finally pulled the trigger on an argo!!!

[argowannabe]

After years of fascination with Argos I finally decided to get one. I am getting a new 2014 Argo 750 hdi with 18 inch rubber tracks, soft top, brush guard. I live in big snow country in northern Michigan. Just wondering how well it will go in 3 to 4 feet of snow? Pretty sure I got a good deal on it, just wondering what you guys think a good deal on it would be? This is my first post too!!! thanks for the responses

[argowannabe]

8x8 btw

[foxvalley]

Congrats on your new ride!
No messing around with an "entry level" argo,you just went for the juglar and got an HDI! You should be able to go pretty much anywhere with this setup. Might want to consider track tuners with your rubber tracks.

[martin_andy25]

I have a max IV with no tracks but, from what I understand, Argo or Max, these things are unstoppable with tracks. Snow or mud. I was gonna get tracks on mine but we don't get much snow in Mississippi and just good tires do more than enough in mud or water.

[Noel Woods]

Congrats as well. The HDI is a fine machine. Nothing better for the money. Post up some pics of the bad boy.

Like Foxvalley suggested, the track tuners will be a needed addition for the big rubber tracks. I like the Kohler Aegis engine very much, lots of power in a relatively small, water cooled package. Rig yourself up a heater, and you'll be set for those balmy mid winter days that Northern Michigan is famous for.

[scott8x8]

What are track tuners?

[locolouie]

congratulations on the purchase tracks are not unstoppable, but if you do get stuck ,your stuck

[argowannabe]

thanks for the responses, keep them coming. what do you guys think a good price for this machine would be?

[Noel Woods]

What are track tuners?

Track tuners are a device designed for 8x8 machines with tracks. They allow the middle axles to free wheel, which is a precaution to guard against chain lock up. Chain lock up sometimes happens with tracked 8x8s due to irregularities in tire size and related issues. Variances in tires within tracks causes smaller tires to travel greater distances (compared to the other tires) which in turn causes chain binding, premature wear and tear, sprocket damage, and so on. It can also strand a machine when its broken down.

Imagine a game of tug of war, with four players on one side of the rope, equally sized. On the other side of the rope another 4 players, but one of the tuggers is smaller than the others. The small player would have to pull harder to achieve what the other players are doing. The smaller player would be more likely to fail first, but because that side is all tied together, the entire side is likely to have problems.

[scott8x8]

That must be the reason Argo has you size the tires and mount them in a certain order as well as change the tire pressure when running tracks.
Will that not take care of the problem?

[Noel Woods]

That must be the reason Argo has you size the tires and mount them in a certain order as well as change the tire pressure when running tracks.
Will that not take care of the problem?

It will minimalize the problem. I would get the track tuners as well, that should fix the issue before it comes up.

[ARGOJIM]

That must be the reason Argo has you size the tires and mount them in a certain order as well as change the tire pressure when running tracks.
Will that not take care of the problem?

Some of this is due to clearance issues and some is designed slippage.

First thing you'll learn today, if not noticed, is front and rear axles sit higher in the machine than the center 2 bringing them nearer to the body.

[plott hound]

congrats on your new machine,lets see some pictures.im curious as to how much it sold for.as for track tuners,save your money and do what scott 8x8 suggests.index your tires and your good to go.

cheers

[Buzz]

No offense to rubber track lovers, but
Tuners = good
Rubber tracks in conditions where inside of tracks are slippery = bad
Rubber tracks can be bad in these situations with or without tuners

I've never liked the term wind-up, people tend to picture gears grinding.
It's more like a constant "brake" or extra load that the machine has to work against. If you can eliminate most of this, the load on a lot of your drive components goes down, and they last longer! It's like truck that is towing all the time vs. one that is not.

The "driven" speed of ALL of the tires...is never 100% compatible with the speed of the surface that they are in contact with, because of inconsistent tire diameters. This is present when running tracks and even without, as all axles are connected via chains, and the tires are always riding on something. But running tracks is where the biggest "resistance" to tire turning is seen.
Either the ground (or track) is moving under or around a tire...faster than the tire is being chain-driven (this tightens the wrong or "tensioner" side of that chain and adds tremendous load to the tensioners) while also adding additional load to the drive system from that point forward because these tires are essentially "skidding" (although turning) on the track like brakes
..OR...a tire is chain-driven faster than the ground (or track) that it is riding on (this is purposely done with typical indexing to prevent undue stress on tensioners (as seen above), but it adds extra load to the drivetrain). This 2nd scenario is okay when running a track that allows the chain-driven center tires to "slip" easily. Open grouser tracks allow for this. However, running rubber tracks than are dry or squeaky-clean requires tremendous force to slip the center tires. Remember most of the machines weight on newer machines is on the center axles. Elevated-belt style tracks can also "benefit" from the removal of this "slipping" requirement in general.

Either way, because tires are imperfect in diameter, certain tires act like brakes. This added resistance is transferred all the way from the hub-flange, through the entire chain-driven drivetrain.
Using track tuners will help to greatly eliminate both of these scenarios. Tuners remove the center tires requirement to "slip" (extra load) or their ability to be rotated too fast by the track (extra load + undue wear on tensioner wear blocks and possible damage to tensioners).
Tuners don't have to be used, but they are "healthy" for your machine - just like a tasty cold beverage from time to time.

[Noel Woods]

Buzz:
Thanks for reminding me, its time to make a trip to the fridge.