Hard working Argo...

[too_many_hobbies]

I use my Argo strickly for business collecting topographical survey data with RTK GPS equipment in farm fields mainly in northeast Arkansas.



The Adair tracks offer excellent ground clearance.



When walking across a field dramatically increases your shoe size , they barely leave a track and shed the gumbo very well.

[Mike]

That is a great looking Argo. Do you use it daily? How many hours have you racked up on it so far?

[amphibious drew]

Does your business include finding the toughest mud holes and playing-working in them, or crossing the occasional yet un-required pond or stream. If so, you're still one of us at heart.

[too_many_hobbies]

That is a great looking Argo. Do you use it daily? How many hours have you racked up on it so far?

When the fields are dry and solid, I use my Toyota Tacoma. I sold a Polaris RZR that I was using for soft conditions to buy the Argo for more flotation. I will actually start to work with the Argo this Wednesday. I measure the antenna height of each vehicle and input the correct antenna height into the data collection software to easily switch between different collection vehicles (or my range pole which I hand carry). I drive the perimeter of a field and then travel along grid lines shown on the screen of a Tablet PC for the length of the field (sometimes 1/2 mile or so) and then skip over 100 feet and drive down the next grid line. I have the software set so that it automatically takes a survey reading every 25 feet as I drive along. I hope to get good service out of the Argo since I mainly drive straight lines.

I have only played with the Argo so far and put about 5 hours on it. I wanted to totally service it out because, when I put it to work in a couple of days, I will be using it for 12 hours or so per day for as many days as I have work.

[too_many_hobbies]

Does your business include finding the toughest mud holes and playing-working in them, or crossing the occasional yet un-required pond or stream. If so, you're still one of us at heart.

The difference in what I do and what I have watched on some of the videos on here is that I am trying NOT to get stuck. I will be surveying fields just after they are not sticky on top. If the survey vehicle sinks down, I am not collecting accurate survey data. I specialize in large farm designs which frequently requires me to survey on both sides of a ditch. I have been stuck several times in my pickup where it took me a couple of hours to get out just because I tried to cross a ditch that I could have spent 5 minutes driving to one end where there was a crossing. I hope the Argo will allow me to cross many of these field ditches to get to other side to keep collecting data. I basically collect all the data on one side of a ditch and then cross the ditch to collect on the other side, but saving a few minutes along during the day helps me to cover more ground. I get paid by the acre.

[Rock Doctor]

I like it
Did it come with the Headache rack, or is that your design?

RD

[DanDANthefisherman]

I'm a surveyor also, and know exactly what your talking about. Hope it works out for you. Keeping them going straight down a cross section line might be a little tough. Everything needs to be ajusted just right for that! Let me know how it goes.

[too_many_hobbies]

I like it
Did it come with the Headache rack, or is that your design?

RD

I grew up on the farm with a torch and welder in my hands so I build all my own brackets. I built this one out of 14 guage, 1-1/4 inch square tubing. I wasn't really trying to provide any roll protection, only something that would hold the GPS receiver in the center of the vehicle for a good average elevation reading. I also built a base out of black UHMW on the right hand side of the handlebars to hold the weight of the Tablet PC and used a RAM mount to hold it in place with one of the balls bolted to the windshield base. I will post pictures of the Tablet PC mount in a couple of days.

I'm a surveyor also, and know exactly what your talking about. Hope it works out for you. Keeping them going straight down a cross section line might be a little tough. Everything needs to be ajusted just right for that! Let me know how it goes.

In my case, the software will collect data even if you drive in circles. I drive grid lines to make sure that I cover the field surface and then travel off the grid lines and collect additional data if I see a place where the grid lines missed a high or low. The term "grid lines" is really incorrect, originating from back when we staked the fields on the perimeter and drove each way to create grid intersections to know where to collect the data on a 100x100 feet grid. Saying that I drive a serpentine pattern would be more correct.

The only times I have the need to drive (mark, flag) straight lines are when I put flags for the land levelers to put their laser trailer, flags to turn the laser toward to orient the slope of the field with what my computer design is representing, and to mark section boundaries.

I don't know how the Argo is going to work for different situations yet, but I can tell you what I have found true for my pickup and the RZR. Having the GPS receiver in the middle of the pickup or RZR significantly helps in getting a good "four tire average" for elevation readings. Placing the GPS receiver on the very front of the vehicle really helps to drive a straight line. For my pickup when the GPS receiver is in the middle of the vehicle, there is a significant delay between when you turn the steering wheel and when the GPS receiver actually moves, causing the display you are guiding by to lag behind and therefore difficult to drive by.

I mounted the GPS reciever on the Argo in the center of the vehicle and above everything else for no satellite blockage for the utmost in accuracy when collecting elevation data. I will also be making a mount for the front of the Argo, but mounted down about the hood level to drive lines by for my purposes. Remember, I am not laying out legal property boundaries.

I use Seco quick disconnect mounts to quickly move the GPS receiver from the center of the vehicle, to the front of the vehicle, or to my range pole.

My wife says to not ask me a question unless you want a 30 minute answer. Don't worry though, in a couple of days I will be working and too busy to be on internet forums.

[eightwheeler]

Very nice machine!!........even for one thats missing two tires

[too_many_hobbies]

Very nice machine!!........even for one thats missing two tires

One side of the fence...

I have less tires to go flat and less bearings and chains to replace. The same size chain and design of transmission that is adequate for an 8-wheeler is in the 6-wheeler so it should be more reliable. My 6-wheeler serves my purposes completely and will do anything I need for it to do.

The other side of the fence...

To be honest, if money was no object, I would have bought the 8-wheeler. I think it would ride better and I know it would be easier to resale. I had to drive all the way from Arkansas to Iowa to purchase a 6-wheeler. All the dealers local to me only stock the 8-wheelers because that is what all the duck hunters want so that they can haul 6 hunters to the duck blind. I just couldn't stand that extra $5K.

[mudbug3]

too many hobbies

If you drove all of the way to Iowa, then I assume that you bought your Argo Frontier from Tim Adair? Tim is an exceptional Argo dealer , and will stand behind what he sells.

[Obsessed]

Wow...nice job installing all the extras and the custom survey equipment...your pretty handy...you must have been burning the midnight oil to get that all done so quickly...if you added a big white star on the hood it would look like some kind of specialized military vehicle...very cool:-)

[too_many_hobbies]

too many hobbies

If you drove all of the way to Iowa, then I assume that you bought your Argo Frontier from Tim Adair? Tim is an exceptional Argo dealer , and will stand behind what he sells.

Yes, Tim had installed his tracks on the machine I purchased to take it to a show and they were in the process of taking the tracks off when I arrived to pick the machine up. One look at the tracks and I knew I had to have them, even though I no intention of purchasing tracks initially (to save a few bucks). The tracks make the machine!

Wow...nice job installing all the extras and the custom survey equipment...your pretty handy...you must have been burning the midnight oil to get that all done so quickly...if you added a big white star on the hood it would look like some kind of specialized military vehicle...very cool:-)

I often figure things out in my sleep. My wife is used to me getting up in the middle of the night to sketch out the plans of something I want to build.

I have always wanted a dozer but this is probably as close as I will get ("Poor people have poor ways").

[Obsessed]

Sad but true-I'm the same way....not very romantic but I do think she finds it amusing LOL.....worse yet, she says I talk in my sleep, and she is learning a lot about Argos....by the way, Susan says hi. : )

Luv my toys

[mightymaxIV]

Beautiful machine! I also own an Hd with the Adair tracks. Those tracks and that machine will serve you very well. If you get that machine stuck I want you to take a picture of the ditch or mud hole. I think you will be surprised at just how well that machine traverse's anything you put in it's way. Keep us informed of your adventures and how reliable your machine is.