A Tracked Zero Turn????

Tinhack · Aug 18, 2020

Mat4644 said:
Several videos from lawn maintenance professionals posted and they claim contrary to what many think tracks don't tear up grass. Looks like they can mow slopes even when wet. Try that with a wheeled zero turn.

Yeah, LOL... I was laughing the whole time. There own clip(s) show it tearing up the grass. I guess your eyes were closed. :laughing: Mowing slops when wet? They were traveling perpendicular to the steep slopes. I can do that with my wheeled ZTR.

Mat4644 · Aug 18, 2020

My zero turn with large tires has slid and been stuck many times. Here's a comparison video. They are targeting a market with difficult to cut areas.

Altoz TRX vs. Wheeled Mowers - YouTube

rademamj1 · Aug 18, 2020

From my experience, tracked Skid steers do far less damage to the ground than any wheeled Skid steer with typical industrial tires. Likewise, tracked tractors do less damage than wheeled tractors.

I just don't think these observations ring truthful when comparing Zero Turns. I suspect the tracked ZTR are alot more aggressive on grass than any turf tire ZTR, and most likely will be a niche mower. Perhaps track tread design changes will evolve.

Sawyer Rob · Aug 18, 2020

They already offer more and less aggressive tracks, for different conditions.

SR

sklunk · Aug 18, 2020

I posted about these before. I didn't think they would work either. Just for fun I went and test-drove one.

I have no connections to Altoz, but the tracked ones are the smoothest zero-turns I have ever used. And the videos are true -- they don't slip on wet side slopes and you can go through wet ditches just like they show. For the short amount of trial I did on a finished lawn (about 2 acres fescue) it didn't tear up the sod like I thought it would. Sure if you do a true tank-style pivot steer (1 lever forward and 1 backward) you will tear up the lawn but if you turn "gradually" it actually performed very well (as somebody above said, similar to wheeled vs. tracked skid-steer).

I didn't end up buying one because the price was higher than I could justify for my flat, finished lawn. But they are definitely worth a look if you have side slopes or low, wet areas that you need to mow on a regular basis.

rademamj1 · Aug 18, 2020

Interesting comments regarding tracked zero turns mowers. Perhaps they are less damaging to the grass than I thought. The commercial version for Altoz, the model 766 starts at $19,200.

Diggin It · Aug 18, 2020

sklunk said:
I posted about these before. I didn't think they would work either. Just for fun I went and test-drove one.

I have no connections to Altoz, but the tracked ones are the smoothest zero-turns I have ever used. And the videos are true -- they don't slip on wet side slopes and you can go through wet ditches just like they show. For the short amount of trial I did on a finished lawn (about 2 acres fescue) it didn't tear up the sod like I thought it would. Sure if you do a true tank-style pivot steer (1 lever forward and 1 backward) you will tear up the lawn but if you turn "gradually" it actually performed very well (as somebody above said, similar to wheeled vs. tracked skid-steer).

I didn't end up buying one because the price was higher than I could justify for my flat, finished lawn. But they are definitely worth a look if you have side slopes or low, wet areas that you need to mow on a regular basis.

Cool. I was hoping somebody had seen one. I didn't search because 'new', you know ....