Hi guys as usually its me just a voice over and you are watching review machines!
Today we expect heavy rain and some epic atv battle!
We will find out what is better for an ATV – tracks or wheels?
And we are to start right now, lets go!
Well guys frankly speaking everything are going wrong today.
Firstly the weather is really terrible!
It is the first time for us when we are filming in such a weather.
Heavy cold rain and strong wind, we are doing our best to save our equipment from water.
But there is no way to cancel the shootings.
Everyone is getting cold, but you likes may warm us a little.
But there are some other problems than a bad weather.
You may have guessed already from the intro what I mean.
But lets not run ahead, you will see everything soon and now take your sits in our ATVs and
lets hit the road!
The main task today is to find out what is better for offroading – tracks or wheels?
For our test we chose two atvs with approximately the same price.
You may have already known this tracked ATV Caiman - there is a detailed video about it
on the channel.
As to the wheeled ATV – it is the newest model produced by the same factory as tracked
version.
Well first of all I think we should compare the specs of the vehicles, lets do it right
now.
The bodies are absolutely different.
Tracked atv is based on a waterproof body as a boat, its quite compact and solid.
And the whole look of the atv is rather nice, to my mind.
The tracked version is based on articulated frame.
The body consists two section with articulation gear between them.
Lets see what’s under the hood.
Tracked atv is equipped with two cylinders engine 24 hp with cvt transmission working
together with manual gear box.
The wheeled version has 17 hp engine, but it is possible to equip more powerful one.
And there is also cvt transmission and manual gear box.
The tracks are made of a conveyer belt with numerous metal hooks that keep the track on
the wheels and provide perfect traction.
The wheeler is equipped with cheap but very effective wheels that are made of a truck
tires.
The most part of rubber is cut off and as a result we have much lighter tires with new
tire tread.
Due to the huge wheels the ground clearance of the wheeled atv is much bigger, on the
other hand we see that tracked version has an absolutely flat bottom that is very good
feature for offroading.
And now I think the main difference between the atvs.
The wheeled atv turns by the articulation, and tracked vehicle has skid steering.
And the maneuverability is so different, that we should see it tight now.
As you can see tracked atv turns around literally on the spot and the wheeled one has much bigger
turning radius.
And this feature cuts much ice when you are moving through a forest for example.
In this way the first point is in favor of tracked Caiman!
Now lets look at the interior.
The tracked atv has four seats.
It seems that it doesn’t have much space for cargos but there are very useful side
boxes.
Besides all the seats can be folded and as a result we have a flat platform to carry
something big.
The antiroll cage and the tent are the additional options.
Wheeled atv comes already with a tent in a standard version.
It is made quite well and it is very simple to equip due to the quick detachable locks.
At the front there is only one seat for a driver, but in the rear section six people
may sit in relative comfort.
In practice the both vehicles can carry more than six people so in this test each atv gets
a point, so the score is 2 to 1 in favour of track version.
Well it is enough of theory lets move on to the practice.
First of all lets go offroad.
But I should mention that it is quite hard task to find a decent challenge for such machines.
Offroading for quads and 4x4 cars is a good road for ATV.
Of course they are so rough and not so comfortable as 4wheelers, but they provide so impressive
performance in dirt!
Both vehicles are moving without any problems here.
Their main advantages are the huge low pressure wheels and effective tracks with metal hooks.
I think we can’t see any difference between them here, lets move to the next task.
Now lets see how the machines are able to cut their way through bushes and abatis.
Tracked atv like a mini tank rushes through the obstacle and such performance resulted
for the most part from metal claws of the tracks.
Now wheeler is trying.
It doesn’t have metal hooks, but it has huge wheels that also provide good traction
due to the low pressure, so it also gets over this obstacle.
Lets make this test harder!
Now it is a huge fallen tree, we are trying here.
And again the same result, so metal claws are definitely great feature.
As to the wheeler…this time it is not so good.
The matter is this machine doesn’t have differential locks, so it looks so helpless
here.
Besides we should remember that it is easy to puncture the wheels against some branches.
In this way tracked atv takes another point, so the score is 3-1.
Now we are moving to an open space and first of all lets do our favorite drag racing here!
Undoubtedly the atvs are not great dragsters, nevertheless it is interesting to learn how
fast can they go.
Ready steady go!
And again the tracked machine proves to be better, it is definitely faster, so the score
now is 4-1!
The next test and now we want to find out which traction is better.
Its tug-of-war!
We fasten the roap to the each machine and they are pulling against each other.
Well it seems we need a stronger rope.
This time the wheeler shifts rear gear instead of front one…nice try.
And now everything is all right, both machines are trying the best, but we can’t see any
winner here, it seems that the traction is approximately the same.
So each atv gets a point here, and the total score is 5 to 2.
Lets move on.
Now it’s a hill climbing!
We choose quite steep ascent for this test, and the wheeler tries the first.
And again it is so hard up for differential lock!
It even seems that it is going to roll over!
Well we step aside and let the track atv try.
And the track machine gets it over without a hitch.
Now the wheeler makes another try with higher speed.
And this time he takes this hill.
Again the both machines take a point in this test, the score is 6 to 3.
This time we found a ditch covered with grass.
We were going to make it another test, but in fact the ditch proved to be too deep.
So the wheeler immediately got stuck there, and there were no chances to escape from the
trap without help.
We even didn’t try the track atv cause there also were no any chances for him.
So we skip this obstacle and move on,
And we are approaching to the event that will change all most of our plans today.
We were moving on a sand terrace (тЭрис).
The whellr passed it without difficulties, but when tracked vehicle was moving here the
sand crumbled and the atv started to roll.
Unfortunately we didn’t shoot that moment, but we shoot the result.
Thanks it was enough time for a driver to leave the machine!
Well it seems that there are no severe damages, the most important that the antiroll cage
passed the test, but the engine doesn’t start now unfortunately.
That is why we have to continue our trial without tracked atv, its so pity, cause now
we have only one but interesting test.
So the final test for today it is this swampy lake.
In this place in swamp we wanted to compare tracks and wheels.
But we can to test only the wheels here.
While the wheeler is moving here, I’d like to ask you if we should make an another video
comparison of tracks and wheels and finally do all the test.
Also you may suggest other tests for the next video in the comments.
Meantime the wheller moves in swamp quite successfully – slow and sure.
Huge low pressure wheels do a lot of good on a swampy ground.
Anyway this time the wheeler takes a point because of the lacking his opponent.
And the final score for today is 6 to 4 in favour of tracked atv!
Guys please post your comments if you agree with the result, what to your mind is better
for offroading – tracks or wheels?
Now lets call it a day!
Thanx for watching guys, please subscribe the channel if you liked this video.
Stay with us, it will be many more interesting materials here, good bye!