Pelec mini iii test drive

[marauder]

I had the opportunity the day after Christmas to test drive the only PELEC MINI III tracked amphibious off road vehicle currently in the USA at a dealership in Philadelphia. This model is a two seater with the passenger sitting behind the driver and is powered by a Honda engine with 28 horsepower that is installed by the dealership since the standard engine is not EPA compliant. Here is my impression of it after a very brief test drive in the parking lot of a used car lot.

The Good: With the engine in the back the vehicle is relatively quiet and the steering is very responsive, it is a skid steer system with handle bars and very easy to maneuver both in the forward and reverse directions.

The body is made of steel and looks like it will take a lot of punishment going off road, unlike some plastic bodies that need a metal skid plate in order to survive.

The seats are very comfortable and the throttle is easy to operate.

The Bad: The transmission consists of a centrifugal clutch mated to a three speed car manual transmission that has to have the vehicle stopped and engine off in order to shift from gear to gear, you have to anticipate how fast you want to go in order to select the proper gear, and the selection of that gear is very challenging, the gear selector is on the floor in between your legs and there is nothing to indicate what gear you are in once you pull back on the gear lever other than when you are in reverse you get a beeping noise just like heavy trucks when they back up.

Since the engine is installed by the dealership the choke on the carbureted engine is attached to the engine and the engine cover has to be raised in order to engage it and disengage it. It should be routed to the front instrument panel but this one wasn't.


Bottom line: This model shows promise, especially since the asking price was only $13K, which for a tracked vehicle in this size range is not bad, being made in Russia probably helps. If you are within a few hours of this dealership and are interested in this model of PELEC then this is a great opportunity to check it out. My thanks to Andrew and his crew at Professionals Auto Sales for giving us the opportunity to check out the Mini III.

[john swenson]

interesting tracked machine ....kind of like the '' tinger ''. i think it would be good on snow . wonder what it would do in mud ? did the dealer say anything about spare parts and repair places ? probably would'nt be hard to set up a choke cable. if it's a centrifugal clutch drive i'm not sure why the engine needs to be off in order to shift , unless the idle is too high . there are a couple of videos of test drives to watch . johnboy va.

[marauder]

John,

The dealer said parts take about 2 weeks turnaround time, they have some new parts in stock, new vehicle order takes about 4 months since he said if we ordered one that day it would arrive in April sometime. For repairs to the vehicle itself the dealer would take care of it, but if it concerns the engine you would have to take it to a Honda dealer. As far as the engine having to be off to shift, we were told that would only apply to the first 200 hours, but like you I'm not sure why that is.

[Noel Woods]

In Canada these things sell for less than $6k Canadian. If you watch the videos I think you can determine why. A heavy rear weight bias and poor ergonomics, which in turn leads to drivability issues. I've watched these on the internet and I don't think the typical machine has to be shifted in the manner described, that may be a linkage issue since they put a different engine in it something may be amiss. Several Russian examples on the web already had the Honda engine.

I think they have a lot of potential, and the layout is not bad. Maybe a couple years of exposure on the U.S. market and some changes to the drivetrain and controls will net a capable machine.

[john swenson]

yes .. i did notice in one of the videos when the machine was coming out of the water on a steep slope the guy was not in it but walking by it working the throttle. maybe he felt it would tip backwards. j.b.

[RedneckTour]

Hi Marauder. Did you meet with Vlad? I have been communicating with Pelec in Russia, as well as a guy named Vlad in PA about ordering a machine. I am in FL and would have to drive up to PA to pick it up. I had an Argo 750HDI with tracks that did great here in the FL swamps and mud. However, my machine was stolen about a month ago and am looking for a replacement. I like this model because the body is made of steel and seems to be more durable.

However, dropping a good chunk of change on a product I have never seen makes me a little nervous. I am pretty handy and have and all the tools (and welder), but scarcity of parts is also a concern.

Do you have any other feedback you can share? Did it seem to be well built? I am looking at the four-person Rover model which is slightly more than the price you quoted above. Did it seem to have good power? Any insights on how mechanically the skid steer operates? If it uses a car transmission, how does it spli the power from left track to right track?

Thank you!,

joe

[john swenson]

i'm not sure , but after seeing how many russian guys make their own tracked machines on u tube ... they use a car split differential rear end and setup a brake for each wheel , so when you pull back on one of the steering levers , it locks that wheel and the other one drives . you can always see 2 brake fluid cylinders in the pictures. it seems like pelec should have gone ahead and setup a clutch for gear shifting ? why do they say after 200 hrs. you don't need to turn off the motor to shift ? j.b.

[john swenson]

also check out the '' tinger atv '' videos . looks to be more stable , wider tracks , side by side seating . it's not a steel body though and not sure about the transmission , etc. j.b.

[marauder]

RedneckTour,

No, I met with Andrew. From what I could see on my very short test drive it appeared to be well built and powerful, it has disc brakes on each half shaft that actuate to steer the vehicle by pivot steering with locking the track on the side you want to turn to. I don't know how it splits the power from side to side, probably a standard differential if I had to guess. I don't have any other impressions to give you other than what I already wrote, I definitely wouldn't buy one without test driving it first, the transmission is particularly hard to operate and could be a deal buster if you find it too difficult to engage each gear. Good luck!