ASV Relaunches Posi-Track Loaders

Walt Moore, Editor

ASV will relaunch its Posi-Track loaders, beginning with three new compact track-loader models that are manufactured in the company’s Grand Rapids, Minn., facility.

“The first of these new machines have already rolled off our assembly line in Grand Rapids,” says John Wilkinson, national sales manager. “Having the ASV brand back in production has very special meaning to many in this industry. People at our Grand Rapids headquarters, many of whom have been here since the early days when the Posi-Track was first introduced, take great pride in seeing the ASV brand being used once again.”

The first three models to be released under the ASV brand are the RT-30, RT-60, and RT-110, with operating weights of 3,600, 6,930, and 11,000 pounds, respectively.

According to ASV, the RT-30, powered by a Perkins three-cylinder, 32.7-horsepower (gross) diesel, is the smallest ride-on, sub-compact track loader available and has a ground pressure of 3.0 psi. The RT-30, based on preliminary specifications, uses ASV’s single-suspension undercarriage, which employs a proprietary rubber track with no embedded steel, multiple rubber-rimmed wheels that distribute the tractor’s weight over the track, a roller-cage sprocket, and torsion axles to mount the track frames to the machine’s mainframe.

(The ASV torsion axle consists of two concentric square tubes, with the inner tube positioned to allow compressible cords to be placed in the corners of the assembly. As the rotating tube moves relative to the stationary tube, the compressible cords absorb the force of the movement and help isolate the machine from undercarriage movement.)

The mid-size RT-60, using a four-cylinder Perkins turbocharged diesel rate at 60 horsepower (gross), is equipped with 15-inch-wide rubber tracks and has a ground pressure of 3.9 psi. Again, according to preliminary specification, the RT-60 is fitted with the ASV dual-suspension undercarriage, similar in design to that of the RT-30’s undercarriage, but also using torsion axles to mount the undercarriage wheels, which are arranged as four bogie assemblies to provide optimum ground contact in rough terrain.

The largest of the new models, the RT-110, uses a four-cylinder turbocharged Perkins diesel, rated at 111 horsepower (gross). According to ASV, the RT-110 is designed to handle the higher demands of large attachments, such as high-flow brush cutters. Standard track width for the dual-suspension undercarriage is 18 inches, yielding a 4.3-psi ground pressure; an optional 20-inch-wide track reduces ground pressure to 3.9 psi. The 20-inch track is standard for the RT-110F, which is designed, says ASV, for high-production brush cutting and forestry work.

“Although these are new ASV machines,” says Wilkinson, “they’re based on ASV’s time-proven engineering and design standards. ASV has long been an innovator in rubber-track undercarriage technology, and we still hold many patents for undercarriage features, such as our proprietary rubber-track construction, torsion-axle suspension, and our track-drive systems that operate with minimal friction and wear. We think, too, that ASV has always been a leader in terms of low ground pressure, high ground clearance, overall machine balance, and smooth ride.”

ASV is presently developing a dealer network in North America. It has also launched a line of skid steer loaders.