So, I spent all day Friday running my 863 bobcat around the homestead. The soil is not hard at all, mostly the type in woods and forests so it is pretty soft even if it hasn’t rained in a few days. Trying to clear a few trees and create more of a park setting than thick woods. Anyhow, I found myself stuck twice that day. The machine does a great job, but seems to just sink down fast if I go over a freshly graded area. I got it out OK, but it took away most of the fun of it all. :Banghead A few friends recommended putting a set of tracks on it and that should solve the problem as well as help it with going up these North GA hills. Seems logical to me if you consider weight distribution and all. I also wondered if that will cause less or more mass destruction when I need to turn on grass or other finished area. Thinking about a used set, So, I am wondering if they will be a worthwhile investment. I also heard that they can damage the bearings or motor while turning. Your continued education of this noobee is appreciated!:salute Thanks!
During the winter and spring I run a set of OTT tracks on my S250. The machine would get stuck alot without them where we work at. They definetly help with traction and help some on floation depending on which type you get. The downside is they do tear the turf up more than tires, but being out in pasture fields for us it is not that big of a deal. But, i will take them off once spring rains are done.
I was entertaining the idea once about whether to buy a Positrack or a Mustang 2109 with OTT for mulching . I thought the OTT would be better , that was until i saw the ASV demonstration between the two on video . They tested a Bobcat trying to go over a load of loose dirt , once without OTT and once with them fitted . It was a real shock to me , it was useless both ways . Because the center piece of track does not have a roller to keep it down , it just moves up out of the way until the track comes tight . By that time the machine is on it's belly . The only real advantage i could see is that they make the tire a little wider which could help with flotation and traction . You also still have the short wheel base which is a real problem with climbing . See if you can find the video on youtube , i have it on the Positrack DVD they sent me , does anyone know if i can post that on the thread ?
If that was the case they where not tight enough They certainly wouldn't want to make them look good and not sell there own product Toomacho, OTT's make a HUGE difference, to say a night and day difference isn't even enough, it never ceases to amaze me where my machine will go with my tracks on The tracks depending on which variety you run have varying degrees of floatation/traction I use a Grouser track that was made for JD The track add a huge amount of stability also since the weight is low to the groud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRODFyeNrj0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozXfQ2DADlM I wish I had a better pic for you
Tracks are something to consider but another thing is tire pressure, having lower pressure will give better flotation but has other drawbacks such as more bounce. Another consideration is experience, as you learn more, you may well find that you get stuck less. In a way putting on tracks is cheating and you won't learn as much, however that may be a non factor in your situation. As an example of flotation, one day the boss send down a grader for us to clear some fence lines, as the wind had just about covered them in sand. After a while the boss rings up and asks us how we are getting on and I tell him that we are getting stuck a lot on the sand hills, he asks what I have the tire pressures at, I tell him that they are unchanged, well he asks me if I would consider lowering them to improve flotation, I tell him that I may consider his suggestion, or at least that is how I remember the conversation going. Anyway after dropping the PSI, the 12E(?) flew up those hills, it was bit more bouncy on the hard ground but not enough to be a problem.
Tracks are a great addition to any skid loader,they give alot more traction ,stability and ballast.I run the "grouser" tracks year around on my 8875 deere.They do tear up the ground abit when making sharp turns.I dont like to run them extremely tight because it puts the drivetrain in a bind.Nothing wrong with 2 or 3 inches of sag between the tires.
You can run them that loose but it cuts way down on flotation and traction
Grouser tracks are not made for flotation,they are for traction.Thats a good looking 320 deere you have Cretebaby.But you have the tracks to tight and thats hard on the drivetrain.They work best with about 2 or 3 inches of sag between the tires.If you want flotation ,it takes a solid pad with out any gap's between the bars,or a solid rubber track.loosen the track up abit and you will fined the skidloader operates alot smoother.
toomacho , ive just tried to post a section of the video of the Bobcat with and without OTT's . It comes back saying it is an invalid file . If you want to pm your email address i can send it to you . The Bobcat got to about the same spot as it did with just the tires . It is loose and steep but i thought the OTT's would get it further than that , the Posi just drove over it .
thanks for the info I am always impressed with the amount of knowledge that I find on this forum, as well as the willingness to share!:notworthy I will try to lower the air pressure a little just to see what happens as Hendrik suggested, and would like to see the video that Iron Horse has. (I will PM) Experience will also help as Hendrik suggested. I learn something new about how to operate that machine every time I get on it. That is part of the fun! I discovered recently the value of NOT getting a tree behind you as you get stuck going UP a hill.:Banghead Solved that problem with a chain saw and a few choice words Cretebaby, I am taking your advice in as well (That is a really nice 320!) Perimeter Bobcat has a set of all steel Loegering tracks that will fit my 863 for $2,075 new. That's still a chunk of money to spend on that machine considering what I use it for. Maybe I can find a used set in good condition.
Saw your videos. Very impressive!
Sorry, IMO 3'' of sag is way to loose and those tracks add a a pretty good amount of flotation, but not as much as a full pad obviously.
You dont have to apologize.If you want to run the tracks as tight as a banjo string ,that is your business.but it dosent have anything to do with flotation.It's hard on the drivetrain to run tracks that tight on anything.
When I bought these I had the exact figure on how much surface are they add, but that was 8 years ago, so I don't remember off the top of my head. I will look for it for you, Either way if the tracks don't rise between the tire it will add flotation that should be obvious. As far as drivtrain wear increasing traction and having 1000+ lbs to rotate will increase wear. I put over 2000hrs on my 250 with these on the majority of the time with no problems so far.
You are best off to talk to the track manufacturer about this. The problem with too tight tracks is that damage may occur. From those promo vids I saw the tracks where not that tight.
Toomacho, Check Ebay, there is typically tracks for sale there that may be cheaper These last a long time too so even if you find a set that looks to have some wear the bushing and links can be replaced at a later date fairly inexpensivly IMO it would be safe to say your machine will do double what it does now with a set of tracks on
While mud is hard to find here, sand is common. I have found that putting a set of 16 inch wide ditch witch style wheels on a Bobcat 843 makes a huge difference. I will try them on the 863 as soon as it is running. For sensitive surfaces I ran the worn out tires as smooth as possible so no tracks are left behind, they work great on the lawn. I have yet to try steel tracks but have used the rubberband tracks on the old M610. Made a huge difference.
i ran ott for years on my 236 and i would have it no other way, the do help with traction and flotation. you can get stuck yes but so can my 277 that i run now. but the differance is that pic of going over that hill, with the tracks you can pull full buckets out of that hill till you can get over it in stead of scraping at it for 20 mins. i have the old set of tracks of my 236 the are lodgring, the are the f series, they have around a thosand hours on them but still have a couple thosand hours left in them that i would sell for $1000 im me if you are interested
Sent PM
Toomacho - I have a set of used OTT steel tracks, Grouser I believe, for an 863 that I would part with. I traded the 863 a year or so ago and do not need them. PM me if you are interested, they are in Birmingham. I have ran OTT steel tracks on skids for many years before getting a T250, back when there was no such thing as a CTL. We would put them on at the beginning of winter and run them until spring. Sometimes that was the only way to get anything done. I ran my tracks with some slack, not tight. What I found if you run them too loose was the tires would spin inside the tracks. Run them too tight and it puts alot of extra strain on the drive line. Another consideration when running OTT is flat tires, which are a complete pain. Most of the time when you get a flat the OTT's will force the tire off the rim, requiring removal of the tracks to fix the tire.:Banghead I was running exclusively in residential construction where there is always a mine field of nails and screws. I ran "tire snot" the goo you put in that seals up small punctures and it worked fairly well. I am not a fan of foamed filled tires on a skid due to the rough ride and the damage to the tires when working in sharp rocks that I often operate in. The hard foam filled tires do not give when working in this environment, I have actually seen skid tires with lugs ripped off, bare foam showing, while working in chert (a very abrasive clay/quartz mix we have). I have not tried some of the "softer" foamed filled tires, the ones where they fill them with a gel compound. Of course this is my opinion derived from my working conditions. To give a background on "chert", we had a large export job with deep cuts 10'-20' in solid chert. We would have to swap the teeth around at lunch on the hoe to get even wear and replace the teeth every 1-2 days if we were consistently digging and loading trucks.
Will PM Thanks!
Seek and you shall find
I have always wondered what steel tracks would do. If I ever find a good deal on a set around here I will give them a try on my 863 as well.
When it comes to OTT, I like the McLaren Protrac series. They have both the bar type and tracks with steel or rubber plates for even better floatation. They have 3 tracks to choose from to best fit your needs and pocket. We got the McLaren OTT with rubber plates, though, because we work on road sometimes and they leave no damage. I agree with the others that the OTT makes one hell of a difference, especially when talking about the higher quality OTTs. Here is Protrac video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVC-qHXPBC8 I found some used McLaren OTTs here at a much better price: http://www.radmeister.com/t-on-sale-products.aspx
OTT tracks need a couple inches of slack. I have used them is muskeg and find the floatation is excellent. You can purchase pads to bolt into the spaces, but i don't find it necessary. If your bucket is empty, you will have better luck backing up a hill. If the bucket is full, then drive forward up the hill.
If you havent found a set of tracks yet Greensouth Equipment in Carnsville Ga. on I- 85 had a used set . ask for mike or kevin 706-384-5555.
Our Bobcat dealer used have a set of steel tracks for rent at $50.00 a day, a bargain. I did rent them occasionally when we had a wet job or needed to fill a garage with fine sand. They made a huge difference. I never bought a set because we used to run our Bobcat well over a thousand hours a year and even the dealer said they would only last 1300 to 1500 hours. It was cheaper just to rent instead of owning a set to put on occasionally.
ott almost same situation new to the whole forum thing. recently bought a tree saw. running it on a 268b getting along pretty well. cut a job in the sand hills this weekend. did not get stuck but sure could use some more traction. of course looking to keep cost down. saw a set of tracks with the cleates welded to 7/16 chain the looked really simple and affordable easy on and easy off.
hit the wrong button no need for the thumb down sign
I have tracks on my 863 and they make my machine actually into a useable machine...without tracks skidsteers are useless off of compact ground. I love tracks!!!!
I'm not sure if these are the same tracks you're looking at, but on some of the tracks with chains, the chain can stretch after every few hours of use and needs constant adjusting. There are many affordable tracks out there that use metal links instead of chain and that will work better.
i have a set of grousers for my ls 180. they have 3000 hours on them and there still good. best part is you can rebuild these tracks for $500. they do shred soft ground. be carefull when side cutting into piles of dirt. sometimes rocks get inside the tracks and can bend a rim or worse brake an axel. the only problem i have with them is if the tracks get a little to losse the tires spin inside.
I am looking at buying a set of tracks for my 940e in lieu of new tires to replace my worn out tires. I have read that worn tires will spin easly in the tracks. I really do not want to have to buy tracks and new tires too. So whats the real verdict here. Do i also need new rubber too?
I guess it all depends on what OTT you will get. We got McLaren's steel tracks with rubber pads bolted to them and we kept the old tires. I have not heard of any of our guys who run the machine about slippage. Now, if you get some of the lighter OTTs out there, there may be an issue... don't know for sure.
It also appears I would need wheel spacers to get the clearence for the tracks. May also need a boom stop and that part I do not like as it will effect the bucket action.