[TheRealBuzz]

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!

 

[proper landscaping]

Nice videos and review!

 

[Jorts]

100% agree with your assessment. I learned that if you encounter a decent grade or hill, go ahead and put the machine in low. It runs much better and often faster in low when climbing.

 

[polarisfan]

Great review, a lot of Brutus owners are going to appreciate you taking the time to post this.

Are you planning to do a long term review? That is something i'd like to see as over time things with the brutus can change.

 

[TheRealBuzz]

Great review, a lot of Brutus owners are going to appreciate you taking the time to post this.

Are you planning to do a long term review? That is something i'd like to see as over time things with the brutus can change.

Whenever I get a new toy I usually hang around the forum for a year or so posting experiences and discussing mods so there's bound to be more to come once I get my machine.

 

[KeviNH]

100% agree with your assessment. I learned that if you encounter a decent grade or hill, go ahead and put the machine in low. It runs much better and often faster in low when climbing.

On a 10-15% grade, I maintain 10MPH in low gear. I'll try the same hill in high later this week and see how the machine does.

 

[polarisfan]

Whenever I get a new toy I usually hang around the forum for a year or so posting experiences and discussing mods so there's bound to be more to come once I get my machine.

that's a good thing to do, at least doing that you become very aware with what is available

 

[KeviNH]

On a 10-15% grade, I maintain 10MPH in low gear. I'll try the same hill in high later this week and see how the machine does.

Update: Low gear was much faster than high gear.

 

[Jorts]

Yep. I figured it would be. Running this machine is very different from gas utility vehicles. I think most folks (myself included) just put the shifter in high whenever running a gas powered buggy and let it rip. I never thought about running in low as there was never a need. Now in the brutus, it's a different program. I run in low 40% of the time: whenever I'm working with an implement and whenever I'm on hilly terrain.

 

[Jennings]

Low Gear

I don't run high gear ever. My high is basically "turned off." If you are not aware, there is an adjustment (in box under driver-side bed) that changes flows to High, Low, and Reverse. Mine is almost all on low and reverse, so I can reverse at about 10 mph. I move a lot of stuff forward and backward so its much faster to do.