New Adair 18.5 inch belted snow and ice tracks

[Obsessed]

This video was posted elsewhere on the site.... The snow conditions were really stickey! There was standing water in the snow in places too. It is also a recreative industries buffalo truck carrying a four wheeler.

http://youtu.be/2TKygVctzow

I love that video....seriously makes me want one of those 6x6 Buffalo trucks set up with Keith's big tire and tracks kit! Seems like a very functional pickup truck style AATV!

tim

[foxvalley]

Doc, don't tell me the only way to get a rise out of you anymore, is to either roll one over, or blow it up............LOL

Actually, I'm dying to run up a couple of my burms, one is dirt, that I could do with tracks,the other is all rock,that I could try without tracks. Unfortunatly without a r.o.p.s., I would be "dying"as I'm pretty sure there is a good chance of going end over end. Great video though. No yawning here.

[Rock Doctor]

Meh!














Just kidding guys. Looks like a blast for the machines and the whole family. I don't get out often on "fun" rides, usually have a destination in mind. I think I should make more of an effort to just get out and ride

RD

[kghills]

It was a really fun time in Doug's swamp this weekend. It has been just over a year since my last visit. Doug's trails through the swamp are the most challenging I have ever encountered and demand tracks. Not getting too stuck made it fun for the whole family.



Here are a few pictures of the machines before we hit the trails. You can see the difference in length and track design pretty well in these pictures. Ground clearance however is pretty close.



There were two main differences in the machines that I feel gave Doug a slight advantage on his home turf for getting from point A to point B. The more aggressive track and in my opinion the bigger advantage, the longer wheel base.

Ok, here is the first video, this is a great example of how the T20 tranny works,as you will see, Kieth is able to counter-rotate the tracks to get himself out of the hole.

I have to admit that even though I do not use the counter rotating ability of the split shift that often, when you need it, it is awesome.

Here is Kieth going down the lane....

Doug's big machine really has his trails worked up and nasty. Lots of places the Max could high center without being as long as the Avenger. I could drop into the hole and need to climb out where as Doug's longer machine would push and pull at the same time, not falling completely into the holes. His side cleats also help pull him forward but made tight turns a little harder for him. I needed to get my tracks a little more to the edge of the holes and ruts but and could easily pivot the Max side to side on the trail with my track design and T20 trans. You can also see how I am up and down on the trail where as the Argo is almost Cadillac smooth.

In this clip,Jason, Kieths son, is at the controls,and is navigating thru the nastiest part of the ride.This kid is a natural,and has learned to work with the unit,and not to try to force it to go where he "thinks" it should go.A mistake so many adults make.

This video is a great example of how the difference in wheel base can play out in how you need to drive in and out of water. While Jason does let the machine kind of drift as it catches the sides of the ditch, he still goes in a relatively straight line. The Max on the other hand zigs back and forth down the ditch as the tracks catch and the machine gets pushed to the other side. Harder to keep going straight down the ditch but easier to swing it away from the tree branches when I needed to.

It should be noted I could swing the Max at any time and climb out of the ditch but what fun would that be?

It was a great time Doug. Cindy and the boys had a great time and we can't thank you enough for allowing us to experience your swamp. I hope people are able to watch these great videos and get a feel for how our machines perform with Tim's Adair tracks.

Now if you watched all the videos, take a close look at this picture.

This is AFTER the ride. No spinning the tires at hi speed and rocking the machine back and forth throwing mud all over. Just let the tracks do the work. That's the real beauty of any of Tim's tracks.

Keith.

[foxvalley]

In this clip,Jason, Kieths son, is at the controls,and is navigating thru the nastiest part of the ride.This kid is a natural,and has learned to work with the unit,and not to try to force it to go where he "thinks" it should go.A mistake so many adults make.


2013 Jason down the ditch - YouTube

[foxvalley]

2013 Kieth down the lane - YouTube


Here is Kieth going down the lane....

[spookum]

This video was posted elsewhere on the site.... The snow conditions were really stickey! There was standing water in the snow in places too. It is also a recreative industries buffalo truck carrying a four wheeler.

http://youtu.be/2TKygVctzow

[foxvalley]

Ok, here is the first video, this is a great example of how the T20 tranny works,as you will see, Kieth is able to counter-rotate the tracks to get himself out of the hole.

2013 Kieth almost stuck - YouTube

[foxvalley]

OK Fox Valley, you had all day, what are the results?????? You should have been able to process thirty or forty major movies in these few hours now

LOL Dan,Maybe when I was younger,everything now seems to either hurt,or move in slow mow.......

It was another awesome ride in the swamp,the weather was warm and sunny, no bugs,and plenty of muck to play in.
Ok, here we go,first, I was very impressed on Keiths modified max,running 25" rawhide 111 tires with Tims 18" chained tracks. Having the engine in the rear came into play in a couple of holes, as he was able to start out of the hole with the weight in the back. This was the case in the deepest hole where I was always getting stuck last year in my 2011 HDI with chained tracks.
However...... There was one spot at the start,(a hole I had issues with last year), that the max was forced into following the ruts of the 8x8 and did end up getting high centered. Keith was able to wiggle back and forth, but the tracks were in the rut,and that was that.
Other than that one time,the max did a wonderful job,there were a few times that it was touch and go, but the 18" tracks on a light unit as this is just a wonderful thing to watch, and Keith never got stuck after that first time.
However....... where the lighter,6x6 struggled, the HDI with the 14" belted track,with the addition of the winter kit(a third belt that attaches the long cleats to the belted track)breezed thru without even a hickup. I believe that the key to the aggressiveness of this track design is the fact that the long cleats, and the third belt can act, and flex INDEPENDANTLY of the grossers, and the track itself,thus creating a way to grab the sides of the ruts, almost like fingers,metal fingers, that unlike the grosser material, can bite into roots,ice and wood,giving superior traction.
Although this (winter kit) was designed for snow and ice,it is, by far, the most aggressive track/cleat setup that I have tested,not only on snow and ice, but also in the swamp.
Tim, and everybody that has either one of these track designs,should be proud, and happy to know,that , in my opinion, both these designs are some of the best designed tracks out there,and will get you there and back.
We also had a race in the pond,to see what tracks swam faster,it really wasn't a fair comparison,6x6 vs.8x8, I thought, but both designs swam at about the same speed,as far as I could tell, and it was to close to call.
I have lots of awesome video of the Max in action,that baby looks like a cork in an ocean in a few places.Kieths wife, and son did most of the driving in the HDI, and both did an awsome job. Hang in there Dan, some cool vid to come.
Tim, I'll let Kieth know.......if your coming up here anyway.......bring a toy, and stop out.

[mightymaxIV]

OK Fox Valley, you had all day, what are the results?????? You should have been able to process thirty or forty major movies in these few hours now

[Obsessed]

Keith's unique MaxIV is running tracks over 25" tires, so its not giving up any ground clearance to the new HDI..the big 8x8 has an advantage in footprint size and that might help it jump the puddles a bit easer?!? looking forward to watching some fresh video...

tim

[Rock Doctor]

It will be interesting, light machines can sometimes swim over the bad stuff, but heavy machine can reach down to solid ground for traction.

Come on Keith, we're just waiting on you :-)
RD

[Obsessed]

Sounds like fun.. Wish we were there also...you guys got any snow left up there now? Ask Keith to give me a call if he can...I might be coming up to visit him sometime this week! Got a motor project I really need his help with.

Tim

[foxvalley]

I can't believe it........ he showed up.....let the fun begin!

[foxvalley]

Thanks Doc for getting in on the action. Yes, I have the 14"belted tracks with the snow kit(long cleats) and also the short cleat kit in between the long cleats. Keith has the 18" chained tracks.
I'm charging all my batteries for my video cam right now, because there is going to be tons of footage of Keith getting pulled out, and I don't want to miss not one second of it.
Great idea dumping the one that doesn't get stuck into the hole,the only advantage Keith will have is less weight,this could come into play...........however........still don't think he has a snowballs chance.
Have'nt heard from Keith yet to confirm our outing,maybe he read this and is chickening out.