By Sp1r1t on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I tried to post this before but it didn't work so
I'll try again.I'm fixing to buy a 6 or 8 wheeler.
I'm familiar with the drive systems and operation
now but I have seen very little discussion of the
Hydro Traxx models on this board.I would be interested in posts from persons with experience
with these units regarding how well they hold up,
how the company treats you,comparisons and contrasts to other machines,pricing, etc.Thanks.

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

O.K. No need to respond.I already bought one with the following features.
1. 28 inch highlifter tires.Awesome.
2. 24 inch wheelmotors instead of 18.
3. Windshield.
4. Skid plate.
5. Roll cage.
6. Dual batteries.
7. Pressure relief valves.
8. Bucket seats.
9. Front and rear 4500 pound winches.
10. Fuel gauge,oil gauge,and hydraulic temp. gauge.
11. Diesel tachometer.
12. Hydraulic cooler.
13. Camo paint job.
More info in following posts and as I test the machine I will update.

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Alright.Test number one.Life on the farm.Since I am currently stripping out all old fences out of the bankrupt dairy farm I bought,one of the frequent chores as I bush hog back years of overgrown fences is the removal of old metal fence posts.Once these things get old hedges growing at the base, the root system makes it almost impossible to pull the post out without digging up the entire hedge base,which leaves a giant hole in the ground.I have been pulling these up with a 36 horsepower tractor by looping a chain around the post a number of times,then pulling forward.This works but the tractor sometimes digs ruts when the tires lose traction.The hydrotrax has six wheels pulling all at once and the 28 inch highlifter grips really dig down in the soil for traction.I didn't even have to throttle up all the way.Pulled 'em right on out with no ruts.I checked the ball hitch mount and it seems O.K.The extra weight of this machine really makes a difference when you want to work.I'll be pulling a few loads of sand and gravel out in the woods soon to fill varmit and erosion holes.I'll see how it does and post accordingly.
On another note I took the monster over to the low area of my property to take a few turns through the mud.This particular hole is traversed regularly by my 4 wheelers and my tractor carrying a bush hog.It is somewhat rutted out as a result and something of a wild ride to go through as the ridges underwater throw you left then right.The whole stretch is about thirty yards long.Water depth is roughly 10 inches in the ruts and 3 or 4 in the middle.I hit this mud hole repeatedly at every angle including trying to bottom out in the ruts and never for a moment did it falter.Of course when a hole holds water it means there's a hard pan underneath somewhere.Still, it did well on this test.I'll take it out in the old former creek bed soon where there is no hard bottom.Only decayed vegetable matter.I'll see if I need those front and back winches.

By argoguru on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Paul,
How much did you pay for that thing? unless money is no option, these are way out of most peoples price range for recreation and around the house work. hope you like it.

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Base price on my unit.(TJ655 with turbo diesel) is
17,500.After every available option including the first ever rear mounted winch it came to almost 24,000 dollars.If I wasn't using it in my timber business and farm,and wasn't able to write it off my taxes,I wouldn't have spent this kind of money on it.You're right in that this is overkill for recreational use but this was the most powerful and expensive unit they make.(Excepting special purpose applications such as sprayers,cable buggies,etc.)I priced other comparable machines to do the kind of work I wanted done and this machine compared favorably with much more expensive equipment such as brutes,bob cats,small loaders, etc.So it really wasn't a comparison between the hydro traxx and argos or maxes,it was a comparison between different types of job site equipment.I am
merely posting my findings for informational purposes for those people looking more along the lines of commercial equipment.There are very few sources of info on 6 wheelers in general and practically none on the hydro traxx on the internet.I learned everything I know about 6 wheelers from this board and the adjoining links.
Hydro traxx does make cheaper,lighter units but having never owned anything other than this unit I really can't comment on comparisons between this unit and other competitors,or even other hydro traxx models.

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Alright.Test number two.We had killer straight line winds of 70+ mph through here on New Year's Eve.The place is a mess.Swimming pool ruined by a huge pine.Insurance man was here and it looks like we'll get paid for the damage.Oaks down on the trails as well as big pines.I'm just now getting caught up on clearing trails and debris.The 4500 pound winches have been very helpful pulling large limbs out tight trails as well as getting pinched chain saws out.Some of these limbs are twisted in strange directions and it's hard to saw them without getting the saw stuck.Just wrap the old cable around the limb and winch it till it moves.Very nice.The pulling power is awesome.I threw a chain around a piece of oak approximately 20 feet long and 15 inches in diameter.No wheel spinning and no straining.I've been pulling logs out of the woods on and off since the storm and so far so good.
On the speed front,I had a chance to measure it roughly today.Keep in mind that the unit comes stock with what they call 18 inch wheel motors which produce more speed.I ordered my unit with 24 inch motors which are slower but transfer more power to the ground.I had a guest passenger,3 chain saws with gallons of fluids,several fairly heavy chains,water bottles,two dogs,and every option available including front and heavy duty front and back winches.Top speed coming out of the woods according to my girlfriend on the 4 wheeler behind me was a blazing 14 mph.Not greased lightning but plenty fast for me.I even took it back in the pond today (without passenger or dog).It performed O.K. A little front heavy with the extra large diesel engine up front but O.K. overall.No water speed available yet but it's not going to be too fast.I really don't have a big enough pond to get up a good head of steam but the unit responds well enough for my satisfaction.I'll try to get another speed reading unloaded at some time in the near future.I also plan to mount an inclinometer on the dash pretty soon and measure some of these inclines I've been climbing.I'll report on it when I do. So far I'm extremely satisfied although a lot of people would find this particular monster too slow if speed is their thing.I could see where certain inclines with poor
traction would be easier to climb if I had a much better head of steam up when I hit them but that's one of the trade offs.I'll hold my final judgement on climbing ability until I open up some more challenging climbs on the property.That's all for now.

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

paul, i have 1 question regarding the hydro-traxx.
does it operate just like a bobcat,or your basic skidstear loader? what i mean is,sticks pushed forward you go forward,sticks pulled back you backup.ok 1 more is it just a 1 speed?

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Sticks pushed forward you go forward.Sticks pushed backward you go backward.As far as shifting gears there are none.When you push the sticks more you go faster,less you go slower.All you are doing when you push the sticks is pushing more hydraulic fluid through the wheel motors which increases speed.Each stick operates it's own hydraulic pump which operates all three motors on that side.Both hydraulic pumps are mounted on a common axle though so power is continually flowing to them from the engine.

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

paul i noticed or rather didn't notice on the website that there is no throttle on the sticks.is there a hand throttle or is it a footfeed? i am interested in these machines,but i just don't think i can afford one right now.

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

There is no throttle on the sticks or the floor.This machine operates like a lawn mower.When you crank it up you first let it idle for a minute to warm up,then disengage the parking brake on your right side.This lever also tightens up the belts that connect the hydraulic pump to the engine.(This allows you to disconnect the pump from the engine for safety reasons,to change the belts, or to just make it easier to crank the engine without the load on it)Once you have the pump engaged and running you bring the rpm's up on the engine to around 2900 rpm's.This is the rpm's of maximum power on the engine and the proper operating range for the hydraulic pump to deliver full power.At this moment in time the hydraulic pump is circulating hydraulic fluid at full speed through bypass valves but not the wheel motors.When you push the sticks forward or backward it stops this free flowing fluid and forces it to the wheel motors to turn the wheels.When you pull the sticks back,the fluid is forced through the wheels motors from the opposite direction,thus giving you reverse.When you let the sticks go,they are spring loaded and they go back to the neutral position,stopping fluid flow to the wheel motors,and resuming the free flow of the hydraulic fluid through the free bypass system.Thus,your engine and pump are always running at the same speed whether you are moving or stopped.(It doesn't hurt to idle it down and disengage the pump if you're going to be stopped for more than a minute or two).The throttle that you speak of is the type you see on any push mower and it sits right next to the ignition switch on the left hand side about hand level.If you look hard at some of the pictures on the site you will see it.

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

paul thanks for the info,and the e;mail.it sounds to me like it could well be worth looking into one of these machines.i like the idea of those 28in tires.and no chains.not to mention the fact that it truly is a 6 wheel drive.the hydrolics is the only thing that is bugging me.not the hoses,but the pump,and wheel motors.i'm sure if they go out,that it would cost a small fortune to replace.i mean my wife just about shit a hairrope and hung me with it, when i spent 240.00 on my bigfoot to rebuild the rear axles,and a few other misc.parts. anyway thanks again i will do some more checking into the hydro-traxx. mike

By lakedoctors on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hello Mike I just want to set your mind at ease about the wheel motors that concern you. I have been around these machines for awhile in fact I only live about 20 miles from where they are built.I have never heard of a wheel motor or pump going bad theyre more reliable than any thing I have owned.Iwouldnt say it but Im sold on these machines.There the best out there.There the ones that the rest will be trying to compete with and hopefuly we will all get better machines because of.well time to go. Doc

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

doc,thanks for the input.your really starting to get me thinking hard about my next machine.although i still have alot time left on my bigfoot,when it goes the way of the dodo,i believe the hydro-trax will take it's place.
by the way how did you get into the weed control.i tried with the state of kansas and they wouldn't even give me the time of day.of course i wasn't trying the wetlands,i was working on getting alongside the highways.

By lakedoctors on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hello Mike.I really don't know about Kansas but if you go to the county ext.officeand get a schedule of the courses you need for a right of way license.they will give you all the info you need to get started.You might be better off getting into doing powerlines,gas pipelines or lines for the water co.Most state and counties do their own spraying.But if you get into spraying I suggest you get the hydro it will save you money right off the bat because you save time on being able to haul twice as much which saves on mixing time.The zero turning radius helps get you to the tight places and having enough power to get you out helps alittle too.Good luck got to go for now got a lady giving me that I have needs look seeya DOC

By mike martindale (Wetsu) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

doc, newlywed eheh.thanks again i'll give it a try mike

By uzi2100c on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Message for Doc. I'm very interested in the hydro-trax but sure would like to start out with a used one first. Are there any dealers in your area that have used ones or do people only deal with the factory? I contacted them and they were very nice but they were interested in selling new or possibly a demo. Any suggestions on how to track one down? A response here or at DEE-RON2@MSN.COM would be appreciated. I believe there was a great buy on ebay recently but I missed it due to snow (even in Tennessee):(.

Thanks, Ron

By lakedoctors on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hi Ron and members of the board.To answer your question about used hydros Good luck!I dont think there are none to be had right now I have a feeling that people that buy these are going to keep them for as long as they can.I will up date mine as needed but that is going to be several years from now.You can buy a new hydro an get the base model then add the accessories you want to keep the price down a little.Another thing that is good about buying one this year is you can take a 30%of the cost off because of a one time tax depletion thats started this year. Ask your cpa.I dont know if this helps but with these kind of discounts the price you would pay for a brand new hydro would be as low as a good used hydro.If your going to be buying one in the near future this would be the way that I would make my purchase you cant get a new hydro any cheaper than you can this year. I dont know if there are time limits on this tax cut there was the last time they had this but thats something that you can check on.Hope this helps get any body out there who wants one a helping hand on being able to afford it.If you save to much money I could use a check.Well I better go that red head is looking pretty good in her night gown. Doc

By Paul Simpson (Sp1r1t) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

O.K. Test number three.Just logged our place.Massive mess.I took the buggy out.The skidders have left broken off brush,stumps,and small logs left everywhere.The buggy climbed over everything effortlessly.The strength of these hydraulic motors is incredible.This thing is climbing over bulldozer piles of debris and dirt.Ground clearance is irrelevant.These monster tires drag the bottom over when clearance isn't enough.