What Is the Bobcat MT100 Track Size? Narrow vs Wide Options for Landscaping

The MT100 takes a narrow track or a wide one, and the choice is usually presented as a simple trade: narrow for lawns, wide for mud. The part that catches people out is that width is not a separate option you bolt on - it is part of the size code, and a track of the wrong width for your machine is a track that will not fit at all, however good the intention. So the decision has two halves: which width suits the work, and which size your machine was built for.

Last updated: October 5, 2026 (the photograph shows the 250 mm narrow class on the same machine family - confirm your own code from the track on your machine)

This guide covers what track width changes on a landscaping site, how to read the size code, how to confirm which size your machine takes, and what else has to match before you order.

What width actually changes

Track width sets ground pressure, and ground pressure is what decides how the machine behaves on everything it crosses.

What it affects	Narrow track	Wide track
Ground pressure	Higher, so more load into a smaller patch	Lower, which is what keeps the machine on top of soft ground
Turf and finished surfaces	Easier to steer without scuffing, narrower footprint to place	Spreads the weight, but a wider belt marks more area when it turns
Mud, snow and loose ground	Sinks sooner; can spin where the ground is wet	The reason wide tracks exist: flotation when the ground will not carry the machine
Tight access and gateways	Fits where a wide machine does not	Needs the clearance to match

The counter-intuitive part is the surface damage. A wider track lowers ground pressure - which is what protects soft ground - but it also puts more rubber in contact and sweeps a larger area when the machine turns, so on delicate turf a narrower track is often the one that leaves less visible damage. That is why the choice is about the specific work: soft ground wants flotation, finished ground wants manoeuvrability.

How to read the size code

An MT100 track is defined by the same three numbers as any other: width in millimetres, pitch between link centres, and link count. Pitch has to match the drive sprocket and cannot be adjusted; link count is the belt's length, and a belt one link out will not tension correctly. The letter in the code describes the lug pattern, which is chosen for the ground rather than for fitment.

Two tracks of different widths published as "MT100 options" may also differ in link count, because the wider belt sits differently over the undercarriage. That is precisely why the code, not the width alone, is what you order - and why a listing that offers "wide" without a size code cannot be checked.

Confirming what your machine takes

Three sources, in order of reliability: the marking moulded into the track you are removing; the parts book or service manual for your machine; and the serial number plate, which is what a supplier needs to cross-reference a part number. Where the marking and the book disagree, believe the marking - it is the belt that is actually running on the machine.

If you are considering changing width, treat it as a fitment question rather than an upgrade. The undercarriage has to have the clearance, the belt has to sit correctly on the rollers and idler, and the pitch still has to match the sprocket. On a machine used for landscaping, the usual answer is to keep the width the machine was built for and change the tread pattern instead - which is where most of the practical difference actually lives.

What else to match, and when to check it

The belt is one part of the assembly, and the parts around it decide whether a new set lasts. Sprocket teeth have to sit in the links; the rollers and idler have to hold the belt's line; and tension has to be set to the machine's figure, measured the manual's way, on both sides. A new track fitted onto hooked teeth or flat-spotted rollers wears early, and the wear parts are listed alongside the tracks for the same reason - bottom rollers and idlers are as much a part of this decision as the belt, and the same cross-reference exercise applies to a track roller for a Kubota machine as to anything on an MT100.

Track tension on these small machines is also the cheapest routine you have: on a landscaping machine it is the difference between a set that reaches its design life and one that fails mid-season. If the tension has been drifting, the tension bolt size for the MT100 is the detail to check before you adjust anything.

Tread pattern is the other lever, and on landscaping work it is usually the more useful one. A chevron or multi-bar pattern clears mud and grips on loose ground; a smoother profile leaves less mark and runs cooler on paving and driveways. Where the machine works both - which is most landscaping machines - the compromise is a multi-purpose pattern rather than the most aggressive tread available, because a deep lug pattern scrubs the turf it was bought to protect.

Two habits extend any set. Rotate the direction of travel periodically so wear spreads across the lugs instead of concentrating on the drive side, and clean the undercarriage after muddy or abrasive work so grit is not grinding between belt and frame. Both take minutes, and both are the reason two similar machines in the same fleet can get very different life out of the same track.

Keep the old set's size code on file when it comes off, too. The next order is quicker, and if a belt fails early the code is what lets a supplier check whether the fitment or the ground was the problem.

This article is part of the rubber tracks guide, which covers how the size code works, tread patterns, compounds and buying a set in Canada.

FAQs

What track size does a Bobcat MT100 take?

The machine takes a track defined by width, pitch and link count, and MT100s are offered with a narrow and a wider option depending on the undercarriage and intended work. Read the code from the track on your machine and have the part number cross-referenced against your serial number.

Are wide tracks better for landscaping?

They are better on soft ground, where flotation keeps the machine on top; narrower tracks are usually better on turf and finished surfaces, where manoeuvrability matters more and a wide belt sweeps a larger area when it turns.

Can I change the track width on my machine?

Only if the undercarriage has the clearance and the belt's pitch and link count still match the machine. Width is part of the fitment, not a free upgrade - and for most landscaping work, changing the tread pattern is the more useful change.

How often should MT100 tracks be checked?

Tension on the interval in the manual, and a full look - lugs, cuts, exposed cord, roller and idler condition - at each tension check. On a small machine these checks take minutes and they are what protects the belt.

Do both tracks need replacing at once?

If they share the same hours and ground, yes: the machine steers against the older belt and wears the new one faster. A single replacement is reasonable when one belt has been damaged early on an otherwise sound set.