Maiden Voyage

[seis]

So I took the Max IV out in 2 foot of snow today it had some trouble from time to time. It went pretty good straight but on tight corners the track would bite in and bottom out then it was tough to get going again. It has a 18 hp Briggs & Stratten which seems to be under powered . Is that normal for this set up? Its not the easiest thing to maneuver and shifting is not easy. The machine has been sitting in a barn for 10 years plus I have never driven one before so I don't know whats normal and what needs repair. When driving down the driveway it has quite a bit of vibration which causes the tracks to slap the under body. What could cause this ? Maybe bad tires? They were flat sided pretty bad but they are getting better. I know they need to be replaced with all that said it was a blast and the Grand kids loved it. I'm looking forward to mud and water and warmer temps.

[Mike]

18HP is a little underpowered for a tracked Max IV. You still should be able to get around ok though, you just have to get used to driving it and learn how to compensate for its limitations. Depending on the tracks you have, some give better flotation on snow than others. Still, it's not uncommon to have difficulty turning in the snow due to getting high centered if it's not packed much.

For your vibration, the tracks could be causing it or it could be a bent axle. Jack it up off the ground and watch them turn. You could also have someone else watch as you drive around or have someone else drive while you watch.

[tattooman]

Tracks with metal cleats will vibrate on a hard surface. Like Mike (administrator) said, the more time you have behind the sticks, the easier it will be to drive. Have a lot fun with it man! The grand children are what it's all about!

[Noel Woods]

That package will be a slow and underpowered unit even in fully maintained condition. I think with tracks the base motor I'd go with would be the 23hp and a 25-29hp would be even better.
I had a Max4 with the 20hp Kohler and even with just ASX Tires it ran out of power quickly. It takes more to push a machine with tracks than without.

[seis]

Mike :Thanks for the help. The tracks are belts with metal cleats. I did notice when I was greasing the axles one would not take grease and it was noisy when I turned it. I'll have to look into that. It probably has the original belt. Would an old belt have less grab? It seems to have the most trouble up hill.

Thanks, OK yeah the driveway is where it vibrates and right now its frozen, hard as concrete. I took off work yesterday to play with grand kids. We got another eight inches of snow. Any more snow days and they'll be going to school till 4th of July!

OK well this 18hp Vanguard has 130 hrs on it so I guess I'm stuck with it for a while, maybe I can tune it up a little and get a little more out of it. The tracks will be coming off in a few more weeks and I'll get some new tires