belts?

[Skipholiday]

if your worried about a belt breaking or slipping on a hpx or xuv that has a clutch enclosure i wouldn't atleast not with the johndeere hpx's and xuv's. sorry if i was misunderstood.

Agreed
I'm not sure how this topic got so off track with tracks.
The op asked Is the RTV the only vehicle out there that doesn't use a belt in its drivetrain?
Yes as far as I know. Sorry for being involved in your thread going astray..

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

tracks would be awesome on a hpx or xuv that is if they didn't have that high price tag. the plus side over the tracks verses the migger tiresw is the tracks have a gear reducer in it so you loose top end speed but you gainspme low end torque..plus the ground coverage wood be great . it would float right over them cane reed swamps/gumbo mud .

 

[mikeyd]

Thanks Skip, I did go to the message forum with the link you provided. Nothing about belt life with tracks per se, however, this was one owners description of tracks on a belt driven machine, this is a quote;

"You do need to be careful where you go. It will not climb steep slopes or even moderate slopes of much distance. Don't ride down steep slopes without knowing there is another way out. The problem is you don't have much speed (or power) and you will bog down on a steep slope and bury the vehicle up to the frame."

I wonder if a slipping belt from the strain of the tracks is the reason for the lack of adequate speed and power.

The other major problem as reported by these owners was the lack of power steering which made the tracks almost "impossible" to turn in some situations. The RTV comes standard with hydraulic power steering.

I did understand Tommy to say he didn't replace the belt because the machine wouldn't move at all, rather, he performs preventive maintenance when he notices the machine slowing down. I believe that the machine is slowing down because the belt is glazed and worn resulting in some degree of slippage.

According to Tommy , his manual calls for the belt to be replaced every 200 hours. Presumably that is norm for most of the belt driven machines and under normal use. Certainly,tracks would qualify as heavy use meaning the belt would, at the very least, have to be changed even more frequently. This begs the question I have been asking all along; can these belt driven machines realistically handle tracks? The quote above from an owner of a belt driven machine with tracks would suggest otherwise.

I do have to agree with Tommy that the reason Skip states he has never changed a belt is because he doesn't keep them long enough or consistently haul heavy loads. An owner of a farm would be hauling heavy loads all the time, plus my experience is that farmers buy a piece of machinery and keep it for a long time so belt life should be a concern. Probably why this thread was started in the first place.

 

[L_Nicholson]

Mikey you hit the nail on the head! Thanks! Yes farmers go into machinery with the intent to keep them until they die. I'm new at the whole farming thing and have learned a few lessons the hard way.

Water is an issue to me..... I have a creek that runs between the house and the barn. There have been times when the water across the concrete drive has been 18" or more of fast moving water and that creek is not the place to get stuck or have a belt start slipping.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

this is what you got to understand about the belts when they wear down they ride lower in the clutch and it will lower your speed it doesn't mean that the belt is slipping it just means that the belt is riding lower. just like if you was to take and put a wider belt on it the hpx would take off faster because the belt would be grabbing sooner plus it would increase the speed a little to sorta like changeing gear sprockets around .or a better way to look at it is when you swap out the belts to another size pulley on your drill press the bit turn faster but has less torque but if you put it on a pulley that turns slower it has more torque and turns slower.the same thing happens with the belts thats why i say i can still put my old belts back on and use them and they will not slip but i do loose high end speed if i do because the belt has worn down a bit and rides lower in the clutch than the new one.

Thanks Skip, I did go to the message forum with the link you provided. Nothing about belt life with tracks per se, however, this was one owners description of tracks on a belt driven machine, this is a quote;

"You do need to be careful where you go. It will not climb steep slopes or even moderate slopes of much distance. Don't ride down steep slopes without knowing there is another way out. The problem is you don't have much speed (or power) and you will bog down on a steep slope and bury the vehicle up to the frame."

I wonder if a slipping belt from the strain of the tracks is the reason for the lack of adequate speed and power.

The other major problem as reported by these owners was the lack of power steering which made the tracks almost "impossible" to turn in some situations. The RTV comes standard with hydraulic power steering.

I did understand Tommy to say he didn't replace the belt because the machine wouldn't move at all, rather, he performs preventive maintenance when he notices the machine slowing down. I believe that the machine is slowing down because the belt is glazed and worn resulting in some degree of slippage.

According to Tommy , his manual calls for the belt to be replaced every 200 hours. Presumably that is norm for most of the belt driven machines and under normal use. Certainly,tracks would qualify as heavy use meaning the belt would, at the very least, have to be changed even more frequently. This begs the question I have been asking all along; can these belt driven machines realistically handle tracks? The quote above from an owner of a belt driven machine with tracks would suggest otherwise.

I do have to agree with Tommy that the reason Skip states he has never changed a belt is because he doesn't keep them long enough or consistently haul heavy loads. An owner of a farm would be hauling heavy loads all the time, plus my experience is that farmers buy a piece of machinery and keep it for a long time so belt life should be a concern. Probably why this thread was started in the first place.

 

[Skipholiday]

Kubota RTV 1100 24.8hp ac/ps hydrotrans (3 wheel drive) weight 2469lbs top speed 25mph msrp $17,000
Ranger 700XP 40hp cv trans (all wheel drive) weight 1185lbs top speed 50mph msrp $10,500
Rhino 700 42hp cv trans (all wheel drive) weight 1124lbs top speed 41mph msrp $10,500
XUV gator 620i 23hp cv trans (all wheel drive) weight 1383lbs top speed 30mph msrp $9,499
Check out the weigh vs. hp of each machine.
A machine that weighs over a ton needs to have power steering.
Add power steering to any of the other utvs for around $800

 

[L_Nicholson]

What are people REALLY paying for those machines though? And is the RTV 900 in that class comparison?

 

[Skipholiday]

What are people REALLY paying for those machines though? And is the RTV 900 in that class comparison?

With John Deere you can usually take 10% off msrp.
To the best of my knowledge the rest stay pretty close to msrp. (Yamaha cut me no slack on my rhino)
The rtv 900 is in the same class. It's also 3 wheel drive (compared to all wheel drive) 21hp and weighs 1808lbs.
RTV's are the heaviest of all utv's.

 

[L_Nicholson]

I imagine Deere won't budge around here and Yamaha... well they are about the same from what I here around here.

I HATE buying machinery at the dealers and I'm sure they sense it when I walk in the door. I usually end up buying something used with low hours because I can't stand them.

I understand they need to make a little money too... but around here it is pretty bad.

 

[TWO GUNS]

Brought mine up to the grain elevator a few months ago. Total weight of my RTV 900, loaded completely out with everything you could imagine.
Total : 2120 lbs.

A Total Workhorse !!!!! Built like a Tank !!! Amazing Machine !!!