GROOMING
GETTING
ON TRACK
The versatility of track-equipped
tractors is just one reason why
they’re a popular choice for
grooming trails
When it comes to grooming
trails in the winter, snow-mobile
and cross-country
ski clubs have a number
of options. Different machines from
utility snowmobiles to heftier vehicles
designed specifically for snow grooming
are employed for this purpose, but an
increasingly popular choice are tractors
with their tires swapped out for tracks.
One company capitalizing on this
trend is Zuidberg NA, the North
American arm of the Netherlands-based
Zuidberg Group which offers
track systems for agricultural tractors
as well as custom-made drive line and
transmission solutions. In 2016, the
company began making inroads into
the snow grooming industry with the
introduction of its innovative Zuidberg
track conversion system.
Chris Saunders, vice president for
Zuidberg NA, believes a big reason
for the growing popularity of track-equipped
tractors in snow grooming
circles is their versatility. In addition
to snow grooming in the wintertime,
they can be used to maintain trails that
are put to off-season uses like ATVing,
as well as to prepare the trails for snow-mobilers
before the snow falls.
“There are uses for a tracked tractor
unit other than just the snowmobile
trail use,” said Saunders. “They’re multi-purpose
and can be used year-round….
You can go brush with it, you can go
mow with it, you can do all sorts of
things with it.”
Saunders maintains tractors are easy
to operate compared to some other
types of snow grooming equipment
and notes they have the added benefit
of excellent visibility. “You can look
right out your back window and check
on your drag and see how everything
is going,” he said.
Saunders says a major plus in the off-season
is that track-equipped tractors
can usually get around more easily in
wet, sloppy trail conditions than their
wheeled counterparts.
“You’re going to get a lot better
traction with the track system,” he
said. “That makes it easier to maneuver,
and you’re going to get more power to
the ground with the tracks than you are
with wheels,” he said.
Saunders points out that tracked
tractors also tend to be a lot easier
on the trails themselves. “You’re going
to have better flotation and less soil
compaction with the track system than
you are with wheels on there,” he said.
“As a result, you’re not sinking in and
tearing up big ruts up on your trails like
you possibly could with wheels.”
Saunders says a track system also
provides more comfort for users,
noting that Zuidberg tracks feature
a unique bogie system designed to
virtually eliminate cab vibrations.
The system features axels that oscil-
By Mark Halsall
PHOTO COURTESY OF SORVA OF ALGER COUNTRY
snowopsmag.com | SnowOps 37
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