T200 Chaning Tracks

[lesgawlik]

Here's my situation. My T200 has tracks that are functional for dirt, but worn. I use it for dirt work I'm doing around the house. I have seeded some of the dirt, and the project is, in some areas, nearing completion. I would like to also use my machine for pushing snow on my steep driveway. The tracks do not do well in that area. I have my eye on the Polar Tracks which are specifically made for snow and mud. I think they would destroy any grass, though. My maneuvering area is not all that big, and some turning can't be avoided. I have a little experience with the tracks. I let one get a little loose, and the machine threw a track in a very inconvenient spot. I went through the process of removing the grease and easing it back on with a pry bar. I have been thinking about keeping the worn tracks for use with over sod and grass. I have a smaller skid steer with forks I could use to help maneuver the tracks. I watched some videos on track replacement, and one showed the use of a small block of wood wedged in between the sprocket and the track to help ease the idler forward. The grease fitting was opened, the wood inserted and the machine run in reverse slowly. That seem less likely to do damage than a pry bar. The hardest part for me would be safely jacking the machine up. I don't have jacks capable of lifting that sort of weight. I know I can use the machine for the front, and support it with railroad ties. Does it make sense to swap out tracks like this? It doesn't seem to be a terribly complicated process. What am I missing?

 

[Bobcatdan]

My two cents, use your wheeled skidsteer for pulling snow. This is the one place track machines are terrible. This is comming from a guy who normally gets stuck plowing with a track machine. Doing the loading dock is almost impossible. I have know idea how well "snow" tracks work, but I imainge a wheel machine will still out perform them, more so once the track wears. As to changing them, two sets of 3 ton jackstands will hold a T200 fine. You only want the machine high enough the track will come pass the rollers. When I change them, I remove both covers. Loosen the zerk and take a long pry bar threw the front access plate and pry it back. It has to go all the way back. Once you do that, most of the time I can pry worn tracks off with out staring the machine. Once you get good, you can have a side off in 10 minutes.

 

[lesgawlik]

My two cents, use your wheeled skidsteer for pulling snow. This is the one place track machines are terrible. This is comming from a guy who normally gets stuck plowing with a track machine. Doing the loading dock is almost impossible. I have know idea how well "snow" tracks work, but I imainge a wheel machine will still out perform them, more so once the track wears. As to changing them, two sets of 3 ton jackstands will hold a T200 fine. You only want the machine high enough the track will come pass the rollers. When I change them, I remove both covers. Loosen the zerk and take a long pry bar threw the front access plate and pry it back. It has to go all the way back. Once you do that, most of the time I can pry worn tracks off with out staring the machine. Once you get good, you can have a side off in 10 minutes.

I hear you. I have a blade for the little one, and it does okay. The driveway is so steep and banked in the wrong direction that nothing works very well. I've come spinning down it in the T200 and the Case 1816. Where I live it hovers around freezing, so there's always ice. Maybe I just get some of those tungsten studs for the wheeled machine. Have you ever seen anyone use a block of wood to loosen the idler? I watched a guy get a track off of a little excavator that way. I thought it was pretty slick.

 

[Bobcatdan]

I hear you. I have a blade for the little one, and it does okay. The driveway is so steep and banked in the wrong direction that nothing works very well. I've come spinning down it in the T200 and the Case 1816. Where I live it hovers around freezing, so there's always ice. Maybe I just get some of those tungsten studs for the wheeled machine. Have you ever seen anyone use a block of wood to loosen the idler? I watched a guy get a track off of a little excavator that way. I thought it was pretty slick.

I use round stock big enough to fit into the drive lugs of the track when the track is tighter and run it around the front idler when I have to force the tracks off. I do this after I have the tensionor retacted all the way. You want the tensionor bottomed out, it is so much easier. I didn;t always make a point in my youger dumber days. Try chains on the back of your wheeled machine.