Mattracks, which specializes in converting wheeled vehicles to rubber tracks, has expanded its product line to include skid steers.
The company’s RT125 TC model can now be used to convert skid steers with wheelbases of at least 4 feet to its four-track system. The company says the system increases traction “10-fold while maintaining the same maneuverability and zero-turn ability as tires.”
The industrial-grade rubber tracks can support up to 12,500 pounds and are 15 inches wide. They oscillate independently and are designed to conform to the ground and its contours. That leads to added stability, which the company says also makes for a smoother ride.
On average, it takes less than an hour to convert all four skid steer tires to tracks, according to Mattracks.
The tracks “easily transition from sand, mud, snow or rock to hard surfaces,” the company says.
The RT125 TC models have been used on articulated loaders, riding trenchers and the Bobcat Toolcat prior to being developed for skid steer conversions.
Based in Karlstad, Minnesota, Mattracks is celebrating its 30th year of converting wheeled vehicles to its track system. It started out in 1994 by converting full-sized pickup trucks. The company claims to have “conceived, developed and produced the industry’s first rubber track conversion system.”
Founder Glen Brazier got the inspiration for the tracks from his son, Matt, who was 11 years old at the time.
Matt drew a large truck with tracks in place of tires.
“Can we make something like this?” he asked his father.
Thirty years later, the company offers more than 170 different models for multi-axle vehicles, including construction equipment, UTVs, SUVs and trucks.