Skid Steer Flotation Tires

Hi,

I would like to know if anyone has had experience with flotation tires on skid steer loaders. I have a contract to install sub-surface drainage in a city baseball field.

To minimise damage to the grass we will be using 24" x 1/2" thick conveyer belting to run the equipment on. We will be using a Bobcat S185 to move material. If anyone has used flotation tires before I would be interested to hear their opinion.

The only tires I have found are Galaxy Hippo (R4) and Mighty Mow (R3). If possible I’d like to install the widest tires that are practical, even if it means changing wheels or adding spacers.

I don't remember who makes it. I believe its bobcat. But there is a rubber over the tire track you can buy. Just like the steel ones, but its rubber so it doesn't tear up the ground. It does requires a special set of tires and rims to make them work. Toro also has a mini set of rubber tracks that goes on their dingo.

These are our sand tyres which minimise damage. You find them marketed out of asia as "Tanlia" or "Constellation" in 16.5 x 12". They may help, are cheap and last for ages (1000hrs or more in sand).

It doesn't matter what you run, but if you screw around you will mess up the turf, wether its tyres or tracks.

Good Luck

Have to checked with Surfwood supply to see if they have some used turf tires for a skid steer. The conveyor belting will work but its heavy to deal with and its slippery when it gets wet and surprising enough tires on conveyor belting is really slippery.

You might want to consider using plywood I would probably see if places like Jacks demolishion has used plywood if not head off too Home Depot or Curtis Lumber.

I don't think you will eliminate damage to the grass.

I think you will need to look at whether you need these tires for anything other than this project. It can be a lot of money to fork out for a one time need. Where you may be better off renting something for this one particular project (like a track unit). Plywood might help and be better for the protection of the grass than the belt but if you plan to do any turning, it will take some serious anchoring to hold them together for any length of time. Perhaps it would be cheaper to re sod/seed if the timing of the project allows or maybe renting a vibratory roller either for the skid loader or by itself may fix any problems with the ruts. If you think there is a need for the tires other than this project then my vote is on the Galaxy Bulky Hulks. We are on our second set on our second machine and both sets will have had over 1500 hrs on them before needing replaced. This is concrete removal/grading application and mostly turning on paving. If you look back further in the archives of this web site there are a few threads on this matter. GOOD LUCK.

I was thinking on similar lines as mert and wondering if there might be a more productive and profitable option. New tires and moving belting or plywood around will quickly add to the cost of the project. It might be a better idea to rent a compact wheel loader. If I was to guess, I'd say your ground pressure is similiar and you won't tear things up when turning. You'd have to play with the numbers and see what option pencils out better for you. Tearing things up and replacing the sod might actually be an even better idea as mert suggested.

This poster is in a city which is in the Lower Mainland on the southern corner of B.C. .

The ground under that field would be pretty soft as Richmond is pretty much sitting on mush its low lands. You have a earth quake the whole city would dissapear :lmao

If I was doing the job I prolly would use a mini excavator to dig the trenches it will do less damage than a skid steer churning up the surface. Then use a 1 ton or F-450 sized dump truck to haul away the excess material and haul in the bedding sand.

The job is in Port Coquitlam, I have done work at Camren Park across the street and the soil is Glacial till in this area. On most residential jobs I would use Plywood, on this job 2 of the trenches are 400' long down the centre of the field. With that much plywood someone would steal it during the night or weekend (I have had people ram gates with a hiab truck to steal material. Three residents phoned police immediately, they arrived 45 minutes after the truck was gone) so plywood is not an option in a park.

Using a 1 Ton dump like Ford LT-9000 recommended is something I haven't considered, if you know someone with a truck available please email me the details.

We will be using a Bobcat 334 for the trenching, 95% of the job is strait line trenching. The longest trench is 400' from the access road, we will need to remove the excess trench material and bring in 3/4" clear crush for bedding and river sand for cover on the pipe.

The reason of using belting is not intended to eliminate all turf damage. I priced this job to include all landscape remediation; if I can reduce the damage to the grass this will increase my profit margin on these types of jobs. With most landscape renovation contracts the contractor is required to return the grass to original or better conditions.

On the Galaxy tire site they claim "at recommended air pressures, the “Hippo II†provides 85% more footprint area than the l0 x l6.5 or 12 x l6.5 tires they are replacing." If this is true than the increase in footprint area should have some effect on reducing the ground pressure of the machine.

My S185 came with 10x16.5 tires. I was thinking if it had 12x16.5 rims with extra wide flotation/turf tread the ground pressure would be considerably lower than a standard machine.

I forgot about thievery ya you prolly don't want to leave plywood laying around or it will be gone.

The one thing to think about is it going to be profitable to buy turf tires for the skid steer its prolly going to cost atleast 1000 dollars or more.

As for a 1 ton dump I'am not sure who would have one as I don't live in the lowermainland area.

I went to the Galaxy website you should maybe look into the Mighty Mow they are a turf tire I think it will do less damage than the rest.

I was on a job this past summer installing 800 feet of 8" culvert around a baseball/soccer field. A crew from Ohio came in & began installing drain lines in the outfield. They used a John Deere farm tractor with HUGE flotation tires & a trencher on the back. Hooked to the trencher was a conveyer belt which shot the material out from the tractor approximately 6 feet. They then used a John Deere gator & a toro version of a gator to shuttle the material to the parking lot. It was so effective, it was harf to tell where they had been. Sometimes, the gators carried material back with them to backfill the ditch. If the above setup is not possible, you may try renting a gator or a Kawasaki Mule type machine to dump into. These machines do not hold much, but the ones with a power dump bed can move so quick with very little damage to the ground it would be worth the rental.

I decided to buy solideal rubber tracks instead if the flotation tires. The tracks were about the same cost as the tires and rims.

We have had rain non-stop for the last month and the field is like a swamp. The pictures are from the day after we started the job.

Are you getting the desired results from the tracks?

I am impressed how well these tracks work. Instillation took 20 minutes per side, they are much easier to put on compared to the steel tracks I had on my last skid steer. The S185 will go through mud and not sink as much as my 334 with rubber tracks.

Oh the fun and joy of our non stop rain here in the lower corner of B.C. .

When its wet that blue pipe is slippery then trying to get the rubber gasket to seat in the bell end of the next pipe.

Well it looks like its fairly easy digging and you haven't found any dead bodies yet you are working in Willy Pickton city :bouncegri

You probably made the better move going with the tracks over tires atleast the tracks can be used on other jobs.

Squizzy246B said:

These are our sand tyres which minimise damage. You find them marketed out of asia as "Tanlia" or "Constellation" in 16.5 x 12". They may help, are cheap and last for ages (1000hrs or more in sand).

It doesn't matter what you run, but if you screw around you will mess up the turf, wether its tyres or tracks.

Good Luck

Click to expand...

Where did you buy tires like this?

FHC said:

Where did you buy tires like this?

Click to expand...

If you look at the posts, this thread is from 2005 and 2006. If you click on squizzy246b's profile, he hasn't been on here since 2013. I don't think he's going to respond.

You may have better luck starting your own thread with what you are looking for. Just start one titled "looking for sand tires XX size for skid loader " or similar

Will do, thanks.

I appreciate that