How many hours is a Argo good for?

[wiswampguy]

Hello all- I just joined the forum. I live on a small river in the NW corner of Wisconsin. About a third of our acreage is swamp, with the river running through the middle. I need to replace my utility ATV soon. I decided a Argo type vehicle is likely be a better choice than another ATV.

I have looked online at a lot of used machines. My question is, how many hours will a typical maintained machine be expected to run before engine overhaul. I suppose I should ask about the life span of the chains, and hub assemblies as well. I have been looking at mostly the 8 wheeled models. Thanks

[dezi]

If a motor is looked after it can last for looooooooong time.. I bought a early 70's with a kohler and all had to do was change the fluids and plugs and it still runs strong today. Guys on here with more experience will chime in with more details..

[glenhinnisdal]

Its an interesting question, and I think that like many machines it will largely depend on how many operators it has had and of course how well it has been maintained during its working life. Theres a big difference between an Argo purchased for work and another purchased for play. I recently purchased a 20 year old Magnum 18 with 970 hours on the clock, which had obviously been well maintained during its life and I will last another 10 to 15 years.

[lewis]

First let me say glad to have you on the site. Now to the question, the average person puts around 50 hours a year on a machine if it is for private use. I help on occasion service these machines (Argos) and i have seen a lot of different types of care for these machines. These are great machines and if taken care of properly will last as long as you want them too or until you see a newer model you would like to purchase. There are members here with 70's machines. The thing that causes the most damage that i have seen is, no grease in bearings and inside tub full of dirt and debris. In other words poor or no maintenance. I have seen NEW machines that are a wreck due to this fact. Cheap chain will not last and will let you down at the most inconvenient time. Cheap bearings will not last.

We ride our machines hard when we are out and when we come in it is maintenance time. A really good clean up is a must in my book to keep you machine in good running shape. Clean the machine, grease the bearings, chains, check belt for wear, check oil and water and give the machine a good look over once it is clean. This helps you learn your machine and will be a early detection on something that could be a problem prior to it's next use. This is a machine.....and must be taken care of to give you long service.

Dealers: If you go to buy a new or used machine from a dealer. Ask if he services the machine, will he be carrying spare parts, will he be the one to do warranty work, how long has he been in the business, ask around and see who has bought one from him and are they happy with his after the sale service. There are some dealers that only sale and do not service, this is a bad thing. Advice, questions and answers will come up. Sorry for the lengthy answer but i feel these are important items to bring out to get the most out of your machine and have a great time with this sport. Wish you luck locating a machine and hope you get many years out of good service.

Lewis

[Rock Doctor]

I've seen up to 3,000hrs on the engines
For chains, expect 300 to 500 hours or more depending on manufacturer and application
Bearings are funny, I've seen them fail as low as 15-20hrs (not often), but also easily make 1,000hrs (Maintenance and application play a huge roll here)

[wiswampguy]

Hello Again- Thanks for the input on engine life. I had noticed in the sale ads the thing about bearings. I have seen machines for sale with less than 50 hours that have new wheel bearings. Compared to other types of equipment I thought that rather odd.

Another question to all you experts- I see the Avenger is rated at 1800 lb tow, a frontier at 1400lb, and an older conquest at 1600 lb.
Avenger has most HP, but I think the frontier has more HP than a conquest, even though the tow capacity is lower. But how do the transmissions and chain drives differ? I will be towing a lot of weight (firewood) and I am thinking I probably would do best getting the machine with the most robust drivetrain. I suppose in low range any of the three will have ample HP?

[Roger S]

Any of them will be strong enough drivetrain wise. Argo used to have a decades old picture on their website of a 6 wheeler pulling a semi cab and trailer.

[george_pimpdaddy]

Heck my old 88 kohler magnum 8x8 with a little over 550 hours pulled out my dads 05 gmc ext cab 4x4 loaded full of supplies out from a nasty spot with ease. Now my kohler has 625 hours on it and it runs great.