Bob Horrell
Charter Member
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
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