| We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. When you register for an account you will see the following message -Due to the amount of "spammers" trying to get on the board all registrations must be approved by me. What this means is that after you register your registration must be authorized. Also your email address has to be verified, you will receive an email with a link YOU MUST CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VERIFY YOUR EMAIL OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL NOT BE APPROVED. I check the message board several times a day and approve registrations as they come in. Sorry for the wait but it is necessary to keep the spam off the boards.Thanks,Koz It is very important that you click on the link in the email to validate your email. Please check your spam folder as the email message may be sent there by your email provider. IF YOU DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK YOUR ACCOUNT WILL NOT BE APPROVED !!! Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| Trail Bully Opinion; Your thoughts? | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 6 2008, 06:38 PM (2,432 Views) | |
| 30yrgrmr | Mar 12 2008, 01:46 PM Post #16 |
|
Veteran Groomer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The Tuckers aren't that much different from others in that they will go just about anywhere...... without the drag. I've been stuck in all kinds of groomers....pulling a drag. When in doubt, unhook, pack it down and rehook. Several years ago, well 25 years ago, I stuck a Tucker really bad. I crossed a plowed road that had been "Winged Back" forming a ramp 12-15 ft high. When I dropped over the edge into a 15 foot drift, the Tucker sank 3-4 feet. That wasn't too bad, but I spun a track and it was all over but the digging. I had to unhook the drag, too late of course. When I finally got it out after 4 hours, I had moved 4 feet forward and dug 8 feet down. I hand dug a basement. A friend happened by and told me to put brush under the tracks and it would come out. I didn't believe him, but I tried it. It worked! Lesson learned. I've had to use brush many times since. Now, when I see a really big drift ahead, I unhook and pack, or doze it.... without the drag. |
![]() |
|
| 30yrgrmr | Mar 12 2008, 02:13 PM Post #17 |
|
Veteran Groomer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
As far as my experience with twin trackers they aren't much better, especially when turning with a drag in deep, soft snow. The drag gets you every time. Understand that the drag is usually hooked in the center of the rear of the tractor. When you turn, it tries to pull you back straight ahead. So you turn harder. The outside track speeds up and digs in. You may get stuck. It's the nature of the beast. The only twin I ever operated that didn't do the above was a 1960 Bombardier Muskeg. It had wet band brakes for steering, and it didn't steer too well either. Half the time you were stuck just turning a corner. The other half the time, you were bouncing off trees, rocks and banks, just to go straight ahead. It had no hydraulics to lift the drag. After several years of fighting the turning characteristics, I installed a cable across the rear, from side to side, with a pulley on the cable. The drag was hooked to the pulley. When you wanted to turn, you stabbed the brake hard, and the pulley slid to the inside and turned you. Exiting the turn, you stabbed again to bring it back to straight. It worked great. Both tracks pulled equally. Nowadays they have hydraulic steering assist, keeping the pulling force under control. Sur-Tracs use it solely to turn. It works very well. Both tracks are under equal power while you turn. |
![]() |
|
| jim228 | Mar 20 2008, 12:49 AM Post #18 |
|
Advanced Operator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I've been grooming for quite a long time now (I don't claim to know it all, but I haven't been stuck yet) and I really don't understand why anyone would groom without a drag, unless you've got over 4' of fresh snow (and then you shouldn't be out until the sleds pack down the trails anyhow!). Our area gets the most snow east of the Rockies (Tug Hill, NY). The only local clubs that go out without drags are either inexperienced or they don't have a drag that lifts high enough. I have come to our club's 5 lane, 4-way intersection after a 28" snowfall with the sole intention of busting through the 5 foot tall snowbanks that I just groomed the day before. I groom to the bank, lifting the drag and lowering the wheels before I get there. I then climb the bank with the machine, drop the blade over the bank and backblade in reverse so that i don't drag snow into the frshly plowed roads. I then walk right through the bank on the other side with the blade down and drop the drag/lift the wheels into the bank as the front cutters get to it. I have to cross 5 roads within 2 miles of the groomer barn and have NEVER left the drag at home. I think that would be a waste of time & fuel. Not to mention the chunks of snow the tracks would leave behind. A good heavy twin-tracked machine with an experienced driver will be fully capable of cornering while dragging at the same time. I use the front blade for about 75% of the work with the drag only doing the finishing touch of leveling the trail. That helps quite a bit in the corners, as if you try to carry too much snow in the drag, of course you'll spin and affect turning ability. I do admit that I have had to go out and help a fellow driver for my club as well as another local club get unstuck. I had to unhook the drag all 4 times due to them spinning the tracks so much the machines were on the frames. Twice a farm tractor pulling the machines off that "burm" was the only option. I fully agree that when any groomer gets in the least bit of trouble (when a track(s) wants to spin), you stop; look around and assess the situation; lift the drag a bit and correct yourself. |
![]() |
|
| trailboss77 | Mar 20 2008, 03:03 PM Post #19 |
|
Advanced Operator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
That is the best solution I know of but,,,, it never seems to sink in to new guys and they want to just keep charging ahead instead of stopping and thinking their way thru. I'm not saying that I've never been stuck because it happens to the best of us, but it happens a lot less if you stop and think about what you are doing. |
|
Have been grooming since 1978 have covered more than 100,000 miles of snowmobile trail. | |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · General Discussion · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2





![]](http://z1.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)



4:38 AM Jul 11