How Often Should Track Tension Be Checked, and How Do I Judge Whether It Is Correct?

Check tension every 250 operating hours, shortening the interval to 100 hours in heavy dust or mud. Judge it by deflection of the slack span: press a pry bar between the rollers, where correct tension deflects roughly 30-50 mm with visible rebound. No deflection means too tight, while more than 80 mm means too loose. Over-tensioning stretches chain pitch and multiplies the load on pins and bushings, while under-tensioning lets the chain climb the sprocket teeth and risks breakage. Marking the tensioner rod gives a direct view of how fast the chain stretches.