Frozen mini skids

[Jehinten]

We've had some fluctuating temperatures this winter (7° two days ago and a high of 45° today) and it's led to mud building up in the tracks at the shop on warmer days, then it's freezing solid on cold mornings.

One day it caused the track idlers to freeze and that put the tracks in a bind, another day the parking brake was frozen In the engaged position preventing me from being able to drive it out of the trailer.

Anyone else running into this? Any solutions?

Unfortunately I do not have a heated shop and it's regularly too cold to get the water hose out to wash the mud from the track system. I was able to park the enclosed trailer in the sun the other day and let the skidsteer idle in the trailer for about 30 mins and I was able to get the parking brake disengaged.

 

[VenasNursery]

We've had some fluctuating temperatures this winter (7° two days ago and a high of 45° today) and it's led to mud building up in the tracks at the shop on warmer days, then it's freezing solid on cold mornings.

One day it caused the track idlers to freeze and that put the tracks in a bind, another day the parking brake was frozen In the engaged position preventing me from being able to drive it out of the trailer.

Anyone else running into this? Any solutions?

Unfortunately I do not have a heated shop and it's regularly too cold to get the water hose out to wash the mud from the track system. I was able to park the enclosed trailer in the sun the other day and let the skidsteer idle in the trailer for about 30 mins and I was able to get the parking brake disengaged.

Cleaning your undercarriage daily and lubing your parking brake pin

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Add a kerosene torpedo heater to the enclosed trailer. Even a small one will do the job. Add a Gen set to the box trailer would allow you to heat it up on the drive back to the shop at the end of the day

Be careful of asphyxiation

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Add a kerosene torpedo heater to the enclosed trailer. Even a small one will do the job. Add a Gen set to the box trailer would allow you to heat it up on the drive back to the shop at the end of the day

Be careful of asphyxiation

Most people don’t realize they the round output side of the torpedo heater is so sized to fit duct work. With a few elbows, straights or flex tubing allows you to put hot dry air where you need it

 

[Serf Life]

Clear tracks and park on ramps/boards. Winter is a joy sometimes. I use a bit of kindling/sticker etc to bust out ice to not hurt stuff if it’s seized. Mud is the worst

 

[flushcut]

I have a long POS slotted screwdriver that I use to clear the bulk of slush and then a blower to finish it off. Pretty much standard operating procedure in the winter snow/slush/mud seasons. Or this sheet metal forced air propane heater to the rescue.

 

[Jehinten]

Thanks, guys. I figured as much. This is my first winter with a tracked mini. My previous mini had wheels, and I never had this issue. Although that's partially because it would just get stuck in the mud long before anything would build up in its wheels.

 

[chris_girard]

Daily cleaning is the most important that we have found. Our Boxer from Morbark doesn't have a parking brake, so no worries there.

We also keep a small to torch handy. We were working in -10 to -20 degree wind chills all last week.

 

[southsoundtree]

Daily cleaning is the most important that we have found. Our Boxer from Morbark doesn't have a parking brake, so no worries there.

We also keep a small to torch handy. We were working in -10 to -20 degree wind chills all last week.

My Boxer 532dx is also parking brake-free. A chock is important if parked upslope-downslope overnight.

Thankfully, I've never had this issue. I'll remember to clean the bulk of the mud in freezing weather.

 

[evo]

I keep a plumbers torch on the truck. It comes in handy and even used it to free a stuck bolt on a tree cage last week.
This last cold snap the parking brake on the driveline of the dump iced up and wouldnt stick. Frozen door seals, and used it to get the ice from the mini sprocket

 

[flushcut]

A torch in each truck is pretty standard gear.

 

[27RMT0N]

A different scale of work, but I remember an old boss of mine telling me about building entire campfires under their D9 bulldozers to unfreeze the tracks from the ground and get the undercarriage warm enough to start the engines.

 

[ghostice]

An old friend used to work in Thompson Manitoba way up north in the mid 70's - in winter he didn't turn off his Trans Am 427 (screamin' chicken on the hood) - just covered/ tarped the front of the car and it idled all winter. Same thing is done in northern BC with field operator's F150's - never turn em off in winter. In -40C, Herman Nelson heaters and tarps are your friend. Watch the CO though.

 

[Boomslang]

A different scale of work, but I remember an old boss of mine telling me about building entire campfires under their D9 bulldozers to unfreeze the tracks from the ground and get the undercarriage warm enough to start the engines.

The old loggers around here will still do that with their skidders when they leave them in the woods overnight.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

having a warm starter battery is a key strategy

Hang an incandescent bulb nearby is cheap n easy