New Adair 18.5 inch belted snow and ice tracks

[foxvalley]

[QUOTE=mightymaxIV;143594]Another very cool video Foxvalley, perhaps you can get your wife to walk along side the Argo and film those bogs like she did last year, those were some very cool videos


Thanks Dan. Also for setting up the video the right way. Great idea getting Gail out there. I can post last years video,along with this years,and compair the two.
I do have a problem with this set up................ I can't get it stuck...............

[Buzz]

That sounds like tons of fun if you ask me!
I know people keep getting hung up on this and believe that certain tracks "destroy you machine" but that is just baloney. Tracks with high inner friction, sure, but that's not the case with all tracks.
Popping is not a byproduct of an elevated belt-design track. Increased "power-requirement" of the center tires....is. The design also provides gear reduction and ensures that the center tires will always be "seen" by the chains as the "largest". (unlike a rubber track whose tires may loose enough pressure to alter tire diameter enough that the centers are no longer the "biggest") You don't want chain tension in the wrong place.
Loose chains open the door to "popping." Whenever there is an increased load on the top of the chain (going forward) it opens the door for increased "slack" in the bottom of the chain. If the chains are loose enough (stretched/old, tensioners have no range of motion left), the chain can skip a tooth. This process can repeat itself multiple times if the heavy load requirement is maintained (usually when climbing and aggressively maneuvering/turning). This "exact SAME" thing can happen when running just tires. An elevated belt track design does not cause this. Instead, the center tires are required to slip in a "forward" direction faster than the track is moving over them (also in a forward direction). In a way they are helping to drive the track, although some of this power is lost to "peeling-out" friction. An important point is that the tires increase their rotational speed compared to the track "in the same direction." My diesel machine has newer chains and does not "pop" at all...zero....when running escargo steel tracks and NO track tuners. My gas machine has noticeable stretch in the rear chains (I should replace or remove a link) and have noticed occasional "pops" even when running just tires. I've even noticed it when running track tuners (completely eliminating the rotational speed difference of the center axles).
Essentially the center tires when wrapped with an "elevated belt" track, rotate in the track as if they were "bigger in diameter" than the front/rear tires. This is very similar to the Argo-approved method to "index" tires for optimal performance and protection against adverse wear on drive components (largest tires in the center). Doing this keeps the high "tension" in top of the chains and "away" from the underside (where the tensioners are). Fortunately the tires can slip very easily over the smooth/rounded profile of the inner crosser. Now disconnecting the center drive axles undoubtedly frees additional horsepower and improves fuel consumption, but isn't mandatory with a gear-reduction design.

[mightymaxIV]

Another very cool video Foxvalley, perhaps you can get your wife to walk along side the Argo and film those bogs like she did last year, those were some very cool videos!

[rockrewls]

I would love a video demonstration of 2 non hdi argos loaded with 1000lbs and traveling and turning in various condition including pure bog water etc. with escargo vs belted adair tracks
Another question I have is why do escargo tracks need (adair track tuners) if they are designed supposedly so well???? I have heard them operate without track tuners and the popping noises are horrible!!!

[Buzz]

cool. Thanks for taking the time to shoot, edit, and upload. Sometimes it's hard not to end up with a video that's too long.

[foxvalley]

Thanks bigbuck,comments like this make it all worth while for me!

This next video may seem a little tame, but this is actually a very difficult place to run,as this ditch is 4-6 feet deep, and full of large floating bogs,also the video is heavily edited,as it started as a 15 min. clip. I would also like to add that at no time while making this did I ever even come close to getting stuck. Last year with the older style tracks this was an extremely difficult run. Hope you enjoy it.

in the ditch 2013 argo 750 HDI - YouTube

[bigbuck]

CANT WAIT!!!!

[foxvalley]

One of the ditches has unthawed,and I spent some time going up and down the ditch,the same ditch that I had struggled with last spring.The other set of tracks that I ran last year got me thru, but there were time that I had to back up and get unstuck.
There is none of that this year!,The large floating bogs,the size of car tires,are now being grabbed by the steel cleats, and are being used as leverage to propell me forward. What is happeneing is there is so much more flex to the belt that the long cleats are attached to that the cleats are now acting like "fingers" and are able to independantly grab much better,giving me all the traction I need.
Also,being in the ditch,that the unit is not touching bottom on,and coming out sideways is just as effortless,there is just so much traction with this track setup.
I should have video of this later today.

[foxvalley]

Thanks Buzz, I enjoyed watching the last video posted on your thread also,very deep snow!
Sounds like we are both having fun,the most important thing.

[Buzz]

sounds like fun. I'm looking forward to more videos.

[foxvalley]

Just went for a ride yesterday in my swamp,still have ice, frozen ground under about a foot of water. The cleats are very aggressive in this type of condition, and was like driving on pavement,no slip on the icy surface under the water.
Chomping at the bit,as I want to dump into the deep holes that I created last year in the swamp,and where, in a couple of them I was getting stuck.
Looking forward to making more vid,as I should have some cool stuff to post after the thaw in a couple days.
Sure do love the new setup!

[foxvalley]

now thats the video ive been waiting for.those are the tracks i need for the winter conditions i deal with.which tracks are those foxvalley?

This is Tims new belted track with the belted long cleat kit attached.Since I was down there helping build these tracks,I decided to also add the short cleat kit in between the long cleats.It adds more traction,and smooths out the ride.

[plott hound]

now thats the video ive been waiting for.those are the tracks i need for the winter conditions i deal with.which tracks are those foxvalley?

Here is just one more video,simular to one I posted earlier,but I think this one is needed as to show that in shallow water, when the back of the tracks can touch bottom,these tracks/cleats will walk up on the ice everytime. You will notice that the argo is actually floating as it swims up to the ice,then the cleats hook in and bring the back down hitting bottom,thus creating the needed traction to propell the unit forward,and up onto the ice.

Oops,after watch the video again,it doesn't seem that the back of the tracks are touching at all.There might be ice under the tracks gaining traction that way.I could use some input as to what you guys think.shallow water ice walk out 3 - YouTube

[Moosetalker]

Right on Foxvalley.
Thanks for posting your thoughts and the video's I really enjoyed watching them.
Those tracks are the cats behind for sure seems a lot of good track designs and test vids surfacing at this time.

[mightymaxIV]

This is with out a doubt the most impressive video I have ever seen pertaining to the capabilities of a tracked Argo HDI, wow Foxvalley, another great video!