ATV tracks

[schmoe147]

I'm looking to purchase some atv tracks and wondering if they are as good as they seem. Do you get the use out of them. What are regulations on them, are you allowed to drive on snomobile trails with them?? Also what brand is best. 08 AC 700.

[Dave S]

Matttracks and Tatou are probably the two most common aftermarket tracks you'll see. Polaris has their Prospector brand and Can Am has their own also. Asking which is best is the same as asking which ATV is the best. You'll get 100 different opinions.

The regs have changed over the past few years as to what's an ATV. Class I or Class II.

Are they legal on snowmbile trails? No. The machine is still considered an ATV with tracks. If a person was willing to fight a ticket in court, you could possibly come out on top (without going into specifics), but IMO, it's not worth the hassle.

[bigshooter23]

i have the polaris 850 with tracks and its insane how much more you can go through. i debated over 3 years till i finally got them. And now very happy that i did. thing with tracks that is nice: added ground clearance, wider stance, climbs over almost anything, and also its a gear reduction system giving you more pulling power for bigger houses to pull out. i have talked to the DNR and they are trying to see if i bought a snowmobile license for the wheeler if i could ride on their trails. i dont see why they wouldnt if you bought the license and supported thier trails. i liked how much safer the feel of riding the wheeler is. been about a foot and a half wider then with tires you hardly ever have the feeling of tipping over. i find myself always trying to climb over the snow hills no one else on sleds have driven over. you dont get all the speed in the world but it opens up the winter for more time to ride. my advice is to get a all season track system.

[Chode2235]

How much speed are you getting BigShooter. Thinking about getting tracks, but want to be able to keep up with my buddies on their sleds.

[bigshooter23]

have not made it past break in period yet. but wheeler said it was going 60 and gps actual speed was 40.

[merkman]

Most definitely stay FAR away from Tatou.

They will not stand behind their product.

They talk a good game but talk is all it is!!

I fought with them for over 9 months on a set of tracks, not worth the hassle if I had to do it over again.

After coughing up even more money on them I can finally say that I love the tracks, but hate the company.

[Cootz]

Merkman, what problems did you have? I just bought a set and am very dissapointed in the speed of them. And on the very first trip with them I broke a bolt a half mile from the resort. Luckily I could limp it back. And thankfully I wasn't twenty miles away when it happened. The other thing that disappointed me was the gas milage. I don't think I could have gone more then 45 miles on my 5.3 gallon tank. And I was cruising at half to three quarter throttle on a lake with about five inches of snow. My cruising speed was 22 MPH according to my GPS. I was hoping for a top end around 40 and being able to cruise at 30. I emailed them a week ago to complain and see if there was something else they could do to gain me more speed but no responce. BTW I drive a 2007 Can Am 650 so it's not under powered.

[Dave S]

Do understand that most of these tracks built for ATVs have a gear reduction built in causing higher than normal RPMs for the speed you're traveling. This should explain the decrease in mpg, not to mention the added weight.

A high hp Can Am has never been good with mpg in my experience. Some might have a different opinion on that.

If a person is looking for faster travel across snow, a snowmobile might have been a better option.

Just my 2 cents.

[merkman]

I had less than 10 miles on the old version of the Tatou. And they locked up.

Supposedly according to the company the winter tracks are not made for hardpack snow and ice, only powder snow. I guess they would work good for someone on a ski slope or an application like that or in the mountains where you get the thick powder snow. Here we don’t get that.

After months of fighting with the company they finally told me that there is nothing wrong with the tracks just continue to use them. (I assume they meant to use them until the warranty was over )

I went back to the dealer one more time and finally worked out a deal to give them the old tracks back plus more cash to upgrade to the new version (all season).

I like the new version much better but it is still unnerving knowing I have no backup if there are problems.

If I had it to do over I would stay away from camoplast.

I knew about the speed loss, but don't feel bad mine are on a kawi mule.

It is governed at 25 MPH with wheels so the tracks bring it down to about 15 MPH.

They say you will loose 40% of your top speed.

Being able to go anywhere in the snow, and for me, being able to walk once I get there (snowmobiles kill my back) is well worth the price of the tracks.

You might want to loosen up the track tension some to get beter gas mileage and top speed. Don't do it too much, or you will risk throwing a track.

[xpmn]

I have been thinking of getting a set of tracks for my ranger, and have not settled on which ones, the new tatou 4s look real good on paper but a few problems have popped up this winter. The utv ones seem to be ok with the bigger boggies but like you said no one wants to break down especially after investing that kind of money. How do you get a ranger out of the woods with a broken track? helicopter? I know they would open up a lot of options in norhtern mn for me. polaris track seem okay, but the you are limited if you get another vehicle as they only fit polaris. Been doing a lot of research before I buy. just seems like camoplast is difficult to work with from what my searching comes up with. seems that all track systems have their downfalls, keep me posted the more I can come up the better.

[merkman]

If I could afford it and had to do it over again I would go with Matttracks.

The bonus is they are made in Northern Minnesota.

Knowing what I know now, If I had my choice between the "old style" winter only camoplast or no tracks I would choose no tracks.

I like the camoplast 4 season so far but don't trust the company.

My dad has Tru trax (his 4 wheeler now looks like a 6 wheeler with tracks) and I think those, for the price, are very nice too.

The nicest thing with those is there is no loss of speed, but individual tracks are much more visually appealing.

[Cootz]

"If a person is looking for faster travel across snow, a snowmobile might have been a better option." How about a person who reads the Manufacturers brochure it states an EXACT NUMBER and doesn't live up to it? Can that person be upset and bitter about that? If I wanted a snowmobile I would have bought one. I wanted the tracks I purchased to live up to their OWN claims.

[Cootz]

I talked recently with someone who owned a polaris UTV and had Matte Tracks on them. He basically had the same complaints I have about speed/gas and reliability. I'm coming to the conclusion that they all have their issues and they're not going to be as fast as THEY claim they are. Once passed that I love mine. And in their own element they are fun as L to drive.

[Dave S]

"If a person is looking for faster travel across snow, a snowmobile might have been a better option." How about a person who reads the Manufacturers brochure it states an EXACT NUMBER and doesn't live up to it? Can that person be upset and bitter about that? If I wanted a snowmobile I would have bought one. I wanted the tracks I purchased to live up to their OWN claims.

Sorry you feel that way Cootz. I checked Tatou's HSOforum for myself and they do indeed state 65% maintained speed. On average, an Outtie 650 will top out at about 72-74 mph on dry hard terrain. Take that same wheeled vehicle into the snow where you have far more drag, let's say something less than bottoming out for an Outtie such as 10" and your speed will decrease significantly. The situation there is too variable to even fathom a guess as to what your top speed would be.

Now put your tracks on and see if you can traverse that same snow any better/faster than you did with tires. If anything, I'd guess the tracks might be faster in that same snow.

I may be reading more into your post than I should, but it almost sounds as if you expected that same 65% maintained speed on tracks, in snow, as if you were on hard terrain.

Sorry, but I see no fault in Tatou's claims. Without being there to see your situation personally, we just don't know for sure.

[Myrt]

what about j wheels, a good option?

[McGurk]

Rode in a guy's Mule 400 w/ camoplast tracks, and there is a DEFINITE loss of speed. We were GPSing some trails in the snow and were humming along just fine at 3-5 mph, no problem for the wooded area we were in. We did get to the shoulder of the road and I had my GPS still running, and he opened it up in high range, to top speed of 7-8 mph. With wheels/tires he should have been able to get to 30 minimum. Both the gear reduction and effort that the engine had to put out made for a slow machine.

But, he got everywhere we needed to go without any issues so speed wasn't really an issue. He also plowed a LOT of 10+" snow with it, and made some snow piles that no wheeled machine could have done (pushed it up higher and higher) saving alot of real estate for parking.

I talked to a guy at a Jwheelz booth about them and their snow application. Not much help in powder, and with them on on crusty snow they'll help pull you out but they won't help from going through the crust in the first place. I'd like to see them on something first hand, because they seem like a great idea, and the price is right!

[merkman]

I wanted the tracks I purchased to live up to their OWN claims.

They have one BBB complaint against them for this very thing.

Sounds like another one may be in order?

[merkman]

But, he got everywhere we needed to go without any issues so speed wasn't really an issue.

I think that is they way you have to look at it.

No doubt a snowmobile is quicker, but as with anything they all have tradeoffs.

[BehindtheHead]

yep cant pull a perminant fish house with a snowmobile.

if your looking for a bass boat on ice tracks arent for you.

if your looking to get anywhere you want and alot of places you dont want to be and still get out, tracks are for you.

another thing with tracks is you can never have enouch power. a 700 yamaha grizzly will do the job but still could have more power.