Steel Tracks on T300!!??

Coastal · Mar 27, 2008

Ok it may sound crazy...but maybe not that crazy. I think im going to try it when my rubber tracks fall in half soon. A friend of mine who is a excavator/attachment building guru had a look at the t300 and figures with a bit of machining on the idlers he could fit a 75 sized excavator track on it.

I would get rubber pads on it so i dont have to worry about driveways and roads, but after running steel tracks and pads on all my mini excavators, its hard to waste more money on fragile rubber tracks. I just love the steel tracks!

The ride in the t300 already sucks, but now i wont have to worry about it i can aim for those nails/rocks/various sharp things at a jobsite....

ASPHALT04 · Mar 27, 2008

What kind of weight will that add to the machine?

Coastal · Mar 27, 2008

I would guess a 1000 lbs -2000lbs?? maybe? not sure really.

ASPHALT04 · Mar 27, 2008

Reason I asked is, doesn't it take a little away from the mobility of hauling it behind a normal pick-up? T300 is close to 10,000lbs anyways is it not?

Coastal · Mar 27, 2008

I suppose it would, but I haul it on a roll off truck, so weight isnt really much of an issue until I get to 16-17000 pounds.

alco · Mar 27, 2008

So maybe I'm off base here, but running something like steel tracks is also going to require you to change out all of the other undercarriage parts like rollers and idlers, isn't it? I would think it would pound the ones that fit with the rubber track to bits in no time....if they will even work with the steel. Maybe you were planning on changing them too, I'm not sure.

Another thought I had was how long are steel tracks that are typically used in low speed service going to hold up under the higher speeds something like a skid steer is going to subject them to?

Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea. I'm just curious to see what other think about those couple things. There was another thought too, but it's gone for now.........and I can't even blame it on my age. I'm still to young to start losing my memory right?....who are you again?

Brian

bobcat ron · Mar 27, 2008

Get ready to dish out some major repairs in rollers and drive motors, steel adds a tremendous amount of vibrations and shock loading to any rotating part. I seriously would not so it.

Coastal · Mar 27, 2008

lol im only 30 and cant remember what i did yesterday...

The idlers get machined to fit the steel tracks, my guy said the sprocket should fit. I hear ya about the higher speed skidsteer thing, but I still doubt its going to wear out faster than rubber tracks.

It will be an interesting project none the less!

bobcat ron · Mar 27, 2008

You'll need to weld on bear paws on the front to keep the tracks from de-railing when in reverse.

Coastal · Mar 27, 2008

I wonder how the extra rotating mass would effect track power??

CascadeScaper · Mar 28, 2008

Since the T300 isn't terribly overpowered as-is, I wouldn't do it for the simple fact that it will be a real dog with all that extra weight on it. Let alone the added maintenance and wear on the system components, seriously not worth it. I would go this route if you need more traction http://www.skidsteersolutions.com/Trak_Bites_Traction_Device_s/186.htm

RT Engineering · Mar 28, 2008

I'd go for it. But see if you can get the supplier to take back the steel tracks if it doesn't work.

The only thing I did not like about my Gehl CTL80 (Takeuchi TL150) was the rubber tracks. At about 980 hours it started pulling the cross bars out of the tracks. This has never happened to my steel track machines.

If there was a steel track available for the machines I would buy one again, but for now I will stay with the JD605.

RT

bonanno23 · Mar 28, 2008

metal tracks with rubber mats will not turn well at all on the rd. I have a few Xs with that set up and thet turn like crap on the rd unless there is a little sand or dirt on the surface.

ASPHALT04 · Mar 28, 2008

I wonder just how noisy metal tracks would get at higher speed with turning and all? I know that tracking a hoe is not always the quietest operation even at low speed.

bobcat ron · Mar 28, 2008

RT Engineering said:
I'd go for it. But see if you can get the supplier to take back the steel tracks if it doesn't work.

The only thing I did not like about my Gehl CTL80 (Takeuchi TL150) was the rubber tracks. At about 980 hours it started pulling the cross bars out of the tracks. This has never happened to my steel track machines.

If there was a steel track available for the machines I would buy one again, but for now I will stay with the JD605.

RT

980 hours is normal for any rubber track on any CTL, it happened (almost) on my previous T190, as the rollers ride and wear out the rubber, that's what holds the bars in. Look for a track that has the inner cables spot welded to the cross lugs, that will give more life to the tracks.

bobcat ron · Mar 28, 2008

Coastal said:
I wonder how the extra rotating mass would effect track power??

There is a company that is linked from Lawnsite that did a one-off-custom Cat 287B with steel tracks on a Berco U/C, but it was only for brush cutting applications with a Cat 130 HP engine, but after the conversion, it weighed in at close to 12,000 lbs.

CascadeScaper · Mar 28, 2008

bobcat ron said:
There is a company that is linked from Lawnsite that did a one-off-custom Cat 287B with steel tracks on a Berco U/C, but it was only for brush cutting applications with a Cat 130 HP engine, but after the conversion, it weighed in at close to 12,000 lbs.

SuperTrak is who you're thinking of. That 287 is a BEAST.

ASPHALT04 · Mar 28, 2008

Here is the Supertrak link: http://www.supertrak.com/?source=bdc
It's 140HP and weights 16,000 LBS

Noose · Mar 28, 2008

http://www.raycomfg.com/c87lsolo.htm
The Bobcat runs at 6.6 mph
I've run the Rayco 87L and the steel track is noisy and stretches a bit.
If your in need of rough service track, steel is the only way to go we bolted on some fancy assed poly something blocks that are tougher than nails, and the chew the crap out of a lawn and rough up pavement if ones not paying attention!

bobcatmechanic · Mar 28, 2008

there was talk bout this a few years ago at my dealership and they were trying it on a t300 but it never went into prod uction plus a t 300 weights 9500 to 10000lbs so it would probably close to 12 to 13000lbs and the fact that bobcat drive motors suck and have many problems with them still even after they came out with the new motors so i would not because new motors cost about 8000 to 9000 dolars i would not chance it unless you have money to blow first hand knowledge of bobcat machines from working on them day in and day out they are junk at least the track machines are the wheel machines are alright.

Steel Tracks on T300!!??

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