500 front i think are 700 750 the rollers are 500 a piece but they hardly ever go out warranty is the way to go on those all track machines they get expensive quick when stuff does break then again you may get a completly trouble free one but i wouldn't chance it also the track tension is something to watch for as easy as they are to tighten it shouldn't be over looked 9/16 wrench and a grease gun is all it takes the radios in them are nice to have also they are alot cheaper then the old jensens they use to have easy to put in i can get one done in an hour or a little under if you are looking at new the t320 has a susspension under carriage that is NICE good ride but it does add to the total cost a customer just bought one with that and sjc controls and it was close to 70,000 i think ac heat the works but they are nice on a hot summer day to be in a/c also adds to the resale and trade in value just :my2c
For your kind of work a Cat or ASV would be the better choice. They are more kind to grassy areas and give you a smooth ride on blacktop. The steel belted rubber tracks are more durable in rougher conditions such as heavy wet clay or rocky type soils but tear up grass more and are rougher on the blacktop and tend to damage the blacktop more also especially on the hot summer days. The best thing you can do is try them out since it is your money and not ours so don't take anyone else's opinion 100% until you try them all and see what fits your needs and budget. Good luck and keep us posted on your decision.
To a certain degree, I'd disagree with this. Mud and soft conditions are the places where these machines are very beneficial. The key there is to do your daily cleanout which is why I like the Deere so well. Plenty of room to get a shovel in, U/C is tapered to shed material, hoses protected with shields. The most damaging conditions are rock or abrasive/irregular materials like crushed granite and demolition debris which will tear up the belts on steel undercarriage machines or eat up the rubber rollers on the Cat/ASV system. If you're just transporting on pavement and working off of softer ground, my guess would be the average guy would get 800 to 1200 hours out of a set. A careful operator could probably milk out 1500+ hours.
Three thousand hours on a set of tracks? Your kidding me. Most guys around here see 700-1200 hours. If you can get over 1000 thats in the dam good area. I get about 1500 hours on a set of excavator tracks. I cant imagine getting any more than that on a CTL.
Track life expectancy First set of tracks on 247b 1300hours ( worn through to splitting stage with 19 missing drive lugs ), second set 1700 hours (worn out but still operational). First set on 277B 2050 hours so far (steel rollers on spider drive worn out - replacing tommorrow) tracks still ok may get another 500 hours. Please correct me if I am wrong but wasn't Bobcat bought out by Doosan or some other Korean company ? Or did they just buy the New Zealand dealership ? Over here I have never seen a John Deere skiddy, Takeuchi are rare as rocking horse pooh, Komatsu even rarer. You guys really are spoilt for choice. One thing I have learned the hard way is the more you turn the the more they wear, it means reversing more, and picking the places to turn to create the minimum amount of stress on the bits that touch the ground. Does anyone out ther run a vibratory roller on your skid steers? Can you tell me if they are as useful as the advertising reckons, or the vibrating plate compactor ?? Do they do the job ? would be very interested in some opinions!
i've used a sheeps foot one on a t300 to pack some asphalt shavings it seemed to work pretty good for that put a little pressure on it turned on the aux and went to town did what i needed it to do
Track Life Expectency The life expectency of any undercarriage system is largely dependent upon: * The competence of the Operator * Undercarriage Maintainence * Working Conditions Rubber Tracks are, generally warranted for 1500 hours, regardless of whether the tracks are OEM supplied or Aftermarket Replacement. If your Rubber Tracks are exhibiting premature failure, it is likely due to what is known as as ID10T occurance. I have customers that are getting 5000 hours off CAT Dozer Undercarriages, because their management teaches the employees the proper methods of operation to ensure their continued employment, keep the company profitable and ensure their future for wage increases. They employ only Union Labor and the operators treat the equipment as if it were their own!
This is my second tracked loader. The Case has 500+ hrs. on it . We use it for demo , plowing, commercial & residential dirt work and dont see much wear on them at all. I was thinking they would easily go 2000hrs. Good luck , doug
I put about 500 hours on a hyundai 55 with rubber tracks and saw pretty much no wear at all. But now with another 300 hours in rough rocky conditions i side is torn
I use a 48inch vibratory roller. 7 years old, miles of crushed limestone roads on it and it still does a great job.
vibratory roller cheers for the posting YELLOWDOG. Would I need to apply extra glue to hold my dentures in? or do the rubber mounts absorb the worst of the vibration ? Am looking for a good tool for compacting metal for concrete prep work.
I doubt the vibration will be an issue. I use the Bobcat vibratory roller and can't speak of the others but it isn't bad when it's in contact with the ground. I shut it off when I am lifting it off the ground, however, to minimize shaking. I would rent one first and see how you like it. I think they do an excellent job for crushed base roads, stabilizing some soils (mine is smooth so some soils I can't compact) and crushing some of the bigger rocks when compacting pit run or larger aggregats. The new compactors have even more power than my 2001 model and better frequencies for compaction from what I have read. Have no idea if it will compact metal?
I have a T250 with 1800+ hours on it and it's on its 3rd set of tracks. The set that is on there now has about 75% life left. And before I get a "lesson" on how to turn correctly and so on and so forth, that machine has seen some very harsh terrain. One project involved a natural 2:1 slope in chert, a weathered quartz and clay, that the only machine that would get down and back up was the CTL. If was a big job and we just had to sacrifice a set of tracks for it. So I have averaged 500-600 hours for a set of CTL tracks in the environments that I work in. Replaced the mini-ex tracks at 1800 hours for the first time. The tread had 30% life left but the T-bar links started popping out from the inside of the track, so we just ran it to failure, one track finally broke in 2. I also have an older '01 Bobcat vib-roller. The only problem I have had with it is spinning the bearings out. I have replaced 1 before and have another one to replace now. The grease fittings on the older ones, like mine, is hard to access and in my situation I believe the bearing failure is due to lack of greasing and operator error (used by many, cared for by none - recently fixed that problem ). All in all a great little attachment for close quarters compaction. Mine is the padfoot version, but I have a smooth drum bolt on shell for it as well.
So track loaders can operate in harsh, rocky conditions if you are careful? I'm thinking of getting a CTL myself. By the way, does this picture look like something is leaking under my cab? Cat techs tell me that nothing is leaking. Maybe it's just bacon grease or cornola oil but I swear it looks like I have leaking fits and a leak around drive motor.
the best advice i can give you for long MTL track life is... run it like a real track loader, no pivot turns keep it off pavement, run a 45 degree angles.. and stay on top of the track tension, keep it out of rock and stone.... hope this helps
If I get a CTL, it will be a steel embed track and no suspension.
Just out of interest, has any MTL or aftermarket manufacturer made a steel CTL/MTL track with bolt on rubber segment pads. We work in sand mostly. If you are digging a stump with the mini-ex and end up in the hole the soft sand chokes the tracks as does mud. Anybody with rubber tracks will know what its like and of course you lift the track off the ground and run it clear. I was watching my mate with his little Kubota 41 running around on the rubber segments. Because the track face is not continuous like rubber the dirt falls through and he wasn't having to clear the tracks like we would on rubber. Will the steel tracks not stand up to CTL speeds?? Surely somebody has tried this...you'd think
There is no doubt that you have seepage in hose. I am surprised that they are denying that, it is obvious that it is leaking. How did the repairs go, did they get the machine sealed up?
Field tech saw same thing almost a month ago and said it wasn't leaking. I asked where the oil came from..no answer. I cleaned up under the cab and didn't put too many more hours on it and that's what it did.
compacting metal ! American terminology differs from NZ terms, our aggregate is referred to as 'metal' here. I have discovered lots other differences and sometimes am confused with what you call things, I'm gettin there tho. Our 277C just gone in for complete new tracks and all rollers @ 750 hours. Interesting thread.... how many operators from different countries using this forum ???:beatsme some say "if it's not a cat it's a dog "
I hope you made your money in the first 750 hours sounds like you will be parting with some of it. I demoed a 256C and came away completely not impressed. The E/H is very marginal, wheel torque was poor, and the machine refused to lift a 73" bucket of material "pit run" out of a pile. The machine had to be backed up before it could lift out. The bucket was noticeably smaller than our 73" low pro extended lip buckets. The machines most admirable ability was its breakout which was good. If this machine was not a dog than I don't what is. Maybe the 272C is better, have not tried one of those yet. What I know is the 256C doesn't rate to be on the same job site as the CASE 440 I was comparing it to.
Back to CTL track life. This pic is about the most extreme that i'm willing to work on anymore as far as clearing. Beyond that, I tell the folks that I don't want to tear up my tires. Is it possible to effectively use a CTL on terrain like this if the operator is careful or would he just be asking for damage to tracks? What about crushed limestone driveway work like is pictured and covered the rocky area in the first pic?
I spread crushed granite and limestone all the time with a Mustang MTL 25 and it doesn't seem to bother the tracks or undercarriage.Spinning the tracks while mulching trees tends to scar them.
Our ASV has the same tracks and we made about 800 hours before doing all the bearings and rollers. We are pretty tired of the repairs on our machine right now.
I know that ASV now offers metal face seals and tapered bearings in their undercarriages now.
case 450 ct replacement tracks i was told that knowbody makes replacement tracks for my case 450 ct, except for bridgestone, because the center section of each roller is about 1/4 inch larger diameter than the outer section of the roller. anyway, i need new tracks asap, case wants $5,000 and other companys want $2,800 or so. some companys track weighs 480lbs per track, some 660lbs per track. thats a big difference in my opinion. i orderd a set and they sent me a different tread pattern than what i orderd, the stock staggerd block or D style. they said they didnt have that pattern after all. i sent them back. any help would be much appriciated. some of the small cables inside the track are starting to break. thank you.
Welcome to the forums Dirt Pro! Have you tried Solideal? I know some members may not speak highly of them but I have a set of their tracks on my T250 and 334 mini-ex and I have been very pleased. The T250 tracks were 1/2 price of what Bobcat wanted. Don't know if they make a set for your machine but it's worth a try.
thats great, ill give them a call. have you used this new asv style tread pattern before? how do you biuld roads and such out of what looks like sand in AL. and where do you get gravel from? trains? just curious. thanks for the welcome! glad to be here.
The set I have on my T250 would be the ASV style - it's kinda like a chevron pattern. They have held up well. Actually Birmingham sits at the end of the Appalachian Mountain range. At the turn of the century it was the steel making capital of the south. The "mountains" or hills to the folks out west, were and still are rich with iron ore. Underground mines poliferate the surrounding area of Birmingham and we have run into them before. A mine study is normal on any suspect property. Shelby county, which is south of B'ham but a suburb nonetheless, is home to some of the highest quality limestone in the region. Quarries and lime kilns dot the landscape in the southern part of the county. The side product is an abundant supply of crushed limestone aggregates from many different quarries. Asphalt and concrete plants are usually located on or adjacent to the quarries. What also brought the steel boom 100 years ago also gives us relatively cheap redi-mix concrete as well. Raw steel making requires limestone, iron ore, coal, sand and other items. There are several cement kilns located locally, an abundant supply of aggregates, flyash from all the coal fired cement kilns and a good supply of sand 40 miles or so south. All of this reduces the transportation costs of the raw materials. I am still getting 3000 PSI for $68 per CY. The northwest part of the state is home to some very large coal strip mines. It is where Drummond Company, a very large mining outfit, got it's start. The soil composition does change rather drastically south of my location. The rock and clay turn into sand and pea gravel. Here in B'ham the soil composition changes from site to site. Rock is something we deal with on a regular basis. The blasting and rock hammering business is pretty good. Welcome aboard.
wow, you must have a ton of heavy equipment in your area.
just orded some rubber tracks from rubber tracks usa. i got 450 hrs out of the first set that came on the machine. probably shouldnt have told anyone that. ha ha! oh well, i use it all the time. any season, rain or shine.
anyone ever have issues with a polycarbonate door on a cab air machine? ive broken the glass in mine a few times from hitting rocks with my brushmonster. and lexan seems to attract dust.
That seems a little low. In my experience selling Bobcats with Bridgestone tracks they would usually last from about 500-800 hours with the occasional set getting up to about 1000hours. I usually saw shorter life out of the aftermarket tracks- AVON, McClaren, Solideal, etc.(400-650 or so) It boils down to what you feel comfortable paying for. make sure you change your sprockets when you get the new tracks. The older sprockets will cause you get get shorter life on your new tracks with the possibility of ripping out the bars in them. I'm surprised that Rubber tracks USA did not tell you that.
The tracks on my T190 were about 60% at 900hrs when i traded it in on a New Holland C175, but so far the tracks are 60% worn at 285hrs on it. Bobcat had Bridgestone Tracks and the New Holland has Solideal they are rubbish fast wearing and chip and tear easily. Worst of all I baby my machines so i hope the next set wear a lot better. John