I know proper tracks are best but I was wondering i over wheel tracks are worth anything?
I guess it depends what you are looking to get out of them ??? ….. I own a set of steel Grouser brand ones, and for what I've needed them for they work awesome …. it's like that attachment you need from time to time, it can only add more versatility to your operation ….. Jmho ….. cheers !
They are definitely worth it. I've only had my ss with bare tires a few times.
RobMonk: I think over the tire tracks (OTT) are worth it. I recently bought a new SSL for my own use around my property. I needed a tracked machine because of wet ground & for snow work. I finally went with Camoplast rubber OTT on a NH L220. The tracks were about $4,600, expensive yes, but less than the $10K premium a real tracked machine would have cost. Plus, the tread pattern on the Camoplast was more friendly to my grass than the typical lug pattern on many CTL's. The ride is also better than most CTL's because I'm still on pneumatic tires inside the OTT's. Finally, because the diameter of the front tire & OTT is greater than the diameter of the front idler on a typical CTL, the machine can climb up over larger objects (logs) more easily that a CTL. Since I don't run on pavement, I plan on leaving the rubber tracks on year round. They make the SSL a real "tank" in snow & mud...I can go where a wheeled machine wouldn't dare. I almost forgot, the OTT's add more weight (about 300 lbs in my case) to the machine, & low on the machine, which increases it's stability. If I didn't have grass disturbance issues, & traction was my only concern, I would have gone with McLaren ProTrac, replaceable rubber pads over a closed steel track. Or maybe just a steel bar track, but they really tear the ground up. The problem you can run into with OTT's is clearance on a specific machine. In my case, I wanted 12x16.5 tires, but when you add the 1.5" for the OTT's there wasn't enough clearance to the rear counterweight cutout, or to the fender lip along the top. So, I had to back off to 10x16.5 tires. In either case I had to use 2" hub extenders. Without the OTT's I think the 10x16.5 tires look too small on the machine, but adding the OTT's restores the proportions. See the photos below.
StumpyWally, how do you put the rubber tracks on and adjust the tension? Is there a bolted link, or are they one continuous loop? Those tracks look nice and they look like they would give you good traction.
k45: The rubber tracks are joined with bolted links, & the tension is adjusted by using the correct number & size of link (3/4, 1/2 or 1/4 link) See the Camoplast site for a video of installation ( http://www.camoplastsolideal.com/construction-tracks/products/over-the-tire-tracks ) In the photo below you can see the links, from left to right, a 3/4, then a 1/4, then a 1/2 link. (the loose link in the photo was an extra/oddball one that was sent with my order by mistake.) Each track comes with a bag containing a set of links & SS bolts/nuts, plus one special ratchet strap for pulling the track ends together when mounting. From my experience, if there are any "fender" type cutouts on the machine (like on mine) it's absolutely a 2-person job, one to drive onto the track, the other to bend/guide the track end inside the "fender".
Well I learned something new today!! Thanks
This is absolutely correct - to be able to install any OTT tracks you need at least 2" clearance from the tire to the fender and about 3" clearance from the tire to the body of the machine. If you don't have the clearance, one possible solution is to install wheel spacers which will move your tires 3" away from the body of the machine. But this means that the tires may now stick outside your bucket - this depends on how wide is your bucket. Also, any over the tire tracks will lift your machine about 2" off the ground and if this is a problem for you because of the changed bucket angle, the solution is what RobMonk did - switch from 12x16.5 to 10x16.5 tires, which also may resolve any clearance issue with the fenders. Switching to the smaller tires may seem as spending extra money, but keep in mind that the 10" OTT are cheaper than the 12" OTTs, so this offsets some of the costs. Unfortunately, I don't know of OTTs smaller than 10" so if the original tires are 10x16.5, you cannot switch to anything smaller, so the only clearance problem solution for the smaller machines is to use wheel spacers. Luckily, most skid steers have plenty of clearance for adding OTTs.