There are five main skidsteer undercarriage parts to a Takeuchi rubber tracked skidsteer. The main part to the Takeuchi undercarriage would be the rubber track. Depending what model machine you have, the track can be either 13" (320mm) or 18" (450mm). Takeuchi rubber tracks have a steel cord throughout the track with steel drive lugs.
Sprockets:
Front Idlers:
Rear Idlers:
Bottom Rollers:
There are many different factors to look for when purchasing Takeuchi undercarriage rollers and idlers but the main three are as follows:
- Hardened steel
- Sealed bearings
- OEM specs
- Korean made
Some aftermarket companies sell a cheap product that is not hardened steel. This is a design that is very cost effective but will have an extremely high wear rate and cause downtime. Pretty much, you get what you pay for with those parts. The hardened steel is imperative due to the extreme conditions that these machines are sometimes used in and can withstand harsh abuse.
If the rollers and idlers are not sealed, dirt and grime can penetrate causing failure. It is important to get an entire sealed unit to make your undercarriage is maintenance free and will not fail.
Takeuchi rollers, idlers, top rollers, and bottom rollers that are not made to OEM specs will waste a lot of money and time. So many companies sell cheap copies that are made in mass production without much attention to detail. Just think of the frustration when trying to install and it doesn't fit!
So make sure you do your homework when purchasing aftermarket Takeuchi skidsteer undercarriage parts. With so many factories in China producing inferior products, it's worth paying for a quality product without paying the extravagent amount from the dealer.
