# tracks vs wheels



## Plumber (Apr 19, 2007)

What is the big advantage of tracks over wheels on a skid steer? I've seen them on job sites but never paid attention to it while it was working. I also seen chains on the front to rear tires. What does the chains do for it??
Thanks

Michael


----------



## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

Tracks give much more ground contact so you have less weight psi with more traction. Also you can transverse steeper slopes with tracks.


----------



## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

jmic said:


> Tracks give much more ground contact so you have less weight psi with more traction. Also you can transverse steeper slopes with tracks.


Yeah, they work better on slopes and in the mud. Also, the cost alot more to fix compared to tires.


----------



## Vinny (Jul 21, 2007)

The track skid steers are so stabil and smooth while being able to push and load and grade it phenominal but the cost of u/c rebuild is quite high. I am to understand the other units( non cat) are alot cheaper to run but we chose the cat because we felt it was just a better machine. 

To give you an idea as to how much a u/c costs we did tracks and roller on our 257B. The tracks were $4000.oo each and the rollers are $100.00 each. Theres about 10 rolers per side so your into the thing for $10,000.0 just in parts. The system lasts between 1200 and 1500 hours.

Our stratgy going forward is to just trade in on a new one every 3 to 4 years. I'd rather pay the note than to pay that repair bill.


----------



## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

Wow Vinny, we've gotten over 1600 hours out of our 247B undercarriage. Although to get those hours we've taken a lot of care when it comes to working on pavement, jumping over curb and such. That's where a skiddy with rubber tracks over tires comes in handy. Tracks also, make it much easier to finish grade. On tires you get that "bounce".


----------



## Vinny (Jul 21, 2007)

TMatt142 said:


> Wow Vinny, we've gotten over 1600 hours out of our 247B undercarriage. Although to get those hours we've taken a lot of care when it comes to working on pavement, jumping over curb and such. That's where a skiddy with rubber tracks over tires comes in handy. Tracks also, make it much easier to finish grade. On tires you get that "bounce".


I'm not sure where we are going wrong here. The way we employ this unit is basicly as clean up and spread process base. We use a small excavator, kobelco 80 or hyundai 110, to do the tear out and at the end there is a pile that is alot quicker to just pick up with the skid steer. Then after recompacting the sub base we use it to spread the proces gravel, and fine tune. 

We rarely run it up and down solid pavement. The cat dealer has heard more and less hours for life on the tracks but in the end no matter how you slice it the cat ASV u/c is the costliest to replace/ repair. Yet we just love the darn things


----------



## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

Plumber said:


> What is the big advantage of tracks over wheels on a skid steer? I've seen them on job sites but never paid attention to it while it was working. I also seen chains on the front to rear tires. What does the chains do for it??
> Thanks
> 
> Michael


Michael,

The big advantage of tracks over wheels on a loader is traction/floatation. It does depend on the type of work you do most though as to which you shuld own. Costs of ownership are higher with the track machine, fuel consumption is greater and it isn't a benefit in all types of work.

On machines with chains over the tires the chains are trying to do the same things as the traked machine increase traction and floatation.


----------



## Plumber (Apr 19, 2007)

Well I mainly was doing plumbing inside of homes. But here in where I live city is bring sewers in and making people hook up. I was thinking of a mini backhoe first (JD 110 or a kubota L39) Some people pointed out about getting into tight places. So mini excavator and skid steer. I was going to use the skid steer for the rock and sand. After the job I could put a grader box on it and grade their yard.


----------

