Why does this unicycle have a strange shape to it, compared to the standard shape? Does it serve a purpose? Do any of you feel like that particular frame makes a significant difference in the unicycle’s performance? 
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That’s to keep the frame legs out of the way of your legs. The tire is super wide and if the frame went alongside it like normal most peoples legs would hit the frame, so the frame was designed to go back and then come forward again to give leg clearance.
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Yeah that’s what I figured, too. Allows for extra wide tire without getting physically in the way.
Not hitting your knees on the frame is a big difference , if you are prone to this. “Normal” design frames for fat tires also exist (but none are on the market currently), and some people ride them without encountering any major issues.
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OK. So, there is a good reason. Good. That will become my first muni then, because, I don’t want to wack my knees either.
Well, if you want a fat (4" wide and more) tire, that’s pretty much the only option on the market. On “normal” (up to ~3.5" wide tire) muni, hitting your knees on the frame is less of a concern.
You can read up on some of the advantages and disadvantages of fatties in a few threads I’ll link below:
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Oh! Hmmm that changes things. Too bad you can’t test drive one.
You don’t need such a large tire to do muni though.
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If you are near 20879 zip code in U.S.A. I will let you try my 26" Hatchet with 4.8" tire. PM me if you’re nearby.
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@haskinsc thank you for the offer, but I live near Houston, TX. I don’t see my car being able to making that trip.
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If had had the dough, I would’ve went for a hatchet - it truly is the coolest looking one - and theoretically it allows a 32“ wheel to be installed
So instead of the very very fat one you could get a wider wheel and a less fat tire.
Or two wheels…
… I do not know how difficult it is to change wheels (probably the break might be a hassle to adjust) but it could be a versatile uni if this is a practical solution . I reckon, however, that keeping a 32“ (or 36“) and and 26“ hatchet next to each other is way easier fun. It’s an investment though.
Also, try to find other unicyclists in Houston , chances are there’s a hatchet there somewhere to be ridden and it’s so nice to have somewhat of a gang at all
Not really
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About 4 bolts to undo and tighten again (if you have pedals and cranks on each wheelset), so about a 5 minutes job if you take your time. Brake is not really an issue, you can pretty much just transfer the wheels over and bolt it up. Swapping wheels is doable, but since usually with different wheels you also want to have different seat height/angle/handlebar, people end up building seperate setups after a while. (I am however debating building a 29" wheelset for my 27.5" Muni at some point in the distant future myself.)
Aside from the 32" wheel not fitting, this is hardly a unique trait for the hatchet frame, you can throw a smaller wheel into any larger frame. Mad4one Muni frames are sized in S, M, L instead of wheelsizes for that reason. (Coincidentally, a Mad4one size L frame will actually fit a 32" wheel…)
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For the record with a hatchet if it’s on 4.8” tyre then it needs deflating to get wheel out of the frame and past the caliper so it’s a bit more effort than a standard unicycle wheel change
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Amazing , thanks for the info . At some point I just bought the 27,5 quax and I’m only half happy , I wish I had a wider wheel.
Im sure somewhere it said that the hatchet can hold a 32“ but not that it would be ideal 
Those mad 4 ones now are even more of an option. Ride on , you adorable unibunch
I’ve got the 26x4.8 Hatchet and I would definitely NOT recommend it for your first muni, unless you also get a second tire. Riding a 4.8" tire gives you a lot of advantages, but it comes at a high price. A really fat tire will roll over bigger obstacles more easily and it will go through sand, snow and mud that would stop a smaller tire, but there are two major drawbacks, maneuverability and camber. A 4.8" tire doesn’t like to turn. You have to really manhandle it to keep it on course and there will be lots of times that you end up riding a bad line or having a UPD simply because you couldn’t make it go where you wanted it to. Camber is extreme on a 4.8" tire. It can be managed by keeping your weight on the pedals and a firm grip on the handle, but that means you’re working harder and you’ll get tired sooner.
Overall, for most muni, a 3" tire is more capable. A 26x4.8 muni is really kind of a special purpose machine.
Both the 27.5 and the 26 use 80mm wide rims, so you’ll still have to use a fairly fat tire. 3.5 or 3.8 is probably around the minimum width you can run, but that should minimize some of the really obnoxious behavior you would experience with a 4.8". The 29er uses a 55mm rim, so thinner tires aren’t an issue, but if you’re going to run skinnier tires then why buy a Hatchet? It’s designed specifically for fat tires.
Personally, if I were buying a Hatchet for my only muni, I’d get the 26x4.8 and a 3.8" tire. That way you can have the fat tire experience and then switch to something a bit more practical.