Machinery access solutions

[White Noise]

See if you can get hold of some old rubber mini digger tracks or an old industrial conveyor belt

[martwizz]

Go to a big Ag dealer if you have one locally and ask for a set of worn tracks. They should give them to you for free, they'll need to pay to get rid otherwise.

Chop them open so you've just got a long belt and score under the first drive lug. With enough horse power you can then rip the lugs of in one go (they are moulded onto a separate steel belt, rubber moulded to the track) and presto, an indestructible, somewhat flexible/semi-rigid solution.

 

An other option would be the tread section of a tractor tyre (same Ag dealer, should be free again), which is a lot lighter both in weight and construction. Just cut the sidewalls of with a sharp knife (don't be tempted to use power tools, they melt the rubber and make it a very hard job, a sharp knife cuts tyres easier than you'd expect).

Tyre tread is lighter and more flexible (tracks are very heavy)

 

 

I have a set of tracks of a Challenger (Big tracked tractor, 600+hp) that I've had in a gateway all winter to drive the landy plus 4ton trailer through a very muddy gateway. Only sunk about an inch after more than 120ton of wood has been over it.

 

Thanks man, these are awesome ideas! I am surprised that a tractor tyre would lay flat if you cut the wall out? I assumed it would be pretty rigid. I have access to some though, so I may have to investigate

 

Old digger tracks sound super heavy, but I will keep my eye out for anybody who may have some!

[martwizz]

Did the job today, the stable matting worked very well. The uneven surfaces weren't quite as bad as I remembered, but it certainly would have been a pig without them. I can forsee these being extremely useful in the future.

 

I was able to block out steps, walls and gaps with wood, then lay down the mat to provide a high grip surface with a more friendly gradual incline.

 

Then used the trailer ramps for the final steps + stream.