By Oliver (Digipix) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I've got a Max Buffalo purely for it's workhorse capabilities and it's great. Are there any other ATVs out there that are not skid steer that can carry and tow as much? Skid steer has it's good points and bad points, but it's really harsh on the land, kinda like a bobcat (I love those). Are there any other machines that can work as hard? There are huge utility Quads out now, but they can't carry much, just tow. What are other options?

By BILL on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Just to clear up something:

A Bobcat is not a skid steer in the sense of having to brake one side while turning. With the 6x6 AATVs (and old Army tanks) one side freezes up while the other side over rides to make the turn.
The Bobcat is like the Triton Predator. Using hydraulics, you can have one side powered independent of the other. Each side has its own hydraulically powered wheel motor.

Example -- The left side could go forward while the right side is going backwards. Not freeze up either side or breaking at all.

Exactly like a zero radius lawn mower. I use to operate several Bobcats for demolition companies and I also have a zero radius mower because of this. Most people are intimidated by operating the levers, but this set up is WAY BETTER. Their performance with this ability is unparalleled. It needs to be adopted (inexpensively) by the current AATV Manufacturers. It's a matter of time before someone with some money finally figures this out!!! Triton did figure this out, but they missed one thing --- INEXPENSIVELY !!!

BILL

By Oliver (Digipix) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Bill, that explains why the Bobcat turns so much better and has such improved control over my Max. Yes, the AATV makers should adapt this type of control!

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey bill: also hydratrax design their machines with independent hydraulic system....the problem on small aatv aplication will go on the follow parameters:

* be sorounded by hot pressurized liquid isn't necesary smart!!!

* when some hose/seal burst on no man's land ( by the time such situation will happens!!)...just check out that more than 30 years old machines still going on on very small manteniance spend..there you will be "cooked" on hydraulic oil with a total system failure!!!!

* hydraulics needs extremely clean/waterless fluid...hard to keep on recreational aatv world!!

* the way to go is on simple and reliable systems that can be easy to fix but more important easy to check on duty condition ( bearings and open chain are easy to guess when can fail) and also are easy to change/repair on site of failure...

after all an aatv is an extreme soil condition machine and you should be able to return from there no matters what!!!........

enjoy bouncing!!!

*

By 1MudbugMan on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I don't know if my reply went through about the hydraulic system on a zero turn mower. Please let me know! Thank's Richard

By Bubba Hunt on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brave Old Alaska SwampRat
I must be the bravest old gasser in all the woods.I drive one of those scarry Hydro-Traxx machines.I have been in a state of nearly a nervous breakdown ever since I bought that dangerous thing.I never even considered being surrounded in boiling hydraulic fluid.Man!! Does anyone out there want to buy a used Hydro??
Yep, it will do 360's, climb straight up, float 1000 lbs. carry 4500 lbs. pack 2 moose and drag another at the same time,and on a recent moose hunting trip, drag the others( you don't even want me to tell you what they were) out of mud bogs and rivers.
Why even today I was out climbing up and down steep banks in 2 feet of snow just for giggles.
Actually,Gents, if you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to the Hydrostatic rigs, you probably would be a lot better off saying nothing than exposing your short comings to the rest of the 6x6 world.I've operated backhoes, bobcats, etc. for 40 years and never even got a squirt of anything except chewing tobacco, and that was on purpose.
My hydraulic lines are under the floor board and strapped down very well.My chances of getting burned are as about a good as the Space Station falling on my poor head.
Back when old Ford first made his car, the scientists of that day all agreed that the human body couldn't stand more than 20 mph or death would surely come.Since that time most folks have reached down and pulled their heads out of their ---.
Hydraulic machines have been in production for decades.
Personally, I crawled out from under my ROCK over 60 years ago.
Bubba