What do people use to add excavator traction when it gets really wet?

[DiggerDan123]

I've seen a few different products around but keen to know what people have tried.

Anyone used either of these?
- Montana Track Claws | Traction for your Heavy Machinery
- Traction, stability and safety for tracked vehicles

Dan

 

[4570Man]

Those would make the excavator almost undrivable on pavement plus they’re going to make turning difficult if not impossible on solid ground. There’s a reason excavators have mild tracks vs the aggressive tracks on a dozer.

 

[bindian]

Excavator drive motors are not designed to handle the extra stress from the extra traction. That is why grouser pads are not very tall. Kinda like LPG tracks on dozers that contiually run on hard ground. Premature wear is what you get.
But since you are paying...............knock your socks off.
hugs, Brandi

 

[the old grind]

If you're working in 'mud' any tread style will 'load up' and seem intractable. IMO, there may not be a 'one-size-fits-all' this time.

My usual tactic is to take a day or two off and hope things dry out a bit. I wish everyone had that option.

 

[bindian]

My usual tactic is to take a day or two off and hope things dry out a bit. I wish everyone had that option.

That was what I did after I sled down the pond slope and the island stopped me. I had it pumped down to 3 feet, but muck came inside with me.
hugs, Brandi

 

[DiggerDan123]

Those would make the excavator almost undrivable on pavement plus they’re going to make turning difficult if not impossible on solid ground. There’s a reason excavators have mild tracks vs the aggressive tracks on a dozer.

Which one's? The claws or the bolt on grousers?

I can imagine driving on pavement or anything hard packed being really difficult.

If you've got a steeper gradient(say 20*) and the ground is loose or muddy, would having aggressive dozer tracks on an excavator be useful? or is that type of condition too dangerous?

 

[DiggerDan123]

If you're working in 'mud' any tread style will 'load up' and seem intractable. IMO, there may not be a 'one-size-fits-all' this time.

My usual tactic is to take a day or two off and hope things dry out a bit. I wish everyone had that option.

A few days off would be nice!

 

[DiggerDan123]

That was what I did after I sled down the pond slope and the island stopped me. I had it pumped down to 3 feet, but muck came inside with me.
hugs, Brandi

Glad you stopped Brandi, that would have been a scary slide

 

[4570Man]

Which one's? The claws or the bolt on grousers?

I can imagine driving on pavement or anything hard packed being really difficult.

If you've got a steeper gradient(say 20*) and the ground is loose or muddy, would having aggressive dozer tracks on an excavator be useful? or is that type of condition too dangerous?

Excavators have weak final drives compared to dozers. When you have those claws or grousers buried up in reasonably solid dirt it’s not going to turn. I’m sure it would drive on pavement fine but it’s going to destroy it where the factory tracks barley mark it.

 

[redman135]

My brother - in - law went for a slide in a 12 ton digger, he bailed, it rolled and did the engine. He was lucky. The stupid part is it was summer and he forgot the grass had dew on it.

 

[bindian]

Glad you stopped Brandi, that would have been a scary slide

Yeah, the island stopped me. The fresh clay marks on the end of the island are from the bucket. The boom kinda wrapped around the end of the island.

The cab corner slide down into the water and muck.

I was too shaken to get a photo of it stuck in the bottom. I just stepped out the door onto the island after sliding to a stop. It happens way fast.
hugs, Brandi

 

[johara1]

This quite a education, having ran excavators from little Bobcats to Cat 5230's for almost 50 years. If you worked on a pipe line you will see them with the same tracks as a dozer. When you say the finial drives are weak better look at the weight they are moving around. if you can't get around with excavator you won't get around with anything else..... jim

 

[johara1]

I should have added that if you don't know what you are doing, you shouldn't be in the seat..... jim

 

[Cataclysm]

To answer the post title you learn to use your bucket to help you move around. Thats what I see others do and that what I do.

To answer your post, no I've never seen those. I'd see about steel tracks with grousers if I was determined to go that route.

You are still going to need to learn to use your bucket to move around.

 

[mikester]

Not only use your bucket to move but make level "steps" as a work platform to operate on. Working on angles like that makes it tougher on your machine.

 

[johara1]

An excavator is made to dig lifting up, from the pics to dig out the island ?? I would have made a dry level spot and clean the the mud off between that island the dug any good dry dirt and filled it in hole I dried up and walked out on it and did my thing. If you have no dry dirt to set on you need matts or some trees to place under you. NO ONE will try to dig with a hoe down hill in the mud, you created your own hell. From the pics we have no idea what you were scratching around for and what you were trying to do...I would guess trying to remove the island? dressing up would be the last part, all you did was make more mud and a mess.
Hill billy pads are common place in steep hilly country, when you need shoulder harness to keep you in the seat. and you are tied off to a dozer with a winch thats in a nest. BTW that is what the eye is for on the track frame. You sure don't need any thing special for working flat.... jim

 

[bindian]

An excavator is made to dig lifting up, from the pics to dig out the island ?? I would have made a dry level spot and clean the the mud off between that island the dug any good dry dirt and filled it in hole I dried up and walked out on it and did my thing. If you have no dry dirt to set on you need matts or some trees to place under you. NO ONE will try to dig with a hoe down hill in the mud, you created your own hell. From the pics we have no idea what you were scratching around for and what you were trying to do...I would guess trying to remove the island? dressing up would be the last part, all you did was make more mud and a mess.
Hill billy pads are common place in steep hilly country, when you need shoulder harness to keep you in the seat. and you are tied off to a dozer with a winch thats in a nest. BTW that is what the eye is for on the track frame. You sure don't need any thing special for working flat.... jim

Goes to show you can't write assumptions from one photo. I was just back grading the bank in that photo. When I took out the island, I made myself a causeway and added mud matts when I was taking the island out. Maybe you need to read this thread, then you can come back here and chastise me. You can also see, after my slide, I build perches. So go get over yourself.
You can start reading at post #393 where I took out the island, or read the whole 48 page thread to see how I moved the dam. Your choice. Instant Pond
nohugs, Brandi

 

[johara1]

That is a separate thread, this was two pages. you ask the question on how to get more traction with an excavator..... don't worry I won't comment any more and I will leave you with this you can't fix stupid..... jim

 

[bindian]

I didn't ask any questions. The OP did.

That is a separate thread, this was two pages. you ask the question on how to get more traction with an excavator..... don't worry I won't comment any more and I will leave you with this you can't fix stupid..... jim

I didn't think you would read it. Because you would have seen how wrong you were. Talk about trying to fix stupid. I didn't ask any question. The OP did. Can you fix that?
Brandi

 

[fried1765]

Goes to show you can't write assumptions from one photo. I was just back grading the bank in that photo. When I took out the island, I made myself a causeway and added mud matts when I was taking the island out. Maybe you need to read this thread, then you can come back here and chastise me. You can also see, after my slide, I build perches. So go get over yourself.
You can start reading at post #393 where I took out the island, or read the whole 48 page thread to see how I moved the dam. Your choice. Instant Pond
nohugs, Brandi

GOOD response!
Some are VERY quick to chastise,......and in a rather nasty way!