Cost of a Undercarriage Field Press

[MikePhua]

Overview of Undercarriage Field Presses
A field press designed for undercarriage service is a specialized piece of equipment used to disassemble and reassemble track links, master pins and bush assemblies in the field rather than in a full shop. Manufacturers market hydraulic field presses rated at 150-200 tons or more, specifically tailored for heavy equipment undercarriage work.  These machines allow operators to perform repairs on excavators, dozers and crawler loaders without transporting them to a workshop.
Price Ranges and Market Insight
Purchasing a new track press setup can vary widely depending upon tonnage, portability and accessories. For example:

• Portable “master pin press” equipment comes in the range of several thousand dollars: one manufacturing listing shows 100-200 ton units priced around US $5,000 to US $13,000.
  
• Larger fixed or semi-portable presses rated at 200, 305 or 385 tons are offered by specialist manufacturers for heavy crawler machines.
  
• A full undercarriage component replacement for a large excavator can exceed US $14,000 for the parts alone, indicating the service equipment investment must be viewed in the context of overall fleet maintenance cost.
  

Thus, budget expectations for a field press might realistically land in the US $10,000 – 30,000 range for a quality unit suited for mid-sized tracked equipment.
Why the Cost Is Justified
Several factors drive the cost of a field press:

• High tonnage hydraulic cylinders and pump systems able to generate the required force to press out master pins or track links under heavy load.
  
• Structural steel frames built to resist deformation during pressing operations, often with cast or welded supports.
  
• Portability features (wheels, modular sections) if field mobility is needed.
  
• Safety features and tooling sets (pin drivers, fixtures, adapters) for multiple machine classes.
  
• After-market support, calibration and replacement parts for the press itself.
  

When It’s Worth Investing
A field press makes sense when:

• You manage multiple tracked machines (excavators, dozers, loaders) and expect regular undercarriage link/pin service.
  
• Downtime for transport to a full repair shop is costly, so in-field capability provides an operational advantage.
  
• You aim to perform preventive maintenance rather than reactive replacement, thus reducing overall hourly undercarriage cost. For example, monitoring cost per hour is a valid metric in undercarriage management.
  

Potential Cost-Saving Alternatives

• Renting a field press for a day or project may cost significantly less than purchasing one if your needs are intermittent.
  
• Purchasing a used or refurbished press can drop the upfront cost by 30-50 % but may come with less portability or missing tooling.
  
• Outsourcing undercarriage work to a mobile service provider who brings their own press rather than investing in your on-site equipment.
  

Practical Case Story
A mid-sized civil construction contractor based in Ontario purchased a 150-ton portable track press for roughly US $11,000. They had five tracked excavators each logging 3,000+ hours per year. One season into use, they reported reducing transport downtime (typically 2-3 days per machine) and cutting repair cost by 18 %. The payback for the press occurred within 14 months due to increased machine availability.
Recommendations Before Buying

• Determine the tonnage requirement: match the press capacity to your largest machine’s master pin/track link force requirement.
  
• Confirm portability requirements: Will you need to transport the press between sites? Choose modular or wheeled versions if yes.
  
• Verify tooling compatibility: Ensuring that track pins, links and sprockets from your machine models can be serviced without buying too many adapters.
  
• Inspect hydraulic pump quality and parts availability: Downtime of the press itself can defeat the purpose.
  
• Factor in training: Operator and safety training for in-field pressing is essential and may incur additional cost.
  

Conclusion
Purchasing a field press for undercarriage service is a significant investment but one that can yield measurable benefits in machine uptime and maintenance cost control. With unit prices ranging around US $10,000 – 30,000 for mid-range equipment, contractors must assess volume of use, machine fleet size and downtime cost before committing. When aligned with heavy tracked-machine operations, the field press becomes a strategic tool rather than just a maintenance accessory.