End all thread for the very tired topic....TRACKS pros and cons

[cdover73]

Jim, I appreciate the effort, but I'm actually in agreement with the other's posts. I would love to help put something like this together, but I am realizing what they are saying and that there may be too many variables to do it in one place. Or maybe I started out with the wrong concept or format?? Regardless, we may need to rethink the approach. It would be super nice to start creating stickys to address topics like this in all areas. I'm not sure if a poll would be better (who would come up with all the variables to pick from??) But if you (or anybody) can think of a better way to get all the info into one place without a lot of confusion then I'm all for it.

Everyone else - I really do understand and greatly appreciate your responses. I can't argue any of your points because I agree with all of them. I read back through and realized my reply to Buzz may have sounded a little defensive but it really wasn't meant to be. I hope nobody took it that way, especially Buzz. I was just trying to explain that this wasn't just another "answer my question" thread and that I recognize a need to try to start putting some good information in one place. Especially when local resources are as hard to come by as mine. Hopefully everyone realizes that now too. I already answered the question that I for one will not be buying tracks because I haven't found anything I can't go through now and don't want any extra unnecessary strain on my drivetrain. If had access to something like I was trying to do here then my research would have been more well-defined and I could have leveraged it to make a quicker and more decisive decision, even though that is my responsibility to make that choice and not rely solely on what others say, it would have been a wonderful tool to use. That would have been no different than all the searching and endless reading to come to the same conclusion. I'm not trying to be lazy about it, just trying to be productive with something new everyone could benefit from, that's all.

We can either delete this thread and start over or at least change the title so people don't click on it and be misled. But I look forward to seeing if takes off in the right format and creates something that everyone can benefit from!

Thanks all!

[philipatmaxfour]

I hope an "End all thread' on this subject is not possible due to inventiveness and technology. I remember when Super tracks were the best that you could get for an Argo. Like Plott Hound said, if you want to travel in an Argo in Ontario in the winter, you need tracks and despite the shortcomings rubber tracks are a huge improvement. Some of us want to believe that Argo will make a track that swims, Adair will make a track that does not need to make our machines so wide on the trail,in the snow. etc. etc. There has got to be more improvements coming .

[beagle man]

Cdover73, I think every one on the forum appreciates your spirit and can relate to your quagmire regarding tracks and pretty much any modifications we attempt to employ. I watched videos of amphibious vehicles for two years just to get the nerve to spend a large chunk on toy. Then it was tracks, now I have come full circle and spent a stupid amount on a new rig and as you can see from a recent thread, I'm in the hunt for tracks again. Welcome to the club and the forum, lots of great people out there,that said this is a madness we all share. Best of luck on your search.

[SHOTGUN]

I think a better thread would be for anyone who has tracks or tried various styles to list a couple of the best and worst features they have DIRECTLY experienced and nothing more. Then maybe how they normally use the machine. This would give people researching a good start on the key advantages and disadvantages while eliminating a lot of speculative opinions. Pricing is pretty easy to compare for anyone serious to find at the time of purchase. By speculative I mean everyone's unique needs, driving style and environment.

[JohnF]

1997 Argo Conquest supertracks
I hunt in the Colorado Rockies, hunt in the sandhills of NE, ice fish anywhere I can
They work well in most any kind of snow but if I bust through a crust layer with mealy snow underneath I will probably be stuck.
They slide on ice. Can be enough that the winds of SD can push it around a bit while parked. A guy with cleats on his boots can push it.
They work well in sand and rocky/hard pack surfaces that are rough.
They will slide on a solid smooth rock surface. Imagine the slick rock area of Utah.
They work well in vegetation that is not big - like sage flats/yucca fields/willows. I tried and pushed over an aspen tree once to see if it could. (Not sure what the riding mates thought of that... it's a bit destructive and not my normal off road habit)
I can get stuck trying to go over a big log as the track will not grip a log unless I pick a spot with jagged broken branched to grab.
I have metal ramps to the trailer and crawling up can get scary as the machine will slide.

I added the Argo ice cleats. The changes are:
Pretty much the places where I said it will slide have been fixed. Logs can still be a problem and the ramps aren't wide enough to catch the cleats but ice is no longer an issue. I suspect a big smooth rock might still be an issue.
I fixed the ramp issue by making a couple boards that fit the ramp and have bolts sticking up for the tracks to grab.

They are heavy and take up a lot of space when not on the machine.

I have some BKT knobby tires that I use and like when there is no snow to about 8-10 inches. After that I use the tracks.

[hipowerone]

Just my two cents.

Until there is a Consumer Reports or Gun Tests for both AATV's and Tracks for AATV's, I think that the possibility for a unbiased comparison for either AATV's or Tracked AATV's or tracks for AATV's will never be found. However, CDOVER73 is on to something, SHOTGUN made a good point, and I think that the post by JOHNF pretty much hits the nail on the head. Describe your locale, the terrain that you normally encounter that works or does not work with tracks, the machine that you have, and the tracks that you use. Then list the pros, cons as you see them and add any changes you might or have made to overcome obstacles. All that combined per post would really hit home.

I also have been doing "legwork" regarding tracks. And like CDOVER73, I have read nearly every track post on this forum looking for answers. Like some others, I live in an area where there are not a lot of "visible" AATV's so I have no one that I can go to to either see or ask about tracks. There is not even a local dealer. While Canada is just to our North, driving up there to ask questions is just a bit out of the question. However, if some of our "Northern friends" and others around the world might like to chime in like JOHNF did, it might be the start of something good. I know that tracks are not cheap. I just do not want to invest money into a set of tracks only to find out that the make/style I purchase will not work on my machine for my intended purpose. And as has been pointed out, with all the other variables, "one size is not going to fit all". So maybe the posts/threads might at some point be broken out or moved to sub threads such as tracks on Argos, MAX, etc.

[SHOTGUN]

Thanks JohnF for the good post. I guess it is my turn seeing that it was my idea.

2012 Argo 8x8 Avenger with Chanel Tracks with Flexco hinges, 3" spacers and tuners, full cloth Cab, alternator kit, 4700lb Warn winch, 3.3 tranny, Heat tires. I use the Argo most in Snow past 1' for making firewood and clearing bush for fence lines, also ice fishing. In summer and fall a little bit of swamp and muskeq riding plus hunting.

Pros:
Gear Reduction for pulling, turning, and crawling in tricky situations
Easy turning
climbs timber well, will climb over logs as long as the grouser touches the log before the tub
good traction in all conditions used so far
tub clearance, my argo had a ROPS on previously and is sagged slightly, I have zero clearance issues
does not chew up the lawn unless you are aggressively driving
With heat tires I have never had a track slip yet ( the tread engages the open grouser like gears to chain, my track sag is set to 2-2.5")
Adaptable, I can add a winter kit, extra angle iron for traction, Buzz swim mod for swimming ect.

Cons:
Gear reduction, loss of top speed down a road or smooth trail
A little clunky on hard pack as each grouser comes in contact with the hard surface at slower speeds
Do not swim at all
Less initial flotation compared to a flat closed track for thin ice with no snow on it
Chanel grouser will fill void with snow/ice/dirt sometimes but not past the leading or following steel edge
Overall width increased for tight maneuvering

That is all I can think of for now and will add more later if I think of it. The Tuners work great, one note though, I had to reset the bearing clearance when they broke in as they had gained a lot of free play. The Flexco hinges made a huge difference in how the track turns at high speed and in cold weather, also ease of track removal.

[ARGOJIM]

hipowerone I believe member tattooman is to your left in NY.

[hipowerone]

ARGOJIM. thanks. He appears to be about 3+ hours away, but may try and contact him regarding his current tracks.

[ARGOJIM]

I believe he has experience with 2 types of tracks on a 2 and his friend has a iv with tracks.