In my 9 years of experience i have found tracks to be great things for less marks in the grass and is doesn't compact as much as the weight is evenly spread but also with the tracks you need to keep them cleaned out and tighten which isn't hard but more on the preventive maintenance end of it. That is all for my $.02.

 

so the tracks have less disturbance in grass than the tires no matter what conditions.

thnaks DBF

 

as soon as you want to move with tires that little area will grip that grass and just pull on it where the tracks will take the whole area of track and move the machine and not spin out.

 

It really depends on the operator as much. I could tear up a lawn by doing a complete 360 or i could make a very wide turn a do little damage. you can also do the forward and reverse turn where you just keep drive up and back while turning nice and easy at the same time. A wheel machine on wet grass will tear it up quicker than a track machine will. But all in all it just depends on how many times you have to track or drive over the area before it's destroyed.
Rubber tracks on concrete or asphalt don't really mix very good. you'll see just how much rubber is on the ground after you drive on concrete. As much as those tracks cost I never run mine on concrete or asphalt unless it is to load the machine on a trailer. that's it though.

 

It really depends on the operator as much. I could tear up a lawn by doing a complete 360 or i could make a very wide turn a do little damage. you can also do the forward and reverse turn where you just keep drive up and back while turning nice and easy at the same time. A wheel machine on wet grass will tear it up quicker than a track machine will. But all in all it just depends on how many times you have to track or drive over the area before it's destroyed.
Rubber tracks on concrete or asphalt don't really mix very good. you'll see just how much rubber is on the ground after you drive on concrete. As much as those tracks cost I never run mine on concrete or asphalt unless it is to load the machine on a trailer. that's it though.

did you get a new set of tracks for your 150?

 

Tracks are much better on grass than tires. Go to youtube and type in "ASV turf". It amazes me how gentle those turf tracks are.

 

as soon as you want to move with tires that little area will grip that grass and just pull on it where the tracks will take the whole area of track and move the machine and not spin out.

so tires rip up that little area while the tracks slide over the grass?

 

Tracks are much better on grass than tires. Go to youtube and type in "ASV turf". It amazes me how gentle those turf tracks are.

i saw that when i was looking for information. that amazes me too. do they have those for bobcat?

 

i saw that when i was looking for information. that amazes me too. do they have those for bobcat?

Nope. I think ASV is the only one who offers a track like that as far as I've seen. I'm pretty sure they have a patent on their undercarriages and their tracks.

 

i saw that when i was looking for information. that amazes me too. do they have those for bobcat?

You cant get ASV tracks for a bobcat as far as I know, there is a company out there that makes a track that is similar to the ASV track pattern. As for what type of trackloader will be better on grass and an MTL will be the easiest on it, it wont rut up like a CTL will. Ron has pics posted some where around here of where he had tracked hauling mulch or something of that sort in his yard. (I really hate to admit that since I am a bobcat fan but its the truth)

 

junior im going to guess and say thet are talking about the green turf tracks, not what you are talking about.

 

junior im going to guess and say thet are talking about the green turf tracks, not what you are talking about.

Nope, he speaks the truth, 10 trips, wet lawn with 1700 pounds of wet mulch on a modified fork/military shipping crate:

 

how much damage would have tires done?

thanks for all your help so far

 

With a bobcat that wouldve been rutted up as H#LL! I think I would have had to find something else to get it up there if it was my yard and all I had was a bobcat.

And I was just guessing about that video, using context clues considering the video was named ASV something, (I just forgot)

 

how much damage would have tires done?

thanks for all your help so far

I did that same stretch of lawn with my 753 before 2003, twice as many trips in the Summer, and I was stock piling dirt from mole hills to fill in the ruts.

 

so it sounds like most of you guys would recomend tracks over tires for grass huh.

 

Here's the thing about tracks and tires on grass. Tracks provide less ground pressure, however, there is much more track on the ground that will physically tear the grass to pieces. The tracks will have less impact on the soil below the grass, which to me is much more important. Once you start making ruts, not only is the grass screwed beyond belief, but now you have ruts to fix. To me, tracks are a lesser of two evils but only if operated smartly. Since there is more track on the ground, when making a turn you chew up a much larger area. Like I said, the grass will come back, it's more important for me not to make ruts, that costs you twice.

You can see in Ron's pics that just the grass itself is toast. Throw down some seed and let it grow back. Now imagine ruts and the joyous task of fixing them.

 

no those are not the style of tracks considered "turf tracks" asv is the only manufacture to make them. this is the track.....

 

Here's the thing about tracks and tires on grass. Tracks provide less ground pressure, however, there is much more track on the ground that will physically tear the grass to pieces. The tracks will have less impact on the soil below the grass, which to me is much more important. Once you start making ruts, not only is the grass screwed beyond belief, but now you have ruts to fix. To me, tracks are a lesser of two evils but only if operated smartly. Since there is more track on the ground, when making a turn you chew up a much larger area. Like I said, the grass will come back, it's more important for me not to make ruts, that costs you twice.

You can see in Ron's pics that just the grass itself is toast. Throw down some seed and let it grow back. Now imagine ruts and the joyous task of fixing them.

The roots were still intact, the grass grew back, and there are no signs I was there.

 

What happens with tire on wet grass it spins can you imagine working a wheeled skid on grass. A wheeled skid starts to bounce then the weight transfers to 1-2 tires so they start to dig in.

The only other option you have is a small backhoe with turf tires.

 

wow i never thought that this would be such a hard decision. thanks for all your help so far guys. i'm not sold on which one would be better but i guess it depends on the job. if you have any more opinions they are greatly welcome.

thanks DBF

 

did you get a new set of tracks for your 150?

Yep right at 700 hours the flipping cleats ripped out of the track leaving the machine stranded about 1/8th of a mile in the woods down a narrow sewer line path with no way to get the machine out. so we had to replace the tracks on site along with a couple rollers. Tracks were $1500 each and you have to replace the sprockets at the same time at around $300 each and rollers are $400 each... merry Christmas!

We have now found a new place that sells these replacement tracks for a much lower price than the dealer.

Here are a few pics

 

1500 isnt really a bad price, what price did you get that was better then that?

 

Tracks all day if you don't work on much pavement. How you distribute your weight is key in landscaping. It's been said already in this thread, but I'll say it again to further solidify the point being made. Tire machines leave ruts from poor weight management. They have their advantages in certain respects; but peoples yards are out of the question.

If you rotate your tracks and sprockets periodically while keeping the machine in dirt they'll last you up to and beyond 3000 hours. Use a track machine on pavement and you'll be lucky to get 1000 hours out of them.

I hope this helps your decision making process.

 

yes it does help me and i appreciate all your help. we are 50-50 for the gras and pavement. so i guess we should stick with the tires huh

thanks again
DBF