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I see it, I hear it, I read it. People in one form of the language or another say that the Pioneer is underpowered. Why would they only put a 675cc motor in their new SxS? Why doesn't it have a low side? There is no way that first gear is low enough to do what I need. 34HP??? My lawn tractor has that much! (that's a favorite of one of my neighbors).
Really seems like an overwhelming sentiment that no one in their right mind should buy a Pioneer. In fact, I remember not long ago, a passerby recounting some horrifying story of how the Pioneer couldn't climb out of a paper bag with four, size zero, chicks driving it. He immediately had to run and buy a Viking because it was so traumatic to witness on his test ride.
I sure am glad I wasn't in my right mind, or I would never have bought my 700-4...... Well, thats actually not true. Because I looked past all of the heaping piles of bull hockey to see the Pioneer for what it is. A bargain.
Since the day after mine was delivered, she has worked for a living. Due to some health issues, I was way behind on my firewood for the season. In fact, I had a grand total of zero seasoned wood and after a rather harsh winter last year, I didnt even have any unseasoned wood. So my Pioneer has hauled loads of oak, some standing dead, others that are green as an 18 year old on the deck of a crab boat.
I'd guess I have done 50+ loads from all corners of my property. The average load travel distance of .50-.75 miles. I don't have a way to weigh the loads, but I usually go by the rear suspension. If the rear drive shafts are past straight across, I usually call that a load. I can't go too far past flat, or I run into ground clearance issues with rock and logs or stumps. My 700-4 has carried those loads in all sorts of terrain; inclines, declines, sidehills, sand, snow, light mud, rock, shale, rainbows and unicorns.
Not once on any of those loads, did the Pioneer lack power. Not once on any of those loads did the Pioneer not make a climb. Not once in any of those loads did anything bad ever happen with the Pioneer. heck, I don't even recall having to ever use much more than 1/4-1/2 throttle to quickly spool her up to a brisk trail pace. Not ONCE have I uttered to myself, "man, not having 4-LO makes this impossible" In fact, shifting it into LOW has never even crossed my mind. I rarely have to use 4wd. In fact, I use 4wd so little, I started to feel bad for the lever. Now I hang my sunglasses there so that it has a purpose.(sunglasses shift holder is patent pending).
Other people say that you can't go bigger than the stock tires because it won't turn them without sapping all your power. I'm not one to blow smoke people, it will turn any tire you can fit under its stock suspension.
So to the people that say the Pioneer suffers from a lack of power or low range. I say that maybe you needed to drive it longer. Maybe you needed to actually haul something. Maybe you needed to get it off the test drive track. Maybe you need to stop comparing it to a 900cc speed demon and start comparing it to something more like what its for. The problem is, I can't think of one other SxS that is in its class as far as that goes.
675cc and can haul 1/2 of a ton in the bed and tow 1,500lbs. Anyone know of something that can match that pounds per cc?
Numbers don't lie, but people talking about numbers, well they can be mistaken. With the Pioneer, you need to set aside what you think about number in front of cc and just enjoy the ride.
To me, the weakest part of the Pioneer for hauling was the stock tires. These 28" Bighorns on the ITP rims not only gave me another 1.5" of ground clearance, but they have stiffened the sidewalls over stock. Takes a lot of the sloppy feel out of hauling.
It puts all of its power to the ground in traction so readily that I scoff at this sign.
Not looking to use that power for work. She is great at getting you out into the world off the grid.
Always wanted to park right by this tree? Well with a Pioneer, you can do it!
Need or want to climb a slippery hill of overburden with more weight than 4 or 5 passengers will ever add up to? Yup you can do that too.
**NOTE** Came to a dead stop at the bottom of the incline. It crawled right up it no bogging, not a single spin of a tire. Only my love of life and lack of wanting my wood to fall out stopped the Pioneer.
It climbs. Remember Stompers? Those little battery powered trucks. It's just like those, but 100 times their size.
I think this photo best represents the incline you can climb to the point of loosing an unsecured load. Standing on the ground behind the machine, I could see the petals.
The Pioneer is the perfect example of, its not how much motor you have, its how you use it. Don't let the fear of not enough power keep you away from the 700. It can hold its own and a little bit from the SxS's next to it.
Really seems like an overwhelming sentiment that no one in their right mind should buy a Pioneer. In fact, I remember not long ago, a passerby recounting some horrifying story of how the Pioneer couldn't climb out of a paper bag with four, size zero, chicks driving it. He immediately had to run and buy a Viking because it was so traumatic to witness on his test ride.
I sure am glad I wasn't in my right mind, or I would never have bought my 700-4...... Well, thats actually not true. Because I looked past all of the heaping piles of bull hockey to see the Pioneer for what it is. A bargain.
Since the day after mine was delivered, she has worked for a living. Due to some health issues, I was way behind on my firewood for the season. In fact, I had a grand total of zero seasoned wood and after a rather harsh winter last year, I didnt even have any unseasoned wood. So my Pioneer has hauled loads of oak, some standing dead, others that are green as an 18 year old on the deck of a crab boat.
I'd guess I have done 50+ loads from all corners of my property. The average load travel distance of .50-.75 miles. I don't have a way to weigh the loads, but I usually go by the rear suspension. If the rear drive shafts are past straight across, I usually call that a load. I can't go too far past flat, or I run into ground clearance issues with rock and logs or stumps. My 700-4 has carried those loads in all sorts of terrain; inclines, declines, sidehills, sand, snow, light mud, rock, shale, rainbows and unicorns.
Not once on any of those loads, did the Pioneer lack power. Not once on any of those loads did the Pioneer not make a climb. Not once in any of those loads did anything bad ever happen with the Pioneer. heck, I don't even recall having to ever use much more than 1/4-1/2 throttle to quickly spool her up to a brisk trail pace. Not ONCE have I uttered to myself, "man, not having 4-LO makes this impossible" In fact, shifting it into LOW has never even crossed my mind. I rarely have to use 4wd. In fact, I use 4wd so little, I started to feel bad for the lever. Now I hang my sunglasses there so that it has a purpose.(sunglasses shift holder is patent pending).
Other people say that you can't go bigger than the stock tires because it won't turn them without sapping all your power. I'm not one to blow smoke people, it will turn any tire you can fit under its stock suspension.
So to the people that say the Pioneer suffers from a lack of power or low range. I say that maybe you needed to drive it longer. Maybe you needed to actually haul something. Maybe you needed to get it off the test drive track. Maybe you need to stop comparing it to a 900cc speed demon and start comparing it to something more like what its for. The problem is, I can't think of one other SxS that is in its class as far as that goes.
675cc and can haul 1/2 of a ton in the bed and tow 1,500lbs. Anyone know of something that can match that pounds per cc?
Numbers don't lie, but people talking about numbers, well they can be mistaken. With the Pioneer, you need to set aside what you think about number in front of cc and just enjoy the ride.
To me, the weakest part of the Pioneer for hauling was the stock tires. These 28" Bighorns on the ITP rims not only gave me another 1.5" of ground clearance, but they have stiffened the sidewalls over stock. Takes a lot of the sloppy feel out of hauling.
It puts all of its power to the ground in traction so readily that I scoff at this sign.
Not looking to use that power for work. She is great at getting you out into the world off the grid.
Always wanted to park right by this tree? Well with a Pioneer, you can do it!
Need or want to climb a slippery hill of overburden with more weight than 4 or 5 passengers will ever add up to? Yup you can do that too.
**NOTE** Came to a dead stop at the bottom of the incline. It crawled right up it no bogging, not a single spin of a tire. Only my love of life and lack of wanting my wood to fall out stopped the Pioneer.
It climbs. Remember Stompers? Those little battery powered trucks. It's just like those, but 100 times their size.
I think this photo best represents the incline you can climb to the point of loosing an unsecured load. Standing on the ground behind the machine, I could see the petals.
The Pioneer is the perfect example of, its not how much motor you have, its how you use it. Don't let the fear of not enough power keep you away from the 700. It can hold its own and a little bit from the SxS's next to it.
Not that I won't use it for fun too, but it's got to earn it's keep in order for me to justify the purchase.
