Some of the posts in another thread was discussing grooming, so I thought I would start a new thread to see if anyone here is/was a groomer operator. I spent about ten years grooming in my old club in NH before moving to VT. Started out in a Track Truck, what a hoot   The club also had a steel tracked Tucker 2000 at the time that I worked my way in to. We eventually sold the TT and the 2000 and bought a new Tucker Terra 1000 in 2006. Then we bought a new Prinoth Husky in 2009 to groom 30 miles of old railbed. I really liked the Husky, but just about everyone else preferred the Tucker 1000

I have not groomed in about 3 yrs. I did like it if some one rode with to pass the pipe to . and if in a good storm it was cool . I will go out if they really need some one but just not my thing and we have a good size list of guys willing to drive. I have gone out first groom few times to help with brushing and what not I like that .we have 2 tuckers under 6 yrs old

 

13 minutes ago, Ez ryder said:

I have not groomed in about 3 yrs. I did like it if some one rode with to pass the pipe to . and if in a good storm it was cool . I will go out if they really need some one but just not my thing and we have a good size list of guys willing to drive. I have gone out first groom few times to help with brushing and what not I like that .we have 2 tuckers under 6 yrs old

 

I always liked to head out around 3AM to catch the sunrise on the trail. I tried to time it to be in a good location.

2 minutes ago, ckf said:

I always liked to head out around 3AM to catch the sunrise on the trail. I tried to time it to be in a good location.

lol I am a night guy I don't get up early except for hay days and heading west I would head home about 3am

I groom about 4-8 hours a week when we have snow.  Been doing it for 10+ years.  Started in a track truck and now in a tucker 1000. 

5 minutes ago, racer254 said:

I groom about 4-8 hours a week when we have snow.  Been doing it for 10+ years.  Started in a track truck and now in a tucker 1000. 

Did you have to deal with any hills with the track truck? On some of our hills we used to have to pull back on the stick everyone once in a while on the bigger hills so we couls see where we were going. Damn things like to point at the sky if the hills were to steep. 

3 hours ago, ckf said:

Did you have to deal with any hills with the track truck? On some of our hills we used to have to pull back on the stick everyone once in a while on the bigger hills so we couls see where we were going. Damn things like to point at the sky if the hills were to steep. 

Couple spots were a pain with the track truck.  Like you said, you have to pull back on the stick on the hill just to see anything.  Honestly, our hills are not even that steep and I would still have to do that.  The Tucker is so much better but in icy situations it can be a problem as well.  I had to back it out of a woods once because of one icy hill.  Talk about an ordeal.  It was a 1/4 mile and no turn around.  I changed that the next year so that we could at least back up and turn around..

16 minutes ago, racer254 said:

Couple spots were a pain with the track truck.  Like you said, you have to pull back on the stick on the hill just to see anything.  Honestly, our hills are not even that steep and I would still have to do that.  The Tucker is so much better but in icy situations it can be a problem as well.  I had to back it out of a woods once because of one icy hill.  Talk about an ordeal.  It was a 1/4 mile and no turn around.  I changed that the next year so that we could at least back up and turn around..

Does your Tucker have air lockers? Almost a necessity with the rubber tracked Tuckers. I've had to back down some hills a few times, but only had to winch to get up once. It was just to icy to make it up.

yup NH tractor conversion, LMC and Bell units here just sold NH and bought a tucker, we are discussing whether or not to put air lockers or limited slip units in tucker

4 minutes ago, 01mxz800 said:

yup NH tractor conversion, LMC and Bell units here just sold NH and bought a tucker, we are discussing whether or not to put air lockers or limited slip units in tucker

If it's rubber tracked and you have any decent hills it would be a good idea. Snow isn't as much of an issue, it's the icy spots that will be the trouble.

32 minutes ago, ckf said:

If it's rubber tracked and you have any decent hills it would be a good idea. Snow isn't as much of an issue, it's the icy spots that will be the trouble.

hills are the problem but some of our operators like to partake while grooming which is why we are looking more towards limited slip over the full lockers, they might forget to disengage them and fuck something up

After spending 15 years plus with my club I started grooming last year only because I actually had the time to groom. This years looking like I won’t have the time unless it’s on weekends. 

On 11/16/2018 at 9:58 PM, Stud boy said:

After spending 15 years plus with my club I started grooming last year only because I actually had the time to groom. This years looking like I won’t have the time unless it’s on weekends. 

What are you operating for a groomer?

Last year it was a older New Holland tractor with surtracks, this year it’s a new Case 135 with Suosy tracks. 

4 hours ago, Stud boy said:

Last year it was a older New Holland tractor with surtracks, this year it’s a new Case 135 with Suosy tracks. 

The tractors with tracks seem to be popular in Canada. It's mostly Tuckers & Twin Tracked Prinoths and Bulleys around here. I don't think the tractors like the tight turns and elevation changes.

3 hours ago, ckf said:

The tractors with tracks seem to be popular in Canada. It's mostly Tuckers & Twin Tracked Prinoths and Bulleys around here. I don't think the tractors like the tight turns and elevation changes.

It seems to be a bit of everything in Ontario. 

Been grooming since 2013.  Groom up to a 100 hours per year.  Have operated new holland sur-tracs, john deere tractor with soucy tracks, bombardier, and now we have all tuckers. 

On 11/27/2016 at 11:34 AM, ckf said:

I always liked to head out around 3AM to catch the sunrise on the trail. I tried to time it to be in a good location.

 

I ran a groomer out in Wyoming, out of Togwotee, couple of picks..

 

 

 

 

Been grooming for over 25 years when we have snow around home.  Our club use to have a LMC groomer but found it makes more sense for us to use a tractor because we cannot rely on the amount of snow we get.  We have 2 Cat Challengers that we actually rent our during the off season for lite field work.

 

Edited December 27, 20204 yr by Doug

I am the Grooming Manager for our club in Gravenhurst, Ontario. We have a PB100 with a MTN 18ft drag and a BR180 with a Mogul Master 18ft drag. We have some pretty rough terrain to deal with. Everything from beaver swamps, rock ridges and some nasty hills. 

Nice Equipment!

 

Towed a dead cow out off the back 40… smooth a silk!

 

does that count?

Edited December 29, 20204 yr by Icecube

Been grooming since 2011 with our club.

We have 3 2000 series Tuckers.

Really Nice!

Wow that would be a treat to work with.

cool rigs, I'd love to take a groomer for drive. 

I'm sure the initial fun wears out pretty quick.