Tracks on tractor

[twitch]

Any one ever put tracks on a four wheel drive tractor?

[3rdgen.maple]

Most 4x4 tractors I know of it wouldnt work if you ran tracks in 4 wheel drive. The front wheels spin at a little faster rate than the back ones when locked in. If you ever ran one down the road in 4 wheel drive you will notice how it wears or cups the front tires as they are tearing up the treads as they turn faster and slip on the asphalt. Also Im no expert on tracks but exacally how would you turn the tractor that was designed to turn the front wheels versus locking up one side of the tracks to turn. I think you would end up with a bunch of ripped out gears in the front end.

[Monster Maples]

Also Im no expert on tracks but exacally how would you turn the tractor that was designed to turn the front wheels versus locking up one side of the tracks to turn. .

I am no expert either by any means, but I think you lock the steering wheel in a fixed position. Two wheel drive should be fine with tracks. As for steering I believe you would use the individual wheel brakes. Steer it much like a dozer. Like I said, I don't know. But that would be the only way that I can think of. I am pretty sure those tracks are outrageous in price though.

I worked around some of the Cat Challenger's ( tractor's on tracks made by Cat) and those things are impressive. They would go down in the borrow pit with two pull pans behind them, regular scrapers couldn't go down because of the mud. Load up and go, no dozer pushing. Once out of the borrow pit, on a smooth haul road, 45 mph pulling the loaded pull pans. Awesome machines.

[twobears1224]

kubota makes a tractor thats 4x4 but has tracks on the back.i saw one at my local dealer.

delbert

[twitch]

i was thinking tracks on back and skis on front

[nas]

This is the system I have seen on tractors used to groom snowmobile trails. I think it would work if you've got the cash.:)
http://www.soucy-track.com/indexen.asp

Nick

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

couple guys in our town made tracks for a s10 blazer like the ones pictured in NAS comment. they used it for grooming would also work for sugaring

[Rhino]

How the old arps half tracks on my case (2 wheel drive) tractor work is there is idler wheels just in the front of the back tires. To turn i steer normally, but in a tight turn i steer and push on a brake to turn it like a dozer. As 3rdgen said about a 4-wheel drive system, you want to be careful about tearing it apart with diff. rotation/slip in the back and front. I was told not to even put chains just on the front tires of our kubota. If you go on youtube and type in tractor half tracks you can see how they work, I seen on one clip where the guy put skis on a old ferguson tractor along with the tracks, pretty neat.

[3rdgen.maple]

Twitch when I initially read your post I was thinking you wanted to wrap tracks around the rear and front. If you are putting them on just the back with ski's on the front then heck yeah go for it.

[Dill]

If you go skis on the front save money and buy a 2wd tractor. You can still find track kits for ford 2-9ns around the northeast. Supposedly they worked pretty well. Probably not the safest setup around and most ran idler wheels of some kind.

[peacemaker]

heres a pic
http://atvdirect-online.com/camoplast.html?gclid=CImQh7n87qYCFcZw5QodT3jtBw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYnaSuPtJtE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VD_rsiP0nI&feature=related

[maplecrest]

hey peace where did you get that pic of my new rig?

[peacemaker]

i have been lurking in shadows and under snow banks lol

[3rdgen.maple]

That is not a tractor Peace. It a wanna be tractor. A wannabe tractor with tracks that probably cost more money than a good used tractor that can do 100 times more work. lol

[peacemaker]

that link does tracks for tractors as well

[3rdgen.maple]

that link does tracks for tractors as well

Its all good I was just puffing you a little. It would definatley be fun to play on one of those atv's.

[Brent]

The Soucy track kits have really tweaked my interest today.
We got dumped on big league in the last few days. I got a few hours work in the bush Saturday AM but the afternoon was the beginning a nearly 18" more snow. The Gator made it to the bush in the morning but to get home for lunch took 2 hours of digger and levering. The afternoon was a write off. Today I pissed away the whole day just trying to get out and back and got no work done.

So tonight I've found a Kutoba RTV900, which is what our local Leader dealer uses, and he has a Soucy track set on it and loves it.

Anyone else got feedback on the RTV or the track sets.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Fred Henderson, a fellow trader, has a 900 with tracks. Contact him for his opinion.

[Southtowns27]

Why not just find a purpose built snow cat? Depending on where you are you can likely find one for cheaper than tractor tracks. I found my Thiokol 2100 for $1700 and my Tucker Sno-Cat for $3500 and there's no way I'll EVER get stuck in snow with either of them.

[bobbyjake]

It is very unusual to find those machines for that cheap money though. That said, there is a Thiokol Spryte on NH.Craigslist (http://nh.craigslist.org/rvs/2190307301.html) at the moment for reasonable money.

[Brent]

Those Snow-cats would be great in the field between the house and the bush, but I'd need to cut 50 or so trees to get a path wide enough for them.

[argohauler]

A neighbour has a RTV 900 and they cut ruts big time in the bush at syrup time. If you can get tracks then maybe it'll be a lot better or get your Argo fixed up with some tracks, but I've heard don't run tracks without snow.

[Southtowns27]

Those Snow-cats would be great in the field between the house and the bush, but I'd need to cut 50 or so trees to get a path wide enough for them.

The Tucker is only 6'4" wide, but it has a wide turning radius. The Thiokol is 12'6". I had to take out quite a few trees when I got it just so it'd fit through the trails. Didn't have to cut down any maples though, just some beech and ash and one cherry so it didn't hurt too bad...

[Brent]

We have a track set for the Argo but my wife won't drive it and she is the #1 sap hauler.
If the RTV on tracks cuts up the bush then the Argo would be worse with it's tank like steering ... putting the brakes on one side to force a turn.
I'm even thinking seriously about going for the RTV1100
No snow on the seats, quieter and a heater. Last year hauling on the Gator late at night she was wet, frozen and tired. And she's the same age as me .... 65.

[argohauler]

Sorry Brent, I meant without the tracks about the RTV.

Can't get her to drive the Argo eh?

[Brent]

Need any spares for your Argo. I have a bunch of parts that I got when the rig was new.

Oh ... and I think I have at least one of everything.:(

[cvmaple]

I've been hearing about a polaris 6x6 that is converted to half track by putting tracks on when the back tires are deflated and then adding air to keep them on. It works well from what I hear (for hunting) and shouldn't leave huge ruts in the woods. By the way Brent we've all been in that situation one time or another. Some days are more productive than others.