New Max II Owner

[ranger]

Hello All

I've been reading this forum for a year or more but up until now haven't posted anything. Well, here I go. I just ordered a new Max II from the factory. It should be delivered next week. I know it will be on a skid with cardboard wrap and I'm having it delivered to a business that has a loading dock. So all set there.

Here's my question: guys can you tell me what I need to do to start it and shift it into forward, neutral or reverse. Do I put it in neutral to start? Also, when it's in reverse, do you push the sticks forward to go in reverse?

Thanks for your help. I did drive a machine last year briefly but can't remember the specifics.

[Mike]

Congratulations on your new Max. The shifter under your legs (under the seat) is the F / N / R . If you push it down, that's forward, pull it up for reverse. You can have it in any gear to start it but I would recommend putting it in either neutral or reverse. If you have it in forward and blip the throttle at all it may lurch forward on you.

The laterals are held forward with springs. When in reverse, this is your brake. So when you have the Max in reverse you have to pull back on the sticks to go backwards. Push them forward (where they will rest normally) and that is your brake.

Basically, reverse is the opposite of forward.

Forward: Push forward to go forward, pull back for brake
Reverse: Pull back for reverse, push forward for brake

Hope that wasn't too confusing. I think I made it sound much more complicated then it is.

[Raleigh Trainer]

I just had a new Max II delivered, and had tons of questions like yours while I was waiting for its arrival, like:

How sensitive is the throttle? (You can easily feather the throttle and have nice, slow starts)

How sensitive are the brakes? (You can also easily moderate the brakes, but at first it's a little tricky going from sticks forward to sticks back fast enough to start braking but not so hard you brake too fast. You'll know what I mean when you get it. With sticks forward and no throttle, though, you get a useful amount of engine braking.)

Can I even drive this thing off the freight truck without killing myself? (Luckily, yes. I had no access to a forklift or loading dock, and my first drive with my Max was off a flatbed trailer down ramps I could not see. <g>)

You'll be surprised at how great these things drive. That said, I think there are a few other instructions you need to follow to get a palletized Max ready to start. Ask your dealer or Recreatives to explain the process. Mine came on a flatbed car carrier, so they didn't have to drain the gas or anything. It was ready to drive right off.

[LarryW]

Hello Ranger,
Congrats on your new machine. I bet your excited. I know I would be.

Mike answered your trans questions but I just thought I may add an important safety issue is alway make sure your in the max before you start it. I have read stories of them taking off and running over owners and such. If everything is working right it should never do that but if the throttle cable is frozen or sticky or what ever it could happen.

Also being new you may want to take the time to go over everything to make sure everything is tightend up and such. Im sure there is a checklist or something with the machine on that.

[ranger]

Thank you Mike and others for your answers. Yes, I'm excited for it to arrive. One more question for now: I assume that I open the choke when starting but do I need to give it any throttle when starting or is choke enough?

[Mike]

The choke should be enough.

[Roger S]

Ranger, when the trans is in nuetral, you will have NO braking action through the sticks, just the foot brake. That means shifting on an incline is not like most vehicles.

My first drive in a max II, when I swapped rides with a friend in some hilly woods, I asked "is there anything special I need to know?" he must have thought I knew more than I did 'cause he just shrugged his shoulders and let me drive off . His II and I survived, but you should get used to the t20 before tackling much of an incline. Have fun!

[lewis]

Congratulations on the new machines

Hope you guys have a great time with the new Max's. Raleigh look forward to riding with you since you are pretty close. You both have chosen fine machines. Get in some practice we ride Jan 24th. Would love to have you ride with us.

Lewis

[Raleigh Trainer]

One thing I noticed is that the factory set my drive belt very loose. It deflected 2.75", fully an inch more than what they recommend. This made going in reverse a full-on biceps exercise, as reverse only engaged when the sticks were pulled hard on the stops. The belt would squeal when backing out of steep mud holes, too.

I just adjusted the tension, moving the engine quite a bit, and now everything is easier- forward, reverse, even shifting works better.

So, you might want to check your belt tension right away, and don't be afraid to tighten it from its factory setting to get the 1.75" of deflection they recommend. I waited until I got 10 hours on the machine, but I wish I had done it sooner.

[Bud]

One thing I noticed is that the factory set my drive belt very loose. It deflected 2.75", fully an inch more than what they recommend. This made going in reverse a full-on biceps exercise, as reverse only engaged when the sticks were pulled hard on the stops. The belt would squeal when backing out of steep mud holes, too.

I just adjusted the tension, moving the engine quite a bit, and now everything is easier- forward, reverse, even shifting works better.

So, you might want to check your belt tension right away, and don't be afraid to tighten it from its factory setting to get the 1.75" of deflection they recommend. I waited until I got 10 hours on the machine, but I wish I had done it sooner.

x2 on that belt tension issue. My Max had the same issue when it was new, and moving the engine back to take up the requisite slack helped a lot.

Moving the engine back did make it a bit more tricky to access the left rear inner bearing zerk, though.

[mudbug3]

Raleigh Trainer ,

The T-20 in my Max IV was not properly adjusted either , when I got it new from the factory. For a long time I thought backing up in reverse , and then trying to skid steer , was the way it was supposed to be. That was until a friend with a Max II (wildtexasranger ) told me differently. Once we got my T-20 properly adjusted , it shifter easier, and I no longer needed to be driving in reverse , and then trying to skid steer.

[argohunter]

I did not see anyone else mention it so I will. If you are getting a new one from the factory, they should be sending an owner's manual with it. I would expect. I would read it through first and then have a better understanding of it. I know, I know, you can't wait Have lot's of fun getting to know how to operate your new Max. Please take some pictures as you unwrap your toy package and let us see them.

[Raleigh Trainer]

I did not see anyone else mention it so I will. If you are getting a new one from the factory, they should be sending an owner's manual with it. I would expect. I would read it through first and then have a better understanding of it. I know, I know, you can't wait Have lot's of fun getting to know how to operate your new Max. Please take some pictures as you unwrap your toy package and let us see them.

That's certainly prudent, but the driver of the freight truck might not be patient enough. I've dealt with many, and most make money by delivery, not by the hour. So, you are often under a lot of pressure to get your whatever off their truck as fast as possible so s/he can get back on the road.

Add to that the probability that Ranger will have to remove a lot of shrink wrap and cardboard from his Max, open the engine cover to connect the spark plug, fill it with some gas, and maybe even physically turn it so that he can drive it or back it out of the truck, there's a lot to do when getting a palletized Max off a truck already.

If you've ever read a Recreatives manual, you'd appreciate that there are so many warnings in it, it is very, very difficult to find what you need to know in a hurry. It would be great if RI just put a downloadable PDF on their website so that new owners can read ahead and owners of used vehicles can get a manual at all. It is very easy to do so, and so many other companies do this.

Raleigh Trainer ,

The T-20 in my Max IV was not properly adjusted either , when I got it new from the factory. For a long time I thought backing up in reverse , and then trying to skid steer , was the way it was supposed to be. That was until a friend with a Max II (wildtexasranger ) told me differently. Once we got my T-20 properly adjusted , it shifter easier, and I no longer needed to be driving in reverse , and then trying to skid steer.

OK. That's three of us in one thread. It sounds like there is something amiss here at RI.

Everything else was put together like clockwork- I am very impressed by the machine in every other way. I just don't understand why this one thing, and a very important thing, is being done this way repeatedly. I would think it is a very easy thing to get right the first time, judging by how easy it was to correct.

[Mike]

I would say that the best thing for you to do is just push the Max off the truck. You are having it delivered to a loading dock so just push it off and let the driver be on his way. Then you can take your time from there.

[outlaw max 2]

good taste in a sixer,congrats,see you on the trail.