2 MINUTE EASY FIX for Popped Off Track on Skid Steer, Excavator, or any tracked machine.

[@cindysullivan4265]

Hi all, As a Master mechanic I would say do not do this without removing the grease.. this does get ya moving again, but you did nothing to prevent It from continuing, like properly adjusting the track with grease.. Each time you Override the track to get it on you are causing damage to the track that You may or may not see...Running loose tracks causes premature wear and damage as well.. Keep the money in your pocket by eliminating down time, and possibly someone getting injured.. Please do an equipment check at the start of each running period.. All fluids, tracks, etc.. I do applaud your thinking outside the box to get going again, but remedy the derailing issue by properly adjusting the track. I wish you all the best! Be Safe! Don Sullivan Custom Designs Construction LLC

[@MrBudcampo]

You don’t remedy popping tracks off doing forestry work by having them properly tightened, it only helps. Forestry mulching leaves stumps everywhere, and tracks pop off no matter what all the time. I do all recommended preventative maintenance. Doing this does not put any more strain on the tracks than regular use, nor does it put more strain on them that knocked them off in the first place.

[@cindysullivan4265]

Just a suggestion, after thousands of hours in skidsteers and 40 years in business I was just trying to give you a friendly pointer.. You can certainly treat your equipment how you choose..Properly adjusted tracks and possibly slight changes in operator technique will help.. I do wish you all the success in your business! Be Safe! Please remember that advice is only good if it is actually listened to.. Don

[@MrBudcampo]

@@cindysullivan4265 man, i was operating machines before I could walk. Doesn’t matter how much of a master operator you are, or how well you maintain your equipment, when you are forestry mulching in Tennessee, and there is a stump literally ever 4 feet, you are not keeping your tracks on all the time. In addition to that, none of you address the fact that regular use in a rugged environment like this, as well as the tracks popping off, are going to cause the tracks far more strain and stretch than popping them back on. 40 years of being a mechanic doesn’t give you common sense. I’ve had tracked machines my whole life, and I’ve done it the hard way and the easy way. My track life has not changed since doing it the easy way. The rubber is going to wear off 10x faster than the stretch is going to matter. Please use your head, it’ll be fun.

[@christopherdickinson4291]

As another mechanic... who maintains RENTAL equipment. Properly tensioning tracks do go a long way towards track pop offs in the woods BUT! To be frank its operator error, takes a different technique in rocky/loggy terrain than dirt or gravel. Flat turns are a no no. You pop a track off one of our machines in the woods your getting a bill for the service call.

[@lumberjackdreamer6267]

@@MrBudcampo Dude, you sound like a stable genius… 😢

[@3860476]

If we ever cross paths I'm going to hug you !! lol You saved me a 2mile walk back to my truck and 4hrs of down time.

[@MrBudcampo]

Awesome hahaha!

[@TedArbuckle]

Tried this on a track that came off the front wheel. Worked like a charm the first time. Thanks very much.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@TedArbuckle awesome!

[@jimeylee2036]

I was walking back to the truck to gather tools! You saved me man! Thank you!

[@MrBudcampo]

The first time you do it doesn’t it drive you nuts how much time you waisted before? Haha

[@Johnnymention]

Worked perfectly for me too thanks brother saved me a ton of time and didn’t hurt the machine any !!!

[@jamesa.5052]

Man, you save us two days of work. Thank you for Sharing brother.

[@MrBudcampo]

I'm happy to hear it helped someone! I couldn't believe how easy it was after years and years of doing it the hard way hahaha!

[@TheOMEGANOX]

I think I’m gonna cut some extras to keep on the trailer🤙🏼

[@joek358]

It works as long as your sticks are about a half inch taller than your track guides. Don't forget to tighten up your tracks afterwards.

[@anthonyluck7523]

I rented a skid steer second time driving one. I was making a pond and as I was backing up it turn and the track pop out just like on the video followed video instructions and it worked on first try and I was in clay. The man’s a genius!!!

[@MrBudcampo]

@@anthonyluck7523 sweet!

[@mustangrebuilder]

Thank you nice bush mechanic fix ..have a fantastic weekend brother

[@MrBudcampo]

Absolutely, you as well!!!

[@justinwasil11]

Excellent video bro!! Just popped mine back on in the woods thanks to you!!! Took me longer to find the same size branches than it did put the track back on thank God I had your video and my wife!!!😂

[@MrBudcampo]

@@justinwasil11 haha awesome!

[@gumboot65]

Thanks . Great vid !!! I'll be picking up my very first skidsteer in a week or 2 . A 239D. This vid saved me a lot of heart ache I'm sure !! Thanks again !

[@MrBudcampo]

@@gumboot65 awesome! Good luck on your new machine!

[@gumboot65]

From the operator's seat , how do you know when the tracks are part way off like they are in this vid ?

[@MrBudcampo]

@@gumboot65 it pops and you can feel it

[@FlatRoofDoctor]

Excellent idea. I already had to put tracks back multiple times on my mini excavator. I will keep this in mind

[@flaviog5285]

Worked on a c362 today. It's always when the job's almost done

[@KennysTreeRemoval]

Good video tip bud,, most people who have never ran equipment only worked on them wouldn't understand.

[@sgrams3578]

Thank You! Please excuse my lack of knowledge but I recently bought a tracked skid loader and I see this video how to get the track back onto the machine but if you don't release the tension of the grease tensioner could that pop or stretch something else on the machine?

[@MrBudcampo]

@@sgrams3578 it’s not putting any more stress on it that normal use, or the track being popped off. I’ve done this for over 10 years, no issues.

[@sgrams3578]

@@MrBudcampo Thanks! My usage will be mostly light work and maybe plowing snow, it came with wide Z-type pattern tracks, but I thought I better ask because I have no experience with tracks.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@sgrams3578 the tentioner gives before the track gets stretched more than it should, at least on my machine. There’s guys in here that’ll tell you to waist hours of your time doing it the old way. You’d have to put such an incredible amount of force to outstretch the steel inside the rubber tracks, they aren’t delicate.

[@doughuckbody6060]

Excellent video Brother! Good luck with your business endeavors.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@doughuckbody6060 thank you!

[@renesolaire8319]

Very good technique. And soft using the branches. I will try that ! Some may think it would stretch the track, but the tracks are on a spring, so you are actually only pushing on the spring. And it’s not more effort than putting them off, or Having rocks entering the tracks or gravel. The tracks have to be able to accept that or they simply aren’t usable ones. On my Takeuchi tb014 I have a track that needs a lot of tension so it won’t go off, while the other don’t at all even with low tension. It probably hides a problem somewhere but still haven’t found the reason of that

[@MrBudcampo]

Hope it helps!

[@bobbydee1187]

Open the side case and release the grease plug. Then put the track back on and refill grease. Doing it your way , you’re stretching the track out and it will eventually never stay on. This from a Certified mechanic /Farmer for 40 years now.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@bobbydee1187 being a mechanic for 40 years doesn’t give you common sense to know that these tracks get far more stretch from normal use than they do popping them back on… I’m on 700 hours on this forestry machine that I use for mulching (so we pop tracks all the time with a million tiny stumps everywhere) and no issues. I also had 2000 hours on my last machine, no issues. But go ahead and waist time all you want because you wanna do it the hard way!

[@kiheidude]

I operate a Bobcat T770 with a forestry mulcher. Nothing worse than hearing that popping sound coming from your tracks cuz you know what’s coming next. Tracks never pop off where you’re close to your shop, so having a quick fix is a great idea. I’m not a mechanic, so can’t comment on the stretching debate. What I care about is getting back to work without going through a very messy and time consuming job of draining the grease, etc. Of course what the other guys don’t tell you is that even if you drain the grease you still need some sort of long pole to pry the track back on. On top of that you have to find a large rock or log somewhere to elevate the back of the machine to get your track off the ground. Good luck with that if you’re working in soft or muddy ground as the rock or log will just sink in the ground. I guess to do this fix I need to keep a small handheld battery operated chainsaws handy to cut those small logs. Thanks again for a great idea.

[@MrBudcampo]

Absolutely! You can keep a couple cut pieces of wood on you also… in a pinch I’ve just wandered around my mulching area and found pieces of mulched wood that were the right size. I’m still trying to find somewhere on my 299 I could put a small chainsaw, I’d love to do that.

[@snarlsbarkley5083]

You just described my exact situation with trees all around. It was a rental so a mechanic came out and we had those issues in the soft ground. I would have tried this method and will if it happens again.

[@mike90tria]

😊K9

[@angryoverlanding5955]

Nice technique, now when you get back maybe preform some track maintenance and tighten them up a bit.

[@MrBudcampo]

Always do our recommended maintenance

[@haynillesen]

At about 6.34 you can see the tensioner going in , which means the track is not taking all the stress from popping them back on , it s not so bad as it looks. And time is money!

[@MrBudcampo]

That’s too much logic for these guys! Haha

[@michaellynch1159]

I used this method on my mini but only used one 2X4 worked great

[@MrBudcampo]

@@michaellynch1159 ya I’ve had one piece work quite a few times, but occasionally it doesn’t so I usually just grab a couple

[@metaspencer]

oh man, you're the best ... thanks for posting! saved my bacon

[@sweeternutsyum5926]

Or maintenance and keep trackss adjusted

[@MrBudcampo]

We do all recommended maintenance and regularly adjust tracks. If you have ever done forestry work, especially forestry mulching, you realize that tracks pop off regardless.

[@sweeternutsyum5926]

​@@MrBudcampo That's what dozers are for

[@MrBudcampo]

@@sweeternutsyum5926 ya skid steers and forestry mulchers are obsolete tools in forestry I guess? I’ll go grab a D6 next time one of my tree clients wants a few select trees cut down and hauled off neatly haha

[@scottmagee9709]

LMAO...they do NOT get it! I get their point, but in South Ms, same terrain in a sense. When I mulch, i usually dont pop a track off, then next time i pop one off 3 times. There is no more damage done than when they popped off, and probably less, because the wood gives the teeth lift back over the sprocket or rollers, and the wood gives and breaks. If I let the grease out every time i popped off a track, i wouldnt be able to get the job done, and would spend all my time adding grease back. I do it the same way you do..... Good video for these MASTER mechanics to see.......@@MrBudcampo

[@Steelviper61]

I applaud your ingenuity for sure. However, I would not do this. Without letting the grease out of the piston you are running the risk of stretching your track out beyond the fitting limit of the machine. Which in turn is going to start throwing your track off even more, which means more downtime. Good job on the video sir. I liked it.

[@MrBudcampo]

Not true at all. Doesn’t even come close to the pressure on the tracks that running the machine puts on it.

[@Steelviper61]

@@MrBudcampo Ok, you go with that, it's your money sir.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@Steelviper61 it’s called common sense, it actually saves you money! If you understand how these machines work, you know that regular operation is going to put far more stress on the tracks than doing this. It’s no more stretch than it takes to pop them off, just the same thing in reverse. But go ahead, and do things the hard way if you like hahaha

[@lumberjackdreamer6267]

@@Steelviper61 As the saying goes: “you can bring the horse to the water, …”

[@anthonycash4609]

​@@MrBudcampoYou are exactly right. Let alone the track is also stronger than the wood. And if people tried to cut one of these tracks into and see how turf they really are there opinion might change.

[@smithfamilypastures]

You’re my hero.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@smithfamilypastures glad it helped!

[@regconrad7783]

Let a bit of grease out put your sticks closer together get three around the back idler and twist till inline drive ahead and set tension on the trac it’s pretty simple

[@MrBudcampo]

No need to let the grease out, this is way simpler. And we always keep our track tension where it’s supposed to be… but when you mulch in TN and there’s a stump every 5 feet you pop tracks a lot no matter how good of an operator you are or if you have proper tension.

[@johndorazio3759]

Doing this will damage your tractor you need to jack the back end up with a jack lift the front end up with the bucket release the grease fitting put track back on and pump up with Greece

[@MrBudcampo]

Man you guys are relentless… this does not damage anything. It doesn’t put any more strain on the tracks than popping them off or normal use. I’ve owned skid steers my entire life, and I’ve been doing it this way for about 10 years. Has not made any difference. When using skid steers in forestry work, sticks and rocks are constantly getting in the tracks regardless… and if you’re doing forestry mulching the tracks pop off all the time from stumps. It does not do any damage to the tracks when done right

[@robloxplayer-bu1it]

That was awsome thank u brother def b using that one in the future

[@MrBudcampo]

You’re welcome!

[@sunnycorneracres7116]

Is there quick tip if front or top comes off?

[@MrBudcampo]

The front is demonstrated in this video. If you get the top off you need a second person carefully putting sticks in up top as you slowly move forward or backwards.

[@blessingsviewfarm705]

Were you using a mulcher? I have noticed that the small stumps cause a great headache for me also. I noticed the Stowers decal. East Tennessee boy

[@MrBudcampo]

Ya we just mulched a bunch. Those little stumps are a pain!

[@jeffriley2502]

Have commonly used a 4x4 and done the twiisting motion many times. Doesn't always work. Sure have learned to listen to tge sound of a popping track. Sooner you stop the better. Obviously field conditions and wear on machine and tracks also make a difference. 2 people is also much easier than by yourself. Smaller machines seem to keep track on better. My mini ex is a easy one to pop off also, tracks are not as durable and stretch easier. Being in that forest with a saw and lots of branches is convenient.

[@CathyDickersonFireflyMill]

Some of the comments are getting a little less than friendly. We can disagree and still be civil. I would guess that most operators don’t check the track tension as often as recommended. And operating in stumps/rocks should increase the frequency. My owner’s manual recommends checking at 50, 250, 500, then every 500 hours after that.

[@BillMillinor]

Same process if the front is off??

[@gtcam723]

Nifty. Now I know if I ever throw one

[@WoodCutr1]

you in east tn? Stowers is my local CAT dealer in down out of south knoxville

[@MrBudcampo]

Ya, Crossville for us!

[@robcameron6462]

awesome!

[@MrBudcampo]

@@robcameron6462 yeeeea

[@juani1065]

Thank you!

[@MrBudcampo]

@@juani1065 you’re welcome!

[@Thefunnyfarm78]

nice trick! thanks for sharing!

[@MrBudcampo]

Hope it helps!

[@johnphillips8088]

👍🏼thanks😊

[@SuzetteMorrow]

Good stuff!

[@jamesonclark8306]

I literally just got back from using this on my T300. It was actually easier than the vid makes it out to be. It said right back on super easy…which maybe means my tracks are too loose lol

[@terrymcgillicuddy8056]

Great tip, thanks

[@MrBudcampo]

Hope it helps!!!

[@tsh30039]

Thanks for sharing

[@MrBudcampo]

Absolutely! Hope it helped!

[@floridabrushanddirt2482]

Nice, I’m going to try your method next time I have this happen. Dropping you a sub buddy

[@johnphillips8088]

I picked up some advice to carry (3 )- 1”x18” pieces of steel pipe for doing this trick.

[@MrBudcampo]

That works… but I think it’s a little rougher on the machine

[@HebronGrandpa]

I think you need to tighten your tracks.

[@MrBudcampo]

@@HebronGrandpa it’s forestry mulching. You can check for proper track tightness every day… there’s a million stumps from mulching… they pop tracks regardless. I check my tracks at minimum once a week and adjust the tightness if needed.

[@HebronGrandpa]

@@MrBudcampo I'm new to this. I didn't check mine and popped one in rough ground.🤥

[@cindysullivan4265]

Oh Hey, I forgot to mention!! that's a Badass Helm of Awe tattoo!! Don Sullivan

[@MrBudcampo]

Thank you!

[@USMC-Sniper-0137]

Keep stretching your tracks out by doing that and you'll be better to replace them soon......

[@MrBudcampo]

@@USMC-Sniper-0137 been doing this for over 10 years, with a couple different machines. It doesn’t stretch them more than normal use. It definitely doesn’t stretch them more than popping them off. I change my tracks when the rubber is not gripping anymore. This doesn’t harm the tracks. The steel inside is 1000x stronger that a couple pieces of wood popping them back on.

[@regconrad7783]

Buy new trax it’s not the track that wears out is your guide tabs

[@mockba5676]

People learn to get to the point nobody’s gonna watch you rambling and small talking

[@TheBurke48186]

Keep the shirt on dude

[@MrBudcampo]

Was hot as hell… hopefully the guns don’t make you feel bad 😂

[@Shopweasel]

Why not cut several wedged shape.at least then you won't stretch your tracks so much?🫣🤔😏 Be glad when I buy that new asv...

[@MrBudcampo]

@@Shopweasel idk why people are obsessed with this stretching the tracks. The steel inside these tracks aren’t fragile. They are extremely strong. Aside from that doing this doesn’t put more strain on the tracks than normal use, and definitely doesn’t put more strain on them than popping them off does. On top of that the track tensioner gives before the track can get to any point close to doing damage. I’ve done this for like 10 years the easy way, and 10 years the hard way. No difference in the life of my tracks, just waisted a lot less time.