Some machines just won’t quit. A customer in New York called us about his 1987 Kubota KH-28 mini excavator. It still ran well, but it needed new steel tracks. The trouble was that nobody makes steel tracks for a KH-28 anymore.
No Off-the-Shelf Option
When a machine is almost 40 years old, the parts catalog gets thin. We checked every source we know and came up empty. Even the original sprocket was hard to find. Plenty of shops would have stopped there. We started measuring instead.
Measuring What’s Under the Machine
The tracks have to fit the rollers and the idler, so that’s where we started. The customer sent us measurements of the idler wheel and the bottom rollers, and we compared them against the tracks we carry.
The match was the steel track for the Kubota KX161-3. It fit the KH-28’s idler and bottom rollers.
The Sprocket Problem
There was one catch. The original KH-28 sprocket would not run with the 161-3 track. The teeth just didn’t match.
So we worked out a plan with the customer:
- He obtained two new 161-3 sprockets.
- He cut the teeth off his original sprockets, keeping the center mounting hub.
- He fit that old hub inside the inner diameter of each new sprocket and welded it in place.
That way the sprocket still bolts onto the KH-28’s final drive the same way it always did, but the teeth now match the new steel tracks.
He did a really clean job on the welding. You can see the old hub and new teeth working as one part.
The Result
The KH-28 now has new sprockets and new steel tracks, and it’s ready for plenty more years of work. Instead of parting out a good machine, the owner kept it running for less than replacing the machine.
Thinking About a Steel Track Conversion?
Older and less common machines are where we do our best work. If your dealer says “they don’t make that anymore,” that’s not always the end of it. Often another machine’s tracks fit your rollers and idler, and the sprocket can be sorted out. If you run a Kubota, you can also browse our Kubota steel track options, then send us your details so we can confirm fit.
Here’s what helps us find an answer fast:
- Make, model, and year (a photo of the data plate is perfect)
- Photos of the sprocket, idler, and bottom rollers
- Basic measurements, which we can walk you through
Have an old machine that needs tracks? Call us at 360-906-0109 or 360-518-6088.
Browse steel tracks at SteelTracks.com and rubber tracks and undercarriage parts at VIQAN.com.
Need replacement steel tracks? Call 360-906-0109 or 360-518-6088, or email sales@steeltracks.com for fitment help and a quote.