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Sorry to hear you got rid of your snowmobiles, don't you have nice groomed trails? Snowmobiling is my favorite thing but when the snow goes away what else can you do atv's are the next best thing. Mach Z 1000.
Thanks for the video.
Put a plow on that Argo it will plow better than any 4x4. Pile it high as you want.
Those tracks look really agressive. How much are they. Why are their holes like snowmobile tracks? Does dirt get in there like on the between the tracks and tires? Sits kind of low in the open water. How heavy are they?
I have a Max II with stock tracks, I think mine would go thu the stuff you were driving in too. Yours are much more agressive though. Will they fit on a Max?
Do you think J-wheelz on the 8x8 would help in that stuff? They would really
make it sit higher in the water. I think J-wheels would fit on the Argp, but you deffinitly don't need them with those tracks.
As for the Hoot it might be possible to put them on there depending on rim and tire size. The Hoot looked a little tippy to me but with J-wheelz it wouldn't be. I almost bought one, but short of funds. They do look fun for one guy. The dealer that sells them also sells the tracks for them, so I don't
know if he would be interest in trying any J-Wheelz. They would make it wider
defeating its purpose being narrow as it is it can go on narrow trails other ATV's can't. If you put J-wheels on the Hoot your wider than a stock ATV.
It sure would make a big difference though. Someday we might find out.
No one machine can do every thing yet, so I have different kinds for different days.
Yes there are groomed trails. However no locals use them. The local snowmobile club charges almost 400$ a year to use the trails.
Most around here find going through the woods (trapper trails) is more enjoyable than a snow covered raceway.
I always have a backup machine just in case something happens to the one i am using.
I have a BRP Nordic snowmobile. However it's up in it's storage rack.
I have a frontier with those escargo tracks. However the engine needs to be replaced.
I changed my mind about the rotax, and put in a Kohler KD425-2 diesel engine in it.
As for an argo or any 6x6/8x8 the tank like tracks are the way to go for winter travel.
JWs on a 6x6 in winter should be ok, and that's only because there is a center wheel.
J-wheelz on a 4wheeler should be for seasons other than winter. They are ok if there is upto 6 inches of light snow on the ground (no ice underneith). The JWs are worthless on snowmobile trails that are not rock hard.
Get off the atv and push/pull before you spin out too much.
As far as the escargo tracks. I wanted them for the more aggressive tread when going up inclines of loose rock. The metal plates grip more than rubber on wet rock.
I do have a photo or two somewhere around here of a person that took used snowmobile tracks and made a track for each individual wheel of his 6x6.
I never asked them how they worked out.
I should try to make a set for a 4 wheeler (rear tires only) and see if it's comparable to chains.
I live for the fast fast snowmobiles. Only thing you can drive fast legaly.
Whats the $ 400 to ride on the trails for. How much would it cost me to ride my sleds up there, There used to be the trapper trails here, they were great to drive, now its all Indy 500 80mph trails 8' or more wide with 4x4's that tear up the grooming job. No 6x6's allowed with tracks on the trails. You can only use them here on lakes, frozen Rivers and private property at the present time, no cross country. What a ripp.
Looks like I need to come up there to ride my Max with tracks cross country.
I agree tracks on a 6x6 is the best for winter travel, never been stuck, blazing new trails, in 4ft of snow.
Rotax makes the best engines Go with the 500efi more power, if you can make it fit. They also make jets.
I couldn't tell from the video that the escargo tracks were metal . Are they all metal, or just the cleats?
Going thru the ice is quite exciting, I did it with a Max II, lost 2 head lights, but I didn't get wet, had to winch out, with help. J-Wheekz in this situation it wouldn't have been as exciting. I might have been able to drive out, but I don't know for sure. With the added floatation at least I wouldn't have to worry about flipping it,so I could have tried harder to get out. It would come out of the water at a less steep of an angle. With studs in the tires it might come out easily. I don't know for sure,
and I don't want to try it on purpose, but it might make for some good video!
Did you see the J-wheelz videos in the water? For playing in the water they are the best thing for a 6x6 possible an 8x8 too
Did you see the video with a Max filpped over in the river in Alaska with PCV pipe floatation? In this situation with JWz on, I highly dought that it would have flipped with the adeded width and floatation.
JWz in the snow I have no idea how they would work on a 6x6. Do you have the large paddles? They might pull it thru the snow. I will have to wait to try it. Going thru the ice with JWz on would be safer, but I don't recomend it.
I just got the large paddles for the Max IV with JWz, I will be testing them in the swamp and mud, should have some video's.
Yes i tried (extensively) the JWs in the snow and on skidoo trails. We had a miserably long 2009 winter.
I would not recommend the JWs for winter, where the snow is more than 6 inches (soft) and has ice underneith it.
I found the JWs to be more of a hinderance than a help in the regular snow (trail) conditions.
For a while now i have found that the best combo is tracks in the winter and JWs in the summer.
This is cost wise as well for both 4 wheelers and AATVs as far as trail/wood riding is concerned. Tire chains are great for yard work and swamp conditions.
Four season atv/AATV tracks are expensive, and a pain to take on an off on a long trip where there are many conditions that are best for "tires only" and not chew up your tracks. Not to mention speed.
JWs in the summer. Which do not need to come off in changing conditions. At a decent price for 4 or 6 wheels.
For a better winter result for JWs. They would require slightly taller paddles with metal teeth.\
This is a J-Wheelz video with the taller ,3" inch cleats. They seem to perform a little bit better than the 1 1/2" inch cleats , in this kind of soft , sloppy mud. What I really like about the J-Wheelz , is that they are tapered towards the ends, and don,t create the drag that dual tires do when skid steering in the mud. They are also a lot lighter at 8 pounds each.
This would have been a good time to show the differences with the J-Wheelz on and off. All you Max IV owners how do you think you would do without the J-Wheelz?
Jeff ( Max King ) tried to drive out of this pond first with out the J-Wheelz installed on his Max IV. He was not able to. He told me that he got stuck repeatedly, and finally had to go get a friend to pull his Max IV out.
In fact , he told me that he was hardly able to back up in this kind of mud with the stock Terra tires. He later went back to the exact same spots that he,d got stuck in with the Terra tires , and was able to drive out with the 3" inch lug , J-Wheels. But, this was after backing up ,and then going forward several times. Some places though, he could,nt drive out even with the 3" inch paddles installed. He was able to take a different line though, and finally drive out.
Jeff told me that he could,nt drive through the swamp reeds with just the Terra tires, but with the J-wheelz installed on his Max IV he could.
I was leary about going in this spot with hardly any water and no help to get out. I went in a little bit, and a little bit more, and went for it, all the way across no problem. See part 1, it shows going across and where I came out the first time. I wouldn't try it with out the JWz on. They do make it ride higher in the mud as in the water. I never got stuck in the swamp but I couldn't go any further several times, trying to get out had to back up, as seen in the video. It seems to go better backwards. I will be trying it again and back out or rocking it, I think it should back out fine any where. Once in the souppy mud I just drove around as usual, no extra effort.
You can really feel the paddles grip the mud, when both levers are forwad.
If I went in there with out the JWz all you would see is me getting stuck, winched out and eaten alive by mosquitoes. Not enjoying the mud.
Last edited by Max King; 09-29-2009 at 01:32 PM.
Reason: dupplicate post
I found some help to get out, when I go in the swamp with out J-wheelz on.
I will make a video getting stuck. Seems thats what everyone wants to see.
Same place.
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Some places though, he could,nt drive out even with the 3" inch paddles installed. He was able to take a different line though, and finally drive out. 
