OTT TRACKS School Me

What is the good, bad and ugly of each style. What is the life of OTT tracks. I have a Case 90XT with solid tires with neutral rim offset and I am sure they are too close to the chaincase for tracks, so I know I need different rims and tires. All thoughts and experience is appreciated.

My Grouser brand tracks are amazing in the mud but no good for pavement. And you're right that it's not advised to run them with solid tires. That's just asking to snap an axle shaft off. Never used any others so I'll have to let those who have comment on them.

Why would running solid tires with OTT snap an axle?

jacobd said:

That's just asking to snap an axle shaft off.

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62oliver said:

Why would running solid tires with OTT snap an axle?

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They don't have any give like a pneumatic tire.

I run a set of loegering OTT on a bobcat 753. Mud, sand, snow, ice, they make that little machine into a powerhouse. Before I put the tracks on, it couldn't move itself, now I power right through and get my work done. They're fairly easy to get on and off. I can put them on by myself in 30 minutes or less, and like 10 to get them off. They are heavy to maneuver when off the machine. Also, the pins and connecting links wear, but they're meant to be the consumable part. The pads are fairly heavy duty and seem last quite well.

Only issue I've really had was operating in a wet, sticky snow. Suddenly my machine started growing taller as the wet snow froze to the cold tracks. Caused some binding issues, but a pry bar broke it up quick and I just stopped running until the snow froze up better.

Here's a couple pics from a year ago, moving brush and logs.

I have run both bobcat and loegering ott , mostly bobcat,on my bobcats for almost 20 years. I get at least 2000 hrs out of a set. I do have to replace some parts to get that many hours. I run them over foam filled tires never had an axle problem. The life of the tires is increased by at least 50% too. With tracks the production and stability of the machine is improved noticeably.

I have a set of Loegering Trailer Blazer that I had on a CASE 465. They have about 500 hours on them as I recall. I used them on clearing job. What is cool about the these large frame CASE machines and maybe others is all you need to do is flip the tire around and you have clearance so you don't need spacers. I don't need them (own a CTL and 465 is gone) if your interested in them, PM me.

I ran my buddy's 773 with OTT on it and it was like a little dozer, huge difference pushing out loads building his driveway

colson04 said:

Here's a couple pics from a year ago, moving brush and logs. View attachment 213456 View attachment 213457 View attachment 213458

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How'd you get Santa Clause to run your machine?

Welder Dave said:

How'd you get Santa Clause to run your machine?

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That's my Dad

A few months before this picture, right before Christmas, he was grocery shopping with my mom when he felt a tug on his jacket. Looks down and there's this little girl, about 4 or so, standing there. He bends over and she whispers what she wants for Christmas into his ear really quietly. When she finishes, he gave her a nod and a wink, and she ran off to her mom with a million watt smile on her face.

Before the CTL days I ran Grousers on 843's, 853's and 863's.

They work very good compared to just a wheels however you still have to have good operating sense to not bind up the tracks with mud and other debris that puts stress on the drive train.

The PITA is getting a flat because you have to break the chains down to repair. I ran foam filled tires on the 853 and it was one rough riding SOB. Ran puncture snot in the 863 with OTTR's which rode better and gave some puncture resistance.

A CTL is obviously superior however if I only had a wheeled skid I would have a set of OTTR's that fit it.

On a side note - Colson those 753's were probably the best machines Bobcat made.

Thanks everyone, lots of great info. Seems like the chain style OTT’s are much more common? Anyone run rubber OTTs? I will be plowing snow with it fairly often so my first thought was to go with rubber. Also the 90XT is fairly heavy so rubber tracks should have more flotation. All info is appreciated, thanks!

Tires are better for snow and ice.

Welder Dave said:

Tires are better for snow and ice.

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With tire chains.

Just plain tires slip around pretty bad, but some chains on the back tires and away you go. Keep in mind, my driveway is 600 ft uphill from the road to my house. Just plain tires don't give me enough traction to plow uphill, doesn't matter what I'm plowing with. The grade goes from fairly flat to 7.5% and everything in between. I didn't buy the loegering tacks to plow with, but when I do, they get me where I'm going just fine. That said, they are an expensive option if I was only plowing snow. A good set of tire chains would have been a much cheaper and still practical alternative.

I'd like to own a 90XT or a 450 Series III some day. Kind of a want more than a must have, but they would be quite useful. I find the upper capacity limits of the Bobcat 753 very frequently, but I bought it from my dad, I know the last 15 years worth of history on the machine, and it's been damn reliable and easy starting so it'll stay. I just have to be careful handling round bales with it. If a front tire hits a small pot hole she's going to tip forward and quickly. Not very fun when you're loading a trailer.