Xov

Thanks for the reminder.

So after a winter I’m still very bully on the rig…

There is one issue with the plow accessory that is disappointing: it comes with two holes drilled for the hitch pin and cannot be fully inserted because it hits the front differential.  Pretty dumb design as it also stresses the wires that control the plow functionality when you can’t insert it all the way.  Nothing a hacksaw can’t solve, but it’s a very odd miss.  Perhaps due to supporting multiple models.

On the upside, I left it out all winter uncovered and we received various amounts of weather, including 32 inches of snow.  The thing was covered inside and outside with snow.  It started right up.  It’s also kept a good charge over the winter.  Landmaster told me I could leave it uncovered without issue and they were right.

We are very pleased with the purchase and love the lack of exhaust sound and smell in our quiet area.  Our neighbors saw me running it and told us later they were confused by why they didn’t hear sound out of it.  It’s pretty great, if I have any issues, I’ll report here.

Nothing new to report.  I still think it's excellent and capable.  Now it will be the test of time and how reliable it remains.

I may update the winch with Warn's top UTV / ATV winch to get ~ 2,000 lbs more pulling power. 

In racing terms, I would describe them as soft and vague.  Nobody is going to be doing threshold braking effectively with these, but obviously not the intended use.  It seems like my experience is on the other end of the spectrum from yours.  That is interesting, perhaps I will bleed them to see if they perform better.

From a slightly different perspective: on a steep incline, the e-brake only works to keep the vehicle stationary if pulled 100% (all the way to the plastic molding).

First snow of the season came Saturday and it snowed through the night into Sunday.  We only accumulated about 10 inches on the deck and 6 on the driveway.  The temp was 8F when I turned the machine on and started plowing.

This was my first time plowing ever. 

Observations

• No problem with the battery in that temp.
• Plenty of power.
• Great traction on my asphalt millings driveway.  Doubt I'll need chains.  
• The controls for plowing are decent, but not conducive to multi-tasking the operations of plow up, plow down, switch from FWD to RVS, and steering input. 
• Working the pedals with insulated boots on is a poor experience. 
• The hydraulic plow from Landmaster is beefy and laying a long stripe is very effective. 
• It's much warmer sitting in the cab, even without a heater or doors, than walking behind a blower.

If I had to choose between plowing and snow blowing 6 inches, I would choose the blower.  When I get over 12 inches, I will turn to the plow. 

Cheers.

p.s.  If you look closely, you can see I replaced the winch hook.

OK, I have a protocol that works 100% of the time (for me):

1. Turn R-N-F switch to N
2. Insert key
3. Turn key to ON position
4. Press and hold battery button in dash until battery light comes on and you hear a click sound

Curious if this works for you.

After about 9 hours of use, happy to report that things are going well.  The huge (for a UTV) bed is a serious productivity enhancer.  I can cut and haul soooo much more slash than I used to.  The electric dumping feature is pretty great, too.

I was wrong about the motor.  It’s rated at 24hp, not 25 as I mentioned above.  The power is plenty for my needs.  The torque is noticeable.  The on-demand 4x4 is pretty useful as I experienced when stuck on a steep and loamy incline.  Switched it on and immediately achieved traction.

The front and rear hitches, along with the winch, make this a very handy extraction vehicle.  Tree saver and snatch block setup is a breeze.  I use it to pull gamble oak after thinning an area.  Anything I can’t pull by hand with an extractigator I am able to pull with the winch.  The included winch hook is pretty poor.  I’ll be replacing it.

Overall, I’m very pleased and slightly relieved… while American Landmaster has an A+ BBB rating, those ratings aren’t a good indicator of overall quality.  

I’ll report back after the first experiences with plowing.  The performance in cold conditions remains to be seen.  Hoping the hydraulic plow I purchased is worth the dough.

Until then…

I just received a 2024 AMP Pro and it sometimes exhibits the same behavior.  Not 50/50 for me.  Maybe 1 in 5 (20%).

Just received delivery of a 2024 AMP Pro.  Thought I'd start a thread with my impressions as I use it and learn more.  There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of real-world usage information out there on this model.  Hope this will help others as they research.

Intended Use Cases

• Fire mitigation / slash removal from a 5 acre forested and well-gamble-oaked property.  The previous owners thought as much about fire mitigation as I do about fashion: not much.
• Snow removal
• Stump pulling
• General hauling (rock, lumber, etc.)
• Weimaraner energy depletion.  Wasn't an original use case, but a nice added bonus. 

Experiences So Far

Wasn't impressed that two of the bumpers on the underside of the bed where it sits upon the frame were missing.  The metal on metal contact has damaged the powder coating and the frame.  I expect a little better QC.

I've only put a few hours on it, so not a ton to report on usage.  It isn't quiet; it's silent.  I can't even detect an electric note from the motor. I removed (and subsequently replaced) the motor cover noticed that the motor is German and made by Schambuller.  The motor controller is Italian and made by Dana TM4.  Given the operating specs of both I found on the web, I suspect both are higher quality than the previous Navitas (which is supposed to be decent).  The motor is rated at 25 hp and 71.5 lb-ft of torque.  It feels very powerful.  All the torque is delivered instantly, if desired.

The bed is huge and has an electric dump as standard.  Great feature but would like it to go up a bit more.  Probably not feasible from an engineering perspective, but I want and I need ;).

Power steering is nice, but vague.  Probably common to many UTVs, but I am accustomed to more direct results from input.  Plan early and plan often.

In our first full day of usage, we hauled about 1/2 as much slash as the entire rest of the year when I was doing it by hand cart.  I may get fatter, but I'll also get more done.  After a few days of usage, the battery meter has gone down by 1/10th. 

Until next time...