Bobcat T320

[yellowdogsvc]

Do CTL's really extend your work season? I'm running a Bobcat s330 without tracks and thinking of trading up to a T320. My main concern is getting traction when mulching and doing grapple work. Texas had been in drought and now the water tables are up, the creeks are flowing and all of my sites are slick. Since I have to unload on pavement often, I don't want to go back to steel OTT tracks. My main concern is being able to work after a rain without making a muddy mess, leaving ruts, or tearing up the fields. Do CTL's provide that much flotation?

Thanks!!!!

 

[yellowdogsvc]

not one opinion??

 

[Cat_Driver]

Yes tracks will still tear up a field that痴 unavoidable. Yes tracks float more than tires. Yes they leave less of a mark going over land than tires, but when you spin you turn into a plow. Yes they are great in mud as they float over the mud.

This says it all

YouTube - ASV SR80 in the mud

 

[GATC35]

This is a tough question. It all depends on what you are doing. I have ran my T-190 with a 5 ft brush cutter in the woods after a rain with no problems. The cut material along with pine needles, leaves, vines, brush, etc. tend to protect the ground and not make a muddy mess. This would probably hold true to mulching also. Now if your moving dirt, or digging out dirt, you are going to be making lots of mud. The CTL will have better flotation than a conventional skid steer so you won't be getting stuck. Keep in mind your not going to cross a damp lawn with a CTL and not leave marks. Even going slow with slow gradual turns they are going to distort the surface. The maintenance costs on tracks, rollers, sprockets will also be allot higher than tires. Instead of a couple of hundred dollars for repairs your talking a couple of thousand. As far as the money goes to me the added amount of income would not justify trading a S330 for a T320. Of course they are variables there also with age, hours, trade in value and fiance charges.

My answer was clear as "mud" right? No pun intended.

To answer your question I would say "Yes", they do extend your work season to a small degree.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

I'm mostly looking for a way to work and get better traction when the ground is soft or I need to climb a bit higher. I find my s330 a bit tippy without all the counterweights (I removed some) and would was curious how well a CTL like a T320 would climb a grade where the soils may be soft. I mostly mulch with a CAT mulcher and carry large logs. I also run a tree shear and about 20-25% of my yearly jobs are driveways, ranch roads, grading, and compacting.

 

[GATC35]

Rent one and give it a try. Before I bought my T-190 I rented allot. I went to the local Takeuchi dealer looking one day and he gave me a one day rental free. I had bought stuff from him before so he knew I was serious about buying. In fact I tried 4 different types before I bought. I wound up with the T-190 because it was a great deal. I really wanted a CAT 287B with the joystick controls, it was way too much $$$.

 

[Rykolb]

tracks all the way! If you then want more traction you can pursachse steel cleats that bolt over the tracks and are removable. I have run these on our T320 for about 1000 hrs. You will have more traction than HP when you need it. Got ours from Skid Steer Attachments | Skid Steer Loader Equipment | Skid Steer Solutions