In general, tracks are a pain in the a$$ to maintain, particularly if you're going to run them on the road. And links and pads are one thing, there's an ongoing maintenance load associated with idlers and road wheels too. Running something on wheels is pretty much always a cheaper and more fuel efficient way of doing things.
For heavier vehicles off road (or for extreme offroad conditions), tracks are the only way to go. But they're best avoided if at all possible.
That said, rubber tracks might have changed that slightly - I know they have been used on M113s but I'm not sure if they've ever been accepted into military service. From experience, with the right suspension setup, they give a very smooth ride on and off road and are relatively fuel efficient, but they are far less effective off road than steel tracks (or even tyres in some conditions).
For heavier vehicles off road (or for extreme offroad conditions), tracks are the only way to go. But they're best avoided if at all possible.
That said, rubber tracks might have changed that slightly - I know they have been used on M113s but I'm not sure if they've ever been accepted into military service. From experience, with the right suspension setup, they give a very smooth ride on and off road and are relatively fuel efficient, but they are far less effective off road than steel tracks (or even tyres in some conditions).
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