Advantages of Tractor Tracks vs. Tires

The debate has existed for over 100 years…are tracks better than tires when it comes to how dozers, tractors, and other heavy machinery is outfitted?

Although tires do have situations that make them more preferable than tracks, a tracked dozer can work areas that aren’t accessible to a traditional rubber tire design. As such, they provide a wider scope of “do-ability” when it comes to construction, contractor, and homeowner projects.

Less Slip

A tracked system can prevent slippage of your dozer when the ground is wet or muddy. Wheels are actually supposed to slip, to prevent the machine from getting stuck or locked up. But when you know the surface is going to be hard to work in (such as mud, ice, or sand,) then a track grip is likely the best bet.

Fuel Efficiency

When you slip less, you save more in fuel! For operators working on wet or soft terrain, the tracks can help to save multiple gallons of fuel per day on large dozers and other machinery. For a business owner, it makes smart sense to invest in something that will help to save money over time. (Plus, there are no tires that have to be aired up.)

Better on Hills and Rough Terrain

For steep inclines or rugged surfaces that haven’t been smoothed out yet, a tracked dozer can maneuver more safely than one with wheels. Being on a hillside with tracks ensures better traction, which proves useful for both safety and efficiency.

With tires, there’s the chance for one to get stuck in a rut or result in a rougher ride when maneuvering the machine over them. A track will just go right over the trench and keep on moving, because of the amount of surface area contact it has elsewhere.

Turning Capabilities

Traditional wheeled machines require a specific amount of room to turn, but tracks can often have a zero-turn radius (depending on the machine design.) This makes it easier to tackle projects in tight spaces.

Small Packages Pack a Big Punch

One of the things that makes STRUCK dozers so popular, is the capabilities behind tracks when placed on a small, powerful machine. The gripping strength of a tracked crawler allows homeowners to take on commercial quality jobs (and company owners to easily transport mini dozers) without sacrificing quality of the results.

There’s no need to rent a large industrial machine, since a smaller tracked crawler like STRUCK dozers can handle them for you!