Replacement tracks

[wvtrees]

Does anyone have any experience with aftermarket tracks on Bobcat track loaders. I have T190 w/ 1970 hrs and the tracks are pretty cracked but not worn. I am looking at the McLaren NEXTGEN TDF series.

 

[Fishfiles]

From my experiences , you will be better off to pay the price and get OEM Bobcat tracks , we have tried "all" the brands out there that I have heard of trying to save a buck and have gotten stuck many times , you will get longer life with less headaches OEM , when and if something does go wrong with the track from OEM , down here they will take care of it quickly , shipping back a failed set of aftermarket tracks creates down time and numerous problems , also I have found that some of the aftermarket tracks cause other problems like the pitch ain't just right and it wears the spockets bad , have also seen cases where they are a little longer and the front idler blocks stick out past the frame the moment they are put on --------------I am presuming that this is not your first set of tracks at 1970 hours as you say they are cracked but not worn or maybe you bought the machine used --------- what brand is on there now and do you have a wide track T190 which is a different track then the standard model ---------like someone posted on here , the OEM spend alot of time developing and testing their tracks , the aftermarket world makes them and throws them out there and you are their guinne pig ,--------- if I " had " to pick an aftermarket track right now , I would say the newest style of "premium" track from Solideal from what I seen so far is ok but still too soon to be judgemental , I really don't think they are available yet all over , they were sent as a trial set as my customer cut back on buying from them as they were not up to par and they wanted him back , he has only a few hundred hours on a test set and they look great , but time will tell

 

[mclarenusa.com]

Hi wvtrees,
Thank you for showing interest in our NextGen TDF tracks. I just wanted to let you know that these tracks have peaked the interest of few OEMs (which I cannot name because of confidentiality issues) and are currently testing them for us as we speak. Be sure to ask your rep about our "10 Day Competitor's Challenge" too.
www.mclarenusa.com
Regards,

 

[Fishfiles]

Hi wvtrees,
Thank you for showing interest in our NextGen TDF tracks. I just wanted to let you know that these tracks have peaked the interest of few OEMs (which I cannot name because of confidentiality issues) and are currently testing them for us as we speak. Be sure to ask your rep about our "10 Day Competitor's Challenge" too.
www.mclarenusa.com
Regards,

Thrusday I put a set of new tracks on a T300 , here are some numbers that I had compiled while doing so , a new set of tracks from the dealer were $2,057 each , plus 8.75% tax , thats $4,473.97 per set , the guy wanted something cheaper if possible , there were two choices down here that were in stock as he split one and needed it right now , Solideal had some BBE threads for $1,250 per track which came to $2,718.75 with a one year warranty , there were a set of the Korean tracks available which I have already forgot the name of for $1,000 per track which would have been $2,175 and they said 1 year warranty , I think they called them Tyre , but I had seen so much trouble with the Korean tracks that I suggested he didn't mess with them , seen one set last 100 hours , took a week and a half to get the replacement for them and they lasted 300 hours ----he wanted the Solideals as they agreed to delivered them for free an hour out of New Orelans to Shell Beach , LA. , time will tell again how long they will last as I marked the rear inside door with the hours , the original tracks had lasted 1,033 hours , which seems about average to me , so that works out to $4.33 per hour on the meter , how long will they last ---alot depends on the type of surfaces worked on , the operators style of turning and his methods of operating the machine and the luck of the draw as far as road hazzards go , who knows , stay tuned and time will tell , even at $1,755.22 more per set for OEM over the Solideals , I still think the OEM is the way to go

 

[BOBCATZZ]

Thrusday I put a set of new tracks on a T300 , here are some numbers that I had compiled while doing so , a new set of tracks from the dealer were $2,057 each , plus 8.75% tax , thats $4,473.97 per set , the guy wanted something cheaper if possible , there were two choices down here that were in stock as he split one and needed it right now , Solideal had some BBE threads for $1,250 per track which came to $2,718.75 with a one year warranty , there were a set of the Korean tracks available which I have already forgot the name of for $1,000 per track which would have been $2,175 and they said 1 year warranty , I think they called them Tyre , but I had seen so much trouble with the Korean tracks that I suggested he didn't mess with them , seen one set last 100 hours , took a week and a half to get the replacement for them and they lasted 300 hours ----he wanted the Solideals as they agreed to delivered them for free an hour out of New Orelans to Shell Beach , LA. , time will tell again how long they will last as I marked the rear inside door with the hours , the original tracks had lasted 1,033 hours , which seems about average to me , so that works out to $4.33 per hour on the meter , how long will they last ---alot depends on the type of surfaces worked on , the operators style of turning and his methods of operating the machine and the luck of the draw as far as road hazzards go , who knows , stay tuned and time will tell , even at $1,755.22 more per set for OEM over the Solideals , I still think the OEM is the way to go

Hey lads just want to add to your debate .I have replaced my original Takeuchi TL150 tracks with the solid deal brand and i am extremily happy so far .When i purchased from the dealer it was showing 1004 hrs and the tracks lasted 12 hours so that makes 1018 when the failded. Iwas told by the dealer that it was on its second set of tracks which i cant say i belive for a second. With the solideals installed i have put approx 900 hrs on them and they are still holding to gether loosing some tread but considering the conditions its used in (gravel,recycled concrete,shaley and stony ) pretty much industrial construction conditions i am more than happy. Also the actual track thickness is alot more than OEM.

 

[Fishfiles]

Hey lads just want to add to your debate .I have replaced my original Takeuchi TL150 tracks with the solid deal brand and i am extremily happy so far .When i purchased from the dealer it was showing 1004 hrs and the tracks lasted 12 hours so that makes 1018 when the failded. Iwas told by the dealer that it was on its second set of tracks which i cant say i belive for a second. With the solideals installed i have put approx 900 hrs on them and they are still holding to gether loosing some tread but considering the conditions its used in (gravel,recycled concrete,shaley and stony ) pretty much industrial construction conditions i am more than happy. Also the actual track thickness is alot more than OEM.

I started a mini quest to really try and find out what goes on in the world of rubber tracks and was pretty amazed at my findings so far , MY thero-lization from what I have found is sopposively there are only 3 rubber track plants in the world that produce rubber tracks , 2 in Korea and 1 in China , there was 1 in Shralanka but it was moved to Korea last year , there are none made in the USA , and some of the alledged track distributors have their names stamp into the track so it appears to be their product , so there are tracks out there with different names on them but are the same , from what I understand if you got the money and buy a container full ( which is 100 sets of T300 tracks for ex.) of any one size you can have your girl friend or wifes' name stamped into them , there are alot of tracks out there that have no name on them , and a T300 track cost about $300 US dollars to produce ,by the time they hit the USA they wholesale about $750-800 , I have seen the words European technologies and think only the engineers are in Europe and the plants are in the Far East where labor cost are minimal ------so it has me re-evalutaing my ASSumptions of different tracks , I now think alot of bad tracks that I have seen may come from the same plant as some of the good ones and the bad ones were the results of some bad batches or experiments that went wrong --------alot of this may be wrong as it is all hear / say but from good sources , any one with a piece of the puzzle please step in , I wanna know

 

[rock]

I started a mini quest to really try and find out what goes on in the world of rubber tracks and was pretty amazed at my findings so far , MY thero-lization from what I have found is sopposively there are only 3 rubber track plants in the world that produce rubber tracks , 2 in Korea and 1 in China , there was 1 in Shralanka but it was moved to Korea last year , there are none made in the USA , and some of the alledged track distributors have their names stamp into the track so it appears to be their product , so there are tracks out there with different names on them but are the same , from what I understand if you got the money and buy a container full ( which is 100 sets of T300 tracks for ex.) of any one size you can have your girl friend or wifes' name stamped into them , there are alot of tracks out there that have no name on them , and a T300 track cost about $300 US dollars to produce ,by the time they hit the USA they wholesale about $750-800 , I have seen the words European technologies and think only the engineers are in Europe and the plants are in the Far East where labor cost are minimal ------so it has me re-evalutaing my ASSumptions of different tracks , I now think alot of bad tracks that I have seen may come from the same plant as some of the good ones and the bad ones were the results of some bad batches or experiments that went wrong --------alot of this may be wrong as it is all hear / say but from good sources , any one with a piece of the puzzle please step in , I wanna know

There are plenty of bad track out there and few good ones. I go only with reputable company names -- it's easy to spot the good ones, because the rest are mom-and-pa garage re-sellers with 2-3 people operations that can provide no after-sale support and have zero control over the quality of the products they sell. Paying few extra bucks for a better product buying only from the OEM or the track or tire manufacturer has saved me tons of money and headaches. I think good brands are Bridgestone, McLaren and sometimes Solideal (I did have a problem with their rubber tracks few years ago, but now seems they are getting better). I think the last is the Sri Lanka company you mentioned, Bridgestone is in China and Poland, and McLaren designs in California and makes them in Thai. I look for companies that come with new and improved products, because obviously they care about their customers and quality and are not pure copycats. I don't buy Chinese tracks or tires -- there is a reason they are so cheap, and it's not just the labor cost, it's what you put inside the product, too.

 

[Fishfiles]

There are plenty of bad track out there and few good ones. I go only with reputable company names -- it's easy to spot the good ones, because the rest are mom-and-pa garage re-sellers with 2-3 people operations that can provide no after-sale support and have zero control over the quality of the products they sell. Paying few extra bucks for a better product buying only from the OEM or the track or tire manufacturer has saved me tons of money and headaches. I think good brands are Bridgestone, McLaren and sometimes Solideal (I did have a problem with their rubber tracks few years ago, but now seems they are getting better). I think the last is the Sri Lanka company you mentioned, Bridgestone is in China and Poland, and McLaren designs in California and makes them in Thai. I look for companies that come with new and improved products, because obviously they care about their customers and quality and are not pure copycats. I don't buy Chinese tracks or tires -- there is a reason they are so cheap, and it's not just the labor cost, it's what you put inside the product, too.

Some of what I believe I have learned so far is that Bridgestone , who makes 90% of the OEM tracks and was the pioneer of the rubber track industry ,and is the only company that builds their own tracks , all other tracks come out of two companies , one in Korea and the other in China , and the same tracks are stamped with different name on them , as far as whats in them there are two types of track build ups , continous coiled wire and overlapped , continous is more expensive because a mold needs to be made for each track size , on the over lay one mold can have a section added to it to make a bunch of sizes , the continuos coil is the better track from what I have learned , the different thread patterns can be added to a large order to make them unique with your companies logo on them but underneath the threads they are all the same , I really don't think any of the " track sellers " have any contoll over the quality of "thier ! " products except for Bridgestone , the book report is coming along , so much information to digest

 

[wvtrees]

Some of what I believe I have learned so far is that Bridgestone , who makes 90% of the OEM tracks and was the pioneer of the rubber track industry ,and is the only company that builds their own tracks , all other tracks come out of two companies , one in Korea and the other in China , and the same tracks are stamped with different name on them , as far as whats in them there are two types of track build ups , continous coiled wire and overlapped , continous is more expensive because a mold needs to be made for each track size , on the over lay one mold can have a section added to it to make a bunch of sizes , the continuos coil is the better track from what I have learned , the different thread patterns can be added to a large order to make them unique with your companies logo on them but underneath the threads they are all the same , I really don't think any of the " track sellers " have any contoll over the quality of "thier ! " products except for Bridgestone , the book report is coming along , so much information to digest

Fishfiles, I've been away for a bit. These are my original tracks and have had excellent tread life but just the cracking and edge chunks have made me look for replacements now. Money is the deciding factor but with the life I had out of the original set, it might pay to stick w/ OEM. I have looked at others but still come back to McLaren tracks and have contacted Gaberdeen for the sprockets and idlers. Again price make the mind & pocket happy but in the end, is that good for performance.

 

[Fishfiles]

Fishfiles, I've been away for a bit. These are my original tracks and have had excellent tread life but just the cracking and edge chunks have made me look for replacements now. Money is the deciding factor but with the life I had out of the original set, it might pay to stick w/ OEM. I have looked at others but still come back to McLaren tracks and have contacted Gaberdeen for the sprockets and idlers. Again price make the mind & pocket happy but in the end, is that good for performance.

You really need to stay away from Gaberdeens idlers and rollers ,maybe they got a new batch by now , but failure was pushing 100% on the last ones I installed

 

[Fishfiles]

You really need to stay away from Gaberdeens idlers and rollers ,maybe they got a new batch by now , but failure was pushing 100% on the last ones I installed

Here are some number to crunch , changed a set of OEM Bridgestone tracks on a T300 this week and at 580 hours of demo work and they were shot , the bitch is the machine is still within it's 1 year /1000hour warranty , but tracks wear out is not covered , one broke in half , the other had cords sticking out like a porcupine , the new replacement from Bobcat price of $4,400 plus , divided by hours sets the cost of use right at $8.00 per hour of use , put some Solideal swagger pattern on there that they got for a good price I think , at $2,100 per set , if they get 580 hours again , it will drop to less than $4.00 per hour , wrote the hours and date inside the rear door , time will tell , I really wanted them to get the newer style offset pattern that matches the OEM track , but they were on a boat from over seas and not yet to the shore here , when I asked the price of the next shipment , I was told " the price can't be set till they land on shore " , I think the price of tracks is going up

 

[Jeffscarstrucks]

Here are some number to crunch , changed a set of OEM Bridgestone tracks on a T300 this week and at 580 hours of demo work and they were shot , the bitch is the machine is still within it's 1 year /1000hour warranty , but tracks wear out is not covered , one broke in half , the other had cords sticking out like a porcupine , the new replacement from Bobcat price of $4,400 plus , divided by hours sets the cost of use right at $8.00 per hour of use , put some Solideal swagger pattern on there that they got for a good price I think , at $2,100 per set , if they get 580 hours again , it will drop to less than $4.00 per hour , wrote the hours and date inside the rear door , time will tell , I really wanted them to get the newer style offset pattern that matches the OEM track , but they were on a boat from over seas and not yet to the shore here , when I asked the price of the next shipment , I was told " the price can't be set till they land on shore " , I think the price of tracks is going up

I have an older ASV with good tracks but this discussion makes me wonder about their suppliers. I know that Cat has tied up the aftermarket track supply for ASV units but I am still interested in what you all know and think.Thanks, Jeff

 

[Fishfiles]

I have an older ASV with good tracks but this discussion makes me wonder about their suppliers. I know that Cat has tied up the aftermarket track supply for ASV units but I am still interested in what you all know and think.Thanks, Jeff

I keep hearing the aftermarket asv/cat track are coming soon

 

[bobcat_ron]

I keep hearing the aftermarket asv/cat track are coming soon

DRB will be selling their tracks to the ASV/CAT MTL market through Bair Products, their tracks have already been used on some of the older B series large frame Cat MTL's. They are thicker rubber and more aggressive in tread pattern.
There is also a track dealer in Auzzieland that sells a track with a diamond pattern on the drive lugs where the roller and idlers ride on, the theory is that the ride is 75% smoother with no vibrations, but that track is meant for the mini excavators, no word of CTL production.
I know of a member on Lawnsite.com that bought a pair of Mclaren NextGen tracks for his T190 and he was pissed off that they wore down faster than the OEM tracks, so buyer beware.

 

[mclarenusa.com]

DRB will be selling their tracks to the ASV/CAT MTL market through Bair Products, their tracks have already been used on some of the older B series large frame Cat MTL's. They are thicker rubber and more aggressive in tread pattern.
There is also a track dealer in Auzzieland that sells a track with a diamond pattern on the drive lugs where the roller and idlers ride on, the theory is that the ride is 75% smoother with no vibrations, but that track is meant for the mini excavators, no word of CTL production.
I know of a member on Lawnsite.com that bought a pair of Mclaren NextGen tracks for his T190 and he was pissed off that they wore down faster than the OEM tracks, so buyer beware.

Hello bobcat_ron,
I believe I know of the member on Lawnsite.com you are referring to. We had began speaking offline since we found his posts. We had an opportunity to look into the situation closely and it looks to be an isolated issue with his T190 tracks. McLaren rubber tracks have a very low defect rate, especially our TDF series, however premature failure can happen from time to time. I am very happy to report, however, that he will continue to do business with McLaren.

 

[bobcat_ron]

Hello bobcat_ron,
I believe I know of the member on Lawnsite.com you are referring to. We had began speaking offline since we found his posts. We had an opportunity to look into the situation closely and it looks to be an isolated issue with his T190 tracks. McLaren rubber tracks have a very low defect rate, especially our TDF series, however premature failure can happen from time to time. I am very happy to report, however, that he will continue to do business with McLaren.

So what really happened then?

 

[mclarenusa.com]

So what really happened then?

bobcat_ron,
Neither of the tracks we inspected were broken. One of them, however, has a serious cut exposing some steel cores on the inside portion of the track. This may have caused a pitch problem which is why he could not use the track any longer. It was very difficult to determine if this was a defect or not, but we presented him with a fair solution.
It's also worth noting that these two tracks were made over 18 months ago, and since then we have made substantial design and compound improvements. Our new NextGen TDF tracks are several steps above the standard NextGen tracks we offer as the TDFs are speciafically designed track loaders operating in very harsh working conditions.
Hope this helps.

 

[Rubbertrax2]

DRB will be selling their tracks to the ASV/CAT MTL market through Bair Products, their tracks have already been used on some of the older B series large frame Cat MTL's. They are thicker rubber and more aggressive in tread pattern.
There is also a track dealer in Auzzieland that sells a track with a diamond pattern on the drive lugs where the roller and idlers ride on, the theory is that the ride is 75% smoother with no vibrations, but that track is meant for the mini excavators, no word of CTL production.
I know of a member on Lawnsite.com that bought a pair of Mclaren NextGen tracks for his T190 and he was pissed off that they wore down faster than the OEM tracks, so buyer beware.

I am proud to report that we have the aftermarket ASV tracks in stock and ready to ship. CAT 257,267,287.... RC30 tracks will be available soon. As to report on Fishfiles comment on our parts, we did have a bad run of parts in the past, but feel like we made ammends to all customers who had these problems. We currently have had no problems with our new parts.

 

[bobcat_ron]

I am proud to report that we have the aftermarket ASV tracks in stock and ready to ship. CAT 257,267,287.... RC30 tracks will be available soon. As to report on Fishfiles comment on our parts, we did have a bad run of parts in the past, but feel like we made ammends to all customers who had these problems. We currently have had no problems with our new parts.

And these tracks are a direct replacement?

What about the rubber compounds, I'd sacrifice a harder rubber for longevity over a softer rubber with better traction on ice.