tracks vs tyres

Neddy flanders · Jan 7, 2019

anyone any data on the compaction of a 800 tyre on a JD combine vs 24" wide tracks?

what is the footprint of each?

would anyone who has bought a tracked combine ever go back to wheels?

jonnyjon · Jan 7, 2019

Neddy flanders said:
anyone any data on the compaction of a 800 tyre on a JD combine vs 24" wide tracks?

what is the footprint of each?

would anyone who has bought a tracked combine ever go back to wheels?

No I wouldn'

Spencer · Jan 7, 2019

Neither would I..

AlfM · Jan 7, 2019

Done this for next year so can't compare yet. With the lunatics on the roads it's almost worth it for reduced transport width.

solo · Jan 7, 2019

Neddy flanders said:
anyone any data on the compaction of a 800 tyre on a JD combine vs 24" wide tracks?

what is the footprint of each?

would anyone who has bought a tracked combine ever go back to wheels?

Don't forget the rear axle also carries weight. In those wet seasons it was the back axle that often created some of the ruts.

Brisel · Jan 7, 2019

Ground pressure = tyre pressure plus a couple of psi for the tyre rigidity. The ground pressures of tracks are usually in the sales brochures.

The New Holland CR combine brochure suggests 15 psi pressure with tracks and at least double that with tyres. My old JD was specced with IF 800 tyres and they ran at 32psi.

There must be some research by Silsoe, Philip Wright, Dick Godwin etc online about tyres vs tracks.

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/ground-pressure-of-tracks.17592/

Henry B · Jan 7, 2019

We are on our second tracked combine, wheels are obsolete on combines for us.

Lincsman · Jan 8, 2019

Its worth remembering ground pressure is calculated on a smooth surface, fields arn't smooth, a track running over a brick on hard soil will crush it into the ground, the so called heavier tyre will deform around it.

Tracks that dont pivot can be the worst of all worlds for compaction and spot weights.

yellow belly · Jan 8, 2019

The biggest benefit from tracks is the stability of the header no tyre bounce and much better control of the header height especially at higher speeds tyres need much higher pressure resulting in higher ground pressure
The next biggest is road transport width especially with 24inch tracks
No need to slow down and get off the road for every car
Road grips round here need to be respected

Would never go back to wheeled combine unless it is a smaller autonomous multiple vehicle system

marshallfarm · Jan 8, 2019

We would be tracks bit are restricted to wheels because of hillmaster.. if you don't need a self leveling machine, go tracks

Brisel · Jan 8, 2019

marshallfarm said:
We would be tracks bit are restricted to wheels because of hillmaster.. if you don't need a self leveling machine, go tracks

I've gone from a Hillmaster on tyres to a NH with self levelling shoe and tracks and have no intention of going back to wheels again. Yes, I've lost a bit of output on the extreme slopes but it's worth it IMO.

Brisel · Jan 8, 2019

Lincsman said:
Its worth remembering ground pressure is calculated on a smooth surface, fields arn't smooth, a track running over a brick on hard soil will crush it into the ground, the so called heavier tyre will deform around it.

Tracks that dont pivot can be the worst of all worlds for compaction and spot weights.

I know this doesn't apply to harvesting, but high torque operations with crawlers can be bad. I've watched a 25 tonne Quadtrac standing on the rear idlers when pulling a 7 leg subsoiler buried to the frame with good grip. Each track gang can pivot a certain amount.

DanniAgro · Jan 8, 2019

Brisel said:
Ground pressure = tyre pressure plus a couple of psi for the tyre rigidity. The ground pressures of tracks are usually in the sales brochures.

The New Holland CR combine brochure suggests 15 psi pressure with tracks and at least double that with tyres. My old JD was specced with IF 800 tyres and they ran at 32psi.

There must be some research by Silsoe, Philip Wright, Dick Godwin etc online about tyres vs tracks.

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/ground-pressure-of-tracks.17592/

View attachment 754762

The trouble with this analysis is that the belt/track is assumed to be rigid between the axles, but I remember reading an expert saying that this not true. Depending on the number of rollers between the axles, the track bends up noticeably, meaning that pressure varies greatly as the track rolls over the soil surface. Just watch as one drives by, and the undulations of the track are very obvious.
And watch a Challenger as it gets to the end of the row and lifts its plough etc up - it rolls back onto the rear axle and soil pressure rises into the tens of bars.

Fuzzy · Jan 10, 2019

Neddy flanders said:
anyone any data on the compaction of a 800 tyre on a JD combine vs 24" wide tracks?

what is the footprint of each?

would anyone who has bought a tracked combine ever go back to wheels?

s~~t shoveller · Jan 10, 2019

All tracks here.more reliable than tyres so far too as it gives the tyres some stick with large headers.

Fish · Jan 10, 2019

12 mins in tyres v tracks

yellow belly · Jan 13, 2019

After this year when whatever you did there was negligible compaction like we had most years between 1975 and 1991

I am now working to drilling and combining down the same wheelings 1.2 m run on per run or under 4 m run on for each tramline with trailers only on tramlines
With 24 inch tracks drill tractor could go down to 600 mm wide if we could get the wheels out to 3.4 m maximum width 3.1 m centre

Matt L · Jan 14, 2019

I have the silsoe report on tyres vs tracks, will find the link to the online version when I’m in the office tomorrow.

Phil P · Jan 14, 2019

Can’t think of any negatives for tracks really

other than the initial higher purchase cost, think going back to a wheeled machine would be a last resort for me now.

snarling bee · Jan 14, 2019

In the field it is stability, stability, stability. Ground pressure is secondary IMO.
On the roads round here, with overhanging hedges and traffic calming measures, the effective transport width is no different between wheels and tracks. You have to be very careful with kerbs etc on tracks, whereas on wheels it was full steam ahead.

tracks vs tyres

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