AK Bush Tracks alongside Argo Factory Rubber Tracks

[Buzz]

If this is allowed. Hope everyone had a great weekend! We were in the rain😊

https://youtu.be/bKNVKIllrLQ

[plott hound]

great comparo,no contest there buz.

[onlyonce]

Looking good. I am sure that will help those trying to make a decision who may be on the fence.

[22savage]

the results speak for themselves. seeing is believing. Will you be shipping these tracks to Canada? a set of these with the winter extensions would be unbeatable year round.

[Buzz]

the results speak for themselves. seeing is believing. Will you be shipping these tracks to Canada? a set of these with the winter extensions would be unbeatable year round.

Yes, starting October- After hunting season winds down here locally. We’ll have Swim Paddles, extra belts (rarely necessary with standard extra wide track), and ice cleats. Free set up and install if local. No track tuners required with proper set up. Most tracks will be pre-drilled with a 2nd hinge location and overlapped with a double layer at this location so that any full length track can be split in the proper location. This will allow one half to be utilized as a half track over any set of axles on the machine for extra insurance in the bush. This way you will not be stopped by a broken corner axle/bearing failure, or loss of tire bead ect. The track is otherwise a run-flat design, but this will give it an extra layer of bush reliability. Local input and hard personal use over the years and seeing/repairing other track style failures on Alaska machines have fine tuned what we do, so it’s finally time. I’ll have additional videos comparing other track styles in various conditions, heavy machine loads, and flat tire (loose track) scenarios. We’ll highlight side effects in the bush that customers don’t usually see so that they can make fair comparisons. I once said I would never join facebook, but I did (even I have an open mind). Some initial content has been posted on the Alaska Bush Tracks LLC facebook page. I understand that’s the world we live in. We will have the website live in the near future as we move forward (alaskabushtacks.com). We will be offering other bush-specific fabrication work on these machines and sleds/wagons/tops, etc. As always I enjoy input and questions from anyone and everyone. I’ll try to monitor fairly often. Jeff (ak buzz)

[john swenson]

well .. a moving picture '' tells a thousand words '' . those tracks really perform well . i guess there was'nt much point in filming all the times the other machine had to be pulled out . thanks for taking the time to make the film , really enjoyed it . johnboy va.

[Buzz]

yes, a couple times I managed to eventually back out, but it took forever and a day (and a ton of rocking/steering/on/off theottle), most of the time even this would not work (and not much weight in machine). Here’s a short video showing the downside to moveable tire guide tips on unlevel terrain. This is an empty machine mind you.

https://youtu.be/FrN6YbEqYZU

[mightymaxIV]

Buzz, of course it is allowed, I have been doing comparisons for YEARS!!! You know you hate to hurt feelings but I seen what Rubber tracks with 1 1/2 inch cleats do in the mud (as you can see in my video-they get stuck). I have seen rubber tracks and Argo factory plastic tracks-they suck in the mud! They have there place in snow but as I have said for years they are HARD TO TURN, they are hard on your chains, they are hard on you sprockets, they are hard on your bearings and as seen in your video they can be extremely hard on your tub!!!!!

So everyone has a right to know before they spend their hard earned bucks on an expensive set of factory tracks!!!!!! Watch the videos yourself!!!

Alright, so if you are offended I would rather offend you than have your spend your hard earned bucks on something that does not work well!

[Buzz]

Thanks for that Dan, (I agree), but some folks get upset, especially those that may run that particular style of tracks. You have driven these machines a lot so I know you understand. There’s no way to truly show the limitations of a particular track style without showing how to quickly defeat it. I can show owners of that track style what conditions and situations to AVOID. Problem is, many folks have never run any other style of tracks, and their factory tracks tracks have worked fine for them in THEIR narrow field of conditions, so they don’t understand why the track’s limitations in other conditions in the bush should be pointed out. I will always share my experiences good or bad so that others can avoid the pitfalls I have avoided over the years hunting and doing true long range, loaded, (no trail) bushwacking to get wherever I need to go. Some folks are happy running the same old trail or route out to the cabin over unchallenging flat snow conditions or relatively flat wet grassy conditions with mild mud. These folks (in my opinion) are doing nothing more than using their machines as glorified side-by-sides. Funny part is, over time they’ll all figure it out, and chances are we would probably be pretty goid friends once we understood the other’s perspective. For years, I have had people tell me to post videos of all this stuff, and I have always tried to be the nice guy. But the best way to help people is to compare apples to apples in the worst conditions (the conditions that challenge argos and tracks). Anything else is just pointless and will end up causing many people to suffer varying levels of disappointment over their dealer recommended set ups (especially if they’re all facebook buddies). If those folks are happy running around on flat terrain that is mildly challenging, then I am happy for them. I am not trying to piss in their punch bowl, I am trying to help DIFFERENT folks altogether figure out the short route to what works in the bush if you’re loaded heavy, want to go through any conditions, and do not want to be stopped by challenging terrain or leaky tires. So, the gloves are off. I know I’ll make more friends in tge adventure than enemies, but I have a feeling even they will come around. After all, some of my good friends today used to butt heads with me, so we’re a lot alike. I’ll say this, I’ve always enjoyed the back and forth on this site. In the end everyone benefits!

[john swenson]

buzz and dan , you have summed it up well . who ever buys one of the machines will have different uses for it. some just putting around on easy trails etc. some on flat terrain snow , and so on. for those looking to get thru the most challenging terrain and conditions ... maybe carrying lots of gear or pulling a trailer etc. folks like yourself have experimented extensively will all kind of setups and have much knowledge to share . you can't beat that . so hopefully before spending money on tracks , folks will research this site and then can make the best choices for their needs . i love it. johnboy va.

[Buzz]

https://youtu.be/-sOPel3WaHM

I had some comments on a few Facebook argo groups claiming that more air would help the factory tracks and that “they work just fine.” I hope that folks at least understand when to be cautious with this particular track, especially if they are more adventurous than some of the flat landers that are able to run the flat rubber track so long as they avoid water and go around the worst mud holes. For the rest of us that enjoy carrying a hunting camp/animal and enjoy prospecting around (making our own trail if wanted), and going up, over, and around mountain drainages if necessary, we’ll be content knowing that we don’t have to worry about damaging our tires, tub, or simply driving out of the track when the going gets hairy (even when tires have high air pressure). The flat rubber track in this video had 6, 7, 7, 6.5 psi front to rear and couldn’t make it 15 feet on this side hill. And the hill gets worse the farther you go. Just for illustration. I’ve been on far worse way out in Timbuktu.

[trapperjack]

Nice looking track. I been running the adair track on my 2018 outfitter. At 2500 kilometers I broke almost all the deck screw fasteners on the outside of the track. Also where the belting goes thru the guide the belting gets torn due to the edges of grouser not being radiused. Mike at adair was great and worked with me and sent me new and improved set. 2,400 kilometers later the belting is tearing again. That's 2 sets of tracks in 3.5 years at a big expense and not so nice response from Mike this time . Are your grousers radioused where there bolted to the track if nthe belting will tear. I put a lot of hrs and miles on these machines with tracks 6,900 kilometers in 3.5 years and don't want this to happen to you and your great looking track design. Thanks jack.

[Buzz]

Hi Jack,
Zero issues with our design.
I have seen several folks have the same thing happen with your same tracks. Sometimes we’ve been able to repair them with replacement screws (yuck), other times the guide has been totally missing. I think the majority of recreational users will be fine if they avoid certain conditions (I know that’s a compromise). I think it is probably from ice cleats being added and the track being used onnon-winter conditions where the ground is sticky. Or sidehills. (my opinion), I feel like your problem is because your track has moveable guide tips. They get their stability simply from the tension in the belt. But with heavy machines or uneven ground and sidehills, the guides will be pushed over easily which puts tremendous pressure on the belting/screw(grk I believe), and it breaks. There is a small section of plastic that remains (shy of the guide being machined totally off, before it is assembled and screwed back together. For most folks it is a robust enough design, but you need to travel on the same relatively flatlander style terrain that Factory rubber track users do to avoid tire guide problems. Heavy loads, and especially ice cleats on that design are problematic on soft ground, ruts, and sidehills. And air pressure must remain high. The Adairs will turn easier in certain conditions that the factory rubber and will go better in mud. Just be careful in certain conditions. There are many customers that do just fine.

I know exactly (trust me) what you are talking about. FYI, we have been building and modifying our AK Bush track style for years (input not only from our use, but hard charging hunters and workers)fine tuning shape/profile, metal vs plastic, hybrids, traction enhancers, swim paddles slip load/tuners vs not. We have never torn a belt in any thickness (currently 4-ply 500 series made-in-USA), our guide tips are fixed position and cannot be pushed over. The grousers centipede around corner treads, unlike flat tracks whose guide tips compress towards the center of corner rims. Our belting does not take the same leveraged/twisting stress that belts on the ground-level suffer. Not to mention our belting is elevated off the ground. We’ve got lots of foljs who are fed up with moveable tire guide tip tracks (while others have not had problems). Some people ride the same oil trail into the cabin or group ride to the glacier, so flatlander tracks do just fine, and theyre happy. The people that bushwack and hunt hard, they always end up calling me for repairs on their flat tracks, or to just swap them out altogether for a bush track. Just depends on your needs. I’m fixing up another Argo metal hinge for a gentleman at the moment. Some of them tear out altogether. Another guy just replaced 70 tire guides. It’s always more time and maintenance repairs year after year (if you use your machine hard). Some do not.
A bush track is designed to solve the typical side effects and problems that hard use and crappy conditions cause flat tracks to suffer. If you haven’t suffered these problems, then the areas you use your tracks do not require bush tracks.
When I send a current track out the door, I donworry about a single thing, and I know I won’t have to for a long time, even if the customer does all the wrong stuff with their machine, air pressure, or driving style. It is designed for the worst of the worst.
Not intended to offend. I’ll have more comparison videos coming up, but on or around Sept 1 it is always crazy up here. All the procrastinators decide to sh*t or get off the pot��

[trapperjack]

Thanks. Im am an extreme hard core argo rider. Did you try these on the bigger conquest outfitter argo yet there alot heavier. Im interested in your track r you going to ship to the lower 48 states. I'm in upper Michigan.

[Buzz]

yes, starting Oct/Nov hopefully. We have used our tracks a lot with heavy machines (Diesel Mudd-Oxs) and heavily loaded machines over all terrain types. Feel free to PM or call whenever you need to chat 907-354-5319