Tracks may be the next purchase

[hipowerone]

We in the Champlain Valley of Vermont finally got a taste of winter over the past two days, really our first major storm. Snow began to fall yesterday about 10 AM and it came down hard and steady, a fine crystalline snow. It was basically all done by 9AM this morning. After all is said and done, I.E., snow stopped, and I got the snow cleaned out of the yard/drive and got my honey do list done, I took the MAX II out for a ride, to see how well it might handle in snow with just tires. Well, I can say with some authority, 9+ inches of well packed snow and a MAX II with just tires do not play well together. I made sure that my first test run in the snow was close to the garage and with plenty of pull/anchor points (trees). I do not think I got 8 feet into the stuff before the MAX II hung up on the tub. Luckily I could back out after 2 attempts. I can say with some certainty, I think a set of tracks are going to be my first major purchase.

[john swenson]

that's what happened to me years ago here in va. we would get a nice 8 to 12'' snow and i could'nt go anywhere in the max 2. spent lot's of time trying and remembering having to leave it till i could get help to get it back in the garage. the tracks sure are great when you need them. now i have them and we have yet to have a snow over 1'' so far this winter. and times running out !! johnboy va.

[Madtrapper]

Had my max iv with tracks out 2 weeks ago in knee deep snow. No issues and put on over 20 miles had a blast��. Tracks are definitely an asset ��

[Cannibal]

Yeah, tracks are where it's at, for sure! On my wish list for 2017.

I've got 50 acres to deal with and for the most part, have had success with my Max II. I just have to be sure to ride the trails during the snows and keep the path beaten down. I've got paths going to three barns, the woodshed, the root cellar, pump house, chicken coop, and garage. It would be nice to be able to crawl over the fluffy stuff, but it isn't so bad having an excuse to go play in the snow on my Max.

Sorry honey, I've got to go spin some circles in the pasture. It's a chore that simply has to be done.

[dwdog51]

Tracks are nice but they won't go everywhere either. With the Max Tracks on my Max IV, I've had problems climbing a steep snow covered hill where the snow was wet, starting to melt. My tracks would spin with little traction. I kept hitting it until finally I inched up to the top. Also had the same experience climbing a wet clay hill. The waffle tread on my tracks is lacking where tracks with cleats would do better. My tracks work well on deep snow in rolling hills & flats. I parked on a 6 ft drift, jumped out of the Max and sunk to my neck! They have pretty good flotation that way.

[ecrugby6]

Channel tracks in the snow and mud my friend, I tested several and many different terrains and channel tracks rocked in all except pavement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4otvIveMj0

[dwdog51]

Could a guy bolt pieces of angle iron to the tracks to make cleats on tracks? I think it would need to be bolted between the aluminum guides with steel plates to act as big washers. This would be for rubber Max Tracks with the shallow waffle tread pattern. What do you all think? Has anybody done it?

[tbone9]

I had trouble climbing hills too so I added some cleats. This may be over kill but I think angle iron would work fine as long as you make them the width of the track and taper the ends so it skid steers nice n easy. Bolt them on with elevator bolts. Since I added these I can go up steep hills and it turns easier. I only run these in snow and ice.

[dwdog51]

tbone9, Looks like you have the same tracks as I do. I looked at your cleats on your thumbnail pic., they look like they would work great. Where did you get your cleats? They look better than home made angle iron pieces. Also, did you make your own camo enclosure? It looks great!

[tbone9]

Thanks. I made them out of 1" UHMW and faced them off with 1 1/4" stainless. The cab is factory Max.

[dwdog51]

What is UHMW. Looks like square tube that you've tapered at the ends. I have a shop where I fab/weld alot but don't know this term.

[tbone9]

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. We use a lot of it at work so I was fortunate enough to get some off the scrap pile, hence the long and short cleats. I would've made them all long if I would've had enough.

[dwdog51]

Thanks for the come back on UHMW. I finally looked it up & found that is was polyethelene. That's what I purchased 1/4" thick, 8'x4'. That cost me $97. I cut it and made a top for my Max IV out of it. That's tuff stuff. I heated it with a heat gun and bent n angle in the front. I can imagine what a 1" piece would cost, enough to make cleats on my tracks. I need a source like you have.

[dwdog51]

I priced a 4'x8'x1" thick UHMW polyethylene sheet. For virgin, it was $475.00 and for recycled, it was $305.00. Won't be doing that soon! Maybe I'll run into another source. Seems like steel would hurt the asphalt road or cement driveway when ya skid steered. UHMW would be the best choice for sure and would probably take a little skid steering on hard surfaces. Winter's about over anyway, almost time to remove the tracks and 21" tires and install the 26" x 12" wheels and tires.

[dwdog51]

Removed my tracks yesterday. Greased the bearings, found a few problems I had to fix but got it. Installed the 26" tires and gave it a try. I have almost twice the power with the tires (no tracks). My max iv goes close to 35 MPH! Now I feel the power of the 27 HP Kawasaki engine. I wish the Max had better ground clearance due to all the rocks here in Fremont, Ut.