Tucker Model Selection Opinions Needed on Purchase

A fellow local Mass resident with the love of Tuckers and Northern NH is looking to get a tucker for some private land he has close to me on both accounts.

He has been lurking and after discussion about the vintage pontoon Tuckers he is leaning toward something with rubber tracks but must be a tucker.

Wants a 2 door with bed gas motor. Limited time to wrench on. Will get used few times per month winter and will live at its northern home so needs to be able to sit and then start up and go all winter.

One of the options is a club groomer. 1642 gas job. 3000 plus hours. Appears to be in good shape from pics and service records show good upkeep.

Let's say this club provided Tuckerville or Tucker Factory care and service on it.

Is this a good option? Price is very very reasonable. Sorry for the vagueness but trying not to compromise the deal.

What other models would be good to look for on rubber? Think 10K is the limits of divorce on this buy.

Thanks Tucker Advocates Anon

I will tell you I still want a tucker with rubber tracks as a station wagon model but I don't have the money to get one and make it right or my application because it's going to have to run better than 20 mph and have a diesel. that said for limited use price is everything also with the trees you have I have to believe trail width is a factor which might rule out some of those cool looking wide track models the little I think they call them 1300 series looks compact and easy to tow on a trailer.

Agreed- a 1600 would be nice out west, but could be pretty tight in most situations in the NE. That being said, if he has the room on his property . . .

What is a "bed gas motor"?

Blackfoot Tucker said:

What is a "bed gas motor"?

Click to expand...

My guess is missing comma. "Wants a 2 door with bed, gas motor."

Never underestimate the importance of punctuation:

"It's time to eat children!"
OR
"It's time to eat, children!"

sheep_mtn_jon said:

My guess is missing comma. "Wants a 2 door with bed, gas motor."

Never underestimate the importance of punctuation:

"It's time to eat children!"
OR
"It's time to eat, children!"

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion!

A few years ago I frequented some forums I've simply given up on. People would ask for help, but were too lazy to use such things as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, etc. The post would be one long run-on sentence and I'd have to read it over and mentally correct the mistakes to understand what they were asking. Way too much trouble.

As far as Track Addict's question, I'm not a fan of buying ex-groomers. Period. They see long, hard hours. Many times if it's a club, the machines are maintained and operated by volunteers. I'm sure the intentions are good, but the skills and resources are limited.

Hours don't necessarily tell the whole story, but they say a lot. For example, with a rubber belted Tucker the carriers rotate about the axles. There's a steel tube that's welded to the axle housing and a slightly larger steel tube that's part of the carrier. It's a steel-on-steel interface with a grease fitting to provide lubrication. (Unfortunately the grease tends to migrate away from the points of contact.) Tucker calls those tubes "journals", and they get worn with use. When Tucker builds the machines I'd imagine they they place the various pieces in jigs and weld them together. When the journals need replacing you have to cut off the worn journals and weld in new ones...but you don't have the jigs so it becomes much more difficult to get the alignment correct. Very time intensive, and the parts aren't cheap, either! That's only one example.

When I see someone looking for a snowcat with a limited budget I cringe. Yes, you can almost always find one in your price range, but there's a difference between "price" and "value". A more expensive machine with fewer hours, easier usage, and better maintenance is more often the better value, and cheaper in the long run.

If your friend has limited time to wrench on it, condition versus price becomes even more important.

sheep_mtn_jon said:

My guess is missing comma. "Wants a 2 door with bed, gas motor."

Never underestimate the importance of punctuation:

"It's time to eat children!"
OR
"It's time to eat, children!"

Click to expand...

Not getting any better, come home soon

Not getting any, better come home soon

This is the stuff he needs to hear. Keep it coming.

At least he has a fellow Tucker supporter near by. Although partial to the pontoons I would help a fellow track of any denomination!

I all fairness,I sometimes don't look when I talk into my phone and send a text
To someone. It's sometimes funny when you actually look at what it typed.
And sometimes I have sent it before I looked and proof read it