ordered tracks today

[bobbyg18]

cant stand it any longer...so many rainy wet days with countless jobs lined up...i made the plunge today

I ordered McClaren rubber over the tire tracks...I'm hoping they will allow me to work on a day like today, where it rained out all day yesterday and the ground is wet...hopefully they'll give me more work days...ill let you know how they work out

i also just sold my Thomas 153 for a Bobcat S185...very crazy week

[02powerstroke]

Deff let us know cause we have been thinking about some tracks.

[Dirty Water]

How did you make out on the resell value of that thomas?

[bobbyg18]

had it for less than one year...sold for about $1000 less than i bought for...i needed something with better/higher reach capabilities to load tri's...

[Scag48]

Nice, glad you went with the McLaren's. Let us know how they work out, we may pick up a set if we keep getting these crazy jobs on steep slopes.

[Fieldman12]

The Vertical lift design should be allot better for reaching than your previous radial lift. I have also been kicking around buying tracks also but I feel most of the work I would be doing would require finish grading so I would have to let it dry anyway. I have been toying around with buying some of the Thomas Equipment stock in the company since it cost next to nothing. I think they would be a good company for one of the big skid steer manufactures to take over eventually. Guess we will have to see how things go.

[bobbyg18]

installed them yesterday afternoon...took a little longer than expected and i still need to shorten them up about another 2" or so before using them tomorrow on a job...i'll post back tomorrow night

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b7da27b3127cce98548b6d9cd300000017108AbNmTdm0YtT

[Mike33]

Nice, glad you went with the McLaren's. Let us know how they work out, we may pick up a set if we keep getting these crazy jobs on steep slopes.

Did you see my new 220 i had posted with pics? I forgot the brand of them they seem to work well but the tool to adjust or remove sucks.
Mike

[Dirty Water]

Are those Rubber Pads on Steel, or 100% construction?

[bobbyg18]

the tracks are mclaren protrac with rubber pads...i used them today...they were awesome, great traction...i would have never been able to work today without them...the job was a backyard excavation for a patio but it was extreme mud...im really psyched about them, they'll definately allow me to get in more work days

[NEUSWEDE]

I like those I am thinking about getting a set soon, got to get the skid to work first, snow on the ground.

keep us posted on how they are working.

[bobbyg18]

just another update on the ott tracks i purchased from mclaren...they ran me over 3K...however im closing in on making that $ back already and its only been 2 weeks (about 6 work days) just about every one of those days i wouldnt have been able to work in w/out the tracks

also the fact i can use them on driveways without damaging the asphalt and concrete is huge

so far the best investment/decision ive made

[Scag48]

My standard consulting fee is $500, I'll take that check whenever you get it :drinkup:

[bobbyg18]

hehe...scag, lets make it $1000 and tell me about the 4 in 1 bucket....

i think thats my next investment...but seriously thanks

[Scag48]

4 in 1 bucket, I wouldn't be without one. When we ordered or 277B, it arrived with a rental 78" tooth bucket. A 78" 4 in 1 was about $4K, so we were trying to decide if we wanted/needed a 4 in 1 on that large of a machine or a 6 way VPAT blade for the 277. Hands down I chose the 4 in 1 after about 4 hours of running the 277. If I can only have 1 bucket, it has to have a smooth lip for a couple reasons. First, I gotta have something to finish grade with, I'll take a lack of productivity in tough conditions because I do more finish grade work and second: putting teeth on a 4 in 1 bucket allows you to tear into rock and heavy conditions a lot easier, which I believe shortens the life of the bucket itself as you feel you can take on anything with the teeth and at $4K I wanted that bucket to last as long as possible. Best bucket setup for skid steer is definately a 4 in 1 as a general purpose bucket with a smooth lip and a standard or heavy duty bucket with teeth for hard conditions.

Oh yeah, feel free to PM me with any other questions you might have.

[finance2999]

Just a warning on those tracks. They will work great, but they add extra stress to your drive motors, and drive chains. Unfortunatly if you stretch your drive chains using them, you can't adjust them on the Bobcat.

[bobbyg18]

scag, a few more months i think I'll be ordering a combo bucket...every job i wished i had one

finance, any precautions to take to prevent the extra stress of the tracks?

[finance2999]

Keep up with your general maintenance and use them as little as possible. If you find yourself needing them for more than half of your sites, maybe check into an MTL/CTL.

[Scag48]

Also, take care when pushing into piles. The tracks will not allow the tires to spin like they would if there weren't tracks on them, which throws a shock load on the drive system. Just use common sense and you'll be fine.

[patpls]

BobbyG, wondering how you feel about your tracks now that the season has ended?

[bobcat_ron]

How's the ride over hard surfaces?

[YellowDogSVC]

the tracks are mclaren protrac with rubber pads...i used them today...they were awesome, great traction...i would have never been able to work today without them...the job was a backyard excavation for a patio but it was extreme mud...im really psyched about them, they'll definately allow me to get in more work days

did you need spacers? I had to run spacers with loegering tracks on an s220.

[patpls]

bump Is bobbyg18 still around? Any comments on your tracks bobby?

[mrsops]

hey yellow how do you like the s220 i hear only good things about that machine

[bobbyg18]

im still here...i check in every few days...

the mclaren rubber ott are really good...they give so much more power and i have yet to get stuck w/ them on...i like them a lot...my jobs are all different and just about every job i need to travel over hard surfaces so the rubber does not tear up the asphalt / concrete etc...

there is a few drawbacks, they are a ***** to get on the first time...they are also extremely heavy...also not sure but a few ppl told me they put a lot of stress on the machine...

id like to know how much the shoes are bc mine are wearing pretty fast but that was bc i left them on too long this summer...

good luck

[RipT]

Hey Fieldman12...... did you ever buy any Thomas stock???

There may be a reason it is (was) selling for so little. I ordered a Model 1943 hyd sander/spreader in early September through Pollard in Kamloops, BC, and still do not have it, or even confirmation it has been built!

Maybe you can rattle their cage a bit for me???

Rip

[NEUSWEDE]

Bought the same tracks for my Gehl back in october after getting stuck in some sand (was a ocean side property)

I have about 20 hours on them and like them a lot. I can go places that in the past I would spin. I push a lot more. I don't like the feel over pavement very bumpy but I pull them off for pavement work.

[Fieldman12]

No RipT I never did buy any Thomas stock. I have been watching it and many others for a good while now. Last time I looked today it was down to .0015 cents a share. It stays dead for several weeks some times a month then it jumps up. Someone must be buying some all at once some where and then selling it.