HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TRACKS FOR YOUR COMPACT TRACK LOADER.

Choosing the right rubber tracks promotes longevity and productivity for your compact track loader.

The first step is to consider your application your compact track loader will work in. Are you on construction sites doing every job that arises. Maybe you are always working on demolition projects tearing down structures and removing hardscapes. Snow removal can even be a tricky application to be productive in. Get help determining what track pattern and witch track manufactures products would work best for your application. Contact TractionsourceUSA.com to help find the right track for you.

The second step is to think about the terrain, weather or other variables that may affect your rubber track choice. Different tread patterns work better in different environments. If you need more traction, you will want a rubber track from the multi-bar family. If you are in an extreme application like sand, you will want a deep lug pattern track that works like a paddle. If you are on a hard surface, you will want a rubber track from the block family of tread patterns. The width of the rubber track also affects productivity. If you are a landscaper, you probably want flotation, so you are looking for the widest track possible to decrease your ground pressure. If you are a snow removal company, you need traction and ground pressure so the narrower the track the better the performance.

The third step is always double check your track size. The size of your track is always molded into the inside of your track. Manufactures of compact track loaders change track sizes sometime mid-production of a model. This track size change is usually not advertised. This change is usually to fix a problem or increase the machines’ productivity. The people who sell rubber tracks like TractionsourceUSA.com use your make and model to look up track fit not just size. There are different types of gauges and track guides that can be used to determine track fit. Typically, rubber track manufactures simplify this by having guides that tell salespeople what rubber track fits on what machine. Track size is made up of three basic numbers, width in millimeters x track pitch x number of links. An example of this is 450x55x86. The link and pitch number are not always displayed in the same order. The part number may also have other letters in with the numbers. This can describe the gauge or type of material the track is made from.

The fourth step is to study and find the rubber track that lowers your operating cost for your application. What rubber track features differentiates manufactures from each other. TractionsourceUSA.com website lists all the features of each track on their website. What will give you the best performance and longevity? Are the unique features you are looking for rubber compound, carcass design, tread pattern or maybe even cable technology?

TractionsourceUSA.com – Dave Langefels