(+20 photos) How to make a snowmobile track with your own hands

With the arrival of winter, it is not always possible to get to the right place using usual transport; even a car sometimes cannot overcome snow drifts. It is for such cases that a snowmobile was designed, a vehicle that is not afraid of any snowdrifts. The cost of such a factory-assembled unit is not small, which prompted many craftsmen to design it themselves. Most of the parts can be bought in stores, but in most cases you can make a snowmobile track from a tire yourself.

Tools and materials

In the vast majority of cases, snowmobile tracks are formed from a conveyor belt or tires. But making tires is complex, time-consuming and too painstaking. In some cases, the propeller of a snowmobile is made from V-belts. In various versions, tracks are also made from chains and plastic pipes.

To work you will need:

• large knives with a well-sharpened blade;
• electric jigsaw with fine teeth;
• bolts;
• nuts;
• wrenches;
• fishing line (helps strengthen the edges);
• cable or similar material that helps strengthen the track;
• hammer and sharp tool for preparing holes;
• rectangular profile pipe;
• Grover;
• washers;
• fittings

From the lids

Plastic caps make a fun and active toy. To work you need to prepare:

• 7-15 plastic caps;
• Beads are the same size;
• Fishing line;
• Awl;
• Scissors, paper, pencils.

Operating procedure:

1. Make holes in the lids. Attach 3 beads to the fishing line - this will be the tail.
2. Draw a face and glue it to one lid. Also attach the antennae here.
3. Using a needle and fishing line, assemble the caterpillar, stringing in order: the lid, 4-5 beads, the lid again.
4. Lastly thread the lid with the face. Use a knot of fishing line to secure the structure and at the same time form a spout.

The funny rattle toy is ready.

Manufacturing options

The photo below shows a possible scheme for creating a track for a snowmobile. The length of the main section is 5.8 m. In this case, rollers measuring 0.07 m are used. The center-to-center distance is taken to be 0.9 m.

Advanced people may not limit themselves to this drawing and study another version of the kinematic diagram of the snowmobile as a whole.

Making a snowmobile track with your own hands if you have the drawings is very simple. But if you take even the best conveyor belt in its pure form, it will quickly wear out during operation. Stitching along the edges with thick fishing line helps correct the situation. There is no need to come up with anything original here - you just have to act in the same way as when sewing, you overcast the edges of the fabric.

It is the perimeter that is the most vulnerable link, and it does not matter whether the caterpillar is made 1 meter, 2 meters or some other length.

The rubber strip must be looped. Some people simply sew the ends together, but this technique is not reliable enough. It would be much better to use a hinge that is matched to a piano hinge.

Important: the thickness of the tape must be selected according to the engine power. In most cases, a thickness of 1 cm is sufficient, as on agricultural machines.

But some people note that tires removed from an old motorcycle (manufactured before 1990) are also suitable for a snowmobile track. True, such a resource is, for obvious reasons, rare. An alternative solution is to make a track propulsion system based on belts. Grousers of their own design are added to the wedge-shaped blade. Most often, rivets or a nut-bolt combination are used for clutch.

The belts are equipped with holes at the factory, which can easily be adjusted to the main sprocket of the snowmobile. You just need to leave a certain gap between the stripes. Fastening of such a structure is done using a cable of small diameters and other durable materials.

Important: do not rush. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the entire assembly will fall apart while moving.

It is useful to consider alternative solutions (of which, in fact, there are a lot). One of the schemes also involves the use of a conveyor belt. Additionally, you will need a profile pipe of rectangular cross-section. Nuts, bolts, engravers and washers are used for fastening. They begin work with a homemade propulsion unit, forming track blanks.

They are simply cut exactly to the width of the track using an angle grinder. When the rough blanks are made, they need to be given a special shape by pressing on a machine.

Recommendation: the edges of the tracks should be lubricated with used oil.

After this, limiting fangs and fittings resembling the letter Y are welded on. The resulting specimens are checked and adjusted to the place where they should fit.

Assembling the caterpillar yourself, once the tracks are made, is no longer difficult. You just need to make holes in the tape using a tube sharpened at the end. The side of the tube is also equipped with a hole, which helps remove crumb rubber and dust. The tracks are drilled with an electric drill; there should be two holes on each edge. Assembly with such blanks is not difficult.

But there are a few more subtleties that need to be taken into account in any case. If increased cross-country ability is in the foreground, then you need to make a two-track snowmobile, which is also more stable than one with one support. There is no practical difference in the work, unless you have to make one more caterpillar additionally.

The movers themselves sometimes have to be modified by tenoning with self-tapping screws. This procedure is designed to increase the vehicle’s cross-country ability to the maximum.

On a snowmobile without studs, as practice shows, it is very difficult to drive onto icy shores and slippery serpentines. If the procedure is performed correctly, you can forget about this problem for at least one season. However, it is worth considering that studded tracks turn worse, especially on asphalt. But safety in difficult conditions is worth it. It is also necessary to pay attention to the rear suspension, which must work well in conjunction with the tracks.

Linked suspensions are used in sports and cargo models. But in deep snow and when using long tracks, unlinked suspensions are better. This design enhances traction and perfectly distributes the weight load.

Important: shock absorbers must also match the tracks. In addition to the main points, it is advisable to take into account several additional nuances.

From chestnuts

You can make an original craft from chestnut fruits. To do this you will need:

• Ripe chestnuts 5-8 pieces;
• Plasticine;
• Cardboard for the base;
• Natural material for decoration.

The procedure for creating crafts:

1. Roll plasticine into balls according to the number of chestnuts. Flatten the balls.
2. Use plasticine to create the face of a caterpillar on one chestnut tree.
3. Use plasticine pancakes to connect the chestnuts together. Attach the caterpillar to the base and decorate it with leaves and dry grass.

4. Another option for creating a caterpillar is to pierce each chestnut with an awl and use a large needle to collect the fruit on a string. Then you will get a movable craft.

Using the same methods, you can create crafts from acorns, small apples or other fruits. You can even create a whole family of caterpillars. Children in kindergarten or elementary school will be interested in working with different materials during the lesson.

Making tracks from tires

This option for constructing rubber tracks has a number of advantages. There is plenty of material to be found. In case of urgent need, it will not be difficult to carry out repair work in a very short time. To make rubber tracks, you should choose truck tires. In addition, the tread must be identical in pattern to the rest of the tires - this will significantly simplify further work.

Manufacturing process:

1. Initially, a tire is taken. A transverse cut is made to create a strip. The sides are cut out of it - a kind of treadmill should be formed. The procedure requires a lot of patience, because cutting out excess parts of the tire is quite labor-intensive. The tools used are a large knife with a good sharp blade.
2. Rubber is easy to cut if the knife is soaked in warm, soapy water. Wetting needs to be done periodically. To achieve greater ease of operation, you should use an electric jigsaw with a fine tooth blade. The blade is also soaked in soapy liquid from time to time.
3. If the tire hardness is high, it is recommended to remove a couple of layers of rubber from the inside - this is very difficult, so it is easier to find a tire with a soft structure. In case of dissatisfaction with the tread pattern, new cutting of the lugs is allowed at your discretion.
4. A rubber track made by yourself has a huge advantage - it is a closed loop. With this advantage, reliability and strength are significantly increased. The only thing you need to pay attention to is securing the individual elements of the tire when creating a track for a snowmobile. Often, some tire options are not suitable in width. In this case, you should find material for specific parameters or tighten individual pieces with a small cable.

From a cocktail tube

You can make a paper caterpillar with your own hands using a cocktail straw.

To create a product you need to prepare materials:

• Napkins or corrugated paper
• Cocktail straw
• Glue, scissors, markers
• A piece of colored paper
• Wooden skewer

Operating procedure:

1. Wrap the cocktail tube in paper. Squeeze the paper with an accordion to create a compressed body of the caterpillar.

2. Form a caterpillar bend from the tube. You can also pull out the tube. Cut off a piece - this will be the cutting of a leaf. Secure the stalk with glue on a skewer, and glue one end of the caterpillar to it.

3. Also fasten the other end to a skewer. Glue the skewer to the leaf. Paint the caterpillar with dots and paint its face black.

Transport belt for caterpillar

This material is very common. Therefore, it will not be particularly difficult to find a transport tape. You can purchase it in used condition or, if possible, simply ask your friends.

Manufacturing process:

The conveyor belt may soon deteriorate during operation, so it is necessary to stitch the sides of the material using thick fishing line. You need to do it the way seamstresses sew the edges of fabric using the overcasting method. If you do not do the work, then after some time the edges will turn into rags, therefore, the tape cannot be avoided. To give the rubber strip the appearance of a ring, stitching the ends is used, but the method is not very reliable. It is easier to use a hinge based on the type of piano hinge.

The thickness of the conveyor belt depends on the power of the motor. A strip 1 cm thick shows excellent results. It is used in agricultural machinery. It is allowed to use tape from old Soviet motorcycles.

The advantages lie in the abundance of resources. If a homemade track breaks down, it can be restored in a short time without professional tools. Before purchasing a full-fledged track, you can use the belt version for quite a long time.

What other advantages does the development have?

Separately, you can purchase a special trailer to transport cargo from one place to another. The maximum permissible weight is one ton. Thanks to its small dimensions, the tracked module itself easily fits on any aircraft, rail, or road transport, including airplanes.

The special MHD electric generator will become an indispensable assistant for rescue and service services. Thanks to it, rescuers will be able to cut metal using additional electrodes with a thickness of up to five millimeters. This is a machine that has no analogues in the whole world

That’s why videos with her participation constantly attract attention.

Track belts

This option is very easy to manufacture and does not require any skills. The material is quite common. There will be no difficulties in purchasing it.

Manufacturing process:

1. The belts are wedge-shaped, therefore, creating a single piece of fabric is very simple. And the lugs can be made at your own request. Bolts and nuts or rivets are used as coupling.
2. The belts are convenient because they have holes that can easily be adjusted to the snowmobile's drive sprocket. For these purposes, a gap is left between the strips during operation.
3. For fastening, it is allowed to use any durable material, for example, a small diameter cable. It is important that the work is done efficiently, otherwise the entire structure will fall apart when driving.

There are actually many more methods for making DIY tracks. It also doesn’t hurt to use your imagination and come up with something better and replace the tires and rubber with a more practical material. But, nevertheless, tire tracks are considered the best solution. They are simple to manufacture, and the time spent on work will be minimal.

Design and its main features

Making a car lift for a garage with your own hands

From the very beginning, Metelitsa was a snow and swamp-going vehicle intended exclusively for cars of Russian origin. But practice has shown that, in principle, any brands, including those from foreign manufacturers, can get along with this Russian invention. However, currently adaptation is only possible for rear- and all-wheel drive vehicles. In a year, it is planned to release a unit that will also fit front-wheel drive vehicles. The first videos have already appeared.

Serial production of this model began in 2010. So far, Chelyabinsk enterprises are set up to produce only about a thousand modules per year. The Metelitsa all-terrain vehicle will cost between 200 and 400 thousand rubles. The module is perfect for any car weighing from 1 to 4 tons, with a power of up to 90-250 horses.

This equipment never requires complex maintenance. Snow, swamp and water - this type of transport is able to overcome any obstacles. And you won't have to worry about purchasing a separate all-terrain vehicle. The videos show that buying such tracks will cost much less, you just need to attach them to the car.

Recommendations

The thickness of the tape is selected according to the engine power. On a snowmobile where a motorcycle engine is installed, there is also enough belt like that used in agricultural conveyors. If truck tires are used as a basis, then you need to select them according to the tread pattern to simplify the work. The beads are cut out of the tires, but areas are left for treadmills.

Important: the knife must be extremely sharp for such work; Wetting the blade in a soap solution helps reduce the complexity of manipulations, although it is better to use an electric jigsaw.

Whatever option is chosen, one must strive to make the entire structure as light as possible. Then traveling on loose virgin snow will not be difficult. To drive homemade tracks from the engine, some enthusiasts take drive sprockets from old Burans. The lugs can be attached to furniture bolts with a diameter of 6 mm; the same distance must be maintained between them. Cutting pipes will work better if you work alternately on both sides and do not try to cut through.

Installation of “barrels” (slides) is optional. Snowmobiles without such an element do not ride much worse. Any drawing or diagram must be adapted to the available consumables. It is advisable to take longer bolts so as not to experience inconvenience. There is also the most radical way to make a caterpillar for a snowmobile with your own hands - cut the standard propeller from the Buran in half.

Homemade people unite Topic author VLADIMIR

On what basis can you build an all-terrain vehicle (not a pneumatic vehicle)…?

L (Debdan) I’m going to make it on the basis of the Urals, the basis of the frame will be the Ural itself, father-in-law, the rear axle from the VAZ

L (Debdan) wakes up tricyclol

VLADIMIR (Daria) A similar model was produced by the Irbit plant. Only they used an axle from a Muscovite and spoked wheels. It had a body and, like, two seats.

VLADIMIR (Daria) If you ride on asphalt, this model can and will survive. But on off-road it becomes very unstable. I have already experienced this from personal experience

L (Debdan) are you saying that the tricycle is not stable???

VLADIMIR (Daria) I said extremely unstable

VLADIMIR (Daria) Do you recommend making a six-wheel drive?

Andrey (Canan) I had the idea to deploy the engine with the Oka box along a homemade frame, then the axle shafts coming out of the Oka box would become cardan shafts to the Niva axles. Only there will be no interaxle blocking. I already have an Oka engine and gearbox.

Mikhail (Tavaris) gas 71

Mikhail (Tavaris) Or ZIL PKU-1, produced in 1965, look very good.

Making caterpillars from car tires

You can make your own caterpillar using car tires. To carry out the work, you need to select tires borrowed from trucks; it is recommended to use a suitable tread pattern, and you will spend less effort when working with the tire. The manufacture of such a caterpillar must be done by cutting out the sides from the tire, while leaving space for a treadmill.

It is worth considering that this work is quite labor-intensive and requires the application of a lot of patience and effort; in this case, it is necessary to use only a well-sharpened shoe knife.

In order to spend less effort when making a caterpillar for a car with your own hands, you can wet the blade from time to time using a soap solution. As an alternative solution, you can use a device designed for cutting; it is also possible to use an electric jigsaw. On the latter you first need to attach a file with small teeth, the file must also be pre-moistened with water, during the work such manipulations must be done periodically.

How much will it cost

Calculating the cost of such a caterpillar is not at all difficult, but the only nuance is worth considering. If you already have a tire or cover, then the cost immediately decreases; if you also buy a base for the track, then the cost will be slightly higher.

necessary component	price
car tire	from 1200 rubles
bicycle tire	from 380 rub.
truck tire	from 9,000 rub.
plastic pipe	about 150 rub. per meter
bolts	55 rub. a piece

Next, we select the appropriate components and calculate the cost, it will be several times lower than the factory-assembled store-bought equivalent. A snowmobile track made from a tire is easy to make with your own hands, as practice has shown. The main thing is to have the desire and put in a little effort.

Work technology

Do-it-yourself tracks for a car must be made using a technology that involves the initial removal of the tire beads, then, if necessary, you need to remove the excess layers that are located on the wrong side of the formed ring; this is necessary if the track has increased hardness.

If the tread pattern is not suitable, then you need to cut a new structure, which will be necessary so that the structure can cling to the soil.

A snowmobile track made with your own hands according to the scheme described above will have many advantages, even if compared with the option described above. This is due to the fact that it has a closed loop, which indicates reliability. But there are also disadvantages, one of which is expressed in the limited width of the track, but if there is a need, then a double width can be used.

Main manufacturers and prices

The first tracked mechanisms were developed in the USA, after which they were distributed throughout the world. Now several dozen manufacturers, including domestic ones, are engaged in the production of such structures. Of the imported brands, Mattracks is considered one of the most popular. Their prices correspond to the big name - one set corresponds to the cost of a Russian car.

Several companies are now engaged in the production of tracks for passenger cars, but such a purchase, again, will not be cheap. Pricing depends on the following factors:

• diameter of bearings and axles;
• metal thickness and quality;
• design features.

When choosing imported tracked mechanisms, focus on a price of 230 - 700 thousand rubles. By deciding to buy tracks for the Niva from a domestic manufacturer, you can cut costs in half.

Manufacturing of structural elements

Before starting to manufacture structural elements, prepare a drawing, required materials and tools. You can take ready-made drawings based on the Bullfinch or Vepr snowmobiles. Tools you will need:

• welding machine;
• pipe bender or finished frame;
• hammer;
• screwdrivers.

Since the design of the mini snowmobile is low, the seat is made of durable waterproof material. The fuel tank is made of metal. Its volume should be from 10 to 15 liters. You can use a motorcycle chain as a drive.

Advantages and disadvantages of homemade snowmobiles

Anyone who has the skills to work with a welding machine, skill and a little ingenuity can make a snowmobile. You cannot do this without basic knowledge, otherwise the unit will not be reliable and may fail at the most inopportune moment.

Even if you have the skills and abilities, homemade equipment of this type has its advantages and disadvantages, which we will consider further.

The advantages include:

• assembly quality control, everyone selects the necessary parts for themselves and looks at their quality;
• the presence of skis and tracks will increase the cross-country ability of the snowmobile; it will not be afraid of snowdrifts and loose snow on virgin soil;
• easy to operate, the steering system is located entirely in front;
• reliability and high cross-country ability;
• The cost, assembling a snowmobile yourself is about five times cheaper than buying it in a store or even second-hand.

You can assemble such a unit based on many unnecessary things available in the household. Most often, the basis is chainsaws, walk-behind tractors, and motorcycles; in this case, a snowmobile will cost even less.

A self-made vehicle also has disadvantages:

• you will have to manufacture many components yourself, since spare parts are available for sale only for strictly established dimensions;
• You won’t be able to order tuning components online, they are not designed for homemade products;
• caterpillars and some other components will have to be made independently.

In all other respects, homemade snowmobiles in many characteristics are one step higher than factory models.

How to make a snowmobile track

A snowmobile track is created from tires or conveyor belt. The work will be difficult and time-consuming if tires are used as the basis. The sides are cut out of them, so the work requires a sharp shoe knife or an electric jigsaw. To facilitate the process, tires are selected with a suitable tread pattern. Making a homemade caterpillar:

The sides of the tire are cut out with a knife. If the knife blade is periodically moistened in a soapy solution, the cutting process will become easier. When using an electric jigsaw, install a blade with small teeth and moisten it with water.

If, when cutting, the track turns out to be hard or extra layers have formed on the wrong side, they are also cut off.

Cutting a new structure is done when there is a mismatch in the tread pattern. The structure made must cling to the soil, so the structure of the pattern must be correct.

A caterpillar made according to this design is quite reliable due to the fact that it has a closed loop. Its disadvantage is its narrow width. To make a larger size, it is doubled. If the caterpillar is made from a conveyor belt, then it is combined into a single ring.

This can be done in 2 ways:

1. like a piano hinge (with a hinge);
2. ribbon stripes.

You need to choose the appropriate thickness of the tape if it is sewn on. Its thickness should be suitable for the engine power. A homemade snowmobile from an IZH motorcycle requires the use of a 10 mm thick tape. To increase the service life of the snowmobile, the edges of the conveyor belt are stitched with fishing line. The seams are made according to the method of overcasting the edges with an interval of 1 cm.

From apples

A caterpillar made from apples and vegetables will be a fun table decoration. It will look especially good on the table in the fall, during the harvest season.

To make this craft you will need:

• 5-7 apples;
• 1 grape;
• Raisins for eyes;
• Toothpicks;
• 1 carrot.

The procedure for creating an edible sculpture:

1. Cut the carrots into slices.
2. Insert toothpicks into the bottoms of the apples to create stems.
3. Connect the apples together with toothpicks, which need to be inserted in the middle of the fruit.
4. Thread carrots onto the stems.
5. Make a face on one apple: use a toothpick to secure a grape in the shape of a nose and raisins.

All that remains is to place the caterpillar on a plate and eat it.

Tackles

A trolley is a movable platform that protects the chassis of equipment from unnecessary mechanical loads. The platform is used when it is necessary to drive a snowmobile into a garage. For its manufacture, a metal pipe of medium diameter (6×6 mm), rollers and a bearing system are used. The wheels are installed with rubber coating and metal discs. Their diameter must correspond to the weight of the equipment.

Snowmobile skis consist of a base, a shock-absorbing part, a rod, a fork and bipod, and a link leg.

Skis can be made in different designs from different materials. If plastic linings are used for the base, they are supplemented with expanders. The extensions are mounted with fastenings to the snowmobile chassis. The plastic design is suitable for small equipment. For large and medium-sized snowmobiles, you will need metal skis.

1. To give the skis a shape, cut out the base from a cardboard stencil. At the same time, a bend is formed in front. The amount of bending is done at your own discretion. A ski track with a large bend glides poorly and collects snow. And this creates unnecessary braking. Therefore, you should not make it too large. The approximate size of the ski track is 2.5 cm wide and 100 cm long.
2. A pipe is welded along the edges of each part. This gives additional rigidity to the product and protects it from stones that come along the way.
3. Where the bend passes, the pipe is welded along the contour.
4. Shock-absorbing parts are fixed to the skis. Bolts are used as fastening elements.
5. The platform and the nose of the skis are connected by a hydraulic pipe. The top part is ready.
6. For the lower part, the hydraulic pipe is fixed at 4 points and compressed.
7. Then the polyethylene pipe is attached with self-tapping screws, having previously cut it. Instead of a polyethylene pipe, you can use polypropylene.

From a sock

An old sock or golf ball will make a wonderful toy. To do this you will need any 2 socks or long socks, thread, scissors, a needle and filler.

Operating procedure:

1. Stuff filler into the end of the sock. Tie it with threads to make a ball.
2. Stuff foam or cotton wool into the next compartment again and tie another ball again. In this way, create several balls until the golf runs out.

3. If you use two socks, you need to make them into balls separately. Then the socks need to be sewn in the middle.
4. Using beads, black thick threads and colored fabric or leather, make a face. You can form a tongue from leather or fabric, and eyes from beads.

5. The funny toy is ready. You can also put old baby rattles inside one or three balls, then the toy will also become musical.

Another option for making a caterpillar

Before you make a caterpillar with your own hands, you need to choose a technology for carrying out the work. It is also possible to use the method presented below. The propulsion frame can be welded using pipes that have a rectangular cross-section. It is recommended to connect them using a frame, this will make the structure collapsible. The splined part can be borrowed from the Buran, this will make it possible to make drive shafts; the splined part of the shafts, which are borrowed from the Oka, must be welded to them. It will also be necessary to use brake discs. When working on the front shafts, you need to install brake mechanisms on them. Some part of the gearbox housing needs to be cut off.

Making a caterpillar with your own hands will allow you not only to save money, but also to move through snowy areas without any problems. This design can be used for a long time without the need for repairs.

Test results

DIY wood-burning car drawings

A test drive of the cornfield tracks conducted by specialists showed that the machine behaves excellently on almost any type of surface. The cross-country ability remains equally high when driving on muddy clay, sand and mud. Moreover, the vehicle speed can reach 80 km/h in such situations. The Niva can easily navigate up and down fairly steep slopes. As for water obstacles - streams and rivers, here restrictions arose only in depth.

The car also felt very confident in the snow. It has been experimentally proven that Niva was able to overcome areas with snow reaching a depth of 80 cm without hindrance. Tests were carried out at different temperatures, at different times of the year, and there was no case where the car did not live up to expectations. As you know, even vehicles equipped with low-pressure tires experience problems when driving in snow. And only tracked vehicles always adequately cope with such tasks.

Although the advantages of the tracked Niva are difficult to dispute, it also has a couple of disadvantages:

• The machine is not intended for driving on uneven terrain, with sudden changes in elevation, with hills and slopes. This is due to the fact that the area of ​​the tracked module is not enough, and the load on the transmission and suspension system becomes excessive;
• the presence of certain restrictions related to the geometry of obstacles - for example, the Niva manages to move over thick logs and fallen tree trunks with great difficulty.

Car enthusiasts are also interested in how the “re-shod” Niva will behave on ordinary roads and rough terrain. Undoubtedly, the ride itself will become more rigid, and the maximum speed on asphalt will not exceed 50 km/h. It must be taken into account that the load on the transmission will increase, which will require a transition to lower gears. The force on the steering wheel will also increase, however, if you have a hydraulic booster, this fact will go almost unnoticed.

Problems with transporting incredibly heavy camp equipment and connecting hunting grounds to public transport are pressing for every hunter. An SUV, even one like the Niva, solves these problems only partially, since there remain obstacles in the form of gullies, slopes and off-road conditions that a car on standard wheels cannot cope with. There is an urgent need to convert your vehicles to caterpillar tracks. How to make tracks for a Niva in three ways, in which cases is it better to buy ready-made ones?

Features of the tracked attachment device

The tracked module on a walk-behind tractor is a special part that allows the device to easily move and transport loads off-road. High cross-country ability of the tracks is ensured by a large coverage area, due to which the mass of the object being moved is distributed evenly over the surface. In essence, a tracked device is insured against the risk of getting stuck in a viscous and hot surface. A small agricultural implement with a caterpillar drive shows continued relevance in a wide variety of conditions:

• for carrying out work on viscous and marshy soils;
• for snow removal (especially in conditions of heavy snowfall);
• for transporting cargo off-road;
• as an all-terrain vehicle for winter fishing.

In addition to increased cross-country ability, such units also have increased stability. In addition, if necessary, the track drive can be easily transformed into a wheel drive and back.

In this video you will learn more about the caterpillar track:

Taking into account the demand for tracked attachments, manufacturers produce various modifications of caterpillar tracks. However, many owners successfully cope with assembling tracks for a walk-behind tractor with their own hands.

Development of Chelyabinsk engineers

Engineers from Chelyabinsk offer an alternative design, thanks to which the vehicle will be able to conquer not only off-road conditions, but also water. Movement on water is ensured by quick-detachable pontoons fixed to the chassis.

When not needed, they can be stored on a wheeled ski trailer or trunk. Installation of tracks in this case is somewhat more labor-intensive when compared with classic track mechanisms, the installation of which does not take more than an hour. You will have to follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. At the first stage, the car should be placed on the tracked module, get rid of the wheels and lower the suspension onto the catchers.
2. Next, the car is attached to the frame, and the module bridge is connected to the cardan.
3. At the final stage, the control unit is installed and the hydraulic system is pumped.

It takes at least 2 hours for such an all-terrain mechanism to be installed, after which control is available via the steering wheel. After the next off-road raid, the car is put back on the platform, and the tracked modules replace the usual wheels. The asking price is 100 thousand rubles. and higher.

From toothed conveyor belt

This method is the simplest, and therefore the most common. It does not require special knowledge and skills, as well as many tools and materials.

1. First you need to determine the desired length of the tape. (It is defined as the circumference of one wheel + the distance between the axles of each pair of wheels multiplied by 2).

2. Next, you need to make the future caterpillar strong and reliable. To do this, the tape must be swept along the edges with fishing line and ties, in increments of about 10 mm.

3. To form a ring, it is better to use a hinge joint (as it is stronger and more durable) or simply sew the tape along the ends.

4. Install the resulting caterpillar tracks onto the cultivator wheels.

About the device

Tracked walk-behind tractors are much less common than their wheeled counterparts. The explanation for this is quite clear - wheeled walk-behind tractors Cayman, Patriot, Texas, Foreman, Crosser, Viking, Forza are more suitable for plowing land, i.e. its design is most suitable for working on the ground.

Thus, all conversions of a wheeled walk-behind tractor into a tracked walk-behind tractor involve the additional attachment of one wheel on each side. As a result, we get a 4-wheeled walk-behind tractor, on which you can already put on tracks (homemade or store-bought, for example, Buran caterpillar).

Additional wheels

By the way, additional wheels can be made removable so that you can quickly turn it back into a standard walk-behind tractor for working in the garden. This can be achieved by attaching these wheels to an axle that we already have in stock, through a flexible or rigid transmission.

This solution is the most appropriate, because there is no need to weld additional fasteners.

As for the design of such walk-behind tractors, they are completely identical to wheeled walk-behind tractors:

• Engine. Tracked models use a more powerful 4-stroke engine, which has an axle locking function.
  

  This is important because it allows the crawler to turn in place without making a full circle to turn.

• Transmission. Gearbox, gearbox and clutch system - this standard set is also included in the design of tracked walk-behind tractors.
• Chassis. Here, in principle, everything is clear from the name - the design uses tracks instead of a wheelbase. As already mentioned, in the case of alteration, one roll is added to the existing pair of wheels on each side, on which a homemade caterpillar is already put on.
• Controls. They are located on the control handle, including various clutch levers, emergency engine stop, etc.

Before we begin to describe the method of making tracks yourself, it would not hurt to evaluate the offer of some special stores that sell walk-behind tractors and related materials. In particular, we will estimate the cost of some types of tracks for well-known walk-behind tractors.

Caterpillars for the Neva walk-behind tractor

Snowmobile attachments for the Neva walk-behind tractor

Thus, the tracks for the Neva walk-behind tractor, the price of which is about 28 thousand rubles, is a full-fledged snowmobile attachment. Seats for drivers can be purchased separately, thanks to which the Neva walk-behind tractor becomes similar to a mini tracked tractor, albeit with lower performance indicators.

Technical data:

• developed speed (with Neva walk-behind tractor) – about 18 km/h;
• total weight of the console – 37 kg;
• length – 100 cm;
• width – 60 cm;
• height – 34 cm;
• number of passengers – one driver and one passenger.

For more information about the caterpillar drive for the Neva walk-behind tractor, watch the video:

In addition, an attachment to a walk-behind tractor on tracks is available for sale, designed for attachment to the Agat and Salyut models. Its cost is 25-27 thousand rubles. This design does not have the ability to attach a driver's seat, which somewhat limits the capabilities of this device.

However, it is quite suitable for off-road and snowy driving. Snowmobile attachments on tracks for walk-behind tractors are quite common, as evidenced by a fairly large number of different models in online stores.

Their distinctive feature is the ability to control them not only with two hands, following the walk-behind tractor, but also while sitting in a folding sled, which, however, must be purchased separately.

Considering that the average price for such attachments is about 30 thousand rubles (plus the price of folding sleds is about 5 thousand rubles), we can say that making tracks yourself is a fairly optimal solution for those who do not have the opportunity to spend extra money on purchasing .

Top popular walk-behind tractor models on tracks

Tracked walk-behind tractors are a rarity; in most cases, manufacturers produce gooseneck attachments that can be installed on wheeled models. Most often, there are specialized snow-removing walk-behind tractors on tracks.

1. Caiman Vario is one of the most famous crawler walk-behind tractors. The machine consists of a standard walk-behind tractor on Caiman Vario 70S pneumatic wheels with a Japanese 7 hp engine, removable tracks and a two-seater sled. In this winter configuration, it can be used as a snowmobile for fishing or hunting trips. For work related to the transportation of goods over rough terrain, the walk-behind tractor is equipped with cargo sleds and weights. To remove snow, you can install a shovel blade or a snow removal attachment.
2. Yard-Man YM 7110 DET – snow plow walk-behind tractor with a 10 hp 4-stroke engine. Working width – 710 mm, working height – 530 mm, snow throw range – up to 15 m. 8-speed drive (6 forward, 2 reverse) with friction clutch and tracks with directional tread guarantee high performance even in difficult areas.
3. HUTER 8100C is a self-propelled snow blower equipped with a four-stroke single-cylinder 11 hp engine, designed for effective clearing of snow drifts in emergency winter conditions. The snow blower's chute covers a snowdrift of 700 mm in width and 540 mm in height. The power plant of the unit is equipped with an electric starter, heated handles and an autonomous fuel supply.

Do you use a crawler walk-behind tractor for snow removal, cross-country driving, winter fishing or hunting?