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Could a tracked vehicle be made this way ( pics)

berg

Member
Trying to figure out how he turns this little beast and I see 3 hydraulic pumps.
so could it be when he actuates a right or left turn the main pump briefly closes and allows the righ hand side or left hand side to pump and facilitate a turn?
Or does one pump over ride the other?
Any other opinions?... looks fairly simple and a track could be fabbed in similar fashion...
just thinking out loud but clearly don't understand how he turns this ...
 

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300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I don't see any pumps. What I do see are two hydrolic motors. They drive the opposite side the body of the motor is on.. The pto shaft is on the other side of the I beam they are mounted to, so the left drives the right side, and the right drives the left side..

Looks simple enough. He could be using twin pumps one for each motor. Variable displacement pumps would give independent speed control on each side. And the ability to spot turn..
Does it steer with levers?

The roller chains and drive shafts look to be on the light side IMHO, but I have no idea on what pumps, engine ect. are so maybe it is fine..

Regards, Kirk
 

berg

Member
I know nothing of hydraulics but it sure seems simple..

I see it now motors control each side independently

so my new question is since its so simple why don't mfg

use hydro systems?

slow? not enough speed etc?

also what type of hp would he need to move that baby down the road at 20 mph?
 

redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Inefficient is the reason we dont use them in more main stream recreational drive systems.

It takes a lot of HP to get the work done. a 6 hp honda motor will move an adult down the road at 20 MPH.

It takes 40 hp for my skid steer to do the same thing. the control and ease of operation in the hyd system is priceless however; to get speed, you need hyd fluid moving, to get fluid to move, you need pressure, to get pressure and flow you need HP.

direct mechanical drive has less parasitic loss in the drive train.
Hydrostatic drive adds loss at the benefit of control.

Hope that helps.

Mikes thoughts.
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I know nothing of hydraulics but it sure seems simple..

I see it now motors control each side independently

so my new question is since its so simple why don't mfg

use hydro systems?

slow? not enough speed etc?

also what type of hp would he need to move that baby down the road at 20 mph?


Hydro's are simple and nearly all modern Cat's use them. As Redsqrl stated they are not nearly as efficient as a mechanical drive.
Hydro's are at best able to put down 35-40% of the HP the engine makes it to the tracks, and a mechanical set up can be more like 60-70% of HP to the ground...

Combine this with the popularity of Diesel engines and suddenly with oil tanks/oil, coolers, pumps, motors and lots of plumbing, and the weight is actually greater as well. So you must widen the tracks to carry all this new found weight, starting with an engine that is 3X as heavy with nearly twice the HP to do the same work as the mechanical gas powered unit.. And they don't make those any more..

And to move your wide Hydro/Diesel Cat, your probably going to have to de track her in the parking lot in the snow....:unsure: And then winch or push it on the trailer...

I think by now you should be understanding why we mess with these old mechanical drive/trailerable machines.:wink::smile:

And there is a finite number of these fine old machines left out there. As this little hobby grows well things may be more expensive to buy?? Who knows...

Regards, Kirk
 
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