Does anyone or has anyone ever had a Tucker with a blade? I've been responding to the thread about the 1644 with a blade on it that's for sale at the Chilliwak Ritchie Bros sale. Some people think that a Tucker with a blade would be a wonderful thing. I own a Tucker and I think a blade would destroy a Tucker. I don't think a Tucker is structurally strong enough to take the abuse a blade would put on it. A lot of Tucker's have cracked frames as it is and the thought of just pushing on the front drive system doesn't seem right to me. What I really like about a Tucker is its ability to crawl over grader ridges and obstacles that a fixed track machine can't. I think a blade would be like a boat anchor. Please let me know if I'm wrong, I was thinking the Chilliwak Tucker would be ok, but the first thing I'd do is cut the blade off, if its not already broke off.
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Tucker with a blade?
- Thread starter teamster
- Start date
Tucker has been installing blades on the belted tracks since the late 60's. I built blades for three pontoon cats and used them for 30 + years grooming cross country ski trails. As far as how well they last, that is in the control of the operator and what you do with it. A D-8 Cat can be destroyed with an "operator" with poor skills. The advantages of being able to level a trail on a side hill is the difference between going safely and easily and not going or putting the machine in binding conditions that stress the machine and cause cracks. The blade on this 443 has a total weight of 200 lbs. including the hyd. cyl and valve and runs off the existing pump.
Attachments
I totally agree that even a D8 can be destroyed by the wrong operator. I can see the advantage of having a dozer to cut yourself a safe trail on a slope, but how many people think there going to plow their drive ways and everything else you can do with an actual dozer cat. This why I made the statement that I don't think a Tucker is structurally strong enough. Maybe it's strong enough to do what you described, just not strong enough to take what most people think its for. 
I have been using the blade on my Thiokol to push back snow piles the last few days. the other thing I found quite useful is the scarfier cutting edge works great for breaking up hard packed snow caused by vehicle traffic during the day. I'm lucky the job is only a couple of minutes from where the machine is parked.
At a groomer train school I attended we were stressed not to use the front bade on the Tuckers any more than nessesary, and then only at a very low speed. They then showed us a picture of one that had hit a stump with the blade at grooming speed. It sure wasn't pretty with the front track frame doubled up under the cab.
A good operator who understands the machines limitations could make one work, with caution. But it sure isn't a bulldozer by any means..
Regards, Kirk
A good operator who understands the machines limitations could make one work, with caution. But it sure isn't a bulldozer by any means..
Regards, Kirk
I had a tucker with a blade. it was factory installed in 89'. used for snowmobile grooming its entire life. I did not observe any blade related repairs.
the blade was a valuable asset and helped me place snow to enable the machine to perform even better than without.
consider the fact that the more down pressure you apply the less traction you have.
Also if you have light dry snow and your goal is to stay on top of said snow, perhaps a blade would just knock the air out of the snow and assist with finding the unmentionables hidden under the snow.
If I get another tucker, It would have air lockers and a blade.
Mike
the blade was a valuable asset and helped me place snow to enable the machine to perform even better than without.
consider the fact that the more down pressure you apply the less traction you have.
Also if you have light dry snow and your goal is to stay on top of said snow, perhaps a blade would just knock the air out of the snow and assist with finding the unmentionables hidden under the snow.
If I get another tucker, It would have air lockers and a blade.
Mike
Right on redsqwrl on the lockers. You do not want to have lockers that prevent you from having open differentials. Open diffs are the way to go when side hilling in deep soft snow and will prevent a roll over in these conditions. If the diffs are locked up on ice, you are looking for broken axles and extreme stresses on all steered components and even frame cross members. Dun there, been that.
our club has a tucker 2000 with a factory 6 way blade.
the first thing that irks me about tuckers blade is the 6th way. instead of angle, like a dozer, these clowns fix the angle and give you adjustable attack angle.(i.e.rollback)
NOT a good feature for rookie volunteer operators.
on a pisten bully, the adjustable attack angle is on the 12? way PARK BULLY.
aka advanced operators.
so anyway, a GOOD operator realizes that this adjustment is for varying snow conditions ONLY and is usually a set it and forget it adjustment.
the only time this should be played with is to scrape down a icy road crossing or whatnot, otherwise, you set the attack angle at a conservative scrape/float for trailwork.
Well our TRAILMASTER on one of the last grooms of the season decided to use the blade while grooming(bad idea) and smoked a hidden rock/stump. he all but RUINED tuckers hood ornament, i mean idea of a blade. its sooo thin.
basically, he grabbed ahold of the joystik with no inkling of what he was doing and adjusted that angle. the blade torpedoed through the snow down until it found a rock and stopped the machine DEAD. this rolled the cutting edge backwards, almost tore the mount off for the 6th way piston, and a few tears of the blade. Now they dont want ANYONE to use it.
wtf. i rolled the blade angle way back so it wouldnt catch and groomed 30 miles straight only lifting the blade for bridges and road crossings and i was able to fill my drag nicely from all the powder i was winging in from the edge of the trail.
now i understand that blade DOESNT make it a bulldozer,
but going along slowly and carefully and KNOWING what your doing, it is a VERY valuable asset. worth its weight in gold even if all you do is knock road banks down with it upon crossing.
im really upset because i wanted to mount a sickle bar on it so i could lift/angle it now i have to make a WHOLE new blade in order to get them to let me do it. WTF.
sell it and buy a bully. tuckers suck.
wont climb icy hills with the drag down to save its life with front and rear lockers. if i wanted to ice skate id lace on a pair.
the first thing that irks me about tuckers blade is the 6th way. instead of angle, like a dozer, these clowns fix the angle and give you adjustable attack angle.(i.e.rollback)
NOT a good feature for rookie volunteer operators.
on a pisten bully, the adjustable attack angle is on the 12? way PARK BULLY.
aka advanced operators.
so anyway, a GOOD operator realizes that this adjustment is for varying snow conditions ONLY and is usually a set it and forget it adjustment.
the only time this should be played with is to scrape down a icy road crossing or whatnot, otherwise, you set the attack angle at a conservative scrape/float for trailwork.
Well our TRAILMASTER on one of the last grooms of the season decided to use the blade while grooming(bad idea) and smoked a hidden rock/stump. he all but RUINED tuckers hood ornament, i mean idea of a blade. its sooo thin.
basically, he grabbed ahold of the joystik with no inkling of what he was doing and adjusted that angle. the blade torpedoed through the snow down until it found a rock and stopped the machine DEAD. this rolled the cutting edge backwards, almost tore the mount off for the 6th way piston, and a few tears of the blade. Now they dont want ANYONE to use it.
wtf. i rolled the blade angle way back so it wouldnt catch and groomed 30 miles straight only lifting the blade for bridges and road crossings and i was able to fill my drag nicely from all the powder i was winging in from the edge of the trail.
now i understand that blade DOESNT make it a bulldozer,
but going along slowly and carefully and KNOWING what your doing, it is a VERY valuable asset. worth its weight in gold even if all you do is knock road banks down with it upon crossing.
im really upset because i wanted to mount a sickle bar on it so i could lift/angle it now i have to make a WHOLE new blade in order to get them to let me do it. WTF.
sell it and buy a bully. tuckers suck.
wont climb icy hills with the drag down to save its life with front and rear lockers. if i wanted to ice skate id lace on a pair.
Ouch . Easy on the tuckers. Like a john Deere they still
Look and sound the best !
Look and sound the best !
I did feel the blade was thin and a bit on the light side, but like you said, a knowledgeable operator understands.....
imagine the fun your master would have had if was able to angle the blade while turning.....
An idiot can wreck a dozer without proper training. I always feel i need to work with the machine....
$.02
Mike
imagine the fun your master would have had if was able to angle the blade while turning.....
An idiot can wreck a dozer without proper training. I always feel i need to work with the machine....
$.02
Mike
I had to sell my 1st tucker because it didn't have a blade. I'm in the mountians, and it just isn't possible to go very far without having to cut a flat spot for the uphill track. It's NOT a dozer,but I'm not trying to clear massive amounts of snow,just cut a flat spot so I can get there.
got my pistenbully in august and tested the blade on a pile of beautybark . the overpressure kept kicking off. I thought it was set to low.
I talked to the gal at service and this is what she said. "jim,it isn't a bulldozer"
I left it alone till it snowed and works fine.
jim
I talked to the gal at service and this is what she said. "jim,it isn't a bulldozer"
I left it alone till it snowed and works fine.
jim
http://newenglandskimuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ski_grooming_timeline.pdf
"1963-mid 1980s: Bob Smith of Ludlow VT involved as Tucker distributor for Ed-Gil Distributors. Eastern
Distributors had gone bankrupt. He sold one of his first machines to Fred Pabst, Jr. Stowe and Bromley
were into grooming first in the state, Okemo was not. They had a Bombardier Muskeg that couldn't
groom uphill. Smith build and sold hundreds of open slat and culvert rollers . He estimated he sold 50
new and 20 used Tuckers in the 1960s. He devised the amidships straight blade for the Tucker, based on
road graders, which allowed snow to be windrowed back to the center of the trail. The blade cost $2500 to
add to a Tucker; he sold about 50 over the years. The floorboards were removed from the passenger side
so the operator could observe. Later Tucker tried Valley Engineering front blades, was never that effective
because the Tucker was long and light, and had a large turning radius when blading. Tucker as a
company didn't know or care about the ski business, they were selling to the government. He also built
the Tucker Mogul-planer and shipped them to Oregon. Tuckers advantage--light and good climbing
ability, especially in soft snow. (Smith)"
"1963-mid 1980s: Bob Smith of Ludlow VT involved as Tucker distributor for Ed-Gil Distributors. Eastern
Distributors had gone bankrupt. He sold one of his first machines to Fred Pabst, Jr. Stowe and Bromley
were into grooming first in the state, Okemo was not. They had a Bombardier Muskeg that couldn't
groom uphill. Smith build and sold hundreds of open slat and culvert rollers . He estimated he sold 50
new and 20 used Tuckers in the 1960s. He devised the amidships straight blade for the Tucker, based on
road graders, which allowed snow to be windrowed back to the center of the trail. The blade cost $2500 to
add to a Tucker; he sold about 50 over the years. The floorboards were removed from the passenger side
so the operator could observe. Later Tucker tried Valley Engineering front blades, was never that effective
because the Tucker was long and light, and had a large turning radius when blading. Tucker as a
company didn't know or care about the ski business, they were selling to the government. He also built
the Tucker Mogul-planer and shipped them to Oregon. Tuckers advantage--light and good climbing
ability, especially in soft snow. (Smith)"
Pretty sure Bob Smith is still up in Ludlow if any skeptics want to talk to him. My cat started life with him.
no i wholeheartedly agree, if i was boondocking in remote country, i would want a tucker for its articulation. and a blade to level the pow a lil so i could get there. it definitely floats great.
grooming northeast sled trails however, i would prefer a bully. ability to handle hard pack snow and ice better, stronger blades, long stable carriage for the drag, heavy weight helps knock the air out of the snow better, harder longer lasting trails.
heck, even the old tuckers with the steel cleats pull better then the new rubber tracked 2000.
grooming northeast sled trails however, i would prefer a bully. ability to handle hard pack snow and ice better, stronger blades, long stable carriage for the drag, heavy weight helps knock the air out of the snow better, harder longer lasting trails.
heck, even the old tuckers with the steel cleats pull better then the new rubber tracked 2000.
I don't know much about tuckers, the few times I have had an opportunity to use my old Thiokol 2100 in the hills and powder the thing has been nothing short of impressive .in every thing from control on powder to it's climbing ability. the one thing I don't have to worry about this far north is trees. I know the tuckers are narrower and lighter but they like my snow trac seem a bit more fragile. there are still times I wouldn't mind a tucker
Any future snow cat I would consider buying would have to have a front blade at least 6 way. They just make the snow cat that much more versatile in all terrain and snow conditions. Once you use a snow cat with a blade you will realize the benefits of having one on your snow cat especially in mountainous terrain. The blade is a tool to keep you on a trail not a HD parking lot snow plow. Being able to cut side hills allows you to go further and provides that added safety factor when needed. 
Sno-Drifter did you you upgrade the blade on an existing setup OR add blades to machines that had no blade?
Briarpatch
Member
I have a 1976 Tucker 1644 and on the original cut sheet it had been ordered with a front blade. It was ordered that way for the FAA in Salt Lake City Utah. The brackets are still there on the frame and the modification on the inside where the parking brake handle is located. The turntables on mine are reversed so the steel turntable/5th wheel plate is steel up front and the aluminum plate is in the rear with the trunion pin.
Briarpatch
Briarpatch
wbuffetjr1, As far as I know, Tucker did not manufacture blades for the early cats other than some experimental units. The blades on my cats I made. Light weight was the ruling factor. The ones on the 400 units are T-1 and I have stopped the cat while blading when I hit a stump. And not bent the blade or the cat. Keep in mind I was not moving at warp speed. The comments about going slow and not trying to move the world with the blade is correct. These blades on these machines do not like frozen snow and packed snowmobile moguls. Mostly I had to deal with four to six foot dumps of powder or wet snow on the same kind of snow.
Briarpatch
Member
This 1600 series is what I would call a late model Sno-Cat in that it has the belted tracks. The cats I am talking about are the steel pontoon models. The blade I built on the 543 attaches to the non-pivoting or rear fifth wheel too.
Whenever you get some time could you post some pics of your setup? I'd like to see how you did it!
sleddogracer
Member
sno-drifter, what size is the hydraulic pump on the 443 you posted pictures of? - my 1344 has an 8gpm pump and Tucker says that's too small to run a blade - your thoughts?
sleddogracer, I used the factory Vickers pumps on both the 443 and the 543. Note that the 443 blade has hyd. two way and manual four way.
The 543 blade is hyd. 6 way. both units work ok for trail blazing but not for serious snow moving. You also need to know that my previous experience was with a shovel. I plan to bring 543 to Meow, check it out there.
The 543 blade is hyd. 6 way. both units work ok for trail blazing but not for serious snow moving. You also need to know that my previous experience was with a shovel. I plan to bring 543 to Meow, check it out there.
sleddogracer
Member
I can relate to the hands on experience sno-drifter
I run a 8gpm Vickers pump on my snow plow on my truck it works well. where you are going to have problems is trying to steer and operate the blade you need a priority pump or a priority valve using a valve will cut flow in both directions in half meaning steering will be slower than tucker steering already is.
Aaron Tucker
Active member
where can i buy a blade for my Tucker?
Sno-Drifter can you please post some pics of how you built and mounted your blades??
Here is the six way blade for 543. Note that the blade push arms are attached to the U-Bolt bracket in the front and two hyd. cyls. to the rear of the bracket. Rear end of cyls. has frame bracket. Stock swing frame and tie rods are retained with out the stock steering cyl.
