Author Topic: New 8x8 (Read 1372 times)

plastikosmd · « **on:** June 12, 2012, 01:04:33 PM »

Well, I sold the Quadractor. While that could go through nearly everything, I wanted something with a bit more power, could float and would be more fun in the winter. I got a Argo 8x8. This has a 31hp fuel injected motor ( all pictures are from web, mine is still being built but is is just like the green one below)

I outfitted it with 18.5 inch tracks, windshield/cab/winch/heater/bildge pump etc, it will look similar to below

If I decide to fish with it, I probably will go with a small electric trolling motor to assist with any water transit. I went with a bigger altenator and could just add a second battery. A gasser is always an option

It should be fun, dont think I will be taking it over any 'sweet jumps' but it should get me anywhere including stuck

Similar machine in swamp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsUod-kv9HU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Quick turn in low, nearly zero turn in low gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDzd4_uT9uI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Pullin a load
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M79m7ovQDmM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** June 12, 2012, 11:23:21 PM »

the last 5 years i worked as a lineman we had a 8x8 argo. Heres my take on it. It would go about anywhere. With the tracks on it was about unstoppable. We went places with it that no other vechicle ever got us into. Before that it was boats and walking while carrying our working and climbing gear. It was God sent at times. We for the most part left our tracks on all summer. They were tough and to be honest we didnt pay for them so if they did wear and had to be replaced it wasnt our dime. the added traction and flotation were well worth it. Only downside to leaving them on was it was a bugger to stear, was louder and a bit rougher riding. That brings up the downside to it for a rec vehicle. It is rough riding and load. Fine for an hour ride to the lake but all day in it will wear you down. The other downside for ours was reliability. Ours was a poor starter and runner. We had problems from day one. They never did get it really right. I hope that the fuel injection cures alot of that for you. Also that chain drive is something out of the 20s and should have been replaced decades ago with a hydrolic drive but then that would add alot to the cost. It constantly pulled to one side or the other depending on which chains were stretched. Another thing everyone noticed was quality control. It just wasnt put together like something a guy pays 15k plus for. Rough fiberglass edges ect. even with its flaws everyone loved it. If youve ever had to wade in mud past your knees carrying a 100lbs of gear and then get something that will drive you right up to the job youd learn to love it too. Youd shake your head at some of the places we got that thing into. A 4x4 fourwheeler wouldnt touch that thing for its ability to go through mud and snow. The only time we really got stuck with it was one day in the spring going into about the worse section of transmition line we have. It looked like a 40 acre lake but the water was only about a foot deap and had about 3 feet of mud under it. We kept high centering because we were down in the mud and it was to soupy to get any traction on but sticky enough to hold the machine back. Stuck in the middle of it there was no place to even winch too. We found that if one of us walked out about 30 feet with the winch cable and just leaned back it was enough of an anchor for the winch to get it going. We took turns doing it and eventually made it in. Fun memorys but we sure werent smiling at the time. I dont think id ever get one to replace the 4 wheeler. A 4 wheeler will do most of what i want to do anymore and rides a heck of a lot better but IF i won the lottery id probably buy one and just leave it at camp. It will defineatly take you where no man has gone before!

plastikosmd · « **Reply #2 on:** June 12, 2012, 11:47:01 PM »

yep, The EFI seems to be a much better runner. This one also has a new style transmission. There is much less power loss on turning and low gear is nearly a zero turn (see video.) I went with HDPE type track that is very light and wide. Much lighter than rubber and will probably keep it on. The HDPE will spin around on hard surfaces easy as it doesn’t scuff and give me the traction and flotation when needed. I looked into 2 hydro machine before choosing this one. Hydro is nice in some ways but not ideal at all times. Control is excellent but there are several things I didn’t like

hydro whine....though you get use to it, it is a bit annoying, esp at any speed

heat, even more than an Argo (which are warm), many on the market still have some cooling issues as the fluid gets quite hot. Due to the body design all of these machines are tough to cool

speed, you need a big motor, big pump and big wheel motors, fluid/tank and some additional water or air cooling to get some speed going, this is weight and heat. In the end it is still slower than the argo or max’s. (Real world not dealer quoted speeds, trust me) The hydro machines were bigger and heavier (to the point that several have sank and the there is some debate about float ability in a couple of models.)

Price, the hydro's were starting at around 30k, no dealer support or good parts support. Many times in reading, owners were left to troubleshoot on their own

Simplicity, in this system, the chain is quite beefy (750 hdi) and as time as shown, with REGULAR maintenance, is quite reliable and easy to fix. There are nightmare stories of criss-crossing hydro lines all over the place and a burnt wheel motor or broken line leading to a nightmare/fire. Hydro may be better suited to an industrial application where u can just use it till it breaks and not worry about maintaining it.

Finally, one prior owner talked to me that his hydro machine was good but there are times and places the Argo could go that the hydro couldn’t. If you need any sort of start momentum to get you over something, a hydro machine does not do that well as well due to the fluid drag in the system. ( It is great for a stopped zero turn and individual track control though) but as the video shows, the new transmissions are getting better. The T-20 in the max is great and argo has the new Admiral trans.

In the end, I went with the Argo and could have gone hydro but felt it was best for me. I would call the system just 'different' not old as the hydro is not a perfect solution (yet.) IMHO

charles p · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2012, 10:19:24 AM »

How hard is it to turn around. Will it pivot in place?

plastikosmd · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2012, 11:06:16 AM »

second video above shows that, click on the link. it goes to a video of the same machine making a quick turn, it nearly pivots in place

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2012, 12:35:23 AM »

dearly wish we lived closer as id love to put it through its paces. Seems like they may have addressed a couple of its biggest weaknesses. First being fuel injecting it and second being the drive. Ours would about stop when you tried turning sharply. It at least would about want to throw you out. Those tracks you have are about bullet proof. there the same we had and we put many summer miles on them over sand mud and even rocks and there still going strong. Your going to find that if you have the guts to go there that it will pull you through places you will just shake your head at!! NOTHING will go where those things will go. We had alot of reliability problems with ours but to be honest it went were most guys who had to actually pay for it would probably never put theres. We beat it silly. When it came down to it though they gave us a choise after a year to get rid of it and go back to having just 4 wheelers and not a single guy in the shop wanted to part with it. Like i said, have to walk into the places we had to go just didnt appeal to anyone after being able to ride right up to the pole in about any conditions. We figured even if it did break down getting into the bad spots it at least allready got us part way in.