I am looking to upgrade from a Komatsu PC 40 9000 lbs excavator with steel tracks to a 16000 lb or so machine. My question is I have never owned any thing with rubber tracks and would like any input on rubber tracks. Ie how long should they last,what to look out for on a used machine with rubber, how to care for and maintain them. Which do you guys prefer?
You can buy some excavators which have a track on them with the ability to install and remove rubber track shoes. They are also available after market as well. http://www.mclarenusa.com We have one customer who uses them on certain jobs. He had one job working along a marina and bolted them on, saved trying to move planks all day. He feels they have been worthwhile for him.
The main advantage of rubber tracks are 1) very smooth ride walking the machine compared to steel tracks, and 2) good for working on dirt or pavement. Disadvantages; 1) you can damage them working in rough materials, like rocky terrain, and 2) they generally are expensive to replace. If all you do is plunder around in dirt, they'll give good service life. The ride is hard to beat. But if you work in rough stuff, I'd go with steel tracks and bolt on rubber pads like gggraham suggested.
Rubber tracks are great on Tonka toys , come to think of it , they fall off them as well . I will NEVER have another machine with rubber tracks . Steel tracks and rubber/Urethane pads are the only way to go for "ME" .
The only experience I have with rubber pads is with a couple of month rental last year. We rented a Cat 308C CR long stick with rubber track. I didn't know it was going to have the rubber track until I picked it up, and just requested a 308 with digging and cleanup buckets and didn't think of asking about the tracks when I ordered it. I was a little worried about the tracks when I first saw it. The reason I rented it was because our excavator was going to be at another job clearing brush and trees on 17 acres and then taking care of the burn piles. And I needed to finish another job doing some small stuff finishing a retention pond, etc. Well we ended up taking the rental to the burn job because there was a deadline in a month or so where burning would no longer be allowed county wide. The fire district said we could not have more than one burn pile with only one excavator, so we brought the Cat in to help rush the job. And like I said I was worried about those tracks, but that damn thing went everywhere without a problem, up and down hills, through ravines, etc. And I loved it and am looking for a good used one. That excavator handled things I didn't think it could, pushing over large trees, picking up big trees/logs and moving them. And the zero clearance was great in the trees when we had to selectively clear out only some trees, and remove the brush. So if anyone knows where there is a good used one, let me know. It's has to have the long stick, quick connect, rubber tracks or the bolt on rubber pads or if a steel track 18" so I can buy the bolt on pads. I don't think they make the bolt on pads for the 24" track. And I did keep a eye on those tracks as I was worried about them. At the end of the rental I did not see any damage to them. Luckily the burn site wasn't very rocky, but I did run over a lot of sticks, small logs, etc.
Looking at 308c cr Excavators Any body else have any info good or bad on the Cat 308c. We are looking for a midsized Excavator and Cat is fairly close to home for us. Was given a pretty good price on one would like to here from some owners. Thanks
I have both and honestly I think I think I prefer the rubber. Less to worry about, when they are shot replace them. Much lighter and simpler to install. I have never thrown a rubber track but have with steel. I think anyone would agree no tracks are cheap, but seeing that rubber is one peice you don't have to mess with grousers, pin wear or removing master pins. Much quieter and smoother as well. I would say the main disadvantage is the reduced traction
Rubber track is so popular for mini excavator.It depends on the work condition,as the ATCOEQUIP said. If the work condition is not bad,the time lasts more than 1000 hours As I know,the rubber track sizes for PC40 is 400x142x36 and 400x72.5x70N. If you need more information,please feel free to ask me.
Thanks for your inputs, guys. Well I went and bought a Kamatsu PC 75 UU and it has rubber tracks. The tread is excelent with a few cuts here and there. I have yet to put it to work out on the job but have been using around the shop to load soil on the truck. I like how smooth the ride is compared to the bone jarring steel tracks. I guess time will tell.
I had rubber on two Tak excavators. My 135 came new with rubber. At 1000 hours one rubber track went so I bought a set of used steel. I have 1200 hours on the used steel thus far and they are well worn. Steel worked better in snow/ice than the rubber did (go figure ) steel pushes rock down when final grading. Steel seems to tear-up lawns less (those deep rubber grousers really indent bad) and steel seems to push better. Rubber was much smoother and quieter, and less $$$. Still not sure which way I'm going to go in a couple months when I need new ones. We'll see.
+1 on that....
You're not even going to BELIEVE how much work you can do with that thing. They are fantastik. Make sure you watch branches that get too close to your boom potentiometer wires, but they are pretty tuff.
Nice piece of equipment. Congratulations!!! :drinkup
I prefer steel tracks because they down wear down and you het more traction out of the metal ones.
anybody have a cheap set of rubber tracks for a pc75uu2 komatsu new our used or steel ones if they interchange email me at [email protected] thank you.
I remember them well.........GRRRRR.
I found a used track for your Komatsu PC75 UU2 for $1,320 on a place I often check for cheaper staff. Here is the link: http://www.radmeister.com/m-13950-pc-75-uu-2.aspx Hope this helps. :drinkup
YC35-7? Haha,it is from China
Yes , but genuine Bridgestone tracks . Later that day i had both of them laying on the ground . The machine had 120 hours on the clock so it was not caused by wear and i always kept them tight , it did it from day one . The thing that would happen is that the sprocket rail on the track would get sand in it which is incompressible . Depending on which way it was traveling , the idler or the sprocket would just climb out of the track . Sometimes i could hear or feel it happening , i could then lift that side and spin the track in the opposite direction to clear the sand .
That doesn't look like a lot of fun. Hope you weren't wearing running shoes to go with your shorts!!
No , but theres a work boot somewhere in that mess .
If there is not any tracks,how it work?
What's your reply to that one, Iron horse?:lmao Rn'R.
OK , I'll give it a go . You see , the left track came off in a bad place , right beside a Bull Ants nest . I picked up the machine with the boom and slewed whilst tracking with the other one to get away from the nest . I then dragged the first track back to me with the boom , when i picked up the side the track came off in the first place to put it back on , i felt a familiar feeling . I looked around and the other track had rolled in at the bottom and then fell off the top . "No more worky".
And Bull Ants can be a bit nasty. But this time, I'd say they were sitting there wondering "what in the heck is this fool doing???" :lmao
I'm just glad one of them didn't have a camera as it would have ended up on youtube . The best way to deal with them is the old Aerostart and a lighter trick , takes the fight out of them .
Get me the address of the Bull Ants, I'll send 'em one. We want a video of the next adventure. :falldownlaugh
great work! Is the YC3507 able to work again?Do you need to assemble the new tracks?
buying tracks right from china has anybody done this and what is the b.s. that goes with it has any done buis. with d.e. heavy equipment (cheney chen)
does anybody know what it takes to go to steel tracks on a pc75uu2
Sprockets , idlers , rollers and recoil springs as they are rated differently .
Looking for Used Rubber Track I'm looking for a good deal on a used rubber track for a Komatsu PC 75 UU. I live in the Portland, OR area and I need one badly. My excavator is sitting in the middle of my yard and we are right in the middle of putting in a pool.
why not get a new pair of rubber track?It is not expensive.
I found you a cheap good used PC75UU track here: http://www.radmeister.com/p-13751-r...or-komatsu-pc-75-uu-74-links-450-mm-wide.aspx I also found another used track on Ebay even cheaper, but it looked really bad, so I doubt it will be worth it.
what is the brand name? the price could buy a new one.
I'm not selling anything. I just did some search to help.
Big Dan, What do you call that arm? I have never seen anything like it. I spent a week running a pc55 swing boom this summer. Offset trenching with a 16" bucket. It did the job really well, but i will say that the strength of the swing brake comes into question. Ken
Rubber Track Thanks Cheney for doing some research. That is one of the better prices. I have not been able to find new at that price though, at least around the Portland area.
I see,I did not direct against you. I understand the price from dealer and factory are different. Somebody prefer to used brand one,and somebody like the new one.
Please check the abrasion and work time for the used one. If it is a famous brand,that is better.
There are some advantages of buying local. Some people prefer to get the product in 1-2 days and not in 1-2 weeks or more. And if there is any issue or question to be resolved, to get the local help in person instead of calling someone overseas. A US company can be held responsible for the products and services they sell you; a foreign one cannot. So we buy from US companies only and have no problem paying more, because we get more.