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Snow cat advice

L

LaramieWY

New member
Hello, new member here. I live in Laramie Wyoming. I own a some land at the very top of the Snowy Mountain Range just west of Laramie and this summer I am putting in a cabin. I want to be able to access the cabin in the winter now and then. The problem of course is the snow. The cabin will sit at 10,200' elevation. There is a groomed snowmobile trail to within 2 miles of the cabin. A couple days ago the wife and I took the snowmobile up to check out the possibilty of making it to the property. Within 1/4 mile of leaving the groomed trail we got stuck and had to turn around. I am confident had I been alone on the snowmobile i would have made it, but it would have required me to be very carefull and maintaining good speed without ever stopping, and the tight turns would have been a serious problem.

I am now exploring another way to get there beside a snowmobile, The road is narrow although a truck fits down it with plenty of room to spare, but the road winds through the trees with quite a few sharp turns, there are quite a few hills but nothing too steep. I will have to mark the road this summer since noone is snowmobiling down it at all and it is diffcult to even know where the road actually is.

The snow depth seems to average about 5'-6' , with a few 10'+ drifts , the top 2-3 feet was pure powder.

I would like to hear any and all suggestions, I have been looking hard at the Tuckers, i really like them, Do I really need to go with a 1500 series or bigger ? or would a 1300 work ?

There is one close to me that is for sale but i haven't gotten any information on it yet just a couple pictures...

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I don't want to spend more than 13,000. and I have the ability , tools, and shop, to do a little fixing up and/or rebuilding.

If you are interested in where I am attempting to travel the lon. & lat. is .... 41.358706 X -106.379323 Magnolia lake.

anyways. any suggestions are welcome.
 
Welcome to the Snowcat Forums here at ForumsForums. Glad to have you join the insanity of personal snowcat ownership.

I'm not a Tucker guy so I won't weigh in on the particulars of which series is your best bet but please keep us informed of your choice and your search and decision process.
 
Thank you melensdad. I sent an email to Briarpatch since he lives here in Laramie and also owns a Tucker. I hope to hear from him.
 
I'm not a Tucker guy either but for what you are needing one for I think it is a good choice. I would recommend maintaing any snowcat you buy to the best standards as they will easily take you into some very remote and hostile terrain where rescue is very difficult and can be life threatening. Do a complete prebuy inspection and then a thorough checkout before heading up the mountain. Spare parts, tools and survival gear are a must.

You may want to find out if you are allowed to drive snowcats on the groomed snowmobile trail too. Some areas allow it and some don't.

BTW that is a nice looking Tucker, good luck.
 
Idaho sends a welcome !!!! Tuckers are a great machine . Lots of fellas here on FF have and swear by em .
Keep us posted on whatever you decide . Lots of help here if you need it !!!
 
Regardless what snowcat you settle on I think you will find that the key to accessing your property is keeping the trail packed down.
 
I would recomend a front blade as well.....

Vey handy, and make a trail much easier.

Regards, Kirk
 
Laramie..your situation sounds very similar to mine 10 years ago. Cabin access at 10,000ft and 13 miles one way. I pass on what Art Seeley of Safety One advised me. He recommended at least a 15 series Tucker for ease of operation and maintenance and ability to handle deep powder. Not slamming any others brands or types here just pointing out that for a novice snowcat owner such as myself he felt it was the better option. Unless you need to make turns that require the machine to turn within its own length. Art was also kind enough to invite me to one of his "snowcatr shoot outs" where i was able to observe and operate many different brands side by side. I went home after that and bought a 1544 Tucker. If you can track down some of the FF members in your area..give them a call. I'd be surprised if they arent willing to help. They have been a big help to me. Good luck...welcome to the madness!
 
thank you for the good advice, Briarpatch lives right down the road from me and he offered to let me check out his Tucker, i think its a 1500 or 1600 series. But yes i definately think i want a 1500 or bigger. I would prefer a 1644 or 1544, but i can convert a flatbed into a lightwieght cab I think. It seems the 2 seaters are more popular and easier to find

i am looking for something like this and in this price range ....
http://dubuque.craigslist.org/hvo/4344265260.html

however when he says "journals need work" I am assuming he is talking about the journals on the crankshaft ? are there some other journals on a snocat that a newbie like myself is unaware of ?
 
he could also be referring to the axles I think. worth a phone call.
 
Oops - forgot to post this pic I copied from the thread FF member Waterman created. (Note the cribbing required to hold up one can of Bud Light!)
 

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LaramieWY said:
Hello, new member here. I live in Laramie Wyoming. I own a some land at the very top of the Snowy Mountain Range just west of Laramie and this summer I am putting in a cabin. I want to be able to access the cabin in the winter now and then. The problem of course is the snow. The cabin will sit at 10,200' elevation. There is a groomed snowmobile trail to within 2 miles of the cabin. A couple days ago the wife and I took the snowmobile up to check out the possibilty of making it to the property. Within 1/4 mile of leaving the groomed trail we got stuck and had to turn around. I am confident had I been alone on the snowmobile i would have made it, but it would have required me to be very carefull and maintaining good speed without ever stopping, and the tight turns would have been a serious problem.

I am now exploring another way to get there beside a snowmobile, The road is narrow although a truck fits down it with plenty of room to spare, but the road winds through the trees with quite a few sharp turns, there are quite a few hills but nothing too steep. I will have to mark the road this summer since noone is snowmobiling down it at all and it is diffcult to even know where the road actually is.

The snow depth seems to average about 5'-6' , with a few 10'+ drifts , the top 2-3 feet was pure powder.

I would like to hear any and all suggestions, I have been looking hard at the Tuckers, i really like them, Do I really need to go with a 1500 series or bigger ? or would a 1300 work ?

There is one close to me that is for sale but i haven't gotten any information on it yet just a couple pictures...

11.jpg


12.jpg



I don't want to spend more than 13,000. and I have the ability , tools, and shop, to do a little fixing up and/or rebuilding.

If you are interested in where I am attempting to travel the lon. & lat. is .... 41.358706 X -106.379323 Magnolia lake.

anyways. any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...

Nice looking piece of property. Looks like a fun trip for a western states snowcat event. :shifty:
 

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by the way I 'm no tucker guy either for your use I don't think I would shy away from one. 1 positive tucker is still in business today that should say some thing about their product
 
Yes we love the property, it's actually an old gold mine claim that was patented. I bought it last year from the decendant of the original owner. The property was patented in 1918, the gold mine is still there. the mineral rights came with the property. I am going to put my cabin on the edge of the meadow at those coordinates.

I am pretty set on getting a Tucker 1500-1600 series. I really appreciate all the advice and comments
 
I think you're smart to go with at least a 1600 series track length. Depending on the topography and snow depth/drifting I'd seriously consider getting the six-way blade as well, especially if you won't be there regularly. The blade tilts seven degrees off the longitudinal axis of the machine... which allows you to basically cut a "level" road across a sidehill.

A few years ago one of my best friends and I recabbed a Tucker; converting it from a two door into a three door. When all was said and done it was a ton of work and it was surprisingly expensive. I'd recommend buying what you need/want intially rather than trying to modify.

I would avoid the machine in IA to the point I wouldn't even look at it. Here's why:

12,000 hours in a Tucker is HUGE. That machine was obviously used as a groomer and those are hard hours. They take their toll everywhere on the machine, and I mean everywhere. There will likely be cracks in the frame and the carriers. The journals being referred to can be either the "drum" piece welded onto the frame or the corresponding hollow cylinder on the carrier that rotates about the axle. The fifth wheel plates will be worn. The grousers will be as well, etc, etc.

It's powered by a normally aspirated Cummins V-378. That's the engine that preceded the very successful 6BT series. The 378 is heavy, not particularly powerful and parts are somewhat scarce and expensive.

About a year ago there was a slightly older machine that was the same model and powertrain for sale in NH. If my memory is right it had about 2K hours and was priced much less than this one.
 
Since you are in Laramie anyway, I would try to contact the Transportation / Mantenance Dept at the University. A few years ago they put a 1544 up for auction. Can't remember how much it went for, but, if the purchaser was local and a) lost interest or b) was in over their head for repairs, they may be willing to sell it. And pictures of it after the sale never turned up on here. So, if you find the correct person in the know, they may be able to guide you to the purchaser if they were local.
 

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Be patient and picky is all I can say. This time of year it seems more and more machines turn either off lease or previous owners have decided to let go for one reason or another. As that old saying goes...Buy your straw hats in the winter and your snowcats in the summer..
 
Blackfoot Tucker said:
I think you're smart to go with at least a 1600 series track length. Depending on the topography and snow depth/drifting I'd seriously consider getting the six-way blade as well, especially if you won't be there regularly. The blade tilts seven degrees off the longitudinal axis of the machine... which allows you to basically cut a "level" road across a sidehill.

A few years ago one of my best friends and I recabbed a Tucker; converting it from a two door into a three door. When all was said and done it was a ton of work and it was surprisingly expensive. I'd recommend buying what you need/want intially rather than trying to modify.

I would avoid the machine in IA to the point I wouldn't even look at it. Here's why:

12,000 hours in a Tucker is HUGE. That machine was obviously used as a groomer and those are hard hours. They take their toll everywhere on the machine, and I mean everywhere. There will likely be cracks in the frame and the carriers. The journals being referred to can be either the "drum" piece welded onto the frame or the corresponding hollow cylinder on the carrier that rotates about the axle. The fifth wheel plates will be worn. The grousers will be as well, etc, etc.

It's powered by a normally aspirated Cummins V-378. That's the engine that preceded the very successful 6BT series. The 378 is heavy, not particularly powerful and parts are somewhat scarce and expensive.

About a year ago there was a slightly older machine that was the same model and powertrain for sale in NH. If my memory is right it had about 2K hours and was priced much less than this one.
Click to expand...


I'm recovering from shoulder surgery and did a poor job on this post. The first line should have said "at least a 1500 series track length" not 1600 series.

And my comment about the journals being "welded to the frame" should have been "welded to the axle".

Sorry about the errors...
 
I knew what you meant about the journals , I would like to hear some comments about engines , I am pretty set in finding myself a 1544 or a 1644, and I am looking for something around 1982 or newer , what engines can I expect to find and what engine should I want and why ?
 
If you are going to use the cat for point to point operation, Gas power (you will most likely have some variant of a dodge 318 in those years) is worth considering.

nothing worse than being concerned about air temps and getting a diesel fired up un assisted.

with that said if you intend to wheel your cat for recreation and not just get in there. diesels have a lot to offer in incline and atmospheric compensation (turbos and injection)

I have a snow master that just jumps to life when I touch the key in any weather or temperature. Air cooled dead pan simple.
I have a diesel 2100 that always starts but on super cold you wonder if the smoke coming out the pipe is while cranking is made out of concrete dust ( I hate eyther) because it just does not catch right away.
generally Push starting a snow cat really isnt a feasible endeavor.

mIke
 
For you diesel guys that go remote areas with no power...

I had a 'espar hydronic heater' in my old mercedes. In fact.. I've still got it on the shelf. I scrapped the car.

I think the heater was 1500 bucks. You can set it on a timer to come on up to 7 days down the road. Or set it to come on at a certain time every day.

It uses diesel fuel (just tap into a line with this dinky little fuel line) and it burns diesel to heat the antifreeze. It also PUMPS the hot antifreeze thru the engine. Mine would warm the block, radiator, and even melt the windshield of the car because the heater core was warm too. All that in about 15 minutes. It had 2 or 3 heat ranges, and would automatically shut off at preset temp... and keep pumping the fluid till it cooled.

It would keep the unit running for 2 hours. It even would shut down if Batt voltage got too low, preserving your amps for a starting attempt.

Pretty cool unit. Great way to save starting wear and tear.. AND have heat the moment you started the unit.

JP
 
In terms of gasoline engines of this era Tucker used Chrysler Industrial engines; specifically the 318, 360 and 440. The 440s were the base engine in Tucker's heavier-duty models the 1700 series whereas the 318 was the base engine in the 1300, 1500 and 1600 models.

Both the 318 and 360 are "LA" series engines, although the 360 is externally balanced and the 318 is internally balanced. The 318 is the most common powerplant in a Tucker. There are some differences between the Industrial engines and their automotive counterparts. Though parts are generally readily available, they are not always interchangeable.


There were a number of Diesel engines available as options. I think the most common is the Detroit Diesel 4-53 (available in either normally aspirated or turbo charged variants). The Cummins V-378 and a Perkins model were also options. The 4-53 is a two-stroke Diesel, and Don can tell you a lot more about them.



There were also 4 and 5 speed manual transmissions in addition to the Allison AT-545 and Chrysler 727 "Loadflite" automatics. Based on conversations with Tucker I'd avoid a 727 equipped Tucker (or discount the machine's value accordingly).
 
tom said:
Be patient and picky is all I can say. This time of year it seems more and more machines turn either off lease or previous owners have decided to let go for one reason or another. As that old saying goes...Buy your straw hats in the winter and your snowcats in the summer..
Click to expand...

I think this is GREAT advice. Be aware also that there are equipment auctions (such as Ritchie Brothers) that will sometimes have a Tucker. These can often be bought downright "cheap" in the summer months.
 
My 1544 had the 4 cylinder Perkins in it. No turbo..I think it was 70hp at sea level. It gave up about 30% of that at 10,000ft because it lacked the turbo. It was impressive would climb anything but was slow. Noisy and when combined with track noise it was annoying. My current cat has the Industrial 6 Chrysler. Very quiet. If you buy a diesel machine look for turbo model and the 5 speed transmission. I prefer the gas..quieter lighter engine. I never had a problem getting the Perkins to fire even in -20 weather..it had an in dash ether injection system installed by the Alaska Power 'Authority when they bought it from Tucker.
 
I'm a diesel freak un like mike up here ether is my friend, but one must use it sparingly. one of the best cold starting diesels will be the 2 cycle Detroit if it's mechanically sound and tuned right. perkins are another engine that will be around for years stay away from toro flow gm diesels or the old v6 cummins parts and service items will be hard to find for an engine with such limited production. diesels do last a long time like Mike I have a rather rare diesel 2100 with a fnh 380 6 mine is turbo'd if you have enough hp like a Detroit is capable of a turbo won't be necessary at your altitude, the perkins will likely need it. the Detroit is loud you will have to have hearing protection it's also heavy unless you have a rare aluminum block the 727 is a good trans remember they stuck those behind the 426 hemi's, if you can get one discounted it can be built bullet proof. the Allison is only good to about 380 ftlbs of torque and 180 hp they are well built transmissions for their purpose, but cant really be built much tougher. the death of an automatic is heat, have a good cooler system.
 
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