By Henry Hidy on Unrecorded Date: Edit

It's been 20 years but I am finally ready to get a new atv. Last time I wanted one I was 21 and looking for excitement but didn't have the money. Now I have the money and want something to explore the woods and get the kids into it. I would like to get a couple of buggies, one now and another later, the problem is that I live in Orlando Florida and there's no dealer where i can see any of them. I called Argo and they never sent me any info, Max sent a brochure but no indication of a local dealer. The lady on the phone at Max did not know much about them and I still have not been able to contact anyone knowledgeable in their company. This is a lot different than in 1981 when I wanted a 6x6 but could not aford one. I contacted Hustler, Max, Argo and Attex. Max and Attex seemed quite eager to sell their buggies, but Attex seemed the most motivated, with a dealer not too far from me. Loved it and too bad I could not afford the 2,000 or so it cost. Beautiful yellow and stylish, but the new Max looks like a toy jeep? They seem kind of pricey and slow, do you know if attex is still around? Is there anywhere I can actually drive a new Max in Florida? Is Hustler out of business, I saw a Hustler lawn mower? Is the reason most people here like Max's because they are the only game in town? My son just loves Junkyard Wars and he would be so happy to have a Max 2 in the garage, I just want to know if they are worth the $$ and something relatively safe for the whole family. Please let me know any info you have! Thanks!

By Russell Lee (Bigkodiak) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Henry
There are others that manufacture machines but when it comes down to price, function, and availability there is only Max and ARGO. I can't give you the name of any dealers in Florida but here is the Max link.
http://www.maxatvs.com/dlrstate2.php?State=FL
The east coast distributor for Argo is Barnes Argo out of Cambridge MD. If you call them they can tell you where your closest dealer is. Their number is 410-228-6335.
You will find that many Max dealers are folks working from home and generally will not stock many or any machines. The Argo guys are businesses that have to be approved before they get a dealership. Many of the Argo people I have dealt with tend to be very cut and dry which tends to come off as arrogance. Don't be taken back by that not all Argo folks are that way.

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

somwhere on another thred somone asked about aatv's in fla,
theres an argo dealer to your south east i believe,
somwhere nere frt laurtadale i beleave,
they use them for spraying weeds.

By Kenny Mcim on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Henry,
My message is the one above yours. We both seem to be in the same boat. There just doesn't appear to be a big market for these down south. Thru the kind of anemic web site of Argo I did get some literature from one of there distributors Fred S. Watkins. Kosciusko Ms. Ph# 6622895881 fax 6622895884. They are listed as the dist. for 6 states Ala.Ark.Ms.La.Tn. and Tx.
I agree about the competition on these. It appears that the market is getting bigger for the AATVS. It probably won't be long until we will see HONDA AMPHIBIOUS Seems to me that the Japanese devote a few more $$$ to their R&D than their bottom line. Also noticed a long time ago that they figured out how to get our play money from us. I guess then we will see some reliable water propulsion and the elimination of chains and a few more North American dinosaurs.
GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCH
KENNY

By RickMoMoBigfoot on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Henry,I don't have the info anymore but I posted a Argo dealer that I did my frist demo ride with for someone else in FL. It is a company that sprays in the swamps. They was located in West Palm Beach.And I talked to a Max dealer in Fl. they are located in Punta Gorda. I don't know if they are still in business, this was years ago.
Rick

By Attex Bob on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Henry: Attex's are only around in the used market. I think Hustler's are in the same boat. If you like Attex's give Richard a call, maybe he has a restored Super Chief ready to sell? Or you can look on Ebay. I have an Argo and an Attex. I like both for different reasons. The Argo is like a tank or tractor, slow and tuff. The Attex is like a Corvette, fast and fun. Both should be used for different reasons and purposes. For me: Argo= work, Attex= fun. I think they are both worth the money I spent. I would not buy a Super chief for a kid. Mine will do over 40MPH, and if you hit a tree at that speed; well; lets just not go there!!!! The Max or Argo will do about half that, and it would be much safer for a kid to drive. I hope you join the AATV crowd!!!!

Kenny: I agree with you 100% about the Japanese AATV. I just think it will be a matter of time before we see one. How sad. I wish I had 5 mill. to buy a vaccum mold and an abandon shop.

By Don Kinyon (Oldnatva) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Anyone know the reasons for the demise of Attex and Hustler? I've been asking around about them, Attex especially, and heard that Borg/Warner did a little deal with Recreative Industries (Max) to give them sole rights to the T20, and they in turn refused to sell the tranny to Attex or Hustler, putting them both out of business and cutting the competition by 60 or 70 percent.

Like I said, it may not be right, but the time line matches up as far as I can tell, but if it's true, the molds and jigs for the Attex must be laying around somewhere in Ohio, and the patent on the T-20 either expired or nearly so.

Even though the environmentalists have pretty much killed the 2-stroke, wouldn't there be a market for a true performance machine with either one of the newer, cleaner 2-strokes, or a tricked-out four-stroke?

By roadwolf on Unrecorded Date: Edit

kenny, we don't want the stinkin' japanese buildin a 6by6!
this is the last thing that is truly north american.
we don't mind bent axles, broken chains, fouled plugs and seized bearings.
we lost our bikes, cars and stero's to them, don't give those joker's any more ideas.

By jerry smith (Deerhunter) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Honda is working on it,not a aatv but a half track.look up "the atv spy page" and you will see a picture of the Honda Trax. Jerry

By Fred Sowerwine, Montana's Max Dealer (Fred4dot) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Don Kinyon, I think it was just market conditions that killed all U.S. amphibious ATV manufacturers, except RI. To the best of my knowledge, Borg Warner either set up the Skid Steer Corp. to market the T-20 or sold the patents to the Skid Steer Corp. At any rate, as all of the T-20 customers went out of business, to continue selling T-20s, Recreatives Industries came into being (RI was a subsidiary of W.R. Grace in the beginning). I think RI learned a lot from what didn't work at other places and I don't think they were real prosperous at first. As far as I can tell, it was a case of perseverance against many odds. I'm sure it was not a case of limiting the competition as you insinuate. I'm sure that if someone wanted to and had the millions it would take to tool up and market a new (or old) Amphibious ATV that Skid Steer would supply you with T-20s.

In my opinion, the reason there are not more manufacturers (and those beside RI and Argo make a very small number of machines each year) is that it is a very small market and it will not support a new product. Do a random test, go talk to 25 people you do not know and ask them if they know what a Max or Argo is?

I also don't think you will see a Japanese product in this category - they have to sell hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) to be interested and the whole industry is less than 5000 per year worldwide. As far as costs go, with quads in the $8000 plus range, I don't think you would see much of a break in 6x6s or 8x8s. Weight and PSI on the ground are what is important with skid steer machines that will go where quads won't and with quads weighing in at 600 or so pounds, even the Japanese would have a hard time getting a machine with a lower PSI on the ground than Max has. The skid steer engines have equivalent or greater torque to the quads and with the safety issues, no one is going to make a machine that will go faster than the new models from RI. What I am trying to say is RI is good enough and competitive enough that no one with the money to risk wants to go up against them. They are the sole U.S. producer because they outlasted all competitors and earned it.

By Dave Johnston on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The three wheel ATVs died due to their unsafe handling.. between the fed gov banning them and the insurance companies charging a fortunate to cover them,,,I doubt you can find one today... The four wheelers are growning, in popularity and in size...some of them are modified golf carts. I see them in great acceptance due to the configuration and in understandability.... 6x6 and 8x8 are going to be the orphans...Try to explain them to insurance agents and off roaders. I had a claim with Progressive when I tipped my Argo Conquest over....There was some discussion about it being covered...I won that one...Now waiting to see of Progressive cancels my policy...(and all other policies for the 8x8 Argos)...on the plus side...it rolled over and the only damage was the windshield, covered by the deductible...no one was seriously injuried...kids either jumped out or ducked into the back cargo area..I got a brused right leg and my wife gave up all claims for $1......ONE DOLLAR. Progressive is a leader in insurance, and can make a name for itself in off road insurance....if it does not chicken out and go for the the more dangerous 4 wheelers...

By Don Kinyon (Oldnatva) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Fred- Thanks for the information, but I can remeber back in 1974 that recreatives existed as the parent company to Max and Rim, and Borg/Warner was still producing the T-20, selling to Hustler, Attex, Max, and even Amphi-cat if I remember right.

I can see that you're a loyal Max Dealer, as you should be- they make a great product. I grew up in Western NY where Max is headquartered, and met some good people from the company. They were always willing to help out even though our machines were all Attex. But now that Max is the only game in town, being the "best" loses some impact.

I really think that the market would support another manufacturer with a more performance-centered product. The quads have that market right now, but they're fast, not very safe, and getting more and more expensive. Like Richard says in the introduction to this site: 6 wheelers are so old that they're new again. I don't think it would do Max any harm if the six-wheel market grew to what it was in the 70s, even with some competition.

Dave- Wasn't it the Honda that gave three-wheelers a bad name to begin with? I remember the races (Only saw one ATC enter a race, never finished the first lap) and the Dunecycle, Allsport, SPD tricart and Trisports didn't seem any more dangerous than the modern quads. Must have been a political thing.

Do AATVs need to be insured to be registered? I don't think any of ours have ever been, but we always ride on private land, so it may not be necessary.

Don

By Henry Hidy on Unrecorded Date: Edit

it seems that there is another guy down here who seems serious about making a new aatv design. I have phoned Argo and they seem uninterested in selling still, and the Max just lacks the sporty factor of an older machine. The new concept is an aatv which can go faster in water, which is kind of cool. I am going to look for a used machine like an older two-stroke max or hustler or attex, but not one of the big yellow buggies, maybe one in camo colors. It seems that there are new ways of taming two strokes, I just saw one with a fuel/oil injector conversion which really doesn't smoke at all, and it runs really quiet at low speed, sounds almost like a four stroke! Of course when it revs up there's no mistaking that sound! I also found out attex had a land/water jet boat which may have come out, wonder why it never caught on?