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I've been looking hard at the HDpto so this weekend the dealer let me take a machine to test. They didn't have a full HDpto available so they gave me an HD, since I really only needed to confirm the "driveabilty" of the machine on our property.
The property is recreational with atv trails already cleared for sideXside machines. It's a 1.5hr drive from home and it is always a toss up whether to take the atv or the tractor to get some work done. Especialy in the winter when needing to blow out the roadway just to get in.
Although cleared, the trails are a bit rough, with a few steep hills and some creek crossings. Not much mud.
All in all the machine performed to expectations with foreknowledge of the concerns about speed and experience using a 24hp hydrostatic sub compact tractor.
On the trails the machine performed as required. It would travel faster than we normally do on these trails when hauling wood or just out checking the trail cams. It may have climbed hills a bit slower but with the stiffer suspension you wanted to go slower anyway. Obviously the ride was noticeably bouncier but not really a problem and a reasonable trade off for load carrying.
There is a gravel road that cuts through the property and the bush trails are interconnected by using the road. It was on the road that you really noticed the difference between this machine and an ATV. Flat travel was 20mph which was not so much a problem for me but as soon as you hit a hill of any length speed unfortunately dropped significantly. We've all heard comments that "you could walk faster" and although I would not go as far as to say that I will say that it has you and you passenger looking at each other with awkward pause.
In the end this machine does everything I need it to do and allows me to do with one machine what I would normally need 2 machines for. It is however definitely not going to replace a "Fun Run" machine. If you're like me and have a RZR you havn't used in 2 years because you have more fun cutting wood and making food plots then this may be the machine for you.
I have a couple short videos. It's hard to get the full perspective of the steepness of the hills and the video is a bit bouncy but you get the idea. Sorry for the language in the one video. A trail camera fell out of the machine while going up a hill and we drove over it! Still works though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU7MUeLTHh3BZxzQQz7WNq7A&feature=player_detailpage&v=y1pJtg3h7QY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr7_-zB33bc&list=UU7MUeLTHh3BZxzQQz7WNq7A&feature=player_detailpage
Hope this works!