It's science.
do the math on track pressure. square inches by pounds. No mystery.
THAT is what puts you on top of the snow VS plowing thru it.
JP
JP11, I appreciate the information and your help. and yes technically you are correct , the amount of weight support by snow can be calculated into a simple PSI number. but it would be wrong to say it is that simple because it is not. for example a given patch of snow may support a given psi of a
stationary machine but would support a different psi of a moving
machine therefore speed factors into it, just like when i drive my snowmobile across the pond. another example is that a given patch of snow may support a given psi moving along in a straight direction however that same patch of snow will support a different psi of an object moving in more that one direction (for example the track of a snowcat during a brake steer). Another big difference and probably the most relative in my situation is that any patch of snow will support a given psi exerted from an object after a given amount of compression of the snow. simply put .... you will stop sinking after such and such depth, in my deep power all makes and models of snowcats are going to sink a really good amount, and although a don't know exactly what that depth will be i am confidant with guessing it will be around 4 feet. there just isn't a machine made that will not sink into the soft deep powder, they all will. I am therefore looking for the machine that will continue to move
after it has sunk 4-5 feet into powder. and that Spryte just desn't seem to be that machine, I believe (although i am often wrong and may be so again) that a tucker would perform better after sinking into 4-5 feet of powder due to the clearance of the tucker.
It is clearly not as simple as weight of machine and surface area of track converted psi. no snocat made is going to stay on top of the snow i want to drive in, although I may be wrong, I believe a tucker is best suited for the snow i want to drive in, although I know a tucker may not be best suited to drive in other conditions in other areas.
I wish I could just test drive a variety of different machines in the snow i want to drive through, but thats just not going to happen for me. Thats the biggest reason i started this thread is so i can gather the information i need to confirm my choice of a tucker being the best machine for my needs, however... I would compeletely like to hear any and all comment about why it may not be my best option. I have been wrong before and I could very well be wrong about this, and if I am wrong I hope someone can convince me that I am wrong before a spend 10,000.00 on the "wrong machine". as of now I still believe a Tucker is the best machine for my needs.