Thinking about putting some Tracks-plus brand steel tracks with spacers on my pneumatic wheeled Bobcat 773 turbo. New engine, original hydraulic pump. 1800 hours on machine. Does anyone know what kind if any power loss I might see? Tracks plus spacers weigh about 500lbs. Thanks.
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brdgbldr
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I had Grouser over the tire steel tracks on my Bobcat 742B and did not notice any power decrease. I also put them over solid tires, which is a no-no, but they still worked ok. They weighed about 900 lbs a piece (1800 lbs total) so they really lowered the center of gravity which was real nice working on slopes. They did however act like ice skates in the winter.
reaperman
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We used to use them when they first came out in the mid 90's on our 773's. They work good without much power loss. You will get greater traction so the engine isn't necessarily working harder to do so. I'm curious why your engine failed at only 1800 hrs, the 2203 is a good little power plant.
brdgbldr
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I was a bridge construction inspector for several years. I am now retired and thus have time for this forum.
I've had steel OTT tracks on my JD325 since I bought it in 2008. I haven't noticed any power loss but traction has been more of a power determinant than anything else.
However, I had side wall problems where broken rock pieces get between the sidewall and the side of the tracks. One or two tires ripped up every 100 or 200 hours . last time I replaced tires I decided to leave the tracks off. It looks I'm going to wear the tread off of these tires instead of the sidewalls.
YMMV
However, I had side wall problems where broken rock pieces get between the sidewall and the side of the tracks. One or two tires ripped up every 100 or 200 hours . last time I replaced tires I decided to leave the tracks off. It looks I'm going to wear the tread off of these tires instead of the sidewalls.
YMMV
Please check out the link below. I've run these on my 743B and I can argue it's hard to get stuck. I can go up a slick hill in a rain storm.
tractiontracks.com
Home - Traction Tracks
TractionTracks is a family-owned, Internet-based business providing high quality grade over tire chains and equipment mirrors at reasonable prices.
tractiontracks.com
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I ran a set of Grouser tracks on my 863 and there was no power loss. I was digging & pushing heavy clay. What I did notice was that I got a lot more actual work done. The machine handled like a bulldozer then & while digging I could actually get an overfull bucket every swipe. It was much easier to get an even plane of cut also. You have to be cautious when turning because with the Grousers you have no slippage in the turn, which I believe could be very hard on the drive chains. I only keep them on for the job at hand but I would never sell them.
I put Grouser OTT on a New Holland L160 shortly after we purchased it in 2013. Our land is very hilly and running only tires would frequently just spin on the grass or dirt. I don't think they cause any power loss. OTT do add weight down low to help with stability on the hills. They also add a little bit of protection to the tires from punctures from branches/stumps. We mainly use it for work with trees such as piling logs and branches. Occasionally small branches will get stuck in the open slots on the tracks, so need to keep an eye out to watch for that.
We leave them on all the time as they are heavy and kinda a pain to put on. When installing it works bests to deflate the tires about 50% to get the connecting bolts in, then fill the tires again.
We never drive on hard surfaces or lawns, as OTT will scratch or tear up the surface pretty good. It is stored in a garage with concrete floor, so we put down rubber mats used in horse stalls to protect the garage floor.
The only complaint I have with the Grousers is that they have a very noisy, high pitch squeak, when in dry conditions. When running in mud, snow, etc they are quiet. I have to wear hearing protection(good thing to do anyway) to filter out the squeak when operating. I tried oiling the track bushings and bolts, but it doesn't keep it quiet very long. We had Loegering OTT on our previous Lahman skid steer and those tracks were much quieter, but the skid steer was also about 1/2 the size of the L160 so a lot less track.
Here is a video of our skid steer with Grouser OTT
We leave them on all the time as they are heavy and kinda a pain to put on. When installing it works bests to deflate the tires about 50% to get the connecting bolts in, then fill the tires again.
We never drive on hard surfaces or lawns, as OTT will scratch or tear up the surface pretty good. It is stored in a garage with concrete floor, so we put down rubber mats used in horse stalls to protect the garage floor.
The only complaint I have with the Grousers is that they have a very noisy, high pitch squeak, when in dry conditions. When running in mud, snow, etc they are quiet. I have to wear hearing protection(good thing to do anyway) to filter out the squeak when operating. I tried oiling the track bushings and bolts, but it doesn't keep it quiet very long. We had Loegering OTT on our previous Lahman skid steer and those tracks were much quieter, but the skid steer was also about 1/2 the size of the L160 so a lot less track.
Here is a video of our skid steer with Grouser OTT
I have similar ones for my NH LX565. I live in sand country. I found them somewhat useful here and definitely dug less holes with the tires, but after installing a cement driveway, I quit using them. They are a pain-in-the-ass to install. My son had a place that was all clay. They were invaluable there in wet weather. I definitely can relate to the ice skating. Now they sit in the back of the shed. I can say that I never got stuck under any conditions with them.
Flip57
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I have metal tracks on my 863. I live in an area with a lot of clay. I could not use the machine if it rained even a little and actually went sliding sideways down a dirt driveway with very little slope to it. They really improved the performance and have never got stuck in soft wet soil like I have without them. Best investment in an attachment I've made. As mentioned above, they tear up the ground if you try to turn too tightly and they are hard on concrete. If a tire goes flat and breaks the bead then the track must be removed to re-seat. I can remove them in 20 minutes and have them back on in about an hour.
Daveb68
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I didn't see any and mine were a lot heavier. I would look into the tracks that have the rubber treads and really wrap around the tires. They are probably more money but worth it. Your just going to want to stay of the asphalt as much as possible or if you are on asphalt don't turn to quickly.
I bought the Grouser metal over the tire tracks and they've been pretty good to me but the bolts wear out after a few years and you can start to loose your treads so watch out for that. Rebuild them as you go or put a small welding bead over the bolts so you don't loose them. You may not need spacers but if you do I may have a set I'd sell you for around $100.00 if your interested.
they also tell you to take the spacers off when your not using the tracks so your axles don't flex. Pain in the ass but I don't think it's true because I never did and never had a problem. Definitely make sure you need the spacers.
I put tracks plus spacers on my NH565lx. I did not notice any power loss.
Same here... I didn't notice any power loss. We have McLaren over tires steel tracks and I love them. There are dozens of jobs we could have not done without them. It wasn't easy to put them on the first time because they needed some initial adjustment to fit the wheel base of the loader, but after that it got much easier. Now it takes about 20 min to put them on (with two people) and about 5 min to take them off. I think the tracks are a great addition if you work in slippery conditions as we often do. And, yes, they stabilize the machine big time by bringing the center of gravity down.
I have the same set up. How do you like your 6675? I have had mine a few weeks. I have left the tracks on it for most of the time. So far no major issues but a few quirks with the machine. I was hoping there would be more activity here on that model. It seems to be a bit hard to find an info, manuals, parts sources.
