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Snow Cats are expensive so I Built this.

farm-tim

New member
Calling the snow cats here a 12 mph, $15K piece of @&%$ is not what I had in mind when I was looking at your machine.....
As for your ride, I don't think this would do well against a machine with 1.5 lb. ground preasure, as most goomers are in this area of down preasure. The true snow cat is not pushing ski's, all the area is under powered tracks, not ski's. A 40 some year old Snow Trac is at .75 psi. and goes 20 mph (nearly 30 mph with gears) and the ride is smooth if the snow is 6" deep. And it will go places in deep snow your creation will not go....:whistling::doh:

As for the $15K you suggest is too much to pay for a true snow cat...Well just ask the snow cat owners here about that.... I guess in your mind we are all fools?:w00t2: for spending our money on one?

Gee thanks,

Kirk
I never said all your sno cats were junk I said " cost $15,000 for a piece of $#!t." most here cost or are worth more than that.
I think snocats are awsome but I have the ability to spend less and build a machine that get me everywere I need to go.

There is one of you on every forum who sit and carefully plot your next move from the saftey of your little office. I will not be drawn into a battle of witts with you, for it is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
By the way what type of machine did you build?
Tim



Ahh the internet,.. were men are men, and wemen are men, and 15 year old girls are FBI agents.
 

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
Welcome farm-tim & thanks for sharing you build's & rebuilds as well as pics and vids. :clap:

I love seeing a creative mind & talented hands at work using what you have or find laying around to put to good use for ones own needs . :applause:

I hope you stick around to share more & progress pics during rebuild I also find very interesting . I dont own or even have the need for any kind of tracked machine , but that dont mean I dont think I need one & like yourself I would rather make my own then buy one . :wink:

BTW that neat 4 seater buggy reminds me of a skinless humvee only neater . :w00t2:
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Farm Tim,

I am sorry if I offended you. It was not my intent at all. I am no internet bully, and do not wish for anyone to think this of me.....

This being a public forum, and others who admire your work as I do as well, may try and emulate your ideas, and build one of their own. I only wish to point out some things that should be considered if they do....

You did the math, and your happy with that. Your a seasoned builder and have much to be proud of. I admire you, and I wish not to take anything away from that. I have not built anything nearly as nice as your 4 seat buggy......:flowers:

I though from the title of the thread that you were implying that this a viable alternative to a true snow cat, and it is for your situation, but perhaps not everyone elses...

Sorry, Hope you have a Great trip!

Kirk
 

Bulldog1401

Anybody seen my marbles?
SUPER Site Supporter
I built the whole thing.. I had good help too , It took about 40 hours or so.

You have very impressive fabrication skills.

Your design is how the tuckers started out.

And the Bombardier B-12's, etc.. ran that design very sucessfully for years (and still do).

Welcome to the forums and please feel free to share more of your work here. It is postings like yours that help the rest of us solve the problems we run into in modifying our machines. Thank You.
 

DAVENET

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
That is a cool ass idea. :w00t2:

But I would (personally) be worried about hitting a rock in a turn and side loading the ski to the breaking point w/ no triangulation. Have you noticed any flex or bend around the hubs yet?
 

farm-tim

New member
no probs yet but I do have the same concerns, i tried to come up with a way to triangulate it but I cant see how. Ill just wait for it to break then seek and distroy, as usuall. so far ive got about a hundred miles on it and am very pleased. I was especially suprised with this last snow, we had about a foot on the level so there were up to 6 foot drifts. I can take it anywere you can go with a snowmobile, It seems to sink in about a foot then floats really well. the problem then is turning, it want to tipp out from the turn. But if you slow down to say 10 or so it turns really short. If you stop in really deep snow it will dig down2 feet or so untill you pick up speed. Havent got it stuck yet but ill keep trying.
Tim
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Tim, You should be able to add long tapered ribs on the side of the down post by slicing a piece of 3/8 flat stock diagonally. Like 2 long wedges to stiffen it a bit.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I'm gonna ask, how are the front ski's affixed. Are they solid mounted or movable, meaning will they roll with the terrain? If so how is it prevented from them rolling under the vehicle. I'm assuming solid but the way they are mounted looks like they would turn like a wheel. My snow machine novice is coming out ............. :unsure:


Never mind, I should have read the whole thread ..............!
 

DynatracGuy

New member
I am so impressed! Welcome to the snowcat community. You are an inspiration to the rest of us. I'll bet your wife loves to get out with your creations. She's very lucky.
 

AAUTOFAB1

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I'm wondering now how the stock hyfax on the snowmobile track is wearing? you notice any melting of the nylon?
 

Northcoast

Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Your creation looks like a very fun,yet practical version of a cross between a snowmobile and a snowcat. Your pictures almost make me think that I could actually build one! I have a tucker 2000,but I see where your machine would work great on a lot of the roads I run on. I hope you keep us posted on any modifications or problems you experience. I would think that several of the midwest snowmobile clubs would be very interested in your creation for use as a groomer on their trails. Mattracks are cool,but very expensive. cheers
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
Very nice job and use of the snow machine track system for the drives! I like the way you did the rim for the snow machine track lugs.

One question I have though, the front skis have a pretty long leg on them and is fairly thin. I would think that you may have some issues in the future with them flipping out in a rough turn. A friend had built something similar, and had skis like that, in a turn they bent out and messed up things a bit, he rebuilt the skis and made them a tad shorter and wider so the legs were more spread out, like an "A-Frame", but with four legs instead of the two and didn't have any further issues until it burnt up...that was an electrical issue...lol
 

farm-tim

New member
I'm wondering now how the stock hyfax on the snowmobile track is wearing? you notice any melting of the nylon?
I havnt seen a problem yet. The rear axle weight is around 2000#'s that is 1000 per track. My 2 up pantera 800 wieghs in at 700 I weigh 220 wife adds a little more making a total of about 1000 or more with gear and sometimes lugage. do you see my point.
Tim
 

farm-tim

New member
Very nice job and use of the snow machine track system for the drives! I like the way you did the rim for the snow machine track lugs.

One question I have though, the front skis have a pretty long leg on them and is fairly thin. I would think that you may have some issues in the future with them flipping out in a rough turn. A friend had built something similar, and had skis like that, in a turn they bent out and messed up things a bit, he rebuilt the skis and made them a tad shorter and wider so the legs were more spread out, like an "A-Frame", but with four legs instead of the two and didn't have any further issues until it burnt up...that was an electrical issue...lol
Again I was originally concerned with this too but so far I dont see a need to change anything, and I have already given them a few oportunitys to fail and the havent bent a bit. I did use 1/4" wall tubbing on them.
 

AAUTOFAB1

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I havnt seen a problem yet. The rear axle weight is around 2000#'s that is 1000 per track. My 2 up pantera 800 wieghs in at 700 I weigh 220 wife adds a little more making a total of about 1000 or more with gear and sometimes lugage. do you see my point.
Tim


Well it looks great. :biggrin: sounds like its runing cool,
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
Again I was originally concerned with this too but so far I dont see a need to change anything, and I have already given them a few oportunitys to fail and the havent bent a bit. I did use 1/4" wall tubbing on them.

That is good! Hope you don't have issues with them at all!

Really sucks trying to fix something miles from nowhere! Roughwoods had an axle break on his Imp about seventy miles from nowhere and it took almost a year to get it back to town after the summer boat trips out to fix it and the winter snowmachine trips to bring it back.
 

farm-tim

New member
made the trip well but it is going on e-bay yet this week. ive got some ideas for a full track version. besides that I would rather build this stuff than drive it.
 

deepmud

New member
I'd be willing to bet that is a lot more comfortable to ride in than a typical snow cat, a lot quieter too.

Did you build the rear tracks or were those pre-made bolt on units like Mattracks?

How about some close up photos of the ski-construction? Ditto close up photos of the tracks!!!

I cropped this from farm-tim's video (farm-tim, this technically violates your copywright- pm me and the pic comes down)


farm-timtrack.jpg


Pic of the tracks on my Suzuki when I got them ( a very low-snow winter it was.....)
tracks_posing_on_grass.jpg


You can see the unsupported inner edge - they bent when I drove over roots n such on light snow.


It looks like the carriage is clamped to the axle - I don't see bushings to allow flex but they may be there.

I'm especially interested because one of my sets of tracks has only a support on the outer edge, and it's weak.

20120221_184944.jpg


The roller wheels are a band-aid I'm going to put on there to make them work this winter.
 
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