New Case IH groomers are heavy!

[signfan]

The 4 track units are considerably heavier and have less footprint than the sur trac 2 track system.  It's something all clubs getting the Soucy units need to consider.  Arguments on the finance side are legit.  They are cheaper to buy and will have higher re-sale values in 10 - 15 years.  What is surprising our club is the fuel costs.  The sur tracs were arguably the cheapest groomers to run on a per hour basis of any groomer on the market.  In the neighbourhood of 10 - 12 litres an hour.  These new 4 track units are close to double that.  And now they run DEF.  Not sure what the BR's and Huskies are burning, but I'd have to believe they are worse as well as they run much larger engines.  If it were my call the OFSC would be putting two trac sur tracs on the snow along with the prinouth units.  Problem with a Sur Trac has always been the learning curve to teach people how to operate them which I'm sure has a lot to do with the current choice of the Soucy units.  The steering was always something that had to be taught.  The 4 track units solve this concern.  5 stuck units is no reason to kill a good procurement program.  It just means some clubs need to learn what the limits of there new toys are.

 

[Big Pete]

39 minutes ago, signfan said:

That is pure BS.  If it snows before dec 1st it doesn't count.  If the season runs late into April it doesn't count.  Come on. Ridiculous.  I'd fight this tooth and nail.

 

I will correct my statement in so far as the period for grooming hours extends to April 30 each year.

 

This is the BoG motion which was approved in 2016 (not 2015 as I earlier stated)

 

"Motion by Tom Sheppard, seconded by Ken Stonley. Be it resolved that: the board approve that only grooming hours measured via GPS units during the months of December 1 to April 30 will be used in the calculation for equalization. Motion carried under B16-049."

 

Just noticed another problem. The final EQ payment is set for Mar 31. How would you include any April hours in a calculation that is being done March 31, .

based on actual hours groomed.

 

I don't make this $h!t up.

[zoso]

20 minutes ago, Big Pete said:

 

I will correct my statement in so far as the period for grooming hours extends to April 30 each year.

 

This is the BoG motion which was approved in 2016 (not 2015 as I earlier stated)

 

"Motion by Tom Sheppard, seconded by Ken Stonley. Be it resolved that: the board approve that only grooming hours measured via GPS units during the months of December 1 to April 30 will be used in the calculation for equalization. Motion carried under B16-049."

 

Just noticed another problem. The final EQ payment is set for Mar 31. How would you include any April hours in a calculation that is being done March 31, .

based on actual hours groomed.

 

I don't make this $h!t up.

LOL, seems to me these guys pretty much know that only a few areas will ever run a groomer before dec 1 and after march 31. it will never happen anywhere south of Timmins, and even then, I bet no club will have any money left to buy diesel after march 31. The dec 1 date is the one I fine silly, if we have snow in the north where it stays cold from nov forward, why put in place  a policy that effectively restricts any grooming? I guess because they know that the money will be coming from the south and they figure those clubs can wait.

 

Edit:, Pete I hope you realize you will be making enemies by posting these facts to the general public, after all, this is all supposed to be a secret.

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

9 hours ago, Big Pete said:

Now I have been following the PBR Club, which I believe is D-15, on Facebook since November. As I read their FB postings they had Groomers rolling since mid November and logging significant hours. And while I applaud the effort to get an early start, I hope they understood those hours are not being compensated for in EQ funding. Therefore they have to fund that work from other sources. If getting trails packed prior to Dec 1 is a priority, then maybe the use of other smaller/lighter equipment might be a more cost effective method with a lower risk of getting something stuck/sunk.

The policy you describe seems to work directly against the OFSC's push to get trails open early and in the past at least their publishing of what club trails were first to open.

The clubs in the farm areas of the south are most likely being affected by the December 1st date as well in relation to land levelling of plowed fields. Land levelling this year was mostly in December due to the late crop season however during some past years where crops were off early the levelling was all  or nearly all done before the first of December. The levelling procedure drastically improves trail quality on plowed fields and certainly cuts down on the amount of drag repairs required. 

Makes you wonder if the people making these decisions really have a grasp of what goes on at the club levels of the various regions or if is a case of quietly finding ways to cut expenditures.