The good and the bad of owning something tracked and/or armored?

[patracy]

So, I'd like some real world opinions on owning something tracked and/or armored. Personally, I've been looking at M114's, M548's, and other smaller tracked vehicles. But I'd love to hear from real world owners as to them. What are the perks, what are the negatives? What uses can they provide? What costs? What other things does one have to consider outside the normal realm of wheeled vehicles? I'm not trying to narrow it down to the M114 chassis, just a generalization.

 

[panzerwillie]

I would like to get a M113 or M114 one day but can speak about my OT-810/251 i being working on it for a few years its almost 90% complete should be finish with it next few weeks, i think is all about what you are going to be doing with it I also being working on a M5A1 tank mainly transportation not sure if those have rubber pads but driving it down the road would be a issue , i think also parts and the condition, if it fully restored on if it needs a full restoration all the equipment and space needed for that and most important people to help you with it not only to work on it but also to move it plus dry storage because weather will make everything bad in do time, of course a wheel Armour vehicle like a V100/150 or M8/M20 are also a good choice....

 

[patracy]

I have a M871 trailer, I've seen a pic where a member added a dovetail to it to haul a halftrack on it. But it does concern me with the high CG it would have. There's a VFW nearby me (literally less than 1/2 a mile) that has a large lake and some fields. As well as a abandoned dirt road that cuts through the woods behind me. But that's really the only places I'd have to operate it. Of course I could bring it to rallys as well. But I'm starting to understand they're not practice by any means.

Does anyone have a tracked vehicle tagged here in the US? How about insurance (Back off swbradley1!)?

 

[Coffey1]

Please search insurance this has been discussed many times . He he he
couldn't resist believe me I tried.

 

[73m819]

Also tracked GREEN IRON requires a LOT more maintence per hour of operation then wheeled GREEN IRON,

 

[dependable]

As my friend with an excavation company says of his tracked equipment, the tracks 'spit out quarters' every foot of travel, and those are modern Cats.

 

[battlecr]

So, I'd like some real world opinions on owning something tracked and/or armored. Personally, I've been looking at M114's, M548's, and other smaller tracked vehicles. But I'd love to hear from real world owners as to them. What are the perks, what are the negatives? What uses can they provide? What costs? What other things does one have to consider outside the normal realm of wheeled vehicles? I'm not trying to narrow it down to the M114 chassis, just a generalization.

I'm on the down hill run on my M3 halftrack, the 2 big issues are parts availability and moving it. Like was stated what do you want to do with it? I've access to 185 acres of timber land so I can pretty much drive it when I want. I have purchased a trailer to haul it and a haul vehicle. But after 70 plus years parts for the halftracks are starting to dry up. The big issue right now are tracks as that supply has dried up. The 114 being more modern you may have access to parts longer.

Anything tracked you will need bigger tools and lifting capacity, It's always heavy. And of course if you want to take it on the road you get to deal with DMV and the bureaucrats there. Sounds like the insurance issue has already been touched on!

My 2 cents Don G.

 

[11Echo]

This outfit has/shows quite a few tracked vehicles. Maybe contacting some of their members will help.

http://vimeo.com/44174100

 

[SCSG-G4]

More moving parts = more points of failure. Each track is composed of how many parts? Plus all of the above suggestions.

 

[Recovry4x4]

A while back you could have landed an M75 from SECO for $5000. I think George Baker had that in the bare hull (crushed) of his M114. The M114 and M548 are the lighter ones for sure. I'd sneak over to Carrollton GA and have lunch with Gerald at West GA Tactical. He's the M114 king as of late.

 

[BKubu]

I've owned two M548s...I ended up selling both. While I regret selling the last one with 24 original hours (12 when I bought it), I sold them because it gets old driving one around on the same small plot of land. I actually had access to about a 15 acre field on a large farm (the other fields were in use). Running around in circles gets old. It got to the point where the machine would barely be warmed up and I'd have her back in the machinery shed. I'd love to own one again, but I can almost guarantee that I'll end up selling it again. They are beyond cool, but it starts to fade a bit once you are around them a bit and realize they are tough to move around and you need a lot of land to really use them.

 

[ca1517]

I would cringe to think about the climb to the deck of your flatbed, even with a beavertail addition. Tracks and rollers, just to ride and play, I would cry. A new undercarriage for my tractor is about 13,500$, and it is just a toy, kind of the same boat you will be in.

 

[lilreddodge]

Owning Tracked Vehicles

Having owned several tracked vehicles including 4 M114's I can honestly say that tracked vehicles are money and time vacuums. You have to really enjoy them to make it worth owning in my opinion. Moving them is always a issue whether you own a truck and trailer or hire someone to do it. I had owned M114's for the past 20 plus years until recently selling my last one and I can also tell you from experience that parts are getting hard to find and expensive. Engines and transmissions are least of anybodies worries. Try finding a good radiator that is able to be re-cored, try finding seals for the drive hubs and wheel hubs, try finding road wheels, not to mention finding any small parts or even hatches, covers, and doors that might be missing on a restoration project. Twenty years ago it was a lot easier.

I'm not replying to your post to discourage you in any way, I love tracked vehicles and they are the favorite things I dump my money and time into, but I thought I would give a little first hand knowledge since you asked for it. The moral of my reply is the more complete of a vehicle you can buy the better off you will be in the long run. I have only ever bought one tracked vehicle that ran when purchased and was able to loaded on to a trailer under its own power. I have rescued many tracked basket cases from people who bit off more than they could chew. So if you commit to own something tracked be prepared for a lot of work and expense. Here are pictures of my past experience and you can follow my current money pit under the M4A3 Sherman Restoration thread that I started not long ago.


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[MWMULES]

I know out here nor any state I have lived in you can not get a full tracked civi or MV tagged. They will be more than happy to get personal property taxes from you.
Having spent many hours driving around in various tracks on the Gov"s dime, it's a blast until something breaks or you stick one then the fun is over. With that being said if I could afford a restored rebuilt 114 there would be one in my garage. My friend Artillerydan just got a restored one last month and to say the least I now have Dan envy.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I would like a 114, but it seems like you need awful deep pockets to buy even a project one. The 548 would be cool too, I could add my own armor. But I don't see them going for $5000 anymore either.

 

[goodguyzy]

Not military but i have fun hauling this dozer around.

 

[hndrsonj]

How about a M8 or M20? Armored yet you could drive it and a project is reasonably priced??

 

[patracy]

How about a M8 or M20? Armored yet you could drive it and a project is reasonably priced??

I wouldn't be opposed to something like that. But honestly, I've never seen one in the flesh.

 

[bikeman]

I've seen some used by Airsoft and Paintball places for the BIG games, like the all weekend types. I've never been to one that had it, but I know some are out there.

I think they'd be fun, but you would have to have some land and time to enjoy it.

 

[Austringer]

Best type of tracked vehicle is the one owned by a good friend who let's you play with it.