Loegering's new track system

[Bob Horrell]

For over a year now I have been toying with the idea of getting a track loader to replace my Bobcat S250. I do a lot of work on hills and in some areas where I work there are pretty sandy conditions. I have grouser tracks I have used on the hilly areas and they work great there but aren't that good in sand.
I have tried the ASV 80, ASV 100, CAT 287, and Bobcat T300 machines. The Bobcat has superior break out forces which is important to me in the land clearing portion of my business. I liked the CAT machine better but it was lacking in hydraulic power.
After trying all these machines I decided I would stick to my S250 and change to over the tire tracks that are designed to work better in sandy conditions. Then I found out about the Loegering ATS track system that is a complete suspended rubber track system that bolts on in place of the wheels and tires on a skid steer. It is relatively new (been under test for the last 2 years on numerous brands of skid steers). It is driven by the rear hubs only and the front hub is a suspended idler. They weigh about 1600lbs per side (all the weight is right down low to the ground) so machine stability is greatly improved. The factory says they have a Bobcat 863 with over 2,000 hrs. on these tracks with no problems. They also claim they work well with 2 speed systems which I have.
I am wondering if anyone on this site knows anyone who has used this system or has seen one on a job site. The factory said they would get me some names of people with experience with them I could talk to. I am interested because for a small business guy like me I can have the best of both worlds with just one machine (a regular wheeled skid steer and a track loader). They claim it takes less than an hour to change over between tires and tracks. They are pricey at around $15 to $16K but still a lot better than having two machines.
I would sure appreciate any input anyone might have.
Thanks

[deldirt]

The following may be helpful :

Cat bought 15% of ASV to aquire the track system. Cat skids now employ the asv system.

ASV recently bought Loergering. So this should be an advantage to any track system development.

I have read about the replacement system but have not seen it in action.

The ASV people were previous Polaris snowmobile employees. So, they should know trac drives.

I have a Case 1835 and an ASV 50. The 1835 seldom gets used.
I would not trade my 50 for 2 wheeled skids.

[P7M8]

A friend of mine had to put his LS180 in the shop and the dealer gave him an LS180 with the track system installed as a loaner. I'll ask him what he thinks or try it out myself. The dealer told my friend it would take two hours to change it over. It looked like a real pain to install. They looked well built and it made the machine look tough. 15K is kinda steep though.

[Bob Horrell]

I talked to a guy in Ohio who is using one on a Bobcat S300 and they like it a lot better than the dedicated track loader they have in their fleet. He said all his guys fight over who gets to use it.
I found out they have a block system that you can use when doing fine grading so the suspension doesn't interfere with a finish grade.
I have been thinking about the the install process and have purchased 4 car dollies (the ones that fit under the tires of a car so you can roll it around in a shop) and plan to use two per side and then block up the Bobcat to a height that allows me to just roll them up and bolt them on. I talked to a factory rep that has been going around to dealers and helping them with the first installations. He reports that he has done one in a little more than a half hour (with an assistant) using a hoist. With a forklift he says it is a little less than an hour. He also said that the factory is working on a install kit that is about the same as my idea with the dollies.
Let me know what you and your friend think of them.

[P7M8]

I talked to my friend after he got to use the tracks a bit. He said they were smooth and didn't tear up the ground very much. Overall, he liked them. The LS180 was underpowered with them though. Apparently the tracks eat up a lot of power. He said the machine with the tracks is slow. I didn't get a chance to try them.

[Cat420]

Originally posted by P7M8
I talked to my friend after he got to use the tracks a bit. He said they were smooth and didn't tear up the ground very much. Overall, he liked them. The LS180 was underpowered with them though. Apparently the tracks eat up a lot of power. He said the machine with the tracks is slow. I didn't get a chance to try them.

I guess the tracks over the tires would increase the overall diameter of the tire and equal a higher gearing at the wheels. It seems like this make little difference, unless the LS180 is underpowered to start with. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "slow".

[Bob Horrell]

I have used grouser over the tire tracks on my S250. They weigh about 1,000lbs and provide much more traction. I still had plenty of power and could spin them at two thirds throttle. I am assuming I will be OK power wise with the ATS system. It is pretty heavy at about 1,500lbs per side and with much better traction it is bound to rob some power. The guy with the S300 using them said it wasn't an issue.
I have driven the T300 and it had plenty of power and it would be very comparable to what I would have.

[P7M8]

Originally posted by Cat420
I guess the tracks over the tires would increase the overall diameter of the tire and equal a higher gearing at the wheels. It seems like this make little difference, unless the LS180 is underpowered to start with. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "slow".

These are not over the tire tracks. They replace the wheels. He thinks the LS180 is a bit underpowered to begin with. He actually prefers his old LX665. He says it doesn't bog down as much. As far as track machines, he insists Takeuchi is the best. I haven't seen anyone here mention them though.

[Bob Horrell]

When I was testing track loaders, I tried ASV, Bobcat, and CAT machines. I never tried the Takeuchi track machine. I have also heard from others that they are very good. They have been making them a long time, but you just don't see that many of them. For that matter, you don't see that many of any of the track machines here on the west coast.