Hello all, i am a new owner of an old Hitachi EX100. 5700 Hours. Put a rebuilt rotary valve assembly in to make it move. Next item a new exhaust system. Have all the parts for that. The only other concern is the tracks. The tensioners are no good and the track chains are frozen/kinked up. I am using the machine just fine and moving around the property without issue so far. I am going to eventually put new tensioners in it within the next few months. My question is about putting rubber tracks on this machine. I will only be using on 20 acres. Clearing out trees and digging stumps and whatever else comes up. Will this be better than freeing up the stee track chain to use with the new tensioners and ok since I am just working this thing on my property? Driving across grass/yard/driveways. I am a novice with excavators. First one ever owned so just trying to get information/opinions/advice. Thanks
Rubber tracks weren't available when this digger was built but bolt on rubber pads were. If it's not for hire then add a block of steel onto the tensioner and run it to 100% destruction then replace the tracks or sell the machine as is.
Rubber tracks are not really designed to be used in the same way steel tracks are. We have a couple rubbed track mini machines, and a rubber track bobcat. One wrong move in the wrong place and they will rip. That being said, like Tones mentioned, there are no rubber tracks for a machine that size. We added rubber grouser pads to our 308 cat, but that was only for working on pavement. Unless you're planning on working on asphalt, I would stick with steel.
The mechanic I am working with kind of said the same thing. He told me just to keep using it as is concerning the tracks. The family member that I got the machine from said the same thing. He said just keep going as is.
Thanks for the response. The reason I asked about rubber tracks was because I found them online for this machine. I was wondering if that was correct as this is a bigger machine. Based in your response and Tones response I am going to just stick with steel and fix the tracks/tensioners when they need it. I just want to keep the machine in good working order while I clear areas of my land.