# Tracks for tractors



## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Since we have had record snow fall for the winter I was looking at the idea of putting tracks on my FWA tractor. Has anyone ever done this before. I have looked into a couple of sources and one does not make tracks for my model and the other say they do but they want $48000 for a set of four tracks. Wow that more than my tractor and loader cost new. These were soucy tracks and the mattrac. Is there anyone else to look at? Is the idea even worth doing.


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## Circle MC Farms LLC (Jul 22, 2011)

Just buy another tractor to pull the first one out if it gets stuck


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Better have record snowfall every year for approximately forever to justify 48k for tracks.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I'd invest in a good set of tire chains for all the drive tires before dropping 48K on tracs.


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## Coondle (Aug 28, 2013)

There is a co in the UK, Versatracks, try their website.

Here is a landrover conversion: www.lr-mad.co.uk/en/cuthbertson-tracked

Te following was extracted from Wickipedia under ferguson tractors

"Famous Fergies[edit]

There is a monument in Wentworth at the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers in Australia commemorating the time in 1956 when both rivers flooded and a fleet of little grey Fergies was used to build levee banks to save the town.




Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

A fleet of seven Ferguson TE-20s were used on the 1955-58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Four petrol-engined and threediesel models were used. Some were supplied as half-tracks, with steerable front skis, whilst others of the New Zealand team were fitted with an extra wheel on each side and full caterpillar tracks, developed by the expedition in the Antarctic. In both cases, the track kits were easily removable and in light conditions the tractors were used on standard wheels and tyres. A canvas cabin was added for windproofing. Other than this, the tractors were totally standard - two were even fitted with a standard farmyard hydraulic front-loader for loading and unloading supplies. Reports were made at regular intervals to the Ferguson company and these show the tractors to have been reliable and effective - being capable of climbing a 1-in-7 slope of "hard polished ice where a man cannot walk without crampons", as well as operating in conditions of −10 degrees Fahrenheit. Under Sir Edmund Hillary these tractors were driven to the South Pole, becoming the first vehicles to be driven to the pole, and the first overland journey to the pole since Captain Scott. The tractors were left at the pole for the use of American researchers.[5] One of the tractors used by Hillary's party was later repatriated to New Zealand and is on display along with other British Trans-Antarctic Expedition vehicles in the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand."

There was a half track version putting the tracks around the idler wheel you see in the full track version, and it was also fitted to the Ford copy 




And here is a Ford super Dexta with the same setup 




There are track systems that fit around the tyres of skid steer loaders like the bobcat. 




I could see the same tracks fitted to the rear wheel and around an idler wheel in between the back and front wheels, using your rear brakes and front wheels to steer. There are I believe rubber versions

Fordson E27N had a half track version back in the 1940's but was not very successful for 2 reasons. It had the rather disconcerting habit of rearing up and overturning if pulling on the immovable object . The other was once there was wear in the track pins and chains the drive being ahead of the rear mounted idler caused the tracks to bunch up ahead of the idler or below the drive wheel. Some intrepid individuals moved the idler to in front of the rear driving wheel. Here is a rebuilt half track 




Here is an e27 n at a tractor pull and you can see the tracks bunching up in front of the drive wheel 




And just for fun here is an e27n full track version 




I have one of these full tracks as "barn fresh" and running that is one of my retirement restoration projects All of these E 27 N tractors are the petrol/ kerosene models, with a whole 28 engine horsepower andv 12 inch grouser plates.

Fordson also made the same tractor with a 40 hp Perkins P 6 Diesel engine and 16 inch grouser plates.

Have fun with these


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

No shot I would pay that much. Do you have a snowblower?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

mlappin said:


> I'd invest in a good set of tire chains for all the drive tires before dropping 48K on tracs.


Chains wont help. The snow is so deep the tractor gets high centered. It does not matter how many wheels you have driving when non of them touch the ground. And if by chance they do touch the ground the ground is not frozen and than I just dig ruts. You know you have deep snow when you can push snow with the grill of the tractor


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Bigger tractor?


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

hog987 said:


> Chains wont help. The snow is so deep the tractor gets high centered. It does not matter how many wheels you have driving when non of them touch the ground. And if by chance they do touch the ground the ground is not frozen and than I just dig ruts. You know you have deep snow when you can push snow with the grill of the tractor


How will the tracks help that problem? I remember in 08 we had 3 feet of snow on the 17th of april in near medicine hat. Our only option was blowing paths. We had 18 calves born that day. Go figure. We saved them all but didnt go to bed for over 2 days.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

My tractor does not weight that much so tracks it will beble to drive on top of the snow. More or less like a snowmobile. I took hay to a guy with a bigger tractor and even he said its all his tractor will do to get bales from field on flat ground. Since than we have had another 10 inches of snow. Never mind the hills I got. Maybe a snow blower or a v-plow is what I need?


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

I would get a blower. It helps put some weight on backend when not in use to.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> I would get a blower. It helps put some weight on backend when not in use to.


Will I can do a lot of things for the price of the tracks.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Ya good blowers arent to bad of price.


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## GawasFarm (Jul 10, 2013)

Around us the snowmobile trail groomers are just regular tractors (usually NH I believe) with tracks over the back wheels like the ford above. Maybe look at groomer options for something cheaper and easy to remove.


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

google tractor track conversion kits.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Snowblower. What are you trying to do?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Lately I have not tried to move the bales off the field. Been busy hauling the bales that I can get at.


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