Track design and quality - does it really matter?
It’s a track and it fits on your machine. So now it just comes down to price and warranty period, right? Well, not quite – in fact not even close. Of course, the most important thing to any savvy business owner, is to achieve the lowest cost per operating hour. This must include the cost of downtime and maintenance in addition to the life and cost of the product itself. As an experienced manufacturer, repairer and importer within the industry, Big Tyre has a lot of inside knowledge on what is required to make a quality track and we have seen some embarrassing fails from some of the cheaper options on the market.
When it comes to warranty, most new tracks offer 4 years pro-rata to protect against manufacturing defects that cause the track to become unserviceable. However, there are a few other things to consider in this regard. For a start, some track warranties include restrictions on the number of hours the track has done. This will pro-rata the warranty in the same way that time will so if you’re using them a lot, this is a relevant consideration. Secondly, it’s worth finding out how well the manufacturer responds to warranty claims. Some are fast, some are slow, and some are like trying to draw blood from a stone even on a valid warranty claim (so we are told). Finally, it’s also worth noting that the warranty does not cover general wear and tear. This means, if cheap tracks wear out in half the time of high-quality tracks, you would have no claim on warranty. In this case, if the high-quality tracks were 30% more expensive to purchase, your running costs on the cheap tracks would end up being over 50% higher compared to the running cost of the high-quality tracks, and that doesn’t even account for downtime and fitting costs.
Of course, to achieve a long life in the face of general wear and tear, you need high rubber quality. This is a topic unto itself, and you can read more about it [here]. In summary, rubber quality matters and it’s worth paying for a high-quality product that can handle the stresses, abrasion, cuts, heat, and continued flexion that your tracks will be subjected to under your normal operations. Yes, high quality rubber normally costs more, but it’s worth it!
The importance of reliability is difficult to understate, and the belt is the key component here. After all, the value in your crop is much more than the cost of your tracks. When it’s time to harvest, time is of the essence, and you need equipment that you know is going to perform as and when required. And yes, there is a big difference in the strength and reliability of different tracks. Even within a single brand, multiple options are often available, so make sure you check what class of track you are getting and how it compares to others on the market. If you want strength and reliability, Trackman tracks set the benchmark with 50% more ply wires per inch than their competitors, corrosion resistant cables that are second to none, and of course high-quality rubber to handle harsh Australian conditions.
How about track brand? Shouldn’t you be getting genuine tracks for your machine? As you may or may not know, none of the machine manufacturers actually manufacture tracks. That means all tracks are either original fitment, or after-market, but there are no such thing as “genuine” tracks. These days, most machine brands come fitted with either Trackman or Camso (formerly Camoplast). Both of these brands use quality rubber and have many years’ experience in track manufacture, but just because your current brand of tracks may have been original fitment, doesn’t mean they are necessarily your best choice moving forward so it’s still worth considering your options.
If you want to save yourself a whole lot of time and money, ask Big Tyre about what we know on the topic. Big Tyre is not only the Australasian distributor for both Trackman and Firestone tracks, but we also rebuild tracks in our Toowoomba factory, so we can quote various high-quality options for you to compare and see what will be best for you. Find us at www.bigtyre.com.au
