Mud capabilities without tracks

[cdover73]

What should I expect running tires only on my 750 hdi if I get into some thick Louisiana gumbo mud? Will the Argo pull through just fine or do they have a tendency to high center and just spin the wheels?

I'm just curious as I don't want to expect it to go anywhere and find myself in a bind and teed off because it won't do what I want it to do. This may also change my mind about adding tracks. If it pulls fine with wheels then I won't need the tracks. I won't be going through a lot of bad stuff, and I don't have the marsh area around my property. But I do have creeks and deep mud everywhere. I will also be going to a local atv park (Tower Trax) occasionally to play with my buddies who have 4 wheelers and side-by-sides. Will these machines typically go where 4 wheelers won't, or will a 4 wheeler outperform me in the mud? I know with tracks this question wouldn't exist. I'm just talking about stock 25" tires. And I do have a 3500lb winch, just in case...

Thanks,

cdover73

[ARGOJIM]

Everything has it's limitations, seat time is a Big factor along with reading terain. I'd suggest going out with a winch and a cable tender and maybe an anchor to some of the spots you're concerned with and see if it surprises you or not, that will answer most of your above questions. Each area is terrain specific and unless someone down there has an HDI the answers will vary in honesty.

[Noel Woods]

I don't have an HDI but do have its sibling an 8x8 Frontier. I think your machine is one of the most capable amphibious atvs out there. I'm amazed at the performance of similar machines. Last year at the Mud Nationals, team Baked Alaska ran around everywhere that the other machines with tracks went, and he did not have tracks. Those 25" tires just pulled and pulled. Jim is right too when he speaks about driver skill, which will come quickly for you, I think the answer is that a machine without tracks does have a slight disadvantage to one that has them.
As such there are several makes of tracks out there. I run the Adair tracks on two of my machines. They perform beautifully in the gumbo mud that I ride in in East Texas, which is no doubt similar to what you have. I hope to see you out at a ride soon.

[foxvalley]

Noel and ARGOJIM both have valid points that will help determine the track issue. First, as Jim mentioned,experience is a huge factor in being able to negotiate mud holes without tracks,as seen by baked alaska in texas,as I was with that group, and was very impressed on how he manuvered his unit,however, he did bypass alot of the most nastiest holes,as with experience,he knew where he could go and where he couldn't.IMO, he missed the most fun.
I am a huge fan of the HDI,and the 25" tires,there is no comparison between them and the 24" tires, that look puny by comparison.However, by running just tires,you will spend more time trying to work yourself out of holes,and you will be getting out more to winch,this is just a given.
Tracks, the right tracks,turn the unit into something much different,especially in gumbo mud/swamp situations,where you won't be limited to where you can and can't go,the whole reason for buying an argo in the first place.Units are expensive,so why not milk all the potential out of it.

[Dozerlarry]

Mine handles wet buckshot with no problem but when it's at that "sticky stage" the tires will mud up. I've been able to keep the speed up and fling the mud off but the stuff still worries me when I get into it.

[cdover73]

Well I took your advice and went out yesterday to my camp on the local river to try it out officially. And had a few very interesting realizations!! My bro-in-law, his son, and I loaded the Argo and mower onto a trailer to go cut grass.

1. Even though the hdi has a huge towing capability, pulling a 18' trailer with a lawn mower(total weight was under the towing capacity) DOES NOT mean the Argo is still a true ATV! We had to unload the Argo from the trailer we hauled it out there on, with the zero turn also so we could cut grass at the camp, because the load of dirt we had ordered was dumped in the middle of the road. I hooked the trailer up so we could leave the truck and use the Argo to pull the trailer and mower the 1.7 miles further to the camp. It DID NOT make it around the dirt pile. Although the Argo never got stuck, the trailer bottomed out in some nasty mud and we had to use the truck to pull us backward. The other side was the same result. Finally I just went over the pile and made it with my bol using the bumper of the truck to push the trailer over the pile. .

2. It does terrific on sand!! Very impressed.

3. It floats. It swims. But it doesnt do both of those in even the calmest of river currents!! Me and bro-in-law just edged off into the river with the idea of staying next to the gentle sloping shore just to see if it would swim the current. NOPE!! The current immediately pulled us out in slow motion and started pulling us toward a log jam about 100 yards away. We almost got in major trouble! I was able to steer it full throttle with the current while leaning to one side and made the shore about 20 yards before the log jam!! Note to self..."you're the stupidest person on earth!! Dont EVER do that again!!". I try hard not to represent the poster child version of a redneck, but I swear I heard others say "hey yall, watch this"!! But reality confirmed it was me that said that...Pucker factor was in the effect that you couldnt have driven a greasy bb up my butt with a 16lb mall!!

4. Dont sneeze when driving full speed down a narrow trail without letting go of the handle bar first! Enough said on that one...

So we had an interesting outing. Thank God it was a learning event and not a recovery one. Everyone was right...it takes experience to use these things to the fullest. This made me aware that you have to think ahead and use good judgment to stay safe. I was impressed that I never had to use the winch. Even with the tub dragging (and without the trailer attached) it went back through the same holes mentioned in number 1 without a problem. Im impressed.

Thanks,

Cdover73

[ARGOJIM]

Sounds like many lessons learned and well on the way of a safe trouble free trip.

If you haven't, Read the Manual and Watch ( and listen ) the video, read as many threads as you can find on your projected paths. Luckily you did dot try that current with tracks on or you may have heard "Now that's gonna hurt!" in the back of your head.

Good luck with it.

[Fox Valley Argo Sales]

At mud nationals 2 years ago Ty turned his conquest into a submarine under the same conditions, the creek was small and narrow, but the currant was strong.Spinning in slow,out of control circles isn't so bad,its when you come to a stop via log jam or whatever in the middle of said stream,or even the shore,you stop, but the currant doesn't,and washes right over the top of your rig,and..... well....
However, it's a great way to get all those beer cans off the bottom of your rig.
I believe Brandon,Dan, or Noel has cool video of the whole thing.After we towed it about a mile to camp,we took out the spark plugs,shot the water out, changed the oil,and she fired right back up.... lesson learned.