Max IV first impressions

[North Country Tough]

Got a chance to spend some time with the Max in condition,s I commonly put the Avenger thru,first in the water,surprisingly stable given the narrower wheel stance and a well balanced machine with medium load.Fairly quick with wheel propulsion only probably due to the more level attitude of the machine in direct comparison to the Argo.Crawling in and out of the water is better than the nose down Avenger no question,any benefit from the T 20 trans was not that noticeable as it had a tendency to pull left and you would have to disengage the right side often to compensate. All tires were sized but the tightness of the chains still had not been addressed.Leaked like a screen door,not surprised as I have not had the time to go thru it and reseal everything but the absence of outer hull greaseable seals as the Argo has is a concern.On land the T 20 shines as it is easy to course correct,and the turning is easy when not trying to drive the other wheels at twice their speed makes things much easier(admiral trans excluded).Carrying capacity is very limited and the lack of access to the rear for a outboard motor mount makes larger water crossings a pain,The T 20 works flawless but to me requires more driver finesse than a one handed T handle in the Argo,and the lack of braking if it does slip out of gear on a hill makes you depend on the somewhat Rube Goldberg emergency brake system that had better be in top shape a bit of a concern.Although a very capable rig on par with my Avenger at getting thru the swamp it seems lighter duty and only time will tell,the body I would personally not want to subject it to the abuse I put the Argo thru,the Max is a great machine and Iam happy to have one the Avenger has much more flexibility for hauling loads and extended water use,when not hauling heavy loads to the camp the nimble Max is my choice,Iam a fortunate man to have the choice and wanted to give my own first impression,s as a first time owner of a Max IV.NCT

[Rusty-Gunn]

Nice review. How often do these machines pop out of gear?

[North Country Tough]

RG hopefully never jus sayin,the gearshift on this Ol girl is around your feet so you must be aware and keep the area clear,but the bonus is you can keep your foot on it on downhill descents to be sure,as I have said Iam not yet very familiar with the Max and a better backup braking system my be in place on newer model,s the lack of dealers in Ontario makes getting to see a new one tough and Max in general here are few and far between Argo has a strong dealer base in Ontario.NCT

[thebuggyman1]

Nice review. How often do these machines pop out of gear?

Another good argument why the shifter on a T-20 should be split. It is very rare that a properly operating T-20 would pop out of gear, but anything can happen. With the shifter split it would only happen to one side leaving half of your breaking. This could be compared to the remote possibility of the idler chain (chain between the trans and jack shaft) on an Argo breaking. If that were to happen you would lose control of that side also.