Has anyone used a over the tire tracks (grouser specifically) with bald tires? Here is my situation, I have an old bobcat 825 that I use around the farm. I have been using it to build a dike as I live near Fargo and we have had a lot of flooding issues recently. My problem is that it always seems to be raining. I can't get the clay and ground to dry off enough this year so I can actually build and pack my dike. I can pick up, move and place the clay without an issue, but I can't pack it because it is too soft and basically just squishes out around the tires. My thought was, buy a set of tracks (There is a used set of Grouser tracks in good condition locally for $800), That way I can increase my floatation and be able to pack down the dike without needing it to be as dry. This whole wet cycle is really frustrating. Here are my concerns. 1) My tires are BALD, which really hasn't been a problem, I have 12x16.5 tires on it and get the traction I need without tearing up the yard. I think the added slip is probably not all bad because it is easier on the drivetrain too. My concern is that the tracks will slip, although looking at them, they appear to get most of their traction from the sidewall, not the tread. 2) I run 30 year old machine with high hours. It has been reliable, and from what I understand, the 825s were built with an exceptionally heavy drivetrain, but I am a little paranoid about extra traction putting a lot of extra strain on it and breaking something? Is this a common issue? Do people break driveline parts when they put tracks on? 3) I don't have enough clearance between the tire and the chassis, can I just reverse the rims? I understand it will make filling the tires more difficult, but I am curious if there are any other issues. I saw on one site that they recommend reversing rims instead of spacers, but I don't know why. I would rather not spend the extra $300+ on spacers if possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mr_C
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skidsteer.ca
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The bald tires will not hurt anything, ow tight you run the tracks and how slippery the material is that your working will dictate how much the wheels slip inside the tracks.
The sidewalls of your tires must not be too wide for the space inside the tracks, if the tracks squeeze the sidewalls they will wear into them.
Will it break your drive train??? very hard to say, mostly depends on how you operated it. Normally they will be fine. At the hands of a rough operator it will definitely increase the stress because traction is higher.
Reversing wheels versus spacers.... 6 of one 1/2 a dozen the other. Mostly a cost versus convenience thing. If I wan not buying spacers I would drill the rim on the other side and add a second valve stem. Flats and tire pressure are even a bigger issue when a track is involved.
If you are getting around on the dike at all with tire, you will go everywhere with tracks, the difference is huge.
Skidsteer.ca
The sidewalls of your tires must not be too wide for the space inside the tracks, if the tracks squeeze the sidewalls they will wear into them.
Will it break your drive train??? very hard to say, mostly depends on how you operated it. Normally they will be fine. At the hands of a rough operator it will definitely increase the stress because traction is higher.
Reversing wheels versus spacers.... 6 of one 1/2 a dozen the other. Mostly a cost versus convenience thing. If I wan not buying spacers I would drill the rim on the other side and add a second valve stem. Flats and tire pressure are even a bigger issue when a track is involved.
If you are getting around on the dike at all with tire, you will go everywhere with tracks, the difference is huge.
Skidsteer.ca
Wow, that answers all my questions. To answer how I operate it, I drive it like I own it and I have to pay for the repairs (which is true) so I am pretty gentle. I guess the more I think about it, maybe having tracks for some of the slippery work could be easier on my machine, because there are some times when I require a little bit of momentum because the traction isn't there. that would no longer be an issue. I am building a fairly small dike, only a couple feet high, but after placing the clay (a few inches at a time) I drive up on it to pack it down. I did a lot of work last year and it worked great. This year it is just a bit too wet, but waiting it out isn't working (just got another inch or so of rain today). If I could get a little better traction and spread the weight out a little more I could do a better job of packing it down smoothly and consistantly. I had just about talked myself out of this... but now I think you talked me back into it. My skidsteer is also my emergency vehicle during flooding times. If all else fails, I count on the fact that I can build up a dike with it. Having a set of tracks so I can build a dike rain or shine is probably a good investment. I guess one of my projects this weekend will be to swap the tires around and make sure that works ok. thanks! -Mr_C
Minor update. I reversed one of my wheels last night. Went from just barely 1" of clearance to a solid 4 inches. That should easily be enough for the tracks. Interestingly, with the tires swap and chains my total width will be right at 6 feet. That will work out about perfect because my primary bucket is 6 feet also. thanks, -Mr_C
