Product reveal & the $500 mistake!! Here is the reveal of the mystery product from about a month ago- new steel skidsteer tracks for our Kubota SSV 75.
Hey everyone, and thanks for stopping by the channel! If you enjoy this type of content, here are three other related videos you may enjoy: Kubota SSV 75 one year review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PZK6OuEvMXQ.html I did try out a Kubota SVL 65 rubber track machine. See what it can do here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XIMVff4X6NA.html I also did a 20 hour review video for the Kubota SVL 65. Check that out here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oektHeToXMY.html There are also lots of tractor and farm machinery videos on the channel, so subscribe and don't miss all the farm fun!!!
So it's 5 years later - do you still have these? How did they work out for you? Did you have any major issues with them? I love the simple design, I can make these myself for my bobcat.
I have a set of these steel tracks. Been using them for 11 years. They work great in the mud and snow. I can take them off in 20 minutes using a ratchet binder. No stress on the machine besides wearing down the tires a bit.
I would throw those tensioners in a corner somewhere and use a come along or a chain binder. One good thing about those tracks is that they are weldable if you have trouble.
If you use the bucket to raise the front tires of the machine, it should allow you to easily take the slack out with nothing more than a good ratchet strap or two. I made a set for my 32HP zero turn mower due to slippery slopes and found that deflating the tires allowed a tighter fit. Keep in mind that a loose fit wears harder on the tires. At least that is what I experienced. Thank you for the video, I enjoyed it. Troy
Had a set of these 10 years ago. They work great at a reasonable cost. Installation is an art. Try putting the tensioner in the next link, the one between the bars then you have more access to the nuts. I cut a deep socket impact in half and welded it on a piece of pipe so that I had a 12" deeeep socket. Then use a 1/2" impact to tighten. Yours are way too loose. You will notice when you get in wet conditions. If the tires slip it's too loose. With them one you can go anywhere and push into heavy material with ease. I used to run a small hydraulic core drill in quarries and ahead of construction of gas pad in the Marcellus region of PA. These things worked great for my offroad application. Just had to remove a link every few months due to chain wear/stretch.
a trick for installing this style of tracks is to jack and crib the machine off from the ground, let some air from the tires, wrap the track, connect the track, spin the tracks a few revolutions to set the tracks then reinflate the tires and recheck tension.
Another idea for the tightener is weld one nut on and make it turn the bolt into the nut on the opposite end. Maybe weld the nut to the bracket or a bur so that it cannot spin. then just turn the bolt. Also on the bolts that are used to hold the links, shape them with an extended curve or ( shape where you want the link to rest. Not too much curve so it is hard to get in, and but enough so it will stay in place under pressure. Now you can stuff the to pins into the links and power spin the tension bolt and you have tight tracks. Good luck
you can weld one side as well, thatd reduce issues by 50% i dont see a down side other than if you have to remove links in the future it has to be from the unwelded side.. but those X connectors arent that expensive if you did manage to wear the tracks out enough to have to remove several links
I got a set of TracksPlus, all metal tracks should be tight. I paid 1400 for mine including shipping off Ebay. Customer support is good and easy to put on and they will probly outlast the machine.
I was reading your comments and I'm not going to buy these if you're not going to use them on the farm. The steering is what I was worried about. If it's to hard on farm situations then regular job sites would be a no go. Thanks for the heads up
It should be a little more tight.if it's to lose then it will leave room for debris to get caught between the tires and it will pop the need on your tires.
Loegering or McLaren tracks are the only way to go. 3 times more expensive, but 10 times better. There may be a few other brands that are decent, but these are truly scrap metal. That ssv75 is a beast of a machine and well worth a good set of tracks. Much more power than the ssv65!
Nice video. I have been thinking about getting tracks for my skid steer. Looking forward to followup videos on how these tracks perform in wet/muddy conditions and the test of time.
my buddy bought a kubota skid steer with tracks allready on it wich works pretty awsome and replacement tracks at my kubota dealer are about $279.00 sets
We have used over the tire tracks many times, they are annoying to say the least. We found to get better floatation in soft material we use a 13” wide tire tread. They have been our choice for many years.
@@wkualum3194 since making this video, I have sold these tracks. I like steel tracks, but the way these are built are a bad design. I would not recommend any that are of similar construction to these.
@@wkualum3194 I wouldn't use them if you gave them to me lol I had a lot of trouble with them walking off on uneven ground, and if you tighten them, you would notice they put stress on the drivetrain.
Just came across ya today. Looks like an interesting channel. I think I will give it a try, gets boring working fields with autotrac (self guided for those that dont know, just have to turn at end and hit resume) so you keep it interesting I figure I will keep watching ya man
Re cotter pin dilemma - turn the bolt around so cotter pin is on the inside, and that will help a bit (still not a solution, but keeps outside rub to a minimum)...
It looks like you have enough clearance to switch this links towards the inside . As far as going to a smaller diameter bolt for the slack adjuster you should go with a grade 8 bolt . When you jelly that bolt in to the link the softer steel threads will erode away in time especially when rust sets in.
A company I worked for had same design tracks and tensioner tool we added a nut on each end welded to all thread put socket and impact on one or the other and held original but with wrench it was much faster and easier
Ran a set of them on a GEHL 4840 they worked ok, but we had foam filled tires and did a lot of heavy lifting on rough ground. It would take the front wheel bearings out after 2 seasons of running. Finally ended up running heavy tire chains on each corner. No more bearing replacement.
You don’t need to measure your tires, they have the size molded in the sidewall. I’ve had a set of these on my Mustang 960 for 18 years. Only cost $600 shipped to my business back then. The all thread tensioners are a pain. A better way is to air down both tires and put a board across your tires and use two racket straps to pull the tracks together. Air up the tires and they get real tight.
The person that manufactured these would not build them unless I measured the width of the tire. I did give him the size of the tire, but he said that the tire widths can vary. The problem was he did not tell me what part of the tire to measure- the tread width is different than the sidewall width.
Are they just normal carbon steel or some kind of hardened or tool steel? I'm thinking they'd do well in snow, but not great on hardpack or ice... maybe some length of rebar could be welded on each to increase traction and act as replaceable wear bars.
@@dehavenfamilyfarm no offense, but I think there's a reason they cost half or less than half the others.. I've wanted tracks for a long time, but I don't want to cut the fenders off my machine... I do have another machine that when we get it running, I could put tracks on... I think I will be finding a good used set.. Thanks for the video and the information!!
I think perhaps the tightening tool was on upside down to start with and use the 1/2 links instead of the whole links . I’ve seen them use cable but never chain the jury is still out for me anyways! So you wound up spending $1,500 anyways.
Where did you find the half links? I made a set identical to these and cant seem to find the half links anywhere online! One side is just little to loose as it is but just shy of being able to remove a full link.
I hope, in the (what?) SIX years since you got those tracks, you "somehow" remember that instead of manhandling the tracks on the floor/ground, USE A STRONG MACHINE - TO PULL THEM OUT - and what better one would that be, than the one you are "going" to be fitting the tracks onto - or off from. ie: At 10:00 we see ou using muscle power and a bent back, to wrestle the track into position, whereas a small "tug" by the machine behind you would have that stretched out tightly in very short order.
Yeah, 30 minutes a side is crazy, I can install mine in about 15 minutes total. I bought my loeggering tracks used 5 years ago, the pins were pretty bad back then and are over half way wore through. ASAP carries the new pins and nuts, so $400 later they should be like new again! I hope those tracks work out, if you find your tires slip inside them too much when in mud, you may want to weld some 3/8 round stock inside those pads for your tires to grip
Leave tracks together when removing and just pull a wheel, when reinstalling you can use a trailer tire chock , the ratcheting jack type that spreads between the two wheels, to help line up the wheel if it's to tight to get back on by hand.
I bought these tracks years ago, being they have to be so tight to not slip, I felt it was to much stress on the machine,,,,just picked up a set of used grousers for $800..way better system and they run loose....
@@94Gidge theyre a cheap design, thats what alot of people need/want theyre not perfect and really theyre not for someone who cant weld, wrench, and trouble shoot, they improve your traction and ability to do work about 10fold they were way too loose in the video, im sure you can buy or make ones with threads built in to tensions the traccks the exact amount you want, but removing another link and coming onto them with those customer bars or just some 2" ratchet straps you should be able to get them tensioned properly i like that this set has the grousers set every 4th link instead of every 6th link like most do, that seems like it isnt enough surface area in really wet muddy conditions since its only really the grousers on the ground between the tires that are aiding in traction and floation, 5 pieces is alot better than 3
one thing we did with our steel tracks is took all the air out of the tires jacked machine up got the tracks as tight as we could and then are the tires back up and not made it super tight
They weren't too bad to install, but they didn't stay on good unless you had them real tight, which is not good for the machine. I sold them, and wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
As per the manufacturer, if you have 3 inches or more of clearance between the tire and the machine you do not need spacers. This machine had 3+ inches so spacers are not required.
Hey there I worked for eel river steel works for awhile and I found this video and now they have changed up the tightening mechanism on them I’ll be sure to show him this video👍
I’d like to know how much wear and tear the tracks put on your machine as opposed to traditional tracks. Do they wear the frame of the machine? I gots to believe once they lose tension they might slap some of those bolts off the frame of your machine when they are going around. How has the undercarriage held up? I ran both rubber tires and tracks on a s670 bobcat and I think the tracked machine holds up longer. Plus it gets around fantastically in the snow as opposed to a machine with tires. The tracked machine also does better bulking out of a stockpile. I could never really get a “hooping” scoop as my kids say with the machine with tires, albeit the bobcat ECM has a failsafe so you don’t blow the hydraulics right out of her.
Those are horribly basic and I like them for that. That design was common back in the 40’s and I would say it is a short use item. However, if you need to sneak onto boggy ground once and a while I would say perfect for the money :o)
I bought my first set off really old dealer he had folder and dropped a buisness card I picked up thankfully because he sold 14 inch tracks they worth more by $700 I consider swapping to 17 14 wide tire my buddy runs them but alot for lil guy but rides better I couldn't get the guy I bought them from to do anything for me so I used the card directly called manufacturers told them I was having issues he said he would take care of it few days later the old dealer called like it was his idea to bring them back
My feelings I would roll them up put the back on the skids call your credit card company tell how they are not what was advertised and you want your money back and the guy can pick them up anytime.
In order to keep them from walking off the tires, I had to keep them tight- which did affect the steering and was hard on the machine. I sold the tracks- they were awful.
Not only are tracked machines much more expensive to purchase but replacement undercarriage is expensive and the undercarriage doesn't last very long on a skid steer.
After watching this video I would not purchase this product. Sometime you can be to cheap when looking for a deal. Best to worst quality tracks are 1) Loegering 2) Camso 3) Grouser 4) Mclaren. Quality goes along with the price.
I wouldn't want anyone to purchase these lol I just wanted a set to use a few times a year and didn't want to spend too much. But you are right- you get what you pay for!
I am looking for a set for me JD 330G with 14x17.5 tires. The only company I can find that has 14" tracks is McLaren. Should I be worried about quality with those? You ranked them #4? What is your reason for that? Thanks!
I would have used one (1) or two (2) cheap small ratchet straps! To pull them tight. Plus let some air out of the tires until they were on! Sorry! but it was hard watching you making the job harder on yourself.
His mistake your mistake, the shipping should have been split, you pay 1 way and he pays the other way, this way there won't be a mistake next time someone orders a set
@@Nothingtoya Replacement tracks on a track machine are very expensive. If you are going to be running on hard ground or area that may damage them you risk ruining thousands of dollars in tracks with a tracked skid steer. A wheeled skid steer with over the tire tracks allow you to take the tracks off and use the relatively much cheaper tires when it is more appropriate.
@@davidb.5544 makes sense. We do a lot of work on and off road. I live in Florida, a machine with tires is about useless as soon as you get off the pavement. We're able to get about 1200 hours out of our tracks. A new set is about $2 grand for our machine.
I didn't have them very long, so hard to say how they would hold up. Unless I kept them real tight, they would walk off in rough terrain. Worst tracks I have ever owned.
Safety be damned, that back up warnjing peeper would be gone in a flash if that was my machine. You gave the guy the wrong number , even if you measured as you claim , the tracks were still to wide , fault is yoyrs, man up
No, I do not like them and am currently looking to replace them. You have to keep them way to tight so they don't come off, and they just don't sit on the tires very well.
It was his fault. He should have double checked the values (perhaps by having you send him a picture of the measurment by your phone or similar). And then to have him charge you more to send it back then he charged to get it to you? Good business would dictate that he should have eaten the cost. I won't be buying from that guy. Thanks for the explanation.
