belts?

[mikeyd]

So please correct me if I'm wrong... but it seems each machine has its strengths and weaknesses. So lets hear the opinions out there and please this is not meant to be a "mine is bigger than yours discussion"

I'm sure this will be like buying a tractor with a front end loader... you can't figure out how you managed without one for so long. My application for the vehicle that I know of now will be farm related. Hauling feed, hay, kids, maintaining fence lines pulling a trailer and handling livestock and hauling out deer and hauling family to the deer stands. I would suspect that each machine out there could do these things but I'm sure a couple might do this a little bit better. I'll be traveling in fairly steep areas at times with clay type soils and along rowcrops so the ground will get pretty soft at times.

In regards to the RTV 900 and the "issues" I've read here and elsewhere about the seeming lack of power on hills and in the towing department... has this been experienced by any owners here?

Robert in NY: I'd like to here from you as well because I know you are out there doing your research too!

Thanks guys for understanding my concerns ... When I pull the trigger on one of these I don't want to wish I had bought something else a year later.

The RTV is not at all under powered, but you will need to shift to a lower gear going up a hill if you have a heavy load, you may not have to do this with other belt type machines. I suspect the reason is because the RTV has the hydro trans which is more of a direct drive where the belt machines can slip the clutch on the belt and maintain momentum going up a hill. It is a bit of a pain to have to stop and shift to a lower gear, typically I run in medium speed when loaded to avoid shifting. If it is very steep and I am loaded I drop to low and it will climb practically anything.
The real beauty of the hydro though is going down a very steep incline when loaded. All I can tell you is that the trans braking is an absolute godsend. I use 4wd in these situations so I get the braking effect from the front wheels as well. You just can beat it. Makes you feel very safe going down hill while loaded.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

my belt will last 200 maybe 300 hours infact i can put my original belt back on and it will still go but i do alot of heavy haulling so i change it at 200 hours and i keep the old one. but no it doesn't slip as to where you are not gonna move it will just loose a mph or two thats how you notice the belt is getting worn out. there is no smoke and yes you have to take the enclosure off and the exhaust off the change it but thats only when the belt is worn.now if you have an enclosure and you take care of your machine you could probably go 400 hours without changing the belt i never go that long because i always do regular maintanance on my stuff and change things when the book says to change them . you need to lube and clean the clutch anyway so i say while you have the thing apart whay not thange the belt!!!

 

[Skipholiday]

In 4 years and 4 utvs,I have yet to need a belt replacement.
The rtv has only been on the market 4 years.

Simply because this particular forum doesn't have any belt driven utvs with tracks doesn't prove anything.
Check out utilityoffroad.com and you will see rhinos with tracks and no rtvs with tracks.
Lots of them running plows as well. I have only seen 1 rtv with tracks here. Different forums have different users using different utvs.
To presume the rtv is better at anything is only a matter of opinion.

I don't know where you get the info about the belts slipping. It may happen on an older machine with quite a few hours.
I have never experienced it with none of my utvs. I've had an 05 hpx an 06 hpx and now an 06 xuv and 1 06 rhino. No belt slippage and I haven't had to replace NONE.

 

[mikeyd]

In 4 years and 4 utvs,I have yet to need a belt replacement.
The rtv has only been on the market 4 years.

Simply because this particular forum doesn't have any belt driven utvs with tracks doesn't prove anything.
Check out utilityoffroad.com and you will see rhinos and no rtvs with tracks.
Lots of them running plows as well. I have only seen 1 rtv with tracks here. Different forums have different users using different utvs.
To presume the rtv is better at anything is only a matter of opinion.

I don't know where you get the info about the belts slipping. It may happen on an older machine with quite a few hours.
I have never experienced it with none of my utvs. I've had an 05 hpx an 06 hpx and now an 06 xuv and 1 06 rhino. No belt slippage and I haven't had to replace NONE.

Well Tommy just said his belt starts to slip at 300 hours, plus I have read it and heard about it from other owners of belt machines. I don't have your owners manual but I would be interested to know what the manufacturer sets as a timetable for belt replacement.
I did go to that site and didn't see any belt driven tracked machines. I don't doubt you that they are there, I just couldn't find them. Anyway, I have seen promo videos of every machine under the sun with tracks but that doesn't answer the question, what is the real world experience of a belt driven tracked UTV? Can the belt handle it or will it need replacement every few hours? Will it leave you stuck in the middle of nowhere in two feet of snow with a broken or wornout belt? Do you want to be removing a clutch enclosure and an exhaust system in the cold? That seems like a legitimate question to me. Thats why I would like to hear from a real owner.

There are three RTV owners on this site with tracks, Deerlope, Culater and a snowmobile club. On compacttractorreview there are also three. Every snowmobile club I know has the rtv with tracks. I am not stating that the RTV is the end all be all I only would like to know why it seems that only RTV owners seem to have the confidence to run tracks on thier machines. Again, if someone out there has a belt driven machine with tracks by all means let us know what your experiece has been so we can have the benefit of your wisdom.

 

[Skipholiday]

I did go to that site and didn't see any belt driven tracked machines.

UtilityOffRoad.com Message Board - Rhino track kits

UtilityOffRoad.com Message Board - Rhino 660 on TJD tracks test run

 

[BrianW]

In regards to the RTV 900 and the "issues" I've read here and elsewhere about the seeming lack of power on hills and in the towing department... has this been experienced by any owners here?

Thanks guys for understanding my concerns ... When I pull the trigger on one of these I don't want to wish I had bought something else a year later.

I believe one reason some think the RTV is under powered is because they do not know how to drive it! The RTV pedal is not only a throttle. It is also a gear shift. The more you press it, the higher ratio you go in.

Now let us compare a belt with a hydro.

Belt: You come to a hill and start to slow down so you press the throttle a little. The engine RPM decreases due to load so the belt changes to a lower ratio (downshifts kinda) and the engine speeds up. The net effect is no matter how hard you press the throttle, the belt will choose the gear ratio based on engine speed.

Hydro: You come to a hill and start to slow down so you press the throttle a little. You just shifted into a higher ratio! Exactly the wrong thing to do! If you let up on the pedal you will go into a lower ratio and the engine will be able to climb the hill easier. This is why some here have noted that putting a hand throttle on an RTV makes it work better at some tasks. You can run the engine at a high rpm and control the speed with the foot pedal by simply controlling the gear ratio.

Belts and hydros work completely differently. Which is better. I think it depends on your application. Hope this helps.

 

[L_Nicholson]

I'm familiar with how the hydro works and feels. My JD 4400 is Hydro and I know one could say it had no power if they didn't know how to drive it.

Thanks for the info.... Keep it coming!

Skip: what application do you use your machines? Recreational? Towing? Utility?

 

[Skipholiday]

Skip: what application do you use your machines? Recreational? Towing? Utility?

Rhino is only for play. The xuv is used around the farm to haul rocks dirt hay feed and to move trailers from place to place. (part-time)
Mostly its for play as well. I have two sons (11 and 17) who cut it no slack.
You can see them both in the videos below.
YouTube - Rock crawling XUV
YouTube - Feemster
YouTube - Little mud fun with friends

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

no i change my belts at 300 hours because i loose a little speed they don't really slip now skip never changed a belt before because he never kept a machine longe enough to change the belt i think plus i don't think he does the hauling of heavy loads like i do so there is no need to change the belt. but maybe i was misunderstood so i'll say it this way the belt never slipped it just looses speed it will still pull i have had this hpx sinse 04 and the only time the belt ever slipped was when it got wet other than that it doesn't slip infact i can hook it up to a load and pull and if the load it too heavy the engine will bogdown or the tires will spin but the belt will not slip. about the 300 hours thats when i replace the belt because the manual say to replace itat 200 so i go to 250 or 300 . if your worried about a belt breaking or slipping on a hpx or xuv that has a clutch enclosure i wouldn't atleast not with the johndeere hpx's and xuv's. sorry if i was misunderstood.

Well Tommy just said his belt starts to slip at 300 hours, plus I have read it and heard about it from other owners of belt machines. I don't have your owners manual but I would be interested to know what the manufacturer sets as a timetable for belt replacement.
I did go to that site and didn't see any belt driven tracked machines. I don't doubt you that they are there, I just couldn't find them. Anyway, I have seen promo videos of every machine under the sun with tracks but that doesn't answer the question, what is the real world experience of a belt driven tracked UTV? Can the belt handle it or will it need replacement every few hours? Will it leave you stuck in the middle of nowhere in two feet of snow with a broken or wornout belt? Do you want to be removing a clutch enclosure and an exhaust system in the cold? That seems like a legitimate question to me. Thats why I would like to hear from a real owner.

There are three RTV owners on this site with tracks, Deerlope, Culater and a snowmobile club. On compacttractorreview there are also three. Every snowmobile club I know has the rtv with tracks. I am not stating that the RTV is the end all be all I only would like to know why it seems that only RTV owners seem to have the confidence to run tracks on thier machines. Again, if someone out there has a belt driven machine with tracks by all means let us know what your experiece has been so we can have the benefit of your wisdom.

 

[darkday]

The only time I've ever had a belt actually slip on a gator is when the pulley loosened up because the rivets popped out or I was in water up to the floorboards. My machines get beat to death in every way possible too. Believe me you worries about the belt system are not well founded. If you drive through deep water then yes get yourself an enclosure or you could get stuck in the water.