Thinking about a Polaris ATV

fastpat · 01-19-2006, 07:22 PM

I have a need for a utility vehicle to run and fetch it here on the farm from time to time, tow a light trailer, and do the odd hunting thing.

This is what I've tentively chosen, the Polaris MV7. 700cc WC v-twin, front and rear winches, and two fuel tanks standard. Tows 1500 lbs, and has 450 pound load combined on the two racks. Anyone have something similar?

5axis · 01-19-2006, 07:34 PM

Two in the family. My little brother has had a utility polaris for 3-4 yrs. The winch and plow come in handy in wisconsin. Our uncle, purchaced one last spring. Loves it for working around our cabin property and nice trail rides through the muck. I know it has good traction. The uncle was tryiing to load his backwards on a tilt deck trailer and when his footing slipped a little pushed it to full throttle reverse. (and was holding the low speed overide) It went up the trailer, climbed the 2X12 stop at the front of the trailer and then climbed the back window of his new Cherokee. The rear wheels were going onto the roof when he bailed off. He had a few dents but no broken glass.

SO

A fun and usefull tool.
Both have served well and have been reliable as can be.

I'd rather have a raptor, and just go fast and make a mess.

yellowline · 01-19-2006, 07:51 PM

Polaris 4x4s tend to be at the heavy end of their class, which I would interpret as being well built.

It should have decent power, but it won't be blistering performance. I'd expect it to be a workhorse. They're known to be pretty good in the 4x4 world.

tdatk · 01-19-2006, 08:02 PM

Nothing that exotic , but we here in Va run Polaris, Hondas, and Kaws and there is nothing better than a fun run on 4 wheelers. If there is some advise, don't buy more than you really need. I have a 350 Honda Rancher 4WD and It is very good at everything and plows snow as well. Enjoy.

onewhippedpuppy · 01-20-2006, 05:47 AM

My inlaws have one, I think it's a 350cc 4x4 with the CVT. They've had it for several years, with an unimaginable amount of abuse from their kids, including hitting a hay bale at speed (think broken bones). Once we flipped it back over, all it needed was a new headlight and fender pieces. It's been in mud, snow, water, ran out of gas many times, you name it. He uses it to plow snow too, never a problem.

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 06:03 AM

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll be using mine for a mixture of things, mostly pulling carts, downed trees out of the wooded areas, and whatever else comes up. My neighbor has a regular weekend visit of ATV'ers to ride on the 200 plus acres he has, plus some powerline clearings. Looks like fun.

lendaddy · 01-20-2006, 07:29 AM

I have a Polaris 500cc 4x4 scrambler with the CVT. It's pretty good I guess but I could do without the CVT. It is heavy but power is good.

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 08:51 AM

For me, it's a choice between the Polaris 800 or 700 EFI equpped Sportsman series, or the carb equipped MV7 in the photo above. The good thing about the MV7 is that it has a reinforced frame, and 50% more rack capacity than the two fuel injection models all based on the same frame, height, and wheelbase. It has double the fuel capacity and comes with front and rear winches, which I think will come in handy on the farm, two/thirds of which is still in woodland. I'll be opening two more acres to agruculture, and the ability to pull 4-7 inch diameter trees out of the woods will be well used.

I looked at the Polaris Ranger and Kawasaki Mule (in a diesel model) seriously; and went over Artic Cat, Yamaha, and Honda, side by side seating models, but decided that I didn't need the capacity to ride passengers, but did need the narrowness of an single seat ATV in the wooded areas.

Tim Hancock · 01-20-2006, 09:18 AM

I have a 300cc Polaris utility style 4X4. It has plenty of power (it comes with low and high range forward gears). This thing has more than enough power to spin all 4 wheels while pulling a load.

I have siezed it on a couple of occasions during summer use on very hot days while pulling a 4' roller while rolling my runway for hours at a time. Being an aircooled two stroke (even with its puny little thermostat controlled fan), it does not like working hard at 5 mph on a hot day with little air moving past it's cooling fans.

If the 700 is a four stroke and is liquid cooled, you should not have any problems working it hard, but I recommend avoiding the two stroke aircooled models for "heavy" hot weather work. IOW, pulling power is acceptable with nearly all 4X4 ATV's, but cooling issues on hot days at low speeds needs to be considered.

My Polaris 300 4x4 drivetrain has held up perfectly after lot's of abuse for 8-9 years, but now I use a tractor to pull my heavy roller on hot days.
The ATV is the best thing I have found for plowing snow quickly. I have a Ford 9n w/ rear blade, a skid loader and a standard garden tractor w/ front plow.... The Polaris works better at clearing snow than any of them!

Tim Hancock · 01-20-2006, 09:23 AM

Here is a pic of my favorite plowing tool.

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 09:55 AM

Thanks for the info, Tim.

Something to consider on your aircooled, if it has a carb with a pilot jet, try fattening it up by one size. I had a '86 Yamaha, though watercooled, it was jetted for low emisions in California. It had a nasty low rpm lean stumble, and ran hot as blazes in town with the cooling fan on nearly constantly instop and go. I replaced the pilot jet, by one size, and the stumble disappeared completely, and the cooling fan rarely came on even while idling during carb synch checks. I don't know your carb type, but you might want to experiment a bit.

Seahawk · 11:08 AM

Quote:

[i]
I looked at the Polaris Ranger and Kawasaki Mule (in a diesel model) seriously; and went over Artic Cat, Yamaha, and Honda, side by side seating models, but decided that I didn't need the capacity to ride passengers, but did need the narrowness of an single seat ATV in the wooded areas. [/B]

My suggestion is to look at the utility version (Mule) new/used, and then buy a used ATV for trails...I own a farm and work the snot out of a used JD Gator I bought. There is no better tool that I own, seriously.
For running around on trails, I have a early 90's Yamaha that does just great...bought it on Auto Trader for almost nothing.

Edit:

I do a lot of work on fences, lines (trimming trees, etc.) and the horse barn we have as a boarding business. The utility version is so much more useful because I don't have to hook up trailers, etc. to get the tools/hay/people to the job it's amazing.

75Carrera · 75Carrera's Garage

I have a Polaris 500 Scrambler but have owned several others. I've found Polaris to have the best bullet-proof qualities I want in a quad. That new 700cc is so cool. They do use more fuel but are injected and have a suspension system to die for (better than my Carrera for sure). That machine should be everytthing you could ask for and very comfortable to ride rather working or playing.

And the quads are really fun in the snow around the holidays! Ha Ha

Tim Hancock · 01-20-2006, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fastpat
Thanks for the info, Tim.

Something to consider on your aircooled, if it has a carb with a pilot jet, try fattening it up by one size. I had a '86 Yamaha, though watercooled, it was jetted for low emisions in California. It had a nasty low rpm lean stumble, and ran hot as blazes in town with the cooling fan on nearly constantly instop and go. I replaced the pilot jet, by one size, and the stumble disappeared completely, and the cooling fan rarely came on even while idling during carb synch checks. I don't know your carb type, but you might want to experiment a bit.

I have my needle all the way up (rich) and my idle air screw cranked in a bit to richen the idle thru low throttle setting which is just right during cold weather but is indeed a bit rich during hot weather. So I am allready pretty rich during the summer. It just does not have enough cooling ability on an 85 degree humid spring/summer day while running in low gear (somewhat high rpm) yet moving slow thru the air.

Thanks for the tip though, it sounds like you might have been a dirtbike racer also once upon a time.

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
I have my needle all the way up (rich) and my idle air screw cranked in a bit to richen the idle thru low throttle setting which is just right during cold weather but is indeed a bit rich during hot weather. So I am allready pretty rich during the summer. It just does not have enough cooling ability on an 85 degree humid spring/summer day while running in low gear (somewhat high rpm) yet moving slow thru the air.

Thanks for the tip though, it sounds like you might have been a dirtbike racer also once upon a time.

I learned how to ride bikes while in the Air Force in Japan, my first new bike was a 1968 Suzuki TS250 dual purpose bike. But, no, I never raced them.

My only connection with competition motorcycles was as a volunteer trackside medic (I'm a registered nurse) for the AMA amateurs, and a few pro events such as US Superbike and World Superbike races at Laguna Seca and what used to be known as Sears Point Raceway.

lendaddy · 01-20-2006, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fastpat
(I'm a registered nurse)

Your name is Gaylord Fokker?

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
Your name is Gaylord Fokker?

That's not what's on my birth cert; and no, I didn't see the movie. Streisand isn't, shall we say, my favorite actress.

Tim Hancock · 01-20-2006, 05:12 PM

Pat, when you say "AMA amateurs", do you mean the amateur national championships at Hurricane Mills Tenessee (Loretta Lynn's)? If so, I raced there two years in my youth. 42 bikes and a VERY long straightaway before the first turn was always interesting as well as the "dirty dozen" on the first lap!

fastpat · 01-20-2006, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
Pat, when you say "AMA amateurs", do you mean the amateur national championships at Hurricane Mills Tenessee (Loretta Lynn's)? If so, I raced there two years in my youth. 42 bikes and a VERY long straightaway before the first turn was always interesting as well as the "dirty dozen" on the first lap!

No, all of my trackside work was in Northern California. I lived there for a while, returning to the South last fall. I did like the road racing, thought about trying it myself, but my already aged body wouldn't have healed up fast enough.

fastpat · 01-27-2006, 08:56 PM

Decided on a Bombardier Outlander 800 Max XT after riding one today. Tried out the Polaris 800 EFI briefly, but couldn't get that Ducati like sound out of my head made by the Outy 800's Rotax SOHC, 4-valve V-twin. Sounded just like a Ducati 851 or 888. Looks like this one:

I pick it up next Tuesday. Really looking forward to using it around the farm.