Buy a Frontier NOW If You Want a Carb!

I've really been enjoying my new 2014 Frontier 8x8 with the Briggs & Stratton 23hp Vanguard Twin.

Anyhow, I recently got off the phone with my dealer, and found out that 2014 is the LAST YEAR for a carburetor on the Frontier. In 2015, the Vanguard becomes a Kohler with fuel injection.

To those of us who prefer RELIABILITY over anything else, that's an issue. Why I chose the Frontier over the Avenger wasn't price, as much as reliability. My Vanguard runs without a battery, and has a pull start backup. The fuel injected engines MUST have a working battery to run, and there is not a pull start capability. If you're 50 miles in the bush and you lose a battery, you are in deep kimchi.

Advantages of the 2014 Frontier 650 8x8 over the Avenger are:

* Weight - About 200 pounds lighter
* Carburetor - Does NOT need a battery for the fuel system to work
* Pull Start - Gets you going if either the starter or the battery fail.
* Transmission - latest version and most reliable of the non-Admiral transmission
* Price - It's a bonus you get these advantages for LESS money!

(Note that two of these advantages go away in 2015)

Hope this helps anyone on the fence!

Bob

I just bought mine monday. I bought the EFI machine with a Kohler for a reason. I understand the requirements of a working battery and starter, for me the advantages of an EFI machine were greater than the disadvantages of it. You may want to unhook your battery and make sure yours will run without it, there is an electric solenoid on the bottom of the carburetor that requires 12volts to allow fuel thru. I would prefer to know NOW that later! I was dissapointed to open the battery box to find a walmart everstart battery in there. That will be replaced with a better one ASAP.

Jason

I was told that the Vanguard will not pull start if the battery was completely dead. Can't remember why but I know My Max II had to have at least a little battery life to pull start successfully. After installing a 29hp EFI Kohler in my Max IV I am sold on them. More power, starts instantly, lower fuel consumption, crisper throttle and I guess it would be a huge plus if you were in an application with change in altitude.

Keith.

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Originally Posted by kghills

I was told that the Vanguard will not pull start if the battery was completely dead. Can't remember why but I know My Max II had to have at least a little battery life to pull start successfully.

Keith.

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Only foreseeable reason not to start would be the fuel solenoid, none of the Argo's I've worked on run them though I did not look at the one in the shop.

I must say I do understand Planter Bobs position,after years of owning IC,s,Magnums,I went to the Conquest water eater with some doubts as what would happen if a cooling line failed and I was out in the middle of no where,electric fuel pump and the works,turned out not bad at all mind you a keen eye needed at service intervals to be sure all cooling hoses were in top shape and put a alternator kit on to keep that batt at full power,next was the Avenger had to rub the chin for awhile on whether to go EFI or the old dependable carb,bought a EFI and loved it till the second hunting season when I was back in the boon,s deep shut it down went to my stand and later that day went to head home and poof no start,no spark no fuel no nothing the ECU decided too take a holiday,there she sat no amount of 4 wheelers could even get to it,covered it left it and ended up leaving it in the bush for a week not knowing at that time what was wrong and going back home 300 miles and getting my fathers Argo and going back the next weekend to extract the dead expensive pile,not good,end result was a ground issue but I cursed the day I bought that electronic nightmare,that said the machine has proved itself again and again since,it is my opinion that to much complexity in a off road vehicle is not the best,some of us spend time in the bush alone and I have carefully considered a more simplistic machine for that purpose,probably why my Max IV with a pull start carbed will start without a battery and you can hook up anything to hold gas above the carb if need be machine appeals to me on some trips.end result I think Argo has placed all its eggs in one basket and not sure whether this is the best move,but this is coming from a guy who cant seem to download,upload,text,insert and has very little clue of what hash tag means,seems like something the police could get ya for.NCT

That shutoff needle just drops out of the solenoid once its removed from the carb, I remove them all.

Just sayin'

Your ending thoughts hit the spot. Been there, done that. I just traded a Polaris 4x4 for a simple mid-90's Max ll for the same reasons. Last time I went skipping thru the woods due to a failed machine was in SE Asia what seems like a hundred years ago. Don't feel like doing that again at my age. There are times when simplicity rules. Press On!

Hey nubs can you expand on the statement about the needle please?

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Originally Posted by trevorakm1

Hey nubs can you expand on the statement about the needle please?

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When You pull the shutoff solenoid off the carb you'll find that the needle looks just like the needle on the float in the carb but bigger. it just lays in there loose and will drop right out.