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Jedon Thompson
New member
Username: Jedon
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2007
Posted From: 24.10.86.52
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2007 - 11:59 am: | 
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I recently stumbled upon a 1992 Max II by the side of the road with a for sale sign on it. I called and met the owner who has only had it for a week, he bought it off someone else as a favor ( needed money... ). It has the 18hp motor but it backfired a couple times, I'm thinking that might be due to elevation since it probably came from the Sacramento valley at sea level and it was at 2600FT and I live at 3700FT so I guess the carb would need adjusting. The brake didn't work at all, is that a hard thing to fix? It said it had about 560 hours on it. The body looked in decent shape and the engine was clean. It has a bilge pump so I guess the previous owner used it in the water a decent amount. He is asking $3600 for it which seemed a little high to me considering it's age. I wouldn't use it in the water, I have 97 acres in the woods so I'd use it to haul logs and rocks and get around the sometimes steep terrain and also to get me though snow in the winter, probably add some tracks for that. Maybe I should get a brand new one instead? Thank you for any and all advise!
There are some pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/jedon
-Jedon |
Mike Maroni
Advanced Member
Username: Micmac
Post Number: 140
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 162.83.109.100
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 20, 2007 - 09:48 am: |
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Jedon,
First off realize that these machines are very different than most ATVs. They require much more TLC and maintenance upkeep. The reason I mention this is because many people buy these on an impulse than realize later it's not for them. Make sure that an AATV is really what you need / want.
Now to answer some of your questions
Price: $3500 is high for a 92 max II in my opinion. I base that on the fact that you'll probably have to replace most of the drive train (sprockets, chains, bearings). It probably came with hollow axles those you would also want to be replace
As far as the engine the 18 Briggs is a great engine for the Max II. The vanguards are very reliable and have a proven track record. The engine probable just needs the carb cleaned and adjusted and it should be good to go.
By brake did you mean the foot brake on the left side floor? If so this year had the band brake system that is notoriously bad (I have a 92 Max IV with this system) they usually don't work well. Max changed to a disk brake system in the newer Max.
You mentioned hauling rocks/ logs etc that might be heavier duty than this old Max was designed for. I revert back to my opening paragraph. You might look into an Argo 8x8 instead.
To outfit this machine with tracks you would be looking to spend around $4,000 for all the equipment new and you definitely need solid axles to run tracks.
The newer machines that Max and Argo make are much better designed and much more reliable. The older machines can be modified / upgraded to be very strong and reliable. However it takes a lot of learning time and $.
Just my 2 cents
Mike |
Brandon_price
Advanced Member
Username: Brandon_price
Post Number: 231
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 69.27.205.45
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 20, 2007 - 12:34 pm: |
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I would agree with everything Mike stated. First that is to much money (even though everything seems higher out there by CA). Here in MO that vehicle would sell for $2000 up to $2500 if very clean. I hate to see a new 6x6er get something that he ends up working on constantly. Next thing you know it'll be for sale (again) and he'll be telling everyone what a piece of junk that Max is. Those vehicles are great for some people who just want to play around and spend very little money on the initial purchase. I tell everyone who wants a good machine to stay with a Max year model 2000 or newer. These are easy to identify as they have the rectangle headlights instead of round. Lots of drivetrain improvements were made on these vehicles to make them more dependable with less maintenance. Also, the factory tracks are $3600 plus you'll need 21" Goodyear tires. These tracks require you to have the toughest machine possible - which eliminates any older machine. |
Jedon Thompson
New member
Username: Jedon
Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2007
Posted From: 209.77.80.2
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 20, 2007 - 01:52 pm: |
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Thank you both for your input! I think I'll pass on this one and buy a new Max IV or Argo in a year or so after I'm done building my house.
What do people think about the liquid cooled v-twin in the Max IV? I had read that air cooling is preferred because of the amount of vibration inherent in the AATV's? |
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