Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through December 26, 2000	11

By Hank Nelson on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I live 3 miles from the nearest road in interior Alaska.I have a Argo conquest w/super tracks. It drug all of my house logs and building materials to site,hauled my 8kw diesel generator(don't even want to know what that weighs)and 55gal drums of fuel.I use 10 cords of wood per year and it hauls it all.It's my only way in and out,it's 5 years old and never let me down.

By Robert Sprain on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I'm in the same boat as Jack. I have a Yamaha Grizzly 600 but I'm thinking of buying an Argo Conquest. I just worry that I might be getting a hugh maitenence problem. I live in Iowa and take a yearly trip to Wyoming hunting. I really wouldn't be using my machine that severly. I'm 51. My "RAM EM AND JAM EM" days are over! I just want it to do a little duck hunting or fishing out of it, clean my driveway, and maybe put tracks on it for coyote hunting. I've heard stories of the transmissions blowing up, the tracks slipping in slick stuff, and they're inability to climb out of a lake do to the front end hitting on the bank. Help me out with some advice guys!

By P.J. on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hi Robert: I'm 49 and very passionate about my hunting and fishing. Since I got my Argo, there are whole new areas I can now get to to enjoy my favourite pastimes. I've had 4 wheelers and they were very good too but the Argo gets me where 4wheeler hunters and fisherman only dream of going. I've transported an entire moose and my hunting partner for 2 miles back to camp on a trail that is pretty scary with no trouble at all. Amphibious ATV's are extremely reliable. If you do your basic routine maintenance and don't excessively abuse the machine, break downs are extremely rare.
I'm a very cautious guy and I hunt in some extremely remote locations in Northern Ontario and I'm always confident that my Argo will get me there AND back!

P.J.

By argogeru on Unrecorded Date: Edit

robert,
the argo conquest is the ultimate aatv. they are very little maintence. keep the inside clean and properly lubricate the chains, bearings, tranny and motor and you will have years of reliable riding. about the tranny blowing up; I have rode argos quite a while now and I have never seen one blow up. I know a guy who went on a 20 mile dice run with only 1/4 of the gear lube in the tranny and he had no problems. it sounded funny and then we checked it half way through the ride and found out the fluid was 3/4 of the way gone. odg makes a very strong and durable transmission. the argos themselves are as reliable as you make them (proper maintence) just like everything else. from what i can tell from your post the conquest would be the perfect machine for you. It has a ton of cargo room and can haul 6 people with their hunting gear. they do not come out of the water as good as a bigfoot but you will be amazed at how they do get you in and out of the bush and the water. I have never had one problem with my tracks in slush, on ice, or in deep snow, I think that is 90% failure to put them on correctly. alot of people run half links and the tracks are not tight on the wheels and I would bet those are the people who have the tracks "slip". And lastly, the ram em and jam em part wont be a problem. the runnumuck tire ride like a cadillac compared to any other tire put on a aatv and they wrap around rocks and other obsticles well when aired to the right pressure. test drive a conquest or a response (lower end eight wheeler with the 18 hp briggs) and you will be sold on its benifits of hauling and versitility.

By Argotony on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Argo conquest is the way to go. You won't have to do much maintenance if you do't ride hard.

Tony

By Robert Sprain on Unrecorded Date: Edit

You guys helped me out a lot. Thanks for all the info. I e-mailed the local Argo dealer. I'm curious about the "improvements" they are supposed to be coming out with next year. Bigger engine and something about going to a T-20 skid steer. Is the steering in the Max really better than the Argo? That's the claim I see made alot. Again, thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it!

By Mac Alan on Unrecorded Date: Edit

What are the advantages of the 6WD Bigfoot over the 8WD Conquest ? I hear a lot of people praise the quality of the Conquest, but does this mean that the 6WD Bigfoot is not as maintenance free, or is it just not as popular as the Conquest because of its smaller size ? Also, what are the things that tend to wear out or break down with the Argo's. Are there other brands out there of better quality for the money ? Do you have to soak $500 or so a year into Argo's to keep up with worn chains, bearings, etc. ? MAC Alan in Wisconsin (cloudlake@aol.com).

By Chris M. (Argomaster9000) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Mac, there are some noticeable differences when it comes to the two machines.

Physical differences are obvious. The 8x8's longer body and carrying capacity and more wheels means more traction. The Conquest has a larger liquid-cooled engine than the Bigfoot, but you can now get the Conquest in 6x6 models as well. There are differences in tire sizes. The Bigfoot has larger tires (hence the name) than the 8x8 Conquest.

Driving-wise, the Conquest has a smoother ride than the Bigfoot, but the lack of two extra tires on the Bigfoot means that there are less wheels to drag when turning, so you get better turning with the Bigfoot.

I have technical specifications if you want available on my web site. It's available at:

http://www.freewebs.com/argo-experience/

Just click on "ARGO" on the menu and check out the FAQ. It's a little general right now, but I'm still working on the site. Let me know if it helped any.

I think that the liquid-cooled engine is probably a good advantage to have. It keeps the Conquest cooler in the summer and keeps YOU warmer in the winter. But that's just my opinion.

Maintenance-wise, I can't comment yet, since we just got our 2000 Conquest 8x8 this July 2002. All we did was just changed the oil and gave it a fresh chain and bearing lube. Total cost: ~$20 CDN. It only had 32 hours on it when we got it, so our engine is still breaking in. Runs smoother now at ~60 hours than it did when it got it. :-)

By Mac Alan on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Chris, thanks for the information on the differences between the Bigfoot and the Conquest. You provided the answers I was looking for. I will check your website as you suggested. Thanks alot !

By Chris M. (Argomaster9000) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Mac,

You're more than welcome. It feels nice to help someone by sharing my knowledge. With a little Argo Experience, you too will help others. HEHE! No pun intended!

PS - Did the website help any? Any comments or suggestions for it? As I said, it's still being worked on and its not "official" yet. But if it helps at least one person, it's worth it! :-)

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Chris-- are you going to send the pictures of your ARGO this week?? I am here for 2 days and then going to be away. My e-mail again is djhkeeso@rogers.com

Thanks

By Carl Duhon on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Chris-- Went to your website, very nice. I have 2 Argos an 8 wheel Conquest and 6 wheel Bigfoot. I have super tracks on both. I use then in the marsh in Louisiana. Love em. They really are nice and handle the marsh very well. I have property that borders a shallow large lake. The problem I have is that both Argos do not move across the water with the Super tracks. They just seem to sit in one spot with little if any movement. If there is any wind your at the mercy of the wind. It seems that there is nothing on the tracks to grasp the water to propel the Argo in the water since the tracks don't really have any thing to move the water like the treads on the tires. I have been working on some type "paddle" mechanism to attach to the tracks to make them travel in the water with the tracks. I am experimenting with a 9" X 1" angle iron to bolt to the face of the tracks on the outside half but haven't gotten that far yet. I am also thinking about some type of small rectangular piece to attach to the side of the track that would not extend beyond the outer edge of the track. I saw on your website a reference to Argos traversing water even with tracks and am wondering if you have had better experience than me, specifically am I doing something wrong when I'm trying to traverse water with supertracks. Any advice would be appreciated. PS I don't want to use an outboard or trolling motor as the terrain is to rough and I don't want the motor to be bouncing around. Also I probably go in the water only 10% of the time and I don't want the motor along for the ride the rest of the time.

Any help would be appreciated. Carl Duhon Carl@Duhon.com

By argohunter on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Carl you may be on the right track (no pun intended)with the paddle idea. Military steel tracked amphibious track layers used grousers on the tracks. They were similar to oblong cups attached to the tracks to grab hold of the water and propel the machine forward. I am thinking of the WWII LTV machines that some call AmTracs used by the Marines. You may be able to attach something similar to the outboard side of the track where the the factory ice cleats attach.Be careful running them on terra firma unles it is soft as your tracks are plastic. I would think that a low profile grouser may work.

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

carl,as much as i don't want to give credit to the 4 wheelers......i saw an add in a buddy of mine's atv mag. that had a set of paddles for 4 wheeled atv's.why they would need them i don't know,but i thought about them for my bigfoot.if i remember right,they were about 150.00 bucks a set.
they atatched to the lugs,4 paddles per tire.they stuck out about 6 ins.from the wheel,so that when you rode on terra-firma,they did not touch the ground.down side they did increase your width.
in other words the paddles will help with your swiming,i'm just not sure how to mount them,4 per tire,or 3per front,and 3 per rear.but since i don't have tracks,i really can't say for sure,but it might be worth looking into.

By bill ryan on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Love the site.

Do not have a unit yet but living in TN I will be hunting in Ark and the mud in the rice fields there is unbelievable. WillI need tracks or will wheels work ok there?? Thanks And I am looking at either a 6 or 8 wheeel vechile, just for me and a small child. Suggestions are apprecialted

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Bill, I don't know what tracks are like in mud, but they should keep you up above the muck most of the time. I havn't owned a 6x6, but I have an 8x8 ARGO MAGNUM. With tracks on, it stays up extremely well. IN my opinion, (I could be very wrong) the longer the vehicle, the more the weight is spread out. Even loaded, it doesn't change the total pressure on the ground. The way I see it, a 6x6 would have more weight because it doesn't spread out as much as an 8 wheeler. (I am for sure going to end up starting an argument) If you are hunting, and 8x8 would carry all your gear, extra passengers, and of course the cooler. A 6x6 has very little cargo area. Hope this helps

By dave_p on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Bigfoot 8x8, with a Kawasaki 20 hp air cooled generating 32 ft/lbs of torque. That would be sweet.

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Their will be an 8x8 Bigfoot in production soon. I don't know what it will be like other than identical to the response except for the tires, but their is one coming out.

By dave_p on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I would love to see Argo go from the water cooled Kawasaki to the air cooled. It is interesting to see the torque curves that Kawasaki has versus the Briggs. The Kawasakis are delivering around 10% more torque for comparable size.

By norm howard on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I am looking at purchasing a 1983 argo I/C model, serial # KB66??. It has a seventeen horsepower kohler series 2 motor,double row drive chains & hydraulic brakes. Unit seems to be in fair shape for its age, does anyone know of anything that I should be watching out for on this model. I need to decide fast before someone else buys it.Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

By David Sanders on Unrecorded Date: Edit

( David Keeso )
where did you get your information, about Argo coming out with a 8 wheel Bigfoot soon?

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

people say argo folks were not yet happy with the prototype they have bin bringing too humphrey now for a while but i'l tell you i think the 8 wheele bigfoot seamed just fine, looked nice too,
it would not suprise me then if they did go into production,

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Dave Sanders, Ron Bast at ODG told me that they were comming out with an 8x8 bigfoot. I would be interested in hearing about it, because I think it will be identical to the response, with the different tires--thats all. He said that by the end of 2003, early 2004 it would be out on the market.

By Laurier on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Did any one hear any thing more about the 8X8 BIG FOOT I'm looking to buy a new ARGO after my UN tour in Bosnia. Laurier

By Missouri's Max Dealer (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I talked to the Argo distributor in my area and he was sure the Bigfoot 8x8 was coming this fall.

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Laurier, I have been trying to find out about that and havn't had a chance to contact Ron Bass or Ron Bast--(what is his name anyways for future reference) but I will do so hopefully this weekend as I have other questions for him as well. Last I heard, it was supposed to be introduced this year with a 25 hp engine, and the rawhide 3 tires. Thats all I really know.

By mud man on Unrecorded Date: Edit

argo sux max rules

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

very well spoken....you must have at least a grade school diploma. could you be a little more specific in you statement.like as to why you think that.i.e. argo sux because it won't fly.
have a great day,the ol wetsu.

By TxAgg05 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I've hunted in a Conquest 8x8 since I was 6 years old(22 now). We duck hunt salt marsh on the Texas coast near Galveston. Our 2 Argos have sat many weeks during the season in the salt air after being run through salty mud and water. They require a little bit of work once a year to clean the intake and lube the chains after sitting still much of the spring and summer, but they always are as unstoppable as ever, every morning of the season. We have a custom rack on one of ours to raise the seating and add more storage space. I'll have to find some pics to share.

By Dave Johnston on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Did the Rubicon this year with a bunch of guys... The new ARGO AVENGER was there... Hate to say it but it out performed my Conquest. First, it has a slightly better angle of attack so could take things straight on that I had to angle attack, catching either side first to pull the nose up. Second, the front and rear axles are an inch or so higher than the middle axles...so it pivots on the center four wheels rather than the front four. Makes it easier to turn in a small space and those in the back seat do not get such a wild ride. Also less likely to take someone out as the back does not swing as much. Less wear and tear on the tires, so if you rotate, tires should last longer. Third, more horses. Not really useful until it came time to speed up. Fourth, the battery is under the seat instead of buried at the bottom of the engine compartment. MUCH better! Lastly, the machine looks "tougher." ALL of the ARGOS did well on the Rubicon including the little swims that we did.

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

TxAgg05- would it have been a Magnum argo then when you first started? I have that machine now- the conquest was introduced in the mid 90's so you wouldn't have had one at 6 years old- (sorry- i shouldn't be bantering about this- just an observation)