| Author |
Message |
    
Dave Beeman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
I purchased an Argo Conquest this past summer, very impressed so far, it has a few hours on it(340), but runs well, and was a godsend for caribou and moose season. Ran through the muskeg, and tundra muffins like nothing, and there wer very few mudholes that I had to go around, one of the mudholes was 2.76 miles long by GPS, it was actually just a crappy piece of trail chewed up by quads, and SUSV's, plugged right on through. Well now it is winter, and I haven't been able to afford tracks, so I am wondering how deep of snow I can run in without tracks, and how do you combat the cold, tried to start it this afternoon, temp was 22 below, battery was weak, and it wouldn't start. Am I going to have to keep the battery out of it or what? I love this site, just wish there wasn't so much machine bashing, seems to me it is a lot like women and guns, a very personal choice. I have logged one hell of a bunch of miles in mine, all through the bush of Alaska. Thanks in advance. |
Doug Barker
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
Dave,
Did you say 22 degrees below zero ?
I'm surprised the battery wasn't a frozen block much less still having some charge. Those extreme conditions require a 110v dipstick oil heater or a pad-like battery warmer. I think I've seen both in a J.C. Whitney catalog.
As far as deep snow, I've only ran a Argo 6 in the snow and It didn't like it after the snow was about 8' deep. It left me sitting on top with the wheels spinning. Unfortunately, I think your only option is standard tracks or even supertracks, both of which are very expensive. Someone else on the site might be able to tell you about using dual wheels as I haven't try them.
I saw a cool video of supertracks in deep snow and although you can't go real fast, the video showed a guy driving on top of 4'-5' drifts with no problem.
Man I want to visit Alaska !
Doug |
roy bryant (Sliverpkr)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
hi dave, nice to see someone else on here from ak in my experience with small engines in alaska a oil pan heater works best as heat rises not too impressed with dip stick heaters when its really cold but they are more convinient. my battery dies in the cold too, dougs idea of a battery blanket should help quite a bit. my battery is pretty old so im thinking of going with an optima sealed gell battery, all the pounding the battery takes is making mine leak acid all over one of the forward chains. |
Dave Beeman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
One nice thing here is that the snow is very dry, my quad can bull through about 18" of the stuff, but it doesn't have such a flat bottom with no suspension. I like the dipstick heater idea, and I can't believe living here I didn't think about the battery blanket duh. Thanks. I would love to buy a set of super tracks, but for that price I can pick up a snow machine in perfect condition. Thanks again. |
jsaylors
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
Hey guys, I'm from Alaska too. It was a balmy 12 degrees here in Valdez today. Not much snow yet but I'm sure it's on its way. |
brian
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:21 pm: | |
I am fairly news to AK and brought my 90 8x8 magnum with me. I have the trutrax on it and fear that they wont do the job this winter, am I right or can I hope for some use out of it? |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 07:40 pm: | |
No more than about eight inches of snow with tires on my Conquest.
It will go anywhere in deep snow with the super tracks but is useless on the hills.
The plastic tracks are too smooth and spin out easily.
Anyone have any experience with the new rubber tracks on hills? |
David Keeso
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 11:18 pm: | |
Hey Kevin- something u may try- i know people on here go on and on about the argo and its 8 wheeled capabilities but when u get the technique right, it works every time- feather ur breaks in bad terrain, on side is always doing less work and when u get it going, odds are it will pull harder. I did this earlier this afternoon at the cottage- i had ot get up a hill that was about 8 feet high and not much room to go up on a rise, had to take a couple runs at it to break some of the snow down but after a couple tries, i used the feathering technique and it pulled up so easily and smoothly, i almost forgot that the hill dropped down again on the other side of the bank. I looked back just in time to see my friend who was in the back about a foot off the seat after the back end started going down
give it a try, just engage the brakes on the side startign to slip, at low throttle, it will make them both pull harder and easier. |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 10:11 pm: | |
I'll try it but the engineering seems all wrong.
A smooth set of slick plastic tracks on a machine that's claim to fame is very little ground pressure.
The same day I tried pulling two logs up a hill and couldn't another guy put two similar logs on a sleigh behind a snow machine, 340 short tracked Cat and scooted right up the same hill without hesitation.
The differnce is more ground pressure and a track that's suited for snow.
The super tracks are great for floatation in deep snow but seem to be missing something on the hills that's why I'm interested in the rubber Argo tracks. |
Rogersmith
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 06:57 pm: | |
There's an argo dealer in Canada that has been having rubber tracks made for the smaller argos. 18 or 21" as I remember. You can try a search of this site, or wait for someone to chime in with his info. |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 08:35 pm: | |
I saw them at the ODG site.
http://www.argoatv.com/whatsNew.asp?WID=27&Archive=
Today I went back to that same hill towing two average sized cedar logs.
Went up the start of the hill and spun out.
Feathering the brake on the spinning track doesn't help when pulling a load.
I put on the ice cleats and they were useless as well.
I tried lining the hill with balsm boughs and that didn't help either.
Once they freeze to the hill I may get some traction, we'll see!
I'm thinking of making some hardwood blocks that would bolt into existing holes on the outer edge of the track to act as snow cleats. |
David Keeso
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 05:44 pm: | |
Kevin, yes, their are rubber tracks available, however, they aren't for anything but the Avenger yet. I havn't heard if they will make them available for all models yet or not but so far, those tracks are only available for the avenger. |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 07:10 pm: | |
Here's an idea I'm fooling with.
I might have something similar made from aluminum.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/123480482/289338489WiVRCx
This photo is using a plywood template and the last photo is a drawing simulating an aluminum plate with two separate cleats welded to the plate.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/289354769/289354769pcAXCc
http://community.webshots.com/photo/289392533/289392533XnzooD |
Rogersmith
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 10:42 am: | |
http://www.argorsbolduc.com/items.html
20" rubber tracks to fit an argo 8 with runamuks. |
Tom Phillips
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 05:24 pm: | |
I can hardly get my ARGO on my tilt trailer when its icy, and the plastic tracks just spin.  |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 07:21 pm: | |
I contacted the company that makes the rubber tracks in Quebec for some information on them.
I made a set of laminated wooden ramps and used them a couple of times without experiencing any problems.
This past Saturday the temperatures climbed to the freezing mark and I couldn't get up the ramps without the winch.
On Sunday I cut some plywood strips and made cleats for the ramps so that should be another problem solved. |
Ed Pedro
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 08:56 pm: | |
Kevin,
you're right about the ice cleats, I put them on my supertracks a couple of weeks ago and did not notice any difference, there's a small hill at my cottage that I can only climb if I take real fast running start,and risk bouncing off a tree. I'm thinking of installing snowmobile studs on the track where there is actually weight ( not at the edges like the ice cleats)
ps. the picture of youre Argo in the water, were you able to climb back out, or did you have to winch?
Ed |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 07:01 am: | |
Ed, the machine backed up onto the ice but the track couldn't get the traction it needed so I used a rope winch to pull it all the way up and onto the ice.
I didn't have the ice cleats then and I think they would probably work on ice because of the hard surface.
That was my reason for buying the ice cleats but I haven't tried them in that situation ...yet. |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 12:30 pm: | |
Here's the latest on the rubber tracks ...
We do manufacture the tracks for Argo's eight wheel vehicle, the Avenger.
However the molds and design belong to them.
We are not authorized to sell these tracks to anyone other than Argo.
Currently we do not manufacture tracks for their 6 wheel vehicle.
If you wish to purchase these tracks you should contact an Argo dealer.
Thank you and Best Regards,
Mike Pelletier
Director, Sales and Marketing
Industrial and Ag Products
Soucy International Inc. |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 05:14 pm: | |
I just had another idea today using chains and 3/8 x 1" carriage bolts.
Cut the chain to 17"lengths, the carriage bolt will lock into the chain link, add a washer top and bottom on the track and place a nut on the bolt.
This should work. |
Ed Pedro
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 06:24 pm: | |
I still think snowmobile studs will do the trick for ice, but hills I'm not sure what the answer is.anyway here's a pic. of my new conquest. |
Rogersmith
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 06:54 pm: | |
Soucy made the rubber tracks for the non avenger argos for Mr Bolduc, the argo dealer. He'd be the guy to ask. |
philip w.cox
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2005 - 02:41 pm: | |
KEVIN WATSON GREAT PICTURES. THANKS FOR POSTING THEM. WHILE YOU ARE "TAKING A BREAK{" YOU APPEAR TO BE VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE IN THE ICE--DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T? I OFTEN FIND THAT MY FRONT WINCH WON'T REACH THE NEAREST TREE--CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ROPE WINCH?THE CHAIN BOLTED TO THE TRACK SOUNDS GOOD FOR YOUR LOG SKIDDING UP A HILL PROBLEM _LET US KNOW,I DON'T
HAVE TRACKS YET BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.
W. PHILIP COX |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2005 - 05:44 pm: | |
The water isn't deep there, as a trapper I know ice conditions pretty well and I'm familiar with that specific area.
Maasdam Rope Pullers
http://www.maasdam.com/catalog/powr-pulls/index.html
I use a 150ft. length of 1/2" three strand Samson tree master rope which has a tensile strength of 7000 lbs.
Much better than a winch at great distances. |
philip w.cox
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 11, 2005 - 06:08 pm: | |
KEVIN-Thanks for the www address for maasdam.I intend to get and carry one with me.Did you see the story (6x6 homepage under stories by Chris Lauzon ) on the holland river
( I assume near Bradford Ont.)? A rope puller
would have improved his day a LOT!!
Chris-You should check out the web site that Kevin shows--scroll down to "rope pullers" I've
never used one before, have you? |
Kevin Watson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 03:09 pm: | |
I hope this is the final solution to my traction problems...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/123480482/293281050BrnHpd |
Ed Pedro
Junior Member
Username: Rosed
Post Number: 12
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 66.185.84.79
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 06:17 pm: | |
Looks simple, but effective!
let us know how it works, I took my tracks off the conquest this weekend, finally got to climb the hill I was having trouble with w/tracks.
Ed |
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