Prior to Thursday, I had very little experience with rubber-tracked machines other than occasionally running one for a few minutes. People tell me that rubber tracked machines get a lot of work done, but will be much more expensive to operate than a wheeled machine.
Before I forget, it is my understanding that Cat has been gradually increasing its ownership of ASV. Cat now owns 24%, I understand. That is why you see the sharing of components.
I ran a Cat 277 for the first time on Thursday. This was the first time that I spent much time running a rubber tracked machine. I fell in love with it. It was really smooth to operate. Both the ride as well as the controls were smooth. Plus, the machine felt much smaller than it really is. I was using the 277 for a while and then realized...Hey, I feel really comfortable on this thing but I'm not accustomed to its larger physical dimensions or its hand controls! That made an impression on me.
Regarding track wear, I haven't heard a lot about one brand versus another. The Cat 277 that I ran had a little over 700 hours on it. It was a unit from a Cat Rental Store. The tracks obviously didn't have much love, but they were far from worn out.
By the way, I talked to a contractor on Thursday who now owns his third Cat rubber-tracked machine. He said that he wouldn't go back to wheels. I watched him run the machine, he was a good, smooth operator. He gets good life out of his tracks, I'm sure.
I have read articles in two construction equipment magazines on rubber tracked machines in the last six months. Both articles said that the cost per hour for a wheeled skid steer will be about $1/hr. Rubber tracked machines will be about $3-4/hr. Big difference, but...
There are some elements which are very difficult to determine, like:
* How does a wheeled machine compare to a tracked machine in the same jobsite conditions? The tracked machines will typically get a lot more done and get stuck a lot less.
* How many working days will a wheeled machine complete versus a tracked machine due to wet weather? There are some days that you have to leave a wheeled machine parked.
People I have talked to say that if you are doing dirt work, buy the tracked machine. You may also want to look into the Loegering Versa-Track which allows you to convert a wheel machine to a rubber tracked machine. Pretty slick system.
Sorry that I can't tell you much about the Bobcat track life. I ran a Bobcat T200 and didn't like it. Too rough riding and I couldn't get comfortable with it. Cat and ASV really have an advantage with the suspended track.
Here are some more rubber-tracked options:
Takeuchi, Gehl, & Mustang are all the same rubber tracked machine except for paint and the dealer. Deere, Case, and New Holland have brand-new tracked machines that should be hitting showrooms about any time.