Intimidator Electric UTV vs HuntVe Switchback
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- Опубликовано: 8 окт 2015
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I conduct a full side by side comparison of my 15 Intimidator electric UTV vs my 14 HuntVe switchback electric/hybrid UTV. It is long because I go in-depth on the machines as well as numerous field trials including pulling a 1/4 ton oak log (at the end of the trials). The Intimidator hands down trashes the HuntVe......
Thanks for the thorough review! Nice to see two different vehicles compared side-by-side, on things as basic as access to the brake fluid. You have helped me decide!
thanks and good luck!
6 years later and still the most excellent review of these machines.
Thanks man! That means a lot to me!! Take care
Pretty impressive for the Intimidator. I also like how quiet it is.
you should also know that I have been stranded with the hunt V. I had to bypass their electric switch that senses when the batteries get too low just to keep it charging. what happened was once it gets low the generator wouldn't charge it because it was too low to charge (amps too low). I communicated with the factory reps and their solution was to bypass that sensor. I have not yet been stuck on the Intimidator at all. Just FYI
yes, good observation. it does have a little transmission whine. but I think it is much less than the ground noise from the tires so I think it is irrelevant. once you get away from the machine 20 or 30 yards you really can't hear anything.
Great head to head. I'm possibly going to get an electric ride in the near future. Been thinking about a Bad Boy Buggie.... but this intimidator is now in the running... One thing I was wondering. It seems the intimidator has a little more noise than the "Golf Style" machines. Like more of a whine... Is that a true statement? I'm thinking is could possibly be the transmission vs direct drive? again great informative vid...
BC
I bought an intimidator utv brand new. over $17k. I have a farm in Iowa with hills. The intimidator got less than 2 miles to a full charge and was awful. I got stuck twice and had to walk up the hill twice and get my truck to pull it up. Sixty seven percent battery life and it wouldn't climb the hills. The main fuse panel blew up because of an error coming out of the factory few weeks after I had it and it was in the shop for over a month. When it went into the shop they said it was missing bolts from the factory in the rear end and they come across that all the time so they check that as they order new units. The customer service was less than desirable. All I got out of there top guy was "we dropped the ball on this one". It took them a month literally to get the parts to the dealer. He wanted to give me some money back! I called the dealer I bought it from and told him if they didn't take there lemon back and return all my money I was going to sue intimidator. Luckily I had a good dealer and he just returned it and said he would deal with intimidator. I ordered a full cab and was supposed to get it within three weeks and 8 weeks later nothing. After the lemon got returned a few weeks later the cab showed up. Save your money, I was so disappointed. I thought I did my homework and was getting the best machine for my money. Definitely not the case. Fyi, I was so frustrated that I called intimidator and asked to talk directly to the owner and got pushed off to supposedly there top guy. His customer service skills were less than desirable. I wish the outcome was different. The machine does look like a beast but is very delicate and way to heavy for electric. Maybe if it had a built in generator that charges it that could be better. But after my experience with intimidator I would look elsewhere and I am right now at the moment actually.
Pretty good review. I own the 2014' and love it. Really want to add some good additional footage, record while running up and over tree limbs, bogs, and hauling a heavy load,.......all of which I do and have convinced myself what a good purchase I've made. Made in America and tough as nails. Oh, add a battery watering system. It helps tremendously and keeps those batteries at their best.
thanks! yes I've got watering system in both macines. A must have!
Let’s give this guy credit for more than a reasonable effort at objectivity and clear demonstration. No nonsense too. My thanks. I can only hope technology improves and pricing comes down so all can enjoy. I have a pedestal on the property with 50 and 30 volts along with the obvious 110 (hoping manufacturers are listening).
Thanks, I really strive to be objective and call em like I see them!
We are a new dealer for Intimidator UTV, and have had an excellent experience with them so far. The service and support from headquarters is top quality. Know I know how it feels to be dealer having the opportunity to offer high end, top quality products up here in New England.
That's Awesome! Watch for a new video soon when I get my Gas Intimidator 800! I traded that Pile Huntve in... Couldn't take it anymore...
Yeah that Huntve looks like a glorified Club Car DS. We just got in a Crew 800 and 4 Classics with the 750. I love these things. Looking forward to your feedback on the 800.
The HuntVe is a beefed up Golf Cart. This unit has the exact design of the golf cart in my building.
Yeah I learned that the hard way LOL I still have the intimidator and it's been a beast
very much appreciate your honest, thorough reviews - thank you. i live in vermont with my family on our 1,300 acre property. we have steep mountainside, level fields, and everything in between, plus lots of field and forest trails. we are stewarding the forest (85%) and fields as a unified "farm". we bought a used electric cart last year for use in our main campus/perennial food system - we love it! we'd love to add an electric UTV to our fleet, something more rugged than what we have to take out into the forest and more remote fields. it will be used to haul gear, plants, us. after considering our research and this review by you, we're very interested in Intimidator's electric model. our biggest concerns are (1) range (how far can we go on a charge given the terrain and size of the property, as well as weight of our gear); and (2) how will it perform in our colder climate? you mention in the review that you purchased a Honda EU 2000 generator to take with you in case you needed a charge. how has that worked for you? are you still impressed by the electric Intimidator? thanks in advance. shawn
yes I would still recommend the Intimidator, it is the biggest and baddest of the electrics. I have brand new heavy duty batteries in the hunt V and the stock Intimidator still runs three times as long as that one. The Intimidator has that single electric german-made engine which seems to be a much better set up. as far as running low and needing the generator I have not needed it yet. that has been another benefit of the Intimidator is it slowly Runs Out, whereas the hunt V and probably some of the others drain out like instantly when it gets under half. I don't know how it will do in cold weather but if you keep it in storage it will do a lot better during cold periods. the Huntley was terrible in cold weather in Kentucky, but I kept it in storage that was outside temperature.
+Kapper great, thanks very much. if you ever do get around to having to use the generator I'd love to know how it worked for you. i believe you said you purchased a Honda EU 2000?
+Shawn Smith Hoffman yes I purchased the Honda eu2000. I believe it will work just fine. The hunt V has a generator on it which I have used in the past when thar one has run empty on power. Usually after about 15 to 20 minutes it has enough juice to get me home. Good luck
+Shawn Smith Hoffman I did call the Intimidator engineer when I bought that generator to be sure it would put out enough amps to give it a charge.
+Kapper Can't do better than that. Again, thanks so much for all this incredibly helpful information. Did you buy direct from Intimidator, or a dealer? There are no dealers in the northeast, yet, which makes things a bit challenging.
I did check out the Intimidators, but they've changed the bed size in their models now. The Classic's rear bed is so small, it's not usable for me on my farm. They are nicely built, but without a usable bed, I can't see having on. The won't even build an electric now with anything but a 2' deep rear bed!
Honest question. How often do you use the winches? With Jeeps, F250/350s, a 4x4 tractor, and an old fashioned Come Along I have been in situations where one might have been useful, but I have never "needed" one on a side by side. In the HuntVe's defense tires make a big difference. I bet if you swapped the tires from one machine to the other I bet the results of the tests would be a lot closer.
First of all, I don't think the tires would matter. The more I used it, the more I found it failing, just its design in my opinion, thanks.
But yes, we do use the winches quite often. We often have large, downed trees on the trails, and it is nice to yank them off, the real heavy ones. also very nice for securing on a trailer, I let out 6' of winch and hook it to front of trailer and snug winch. And of course.... getting stuck. Depending on where you live, yes, we get stuck a fair amount when you hit a low, wet spot and were not expecting it. Thanks.
have you read about the Nikola elect utv's
Can someone tell me we hy they dont run a sollar panel on th roof or is it usafe or not practical
He said he already has been caught running out of power.
wont get enough power to help except to keep battery topped off if leaving it outside in sun at a remote location
How has the Intimidator been since you did the review?What kind of range are you getting?
I have the 2014'. I'm getting @20 miles per charge in hill country. On flat land, you pretty much get the 30 miles that they advertise for a 48 volt system. Love my Intimidator and wouldn't trade it for another unless it was a 72volt Intimidator, which I really hope they build so that you could get more amp hours and therefore more distance. Super rugged, super comfortable, and super strong. Wish I could post pics. I dragged out two 250lb hogs at the same time and hauled them back in the bed at the same time through heavy mud and in hill country. Only issues I've had is distance due to up and down running on a 2000 acre lease in the hills and the actuator motor on the bed lift went out due to moisture intrusion. I need to replace the springs and brushes and it works. Hope this helps.
Terry Martin voltage has nothing to do with run time. Voltage means more power. Runtime is based on stored Amp Hours ( AH ) of each battery in the series. Most 12v batteries for these carts are around 150ah @20 each. And a 48v system you only have 4. That equals 600ah of run time. Not very much at all. Even if you have 2 48v packs in series (800lbs of batteries) that’s just 1200ah if stored energy. I have a 48v lifted golf cart with high torque motor and controller with 8 6v batteries which have 225ah each for a total of 1800ah of stored energy. And my cart ways half as much. Which means better performance, and WAY better runtimes than the intimidator.
If they came out with lithium batteries in a UTV with enough of them to get 100 plus miles in ruff terrain I believe the gas UTV market would become obsolete. At least it would for me!!!
Hello Kapper, I have not been feeling the best so I will be on the side lines. Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing it complete. My recovery from this brain surgery has been tougher then I thought. I Prey I get better. Love Tony
Best Wishes man!! God Bless!
Besides...... If you sit out for too long, who's gonna keep knocking me around with all the questions??? :)
Thanks for thinking of me, I will be watching. Even in the Mr Bojangles video I was telling the doctors there was something wrong and they kept telling me your ok, relax. The Doctors now realize that the tumor starting growing 15 year ago. In January on a Friday night I asked my wife to take me to the hospital cause I was not feeling well, while there a young nurse said she did not like the way my eyes were responding to light and requested a Cat Scan. An hour later I was told I had a month to live. I hate bringing this story up cause it gets me very upset, I'm in tears right now, but I will hang in there. Keep the videos coming they mean a great deal to me. Tony
Man I am cheering for you and praying! Hang in there, one hour at a time! Kapper
Best to you.
Great video. Thanks again for posting. Still using the intimidator ev? Still worth it?
Yes, absolutely! WE love that thing! It is not just a 'get around buggy,' but it is as rugged as they come! Thank you
How many miles can you travel on a full charge on the intimidator?
No idea. We live in very hilly terrain so it sucks the juice much faster than level ground, but a great machine.
Great review. Thinking an electric UTV, I think I've narrowed it down to the Polaris EV and the Intimidator. The Polaris decked out with a cab and all is quite a bit less expensive. Have you ever compared the two? Thanks!
JP yes I did. the polaris is much smaller and less capable for sure. lots of unhappy campers with the polaris. I just traded in my HuntVe for another Intimidator UTV, but I got a gas one this time
the new polaris ev is amazing.
good comparison. thanks.
Considering buying the electric intimidator. hunt in Northern WI were it is very hilly. Kapper what type of milage ae you getting. Did you buy your new intimidator in gas because of battery life in the electric. Found this review really helpful but just cannot find and good data on milage with Intimidator.
Well, it is hard to quantify 'mileage' on electrics, especially in hilly country. The intimidator has been a great performer, which I believe is because of its single engine design. Although now they are all making 64 volt which ought to be better. But in steep, hilly country you will not get much life/run time. ESPECIALLY when it drops below 40 degrees. Unless you can store it inside with some sort of heat.. I actually got the new intimidator as a financial defensive move because the HuntVe electric was just not working out for me and I traded it in while I could still get a little something for it!! Plus we really need a gas work horse to go along with the electric, it will compliment our farm use well. I have 150 acres that is hilly, but maybe not quite like the Eau Claire/Northern area! But for hunting use back and forth it is more than capable, especially if you can store it indoors with some heat. And in the winter it needs to be kept plugged in at all times when stored to A)save the charge of course, and B) as it tops the charge off it generates some heat. I do believe that intimidator is making a 64 volt now which would definitely be the cats meow!!!! Too late for me, but would be great for you. But be warned, they are not cheap! :) Good luck!!! Where are you at up there? I know Northern WI pretty well !
Thanks for you quick response, we are in Buffalo county near Fountain City, WI. We hunt 200 acres, but honestly during the hunting season we try really hard to minimize our exposure and tend to go to the stand and back. Our vehicle use is really 50/50 meaning half the time going up the hill which tends to be steap and half the time down whcih takes no effort. I would say if we drive 5 miles in avg weekend that would be a lot. Currently use a Yamaha but it is very loud. Great machine but considering an electric to be more stealth.
Have not seen anythng about 64v Intimidator on their web site? Basically looking for a vehicle for Hunting season all other work will be done by gas machine. Has the Intimidator preformed well with no other issues. Would you purchase again or would you consider a different machine?
Greg Brown from what you described the Intimidator would be just fine especially if you could plug it in one night over the weekend but probably might not even need that. yes I would definitely recommend the Intimidator it is truly a badass machine. it is built way more rugged than most of the other electrics if not all of them. It rides on the exact same heavy-duty frame as the gas models, what you described is exactly what I do. I use the electric for hunting season and it really does make a positive difference. I have a mesh type camo tarp that I drape over the machine and I have had deer walk right by it and not even notice it, and of course they did not smell it
Great review. How has it held up since your initial review? I am looking for a new electric for hunting rig to replace my 2010 bad boy XTO. Keep hoping someone will come out with a good lithium system (Polaris is no good, have a few friends with the standard electric one and they all have problems, also they are so squeaky and rattly they my as well be gas.) My bad boy still works but have the same issue as Huntvee with spinning tires. Also cannot find parts or service for it. Time to replace the batteries again and thought maybe it's time to get something new.
I still like the intimidator. It it built rock solid. Even though Ive had a few issues, that thing is a beast. It is super heavy, wider than Polaris and has a German motor in it. But it is expensive!
Kapper Outdoors thanks for the review. Since owning it, what issues have you experienced?
I'm just updating again on my HuntVe I've owned now for over 10 years. It's a 48V, full positive locking hubs front and rear with all 4 wheels turning when in 4x and I've still never been stuck once. On top of that, I own a pond dredging company and use it to back my dredge trailer into ponds till the dredge floats off. Then, when I'm done dredging, I have to back the trailer even further into the pond to get the dredge back on. I'm in the worst pond mud you can imagine and I'm at an angle pulling the trailer with the dredge on it out of the pond/mud and up the bank! Never been stuck once. I've had to get parts for the HuntVe twice from the factory, and both times they sent the parts free of charge. They are a great company, I literally use my HuntVe on our 26 acre farm or dredging every single day. You really need to tell people that you didn't order your HuntVe with positive locking hubs front and back. You can't compare full locking 4x4's to an open axle set-up. That's a 4x4 compared to 2x4.
The year I bought this they didn't have the Positive Locking hubs otherwise I would have got it. I don't believe that was even available.
Is that 4X4?
been great. not sure on range because I don't really trail ride with it. I use it for short distances and through rough terrain. I can say that it holds its charge two or three times as long as the hunt Ve does. Much better machine.
Just watched a video where the Intimidator only got 9 miles off road on a full charge. I just don’t find that acceptable. I wish someone could build a lithium ion electric buggy, with locking rear diff and front diff, that has 2 speeds that was capable of 35mph+, yet could crawl without over heating, with a 80+ miles range. Polaris has the new Ranger Kenetic EV but that one starts at $25k. With extended battery it’s $30k. That’s crazy for me to think about. I don’t have a vehicle that cost that much! Lol
regen braking when costing also recharges your batteries
Maybe but I rarely need to brake when I am using one so I would rather lose the weight and extra complexity and potential problems and use my DIY lithium batteries which will go 3 times as far as the lead acid ones without regeneration.
The HuntVe Hybrid needs to be placed into consideration as it is a 72 Volt unit with 4wd and a backup gas supporting generator that the Intimidator does not. Just getting around under normal conditions I would select the HuntVe Hybrid hands down which should have been considered in your unbiased review! I agree with “Life with The Hampton’s” as you sure seem to be in favor of the Intimidator.
I did not like the HuntVE one bit, but keep in mind this was years ago. But after many years our Intimidator is still a beast of an electric UTV. Huntve may have improved by now. Thank you
Are you still pleased with the Intimidator? Which dealer did you buy it from? Thanks
We still like the electric one. The dealer I got it from is no longer in business here.
saw Bad Boy listed below, that was my pick till found this, is the HuntVe better than Bad Boy? Looks like the Intimidator the King now
bad boys have a bad track record. . maybe the last year or 2 they've improved but tons of complaints. check it out you'll see.
ok thank, its been awhile since looked at UTVs, glad to c there r more options now thanks for the help n insite
Still like it after some time has went buy?
yes the initimidator is a good machine. Only major issue so far was the battery charger quit like a month after warranty! Otherwise the thing is solid.
I'm just not a tron kind of guy. Give me a gas or diesel motor and I'm good. Yes its louder but is that why you purchased the electric version vice a gas operated one? I'm looking at the Intimidator with a 750cc engine. It cost the same as the Honda 650 two seater as far as I can tell. Honda is proven. I continue to hear good things about the Intimidator so I'm leaning that way. Great review!
J Whit thanks. I just ordered a gas 800cc intimidator and traded in this HuntVe.
Ah cool, I'll be waiting for your assessment of that one before I buy. I mean that. I like honest, down to earth, side by side comparisons.
Good review! Intmidator wins big time!
Yeah its pretty much a no brainer!
I want the name of the engineer who specified PLASTIC for the skid plate!! They MUST be joking!!!
Why is it still noisy it’s electric I have a golf cart that is totally silent I can creep through the woods and you can’t hearAnything but the rattling of the leaves I think I might go for more horsepower and less noise after all I’m not pulling logs I’m hunting
The noise is minimal and you can't hear it over the tire ground noise and it has greatly decreased over time. Maybe the German motor needed some break in?
My thoughts exactly. It was so loud!!! I want an electric vehicle to be silent, not just quieter than a gas side by side. I have a lifted 48v (8 6v Trojan T105's) ezgo with 25" tires and 600amp alltrax controller with plum quick 15hp torque motor. It runs 27mph on flat ground, and gets around 30-35 miles to a charge in very rough terrain. It has enough power to literally pull the front tires off the ground 2-3' in the air on take off. I have $3000 in parts on my build.. There is no way the Intimidator is worth 6x more than mine...One thing I dont understand? Why make a Chassis thats capable of doing all this HARD work, pulling and Hauling Heavy loads, when in reality if you use the Intimidator like its advertized you WILL only get 5-10 miles out of a full charge. So its almost worthless to use it for anything other than Cruising around and going undetected while hunting. My cart does all that!!!! It seems its an advertising ploy to show all the work it can do, but it cant do it but for a very, very short time.
I now own a 2021 Intimidator Classic EV. The " whining " that you hear is coming from the Transfer Case, not the motor. The reason electric golf carts, and other 4x4 electric buggies don't have this whining is because they don't have a separate transfer case with high and low range. The whining is not bad at all, but it is much more noticeable to the people inside the machine. Meaning you can barely hear the noise outside the machine. This is because you are sitting on top of the motor and transfer case. Its not as loud as the video depicts
How many miles on a single charge can you drive ?
Terry Jarrard hard to say. depends on terrain, ground moisture and weather. usually it can run a couple/few hours total.
I'm glad I bought a Polaris ranger 570 it's a beast and extremely reliable. Great video buddy
Thanks man. You can't go wrong with a Polaris! They are great machines.
The main problem with the hunt v is that it's an accessorized golf cart. You can tell by looking at it that's what it started life as. Haven't looked at prices for them, but they better be dirt cheap because I could build my own on a golf cart frame pretty cheaply. The point being I wouldn't even consider calling the hunt v a utv.
Well you are 100% right, and me, not knowing any better at the time got taken to the bank on this thing!! Of course they had all kinds of false advertising on the thing!!
Absolutely!! That Intimidator is one Bad A$$ machine... So wishing I didn't buy that Huntve......
in case you haven't noticed I work the piss out of every single machine I own. This is not some hunting camp where guys pull up in a pickup Drive the electric a hundred yards on flat ground and turn around and come back. My next video is why I kept my Kioti tractor over the John Deere. A lot of John Deere fans will be surprised.
Being the hunt v is not worth much to you. How much do you want for it? I’ll appreciate having it. Just let me know. Thanks.
Sorry already lost my butt on that investment getting rid of it.. but thanks for the offer :)
INTIMIDATOR (Massimo? Hisun?)... for $17K--21K? You better get car quality components. Your Huntve isn't "like a golf cart"... it "IS A GOLF CART." The Intimidator is a true UTV platform. Sadly tho, you could have ordered direct from Japan on Alibaba and included three for your friends in a container to sell ...and would've made your money back and a nice profit to boot. But i do commend you on going electric.
When you switch the huntve to 4x4, it's all 4 wheels fully locked and driving. I can't believe you ever got it stuck. I'm in the wet, clay, fields of Ohio and in 4x I can't get my Huntve stuck ever.
Im with you.. I honestly believe this is a VERY BIASED Commercial!!! Who can afford to buy a $14k New HuntVe one year, and the next year buy a $17k Intimidator? And he was constantly downing the HuntVe. And the Intimidator was so loud!!!! Those motors were whining like crazy.. The HuntVe was way quieter and narrower for getting between trees and obstacles. The Intimidator is sooo big.. Its like trying to drive a small truck in the woods.. It definitely does not appeal to me at all... I wouldn't trade one HuntVe for two of the Intimidators
Just put 4 inch wheel spacers make sure you get good ones not generic. No more tippy!
That motor is so noisy
The HuntV as you call it, is nothing more than a modified Yamaha G series golf cart.....the other is a purpose built UTV.....you really can't have a biased opinion.....it would be like me comparing my golf cart to my buddies Rhino....
Yes you are correct and I was sold a bill of goods that was a painful lesson for me to learn...
They are electric "motors", not "engines".
OK
Its plain that the hunt V is a golf cart.
Yep! So right! I only wish I'd have known that before they took me for 14k~!!!!
@@kapperoutdoors Call it experience. Also big advances have been made. I had an 01 EZ GO cart. They are a lot tougher than I thought. Good video. You are both fair and thorough in your comparison.
You've spent a lot of time and effort comparing an 'apple' to an 'orange'. Thanks for your time, effort, extra long opinion and free advice, but I could sense right off that you had a bias to the brand new clean Intimidator, versus the filthy year old HuntVe, even thought you claimed to be 'non-biased'. Hmm. Really?
Unless you're rich, sponsored by Intimidator, or the HuntVe is so crappy that you had to have both at the same time (no time to trade-in), I say this is an 'intimidatingly' paid infomercial for Intimidator electric - then you got a gas Intimidator?! Adding a watermelon to your 'fruit' comparison makes your whole recommendation really hard to believe.
Good for you, bad for us.
On to the next unbelievable internet infomercial disguised as a reality comparison... to judge more comparisons. Geez, who can you believe anymore?
Just get a suzuki vitara