Jonsered Log Hauler

[KiwiCharlie]

G'day Guys,

I was at the annual National Fieldays last week, and couldnt resist snapping this little beauty!  I straight away thought of Kevin  ;), and reckon it would make a great addition to his Summer arsenal of equipment! :D
You can just see a trailing axle at the back, and the controls are on the handle which curls up over the front of the tracked unit, so you have to walk it.
Cheers
Charlie.

[Corley5]

I've seen a couple of those at saw shops around here.  They look like they'd make a pretty neat toy.  I was thinking that they would be pretty slick in a cedar swamp in the winter.

[KiwiCharlie]

G'day Greg,

Yeah I did wonder if they were everywhere up there ! but they certainly are new in this neck of the woods!
Cheers,
Charlie.

[Kevin]

KiwiC,
Thanks for posting that.
I was looking at them, it`s perfect for where I am but the dealer is a dink and I can`t afford a machine like that unless it has a seat on it.
I`m now looking at  ...

[Tillaway]

Kevin

Is that an ARGO... I've used a MAX ... save your money.

[Kevin]

Till,
Yes that`s an Argo.
Why do you say that?

[Tillaway]

Kevin,
If it is anything like the Max forget it.
I have tried to use a max in the woods.  It looks like the Agro will have the same problems.  

Down time.  The Max averaged a flat or destroyed tire every 10 hours.  It was in need of constant adjustment and maintenence.  We averaged one hour of downtime per hour of operation.  These things have to have chains maintained and tensioned also the steering clutches need constant adjustment.

Performance.  They are miserable to operate.  Cramped, ride very hard since they have no suspension (they will DanG near throw you out).  Believe it or not they get stuck constantly.  They have little ground clearance and high center easily.  They perform poorly in snow since the belly drags.

They climb well but don't try to turn.  You brake one side and the other will lose traction trying to force the machine to pivot.  So basically you can't turn and backing down hill with one of these is a *&%^$.  They have no compression for down hills.  You have to lock the brakes and then ease off to allow it to roll down hill.  The problem is in snow mud or other slick conditions locking the brakes turns you into a bobsled with no control.  You have to gas it and go faster than your slide to regain control and be able to turn.  I got a Max stuck in thinning slash that any other ATV including 2 wheel drives would have easily gone through.  The slash rolled cross ways between the wheels and acted like wheel chocks.  It almost instantly dug down and sat on the belly pan.  I have also high centered it on rocks that any ATV can easily go over.

You are basically riding in a motorized bath tub.  What falls in has to be scooped out.  They will fill with debris, water can be drained out the plug.  They catch an unbelievable amount of leaves, twigs, dirt, mud and whatnot in the course of the day.  If you don't keep them clean you will have things growing in there and the debris will gum up moving parts.

They claim you can carry multiple passengers... no more than any other regular ATV and in less comfort.  The guys I worked with would rather walk than ride in one of those.  No kidding.

There is a good reason why you don't see more of them.  The Max has been made since the 1960's.  How many do you see being used?  They also don't fit well into the back of a pickup.  They ride on top of the wheel wells in a full size and just barely fit.

It looks far better than it performs.  Any standard 4 wheel ATV from any manufacturer is far superior to this design.

If you want it for woods use I know you will be very disappointed with it.  They are a running joke in my part of the world.

[Bro. Noble]

Tillaway,

Sounds to me like they ought to load all of those things up , haul them to the California coast and send them down for Billwarren's redwoods.

[Kevin]

That doesn`t sound too good.  :-/
I`m considering the Argo because my snowmachine is a little on the small side to pull my mill.
The trails are well groomed and I`ll have a set of tracks for use in the snow but I`m still undecided.
I also need a heavier machine to skid logs (part time).

[Tillaway]

Kevin,
A couple of more things to consider about the Argo.  When you turn in the snow it bunches under the machine and high centers you... been there done that.  It floats but don't try to cross any moving streams... you will be swept down stream and that is a bit ... hazardous.

[L. Wakefield]

   I've never seen one- I hear what you're saying, but DanG- it sounds like it looked good on paper! I wonder how you could take those concepts and make a similar machine that actually worked WELL? You certainly have a bead on all the flaws..but when you said 'it floats'- well, those amphibious machines (there was one called a 'duck' I think, kinda like a half-track)- well one of those but for snow too must have been what they were aiming at. Has anyone else tried the concept?

   lw

[Kevin]

They now have larger tires and self tensioning chains which no doubt help but I`ve never tried one.
A friend of mine had one he used for trapping and other than being slow he said he liked it.

[Tillaway]

I can see if you are trapping muskrat or beaver, that it would be handy.  A few duck hunters use them in the rice fields, in fact I looked on Argo's Web site and saw that there is a dealer in Yuba City.  Thats duck hunter central here.  I have used the Max for forest transport and it is really not suited for Forestry applications.  A friend of mine was logging plantations with and Artic Cat 500 ATV and Future Forestry Products arch.  He found a set skidder type ring chains out of Quebec.  It would pull a 16" 16' Ponderosa Pine log with ease.

Good luck with what ever you decide.  I think I may have an idea of what you are needing and IMHO the Argo won't deliver.

[Kevin]

Thanks for the input Till.