Wondering why????? Can't help to notice that much higher % of gray market mini excavators ranging from 3 ton to 6 ton come to north america with well used steel tracks and/or rubber pads. Yet very minimal % of same size machines in north america have rubber tracks. Any idea why? I would much rather have a machine in the 5.5 to 6ton range with steel tracks/rubber pads than rubber tracks. For example, looking at JD60 D/G, there is one used machine in all of Canada with steel tracks. They're so rare. Wondering why.
I belive it's because it's way easier to run up and down a paved surface with the rubber tracks instead of laying out sheets of plywood. That's the way I look at it anyways. I had a Kubota 161-3 with wide metal pads for years and would always try to back into a job as far as I could so I didn't have to waste time laying down plywood to protect a paved surface, even though with the wide pads and weighing only 12000lbs it really wouldn't leve a mark IF you were careful because it distributed the weight so well. It also was way better for track packing material and was a bit more stable. I got a new Tak 260 last spring, I hemmed and hawed over the tracks, but I ended up with rubber and really haven't missed the steel.
Now that you mention it I recall the rubber tracks being used more on the smaller machines and rubber pad inserts on the steel tracks on the larger units. The gray market stuff could be in any configuration.
Just steell, yes, and issue on concrete/pavement but with rubber pads should not be an issue. Like Tags had mentioned, better stability, longer lasting with the steel. Doing any demo work, broken concrete or in those fist size rocks doing backfill work, you always seem to be having to be extra careful. A friend of mine just bought a 33 hitachi with steel tracks/rubber pads "off the lot".
Oh, I also forgot to add this, the 161 had around 5500hours when I sold it and it never had any undercarriage work done except replacing the top rollers and it tracked around a lot. There's no way I'll get that kind of life out of the rubber tracks....
I had that exact machine, it would damn near float on water! 24" pads on a 12000 lb machine was awesome.
I really dislike rubber tracks, you can't cleat them in winter, they are sensitive to rocks and sharp debris...I bought a brand new pc27 years ago with steel tracks and bolt on rubber pads....great compromise for working in neighborhoods.