Mudd-Ox satisfaction

[Buzz]

I would ask someone: what is your intended use for the machine? ...and go from there. Just because it wasn't the right machine for me, I wouldn't start out by saying "read everything about the mudd-ox on here" wink...wink....before you think about buying one. Then follow up and say without justification that your new machine is easier to work on and would be more fun to have, better dealer network etc. etc. Um, It's just bad advice. Not everyone drinks the Kool-Aid.

[mudbug3]

I would ask someone: what is your intended use for the machine? ...and go from there. Just because it wasn't the right machine for me, I wouldn't start out by saying "read everything about the mudd-ox on here" wink...wink....before you think about buying one. Then follow up and say without justification that your new machine is easier to work on and would be more fun to have, better dealer network etc. etc. Um, It's just bad advice. Not everyone drinks the Kool-Aid.

Since this is a reference to my post I will clarify this. I owned 2004 Max IV with a 25 hp in it before I bought the 2010 Mudd-Ox. Tim Schaffer that is an Argo dealer delivered a 2010 Mudd-Ox demo to me at river run atv park one weekend.We all had a group ride planned for that weekend. I got the chance to ride with Tim all day in the Mudd-Ox that I was thinking about buying ,and I let Tim show me all of the things that the Mudd-Ox could do. I was impressed enough with the Mudd-Ox that weekend to buy it. I also drove my friends new argo frontier with the new admiral steering transmission in it. Huge improvement! I was really impressed with it too after driving an argo 6x6 at the atv park that we were at that had the older style open differential. This Argo 6x6 changed directions by skid steering. What a BIG difference! Tim also brought a 1999 argo 6x6 that had the older style open transmission in it, but it had the 3.3 low gear ratio transmission. I really liked the extra grunt that the 3.3 ratio transmission gives you when driving through thick mud with tracks! I really loved the extra low end. I got the chance to drive different machines and then compare each one that I drove to the Mudd-Ox that I was thinking about buying. Each machine had it's pros and cons. It has been stated on this forum that there is no perfect amphib offered for sale that will suit every buyer. This is a true statement. For it's ' intended use' the Mudd-Ox is a great machine and in some situations it performs better and some situations a lighter 6x6 performs better. From lifting the hood on my friend's 2011 argo frontier, it was more like the Max IV that I was used to working on. The Mudd-Ox I was planning to buy had lots of hydrolic hoses, lots of wires going different directions, and this made me feel a little uneasy, because I lean more towards simple and easy to work on when I'm riding off road. But, after experiencing all of the many things that the Mudd-Ox could do first hand,I decided to buy the Mudd-Ox. In the past Matt was so busy trying to grow his business that he rarely took any calls at his shop, and those calls were mostly from Mudd-Ox dealers. I have read recently that this now has changed. Matt in the past made promises to do things in a time frame that he could'nt do, probably because he was extremely busy, and this made a lot of forum members really upset with him.Some forum members could'nt get Matt to take their phone calls about their Mudd-Ox's that they had bought from him, and then had to resort to airing their dirty laundry on this forum. If you read the forum topic ' David's 2010 Mudd-Ox ' you can read some of these negative post. This was the forum topic that I was referring to. I have read that Matt has recently hired some additional staff , some one to answer the phone calls, and has also changed some of his past mistakes in business about dealing with his customers. I agree that you should first call a Mudd-Ox dealer, because calling the head of the company that builds them will probably be a waste of time. Because I bought my Mudd-Ox demo from Matt , he was the first person that I called with any mechancial or electrical issues ,because he knew more about the machine that he built than all of the Mudd-Ox dealers in the US. The Mudd-Ox dealers that I called in the US only sold them ,and had'nt had one Mudd-Ox in for repair work. Because each Mudd-Ox dealer sold so few of them, they could'nt answer any of my electrical or mechanical questions about the Mudd-Ox that I bought from Matt. Granted any thing mechanical that you buy can have mechanical issues.That's a fact! Matt has put more effort into making the Mudd-Ox a better machines with each one that he builds ,more than both Argo or Recreatives who sell the Max. Matt's target market is selling machines to the oil fields of Alaska , Canada, and in Europe.He is now doing very well I have read, and in this bad economy this is outstanding!

[Buzz]

okay, fair enough. Currently, I think it is accurate to say that I see constant improvements and that it may be just the right machine for some people. On the other hand, a smaller rig may be better suited for others. Improperly set up, either one is not going to perform to your expectations. Thank you for the information and the willingness to respond.

[mudbug3]

Buzz

Have you wrote post about the Mudd-Ox on the outdoorsdirect forum? I know the Mudd-Ox dealer in Alaska has.

[Buzz]

yes same username. Most everyone there is very helpful on a wide variety of topics. There are a few antagonists, but welcome to the world of online forums.

[brushcutter]

Wow, with everything going on over the holiday, it's taken me a while to finally get to the last post. And after reading all of this (some of it multiple times) it seems to me that when shopping for a new aatv, other than the standard questions one would ask, one should take into consideration their own mechanical skills and abilities. But more importantly, what technical manuals are available, and how detailed are they. Almost daily at I work I encounter equipment that is totally new and foreign to me, but there are technical manuals available for every piece of equipment we service and that makes things a lot easier when confronted with something out of the ordinary.

[mudbug3]

After reading all of this (some of it multiple times) it seems to me that when shopping for a new aatv, other than the standard questions one would ask, one should take into consideration their own mechanical skills and abilities. But more importantly, what technical manuals are available, and how detailed are they. Almost daily at I work I encounter equipment that is totally new and foreign to me, but there are technical manuals available for every piece of equipment we service and that makes things a lot easier when confronted with something out of the ordinary.

Yes, it would be great if you could buy a shop manual about the Mudd-Ox ,but because the Mudd-Ox is always improving every few months, no shop manual is available at this present time. When you buy a Mudd-Ox it's learn as you go. Make a list of what might go wrong and take it with you.

[mudslinger]

After visiting with Matt last month I suggested to him that he should put the owners manual on the Ox website when it is ready and he said he had plans to do that along with a maintenance manual. I also suggested he should come out with an Ox clothing accessories line, I have seen him in pictures and video wearing T-shirts with the Mudd-Ox logo and I think they would sell well to the faithful and could also be used by him and his dealers as a way of promoting the brand. Of course hats, coffee mugs, polo shirts, etc. wouldn't hurt in this regard either. He said he was working on this also. My last suggestion to him was to have a promotional calendar to hand out before the end of the year to help promote the brand but I haven't heard back from him on that idea. The Mudd-Ox brand has a lot of potential and I think Matt will figure out a way to capitalize on it eventually.

[thebuggyman1]

My last suggestion to him was to have a promotional calendar to hand out before the end of the year

If he put JP in charge of the pictures....I'll take two

[Dan67]

If he put JP in charge of the pictures....I'll take two

Who do I need to contact to get one?

[brushcutter]

Yes, it would be great if you could buy a shop manual about the Mudd-Ox ,but because the Mudd-Ox is always improving every few months, no shop manual is available at this present time. When you buy a Mudd-Ox it's learn as you go. Make a list of what might go wrong and take it with you.

I think the easiest solution for that is as Mudslinger stated: an online printable manual... with complete parts breakdown and a section for owners to list on-the-trail fixes they've had to do and any trail-rigging they've done to get their machines back to civilization. I'm sorry to hear that your OXperience wasn't all you hoped it would be, I remember you wanted one for a long time before taking the plunge. I am curious though, have you researched their 6X6 version and would you buy one if you found Matt had resolved the issues that worried you about your 8X8?

[jpswift1]

If he put JP in charge of the pictures....I'll take two

Well thank you for the kind words, Jim. I certainly do like to take pictures, and I'm fairly confident I could make those calendars fly off the shelves.

Who do I need to contact to get one?

Dan, that would be me. Ask some of the members around the site about the pictures I've snapped. Just don't share them with your wife or g/f.......they might get a bit upset with you.

[mudbug3]

I think the easiest solution for that is as Mudslinger stated: an online printable manual... with complete parts breakdown and a section for owners to list on-the-trail fixes they've had to do and any trail-rigging they've done to get their machines back to civilization. I'm sorry to hear that your OXperience wasn't all you hoped it would be, I remember you wanted one for a long time before taking the plunge. I am curious though, have you researched their 6X6 version and would you buy one if you found Matt had resolved the issues that worried you about your 8X8?

brushcutter

After owning a Mudd-Ox 8x8 ,a Max IV 6x6 and now an Argo Frontier 6x6, I will probably stay with Argo. It's easier to maintain and work on than a Mudd-ox. I also like the self adjusting chain tensioners on my Argo 6x6 frontier. The Mudd-Ox has manual chain tensioners. To power the hydrolics on a Mudd-Ox with Adair tracks on it, takes a lot more rpm's than an Argo 6x6 with Adair tracks on it. When I had my Mudd-Ox I would burn 3/4 to one gallion of gas per hour of use. Since my Argo 6x6 does'nt use hydrolics to power the chains, I don't need to run my rpms very high, and I burn a whole lot less gas per hour of use. With the price of gas going higher and higher each month, the extra gas that it takes to drive 124 miles to where I like to ride at , plus riding for two days, becomes another thing to consider. A new Argo 6x6 with Adair tracks on it cost a lot less than a new Mudd-Ox 6x6 with Adair tracks on it. Matt said that a 6x6 Mudd-Ox would be about the same price as a Mudd-Ox 8x8.

[Matt O.]

Hi JP,
We should make one of those JP special Mudd-Ox calendars!!! I am sure they would sell great!!!

On a more serious note and correct information, The Mudd-Ox does come with a owners manual complete with parts break down, photos, and part numbers. I will be adding this manual to a customer download page on the Mudd-Ox web site along with how to videos for maintenance and accessory installation. Nick is doing a great job taking these videos and getting them ready for everyone.

Matt

[brushcutter]

The Mudd-Ox does come with a owners manual complete with parts break down, photos, and part numbers. I will be adding this manual to a customer download page on the Mudd-Ox web site along with how to videos for maintenance and accessory installation. Nick is doing a great job taking these videos and getting them ready for everyone.

Matt

Sounds like you're moving in the right direction Matt, it takes a lot of hard work to get a business up and running smoothly. I think the online manuals are a great idea, and can be a very useful marketing tool. By looking at them, potential customers can see how the machine is built and have a better understanding of it's design and the components used in it's manufacture. Also they have a better idea of what to expect when it comes time to bust out the wrenches.