Dan's New (used) Argo HDI or new 8x8 650 Frontier?

[mightymaxIV]

Here is a short video of my HDI swimming and mudding in the pond behind my home. My Grand daughter and my wife have already had stick time and both have driven the machine through the pond in my back yard. You can diffidently feel a big difference in traction and stability when comparing an 8x8 to a 6x6. My wife had know issues driving this machine through some very difficult situations and she has never driven an AATV before. As for me me, so far I am very impressed with the machine. We will see how it does in some pretty extreme conditions this week end.

[foxvalley]

Looks like all of you are really enjoying your new toy! I think it's great when you can get the whole family involved.

The HDI is such a user friendly unit,and with a low center of gravity, much harder to turtle.Dan, you will have to let me know what you think of the low range granny gear......

[kghills]

Here is a short video of my HDI swimming and mudding in the pond behind my home. My Grand daughter and my wife have already had stick time and both have driven the machine through the pond in my back yard. You can diffidently feel a big difference in traction and stability when comparing an 8x8 to a 6x6. My wife had know issues driving this machine through some very difficult situations and she has never driven an AATV before. As for me me, so far I am very impressed with the machine. We will see how it does in some pretty extreme conditions this week end.

Nice video Dan. I look forward to hearing your impressions of the Adair tracked 8x8 compared to the other Adair tracked 6x6s you have owned.

Keith.

[mightymaxIV]

I finally got the chance to go through my new (used HDI) to insure everything was in top condition for my trip to the Big Nasty ATV park tomorrow. I pulled out the floor panels, the engine panel and checked all the bearings, chains, adjusters and general mechanical condition. I was quite surprised to see that Tim had replaced the floor panels, the receiver hitch and several other pieces with new pieces.

I lifted the seat and found an extra belt, two new chains and several new nylon chain adjusters. I also got a new set of mid range clutch weights designed for machines using tracks. The tires, rims and pro series tracks were brand spanking new and I was pleasantly surprised knowing that Tim could have put a set of used tires on the machine if he had wanted to. But this is just the Kind of service I have come to expect from Tim and his employees at Adair Argo. Tim and his staff have always gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to service and expectations and I want to thank him and his staff for all the love he put into this slightly used Argo HDI.

[mightymaxIV]

I posted a review of the HDI under the Big Nasty Trail ride. Video is processing and will follow at a later time. Got to drive in some pretty extreme conditions with my wife for the first time today and I must say she drove the machine very, very well. Any one thinking about an 8x8 for the wife and kids should stop thinking and start buying. They are more stable, have more mobility, make extreme condition look easy and in my opinion just more fun to drive.

[ARGOJIM]

Welcome to the dark side.

Less work = more fun.

[mightymaxIV]

You know I thought having a water cooled 31 horse Kohler engine would solve all my heat issues-not so-I still experience an extreme amount of heat coming from the engine bay in this very warm southern weather. Yesterday after about an hour I had to take off the hood to let some of the heat out of the engine bay. Now I know that having a hood fan will help but it won't solve the problem. One of the issues is having a very large, very restrictive muffler right over the belt drive system, the Argo design leaves only a small area on the left front side of the machine for the built up heat to escape. After awhile all this heat directly over the belt starts to effect the performance of the drive system. Not enough heat evacuation in this hot weather. I plan to built a less restrictive exhaust and open up the exhaust side to let heat out of the left (exhaust side of the engine bay). I also plan to wrap all the exhaust pipes in heat tape and put a short muffler or glass pack out side of the engine bay so that exhaust is dissipated into the air and not the engine bay.
Now I know other Argo owners are having these same heat issues, how come no ones talking? What are you doing to solve your heat issues. I did see a 650 Frontier at Busco with a hood fan and a custom exhaust and I am sure this helped his machine beat the heat issues.

If you have any ideas, please sound off.

Thanks Dan

[mudbug3]

mightymaxIV

When I installed my custom two into two exhaust system with RLV mufflers , K&N air filter, and had Tim Schaffer install the lightest clutch weights that were offed for the clutch on my 23 Briggs, Argo Frontier, this combination REALLY HELPED with the excess heat issues that I was having. Instead of running with the hood off, I was then able to only remove the kick panel in front of the driver ,and this let enough heat dissipate from the engine bay to allow my engine to run much cooler, and not loose power when it got so hot. The forum member Noel Woods drove my Argo 6x6 with these changes through some really thick mud and he told me that my 23 hp briggs engine felt more like a 30 hp engine after these changes.

[fmints]

I was good, I never told anyone Dan.... Fred almost got it out of me.... Norm..

I just caught wind of this thread,,, yeah,, I sure was close to having Norm spill the beans on this one. Great find Dan!!

[fmints]

You know I thought having a water cooled 31 horse Kohler engine would solve all my heat issues-not so-I still experience an extreme amount of heat coming from the engine bay in this very warm southern weather. Yesterday after about an hour I had to take off the hood to let some of the heat out of the engine bay. Now I know that having a hood fan will help but it won't solve the problem. One of the issues is having a very large, very restrictive muffler right over the belt drive system, the Argo design leaves only a small area on the left front side of the machine for the built up heat to escape. After awhile all this heat directly over the belt starts to effect the performance of the drive system. Not enough heat evacuation in this hot weather. I plan to built a less restrictive exhaust and open up the exhaust side to let heat out of the left (exhaust side of the engine bay). I also plan to wrap all the exhaust pipes in heat tape and put a short muffler or glass pack out side of the engine bay so that exhaust is dissipated into the air and not the engine bay.
Now I know other Argo owners are having these same heat issues, how come no ones talking? What are you doing to solve your heat issues. I did see a 650 Frontier at Busco with a hood fan and a custom exhaust and I am sure this helped his machine beat the heat issues.

If you have any ideas, please sound off.

Thanks Dan

Sounds like someone wants to fabricate a custom 2-1 exhaust with a SuperTrapp on it, wrapped with header wrap.. Less weight, less heat, more exhaust flow, more performance and an awesome exhaust note!! What could be better?

[mightymaxIV]

Sounds like someone wants to fabricate a custom 2-1 exhaust with a SuperTrapp on it, wrapped with header wrap.. Less weight, less heat, more exhaust flow, more performance and an awesome exhaust note!! What could be better?

And that is just where I want to go with it. I hope to see you and wife again soon Fred, boring running these mud trails with one machine. Your Hustler would have done great in that soft wet mud with out water.

[fmints]

Sure thing Dan. I will be working on sleeving the diamond shifter holes on the Hustler's T20. So the next time I do ride, I'll be in the MaxIV, unless I fabricate the sleeves by then. Hopefully around the 1st I will have time to ride a bit. I've been thinking of putting my 26'' Mudbugs on the MaxIV, just to see how they do with the motor and all. I think that it will be great, I may even be able to swim a lil more due to how close the tires will be to the tub, compared to when the Mudbugs are mounted on the Hustler's tall tub. I guess we will see! We'll be seeing you soon!!