About Track Cold Planers
Track cold planers are asphalt milling machines equipped with tracks instead of wheels (see wheel cold planers) and are typically medium to large, self-propelled machines. Like their rubber-tired counterparts, crawler road planers can grind down bumps and surface defects, as well as remove damaged sections for repair. They use a rotating drum or rotor studded with freely-rotating cutting tips (picks) to grind the surface of the pavement on a road, bridge, racetrack, runway, or parking lot.
Roadtec RX-505e Track Cold Planer
Advantages Of Tracks
Manufacturers such as Wirtgen and BOMAG outfit their smaller milling machines with wheels and their larger planers with tracks for a number of reasons. One is greater tractive force and pavement skid resistance with the use of tracks, which helps the machine continue to move the drum forward as it cuts. This is important for high-productivity milling machines that can remove as much as 14 inches (36 centimeters) of asphalt per pass. Planers using wider rotors also require more forward push than smaller, half-lane machines.
Another advantage of tracks on heavier cold planers is their lower ground pressure. By spreading out the weight of a larger, more powerful milling machine, tracks avoid causing ruts in the milled surface. Tracks can also provide smoother operation than wheels and greater stability on slopes.
Disadvantages Of Tracks
On the other hand, tracks are costlier to replace than tires and have many more undercarriage wear parts to maintain. Tracks also can’t match tires for steering maneuverability around obstacles and curbs. Asphalt surfaces can cause premature wear of many types of machine tracks, but planer manufacturers design their tracks for durability on hard roadways.
Find The Right Track Cold Planer For Your Operation
BOMAG, Caterpillar, Roadtec, Volvo, and Wirtgen are all major manufacturers of track milling machines. You’ll find plenty of new and used track cold planers for sale at PavingEquipment.com.
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