• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

steel vs. aluminium

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I have been grooming this season at a Colorado ski resort. We have some Pistenbully 400 and 600 groomers. We also have some Prinoth br350 and bison cats. For the first month I was operating the Pistenbully 400. Recently I have been in the br350 and bison cats. There are a lot of differences between them. The Pistenbully are newer, more comfortable and the tillers leave better quateroy. The prinoth are lighter, smaller, more nimble and better for park duty (building jumps and stuff. The biggest surprise was how different steel and aluminum tracks are. I got into a steel track prinoth for the first time and realized that I had been sliding all over the mountain in the aluminum track pistenbully. A steel track cat climbs and decends better. The steel tracks don't slide and hold on sidehill way better. They also do a better job of preparing the snow for the tiller. (grooming is a 3 step process, blade, tracks and tiller all work together to process the snow)

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with the steel vs aluminum? I really don't understand why they are so different. I am curious how they would compare in natural snow. (we stick to the man made stuff) I am also curious what a pistenbully 600 or 400 with steel tracks would be like. I am also curious if the new prinoth groomers have better tillers and have gotten more comfortable?
Aluminum
IMG_20190116_222929.jpg
Steel
IMG_20190116_222901.jpg
Steel
IMG_20190116_222841.jpg
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm happy with my hardened steel grousers on my pb like the ones your showing. on grass they will pull the sod up . your aluminum don't look like the would dig in much.
DSCN0016.jpg
 

GMoose

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
That is some great info. As you know I am a little partial to the wood cleats myself. I do know that my wood cleats do pretty good in the powder, but don't bite to well in hard pack, probably because they don't have a sharp blade type edge. Also, the steel wear bars are getting bent, next time around I am going to use thicker steel, the 1/8" thick x 1" wide is the size of the original wear bars.

IMG_20190106_114840921.jpg

IMG_20190113_152812422.jpg
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
The steel and aluminum cleats are also a different shape. The alum. are fatter. Do you think it's the shape or the material ?

The steel tracks would make a knife like penetration where the alum are more triangular and would twist out of the penetration they made more easily.
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks everyone, that is really good input. Jim I can't speak to how they both tear up grass but I can with snow. Decending a steep slope the steel tracks will throw what we call cookies out in front of the cat. Indicating that like the grass in the picture, it tears up stuff more. The aluminum tracks won't throw cookies unless your trying to groom downhill or around a tight corner at full speed.

I hadn't considered the wood cleats in my comparison. I would assume there's some advantages to wood cleats. Looking forward to seeing the Frandee on Vail pass and at Zuma. That cat is special.

I think your right on with your knife like cut thought. The shape and thickness of the cleats could definitely be why they are so different. The steel tracks have a little curl and the aluminum are straight and keep getting thicker. If you think about climbing a steep snow slope, you wouldn't stick your hands in the snow flat(like an aluminum cleat). You would curl your hands and pack a little snow like the steel cleats do with that little bend at the top.
 

HankScorpio

Member
Do both the steel and aluminum have similar amounts of studs and side hilling plates? The aluminum looks smoother but I do see plates in there to prevent side sliding. On my tucker (steel w/ rubber belt) the plates in the center seem to have a ton of side bite, the snow really has to start moving before I slide sideways. On hard pack I get scared I will roll before it will break loose. (30deg of side tilt) If I was as wide as your machines I think it would feel invincible.
 
Top