Rubber tracks

[Stevethemeat]

Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of having a rubber tracked crawler to pull a top down or go drilling with one

 

[nick...]

Can get all the track on the ground if weighted correctly but see some with all the weight on the rear drive wheels and lifting at the front.can make a mess turning on headlands and smear the ground if wet.
Nick...

 

[ollie989898]

Ability to drill and tread lightly without having excessive width on the road is the main one. As above needs a careful operator who doesn't abuse the machine. Best to go steady on the road, too.

 

[Brisel]

Excellent in the field but you'll struggle to put enough hours on the clock to really get your money back as there's nothing else they can do. As above, they need ballasting properly to spread the weight properly. I've seen too many 25 tonne Cats standing on their rear idlers on high draught work!

 

[Stevethemeat]

Depreciation looks heavy on new as second hand they look reasonable price for the horsepower so would second hand machines have any major problems to look for

 

[Steevo]

@slim shiny is the man!

 

[Brisel]

@Pingu too.

I've had Quadtracs, a 765C and JD 8400T in the past. What type did you have in mind @Stevethemeat ?

 

[Andrew K]

Hire one in

 

[Stevethemeat]

@Pingu too.

I've had Quadtracs, a 765C and JD 8400T in the past. What type did you have in mind @Stevethemeat ?

Thinking of a challenger around 400 hp not sure on the tech details but needs to be more than 300hp for as wide top down as it will pull and make the best job and then a 6mtr drill which I’m sure won’t need all the horses might be pulling a sumo eventually

 

[Brisel]

Hire one in

I think @Mr Charisma hires one from Ian Holgrave

 

[Stevethemeat]

Hire one in

Hi I’m not a fan of hire it might be cost effective to some businesses but I prefer to buy and and keep for as long as possible undertaking my own repairs

 

[Brisel]

It would be a good way to try some

 

[ollie989898]

It's good having your big tractor on tracks; stops you firing it up to use it for nonsense run of the mill work and putting hours on it, like putting a 936 on fertiliser spreading...

 

[ollie989898]

Depreciation looks heavy on new as second hand they look reasonable price for the horsepower so would second hand machines have any major problems to look for

Depends on the make.. Brisel doesn't like quadtracs... Basically the running gear is the stuff to look at.

 

[Mursal]

Secondhand:
Proceed with extreme caution unless your a gambler?

 

[ollie989898]

Secondhand:
Proceed with extreme caution unless your a gambler?

I don't know, look at the depreciation a new one would suffer, even with a big repair bill you are still quids in?

 

[Mursal]

OK then so ...........
And what about two big repair bills in a row, in the middle of a busy period?

 

[ollie989898]

OK then so ...........
And what about two big repair bills in a row, in the middle of a busy period?

Have an understanding dealer. If it was that bad you could hire another machine in for a week maybe? But the depreciation on these things is mental, tens of thousands. It's got the same engine, cab, software and gearbox as the usual suite of wheeled machines, can you purchase an extended warranty or get a dealer in to go through it out of season once a year when it's hibernating?

Cheap power, provided you use it for what it is intended for.

 

[TripleSix]

The old flat track Cat 65B's etc are damn cheap horsepower.

If it's at all slippery in the field, leave her in the shed though...

 

[Stevethemeat]

I don't know, look at the depreciation a new one would suffer, even with a big repair bill you are still quids in?

I think Ollie must be reading my mind because there all the things I was thinking about and yes maybe I’m a gambler but with mechanical skills so repair bills would be parts only most of the time