Skid Steer Vibration

[Trochu]

Hello all. I've got a development I was hoping someone could help me out with. Bought a JD 325G skid steer from RB last year with about 2,200 hrs on it. Runs, drives, and operates as it should. I bought a tracked machine as I was hoping for a smoother ride and less ruts on the lawn. Something is wrong though, and I don't know what, but man does that thing vibrate. Like, sitting at my desk on the second floor and I can feel it vibrating my desk/chair when it drives by on the asphalt lot below. My experience with skid steers is limited, but would new tracks be the number one place to look? Current tracks have decent amount of tread left, but are cracked.

[graham1]

I don’t have a ton of time on a tracked machine, but I know on pavement it feels like your teeth are gonna vibrate out of your head.
In dirt that vibration is gone.
On the ones I’ve used anyways.

Is the vibration the same on soft ground?

[Stubb]

I just bought a track machine and absolutely hate it for snow plowing in my yard. Very rough, slow and no traction. other than that, it's great haha. Might be going back to a wheeled machine very soon as i don't do much dirt work.

[Jamie Black R/T]

My dad has the same machine and there's a few settings in there to help with the ride. We played with them to make it bearable. Don't ask specifics cause I just hit buttons until morale improved lol

I borrow his once in a while if I need to dig deep. But I wouldn't trade him my wheeled machine straight across no way.

[jungleboy]

I would be more concerned about some machine running around the parking lot by itself while you’re at your desk😳 Ever see the movie killdozer!?

[Smokinyotes]

Is a final drive gone? That would be the first thing I would check.

[Albertadiver]

I don't know why, but it reminds me of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFHKAVncxM8

He built an armored bulldozer and went on a full on rampage destroying half a town.

[Geraldsh]

The fact that your tracks still have tread is what’s causing most of the vibration. Each times the tread hits the hard ground it’s like hitting a small bump, every time - bump bump bump bump

[leeelmer]

I own 25 of those JD 325 units.
They are hard on tracks and when the tracks wear on the inside(side against the rollers) then they get rough
Change the tracks and sprockets

We do ours every 1500hrs or so, most home owners will get much more
PM me for my phone number and I can give you the ins and outs.
We have about 60 JD machines

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

I would be more concerned about some machine running around the parking lot by itself while you’re at your desk😳 Ever see the movie killdozer!?

YES, as a kid watching with dad on TV and it scared the heck out of me lol. Years later found it online as a adult and re watched it, not as scary


Now if I could only remember this other scary movie name from those days so I can see if I can find it.

[Trochu]

Well, I haven't seen Killdozer, that's why I posted here, no ghosts in the machine that I know of....

Thanks for the info leeelmer.

[Dylan15]

Also depends on what tracks unit has. Some are better than others on hard surfaces, but have less traction in mud. There are 3-4 mainstream options on what a guy could go with. And yes, as leeelmer mentioned, wear on sprockets and inside of tracks will cause vibration, as will incorrect track tension, which you could check as well. If unit hasn't had tracks/idler pulleys etc changed or maintained in 2200 hours, probably time to dive into them.

[roper1]

Mebbe you could rent it out when the bar closes on Saturday nights......

[1hogfarmer]

Originally Posted by roper1

Mebbe you could rent it out when the bar closes on Saturday nights......

For vibration purposes, or to load the beer-goggle heifers into a poor dudes truck?

[Curtsyneil]

First off if your using track machine for moving snow you should put snow tracks on the machine. Summer tracks are for dirt and mud etc there not made for being on concrete or asphalt but you can just a really rough vibrating ride. If you push snow a wheel machine is what you should be purchasing. I have run a track machine with snow tracks and it’s still very rough and vibrating is still a problem. Moving snow I would be in a wheel machine in a heart beat.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by leeelmer

I own 25 of those JD 325 units.
They are hard on tracks and when the tracks wear on the inside(side against the rollers) then they get rough
Change the tracks and sprockets

We do ours every 1500hrs or so, most home owners will get much more
PM me for my phone number and I can give you the ins and outs.
We have about 60 JD machines

Appreciate your help and suggest on this Leeelmer!

We changed out the tracks and sprockets, did a bit of touch up paint while they were off, and put new ones on. Made a world of difference and it's actually a pleasure to operate the machine now. It was hard to see with the sprockets on, but when off, it was clear that they were starting to dish a little bit, so instead of cleanly sliding off when it should have, it was trying to hold on and wrap the track around. When it ran out of play, it "snapped" off, which is what I believe was causing the vibration.