One of the tracks on my Tak has a big cut/slit halfway across it and I'm not sure how long to push my luck. It's not cut all the way through (tread side of track to smooth inside) but it has to be pretty darn close, it only goes from the outside edge of the track to the middle where the sprocket runs, it does not go all the way across to the inside edge of the track. I have new tracks for my machine sitting in the shop but didn't want to throw them on if I can still get some life out of these. Mostly the skid steer is being used for putting up a pole building so nothing strenuous on the machine but I do have a project coming up to level off a parking pad for a camper with some rock and asphalt grindings and don't want the track to pop during the middle of that. This is my first track machine and didn't know how tracks like to hold up once they've been pretty heavily damaged.
If you already have new tracks at the shop, run it till it breaks. The T-bone will give way first and create a bulge in track, you'll hear and feel it in the machine as it goes around the sprocket. At that point replace the track. If the other one is still "good", put both new tracks on and keep the "good" for a spare. As you run the tracks out just keep in mind of the operating conditions, you don't want to be changing the track at the bottom of a slope in a mud hole.
I'm kinda in the same dilemma. I'm going to buy new tracks in a week, sooner than I thought. But with 1100 hours, ID rather replace now then get stuck on upcoming few jobs 2 hours from our shop. Think I'll replace before a break, I got close where I wanted to with the OEM tracks. Mine have had several cuts just like that for at least 100 hours, maybe 200 for some of them.
Thanks for the input guys. I don't even know how long it's been like that but I noticed it about a week ago and have been keeping an eye on it since but the machine has had minimal use. I was going to keep the good used track as my spare and planned to cut the broken one to make into sort of a scraper/squeegee like cattle farms use to clean barns. New tracks showed up earlier today, hopefully I won't need them for a while and can burn these original tracks down quite a ways more before the one track lets go.
How many hours are on the current set? That's a good idea about making a scraper. I've seen them made out of tires, to push feed back towards the bunks for the cattle. Nice set of new tracks! If it was me I couldn't wait to get them on lol.
1189hrs as of this afternoon. I was all giddy to put them on then stood there and thought about it for a minute and changed my mind then figured I'd ask on here since I have limited experience with them.
Let me ask you this, if you may know. Why are the finals on the tak positioned how they are, from almost any other brand? That the only way they got it to fit, or is there more behind why it's positioned that way. Always been curious. Would seem to me with the final and sprocket positioned that way, more teeth are engaging the lugs and maybe increases pushing performance? Just thoughts lol.
I'm not really sure why they're setup the way they are compared to most other brands that don't get as much track contact with the sprockets. They don't bother me being up high, if anything it keeps them up and out of the dirt, mud, water, whatever else for the most part. I'm not sure if it has any effect on drive force but I know these Tak machines will push like crazy.
I was wanting to buy a TL12, but the dealer is over 120 miles from me. I've heard just too many great things about them. I think my machine pushes insane, but maybe up against a tak it doesn't lol. I can push through semi piles of nearly any material.
The guy I bought my TL230 from replaced it with a TL12. I've never run it but it has to be a tank. He runs an 84" dirt bucket on it and a 96" grapple. The grapple has been rebuilt several times already, the machine kept ripping the bottom out of the bucket when clearing stumps and tree lines. I have a 78" bucket on my machine, I think spec is 66" or 68". It handles it fine as long as you don't have a bucket full of wet clay and try running around with the arms all the way up on soft ground or something like that. Luckily my dealer is about 20 minutes away. We have Deere, Case/Tak (same dealer), Cat, Kubota, Gehl, and Bobcat all within 35 miles or less. If I expand to 75 miles I bet I could have 20+ dealerships of various brands to choose from. I like my machine, I do wish it was High Flow and I wish the cab wasn't from 1972 but the rest of the machine, feel of the controls, and performance is awesome.
Once you burn through a couple of sets and the cost of them burns through your wallet - all temptation will be gone and you'll run those suckers till the air is showing.
Mark, that's pretty awesome about that machine. The only dealers near me are Deere, Kubota, case, gehl. Wish I had more but feel I chose right for my application. I can bet running those tracks till air once I have to buy a few sets. But I'm not in this machine very often. So it took me 4 years till needing to replace the OEM set. I'm picking up the new set on Sat, I bought the Trelleborg tracks, got a deal at $1950 for the set.
I have no problem running them longer I just didn't want to keep running them thinking I'll be fine for a while and then it breaks when I go to use it next after I had 3 days of free time I could have switched to new tracks in. I hope the factory tracks hold up for another 100hrs or more, I doubt I'll be able to wear them smooth before it breaks but one can hope! I don't use my machine every day either, there's times it goes 6-7 weeks before I do anything with it. I'm hoping my business idea works out and I can start using it a lot more but we'll see.
Well I picked up my new set of tracks today! Trelleborg C pattern. I'll try to get pics up tomorrow. They look so stout.