Learn me on ATV's
 

Looking for a utility atv. I want to use it mostly around the house (3 acres plus) Been cutting trails down in the woods and now that the Jeep is gone need something to replace it. An atv seems just like what I need. Don't need a monster atv. Looking for something in the 450-500 cc range as it seems to be big enough for my needs. I also need:

Ability to install a winch and tow hitch for accessories
Ability to install a snow plow.

Not much used around here that is not all beat up or it is a sport atv, which doesn't suit my needs.

What models have a good reputation? Thanks for the help!

I would consider a Mule, much more versatile and can haul 1000#.

How much do you want to spend?

Kurt, I have a Polaris 300 utility type 4 x 4 ATV. It is a two stroke with high/low foward gears and reverse. It has served me well and has plenty of power in low gear to pull cars and other heavy loads. That said.... the engine is aircooled with fan assist which does not cut it when creeping along pulling a heavy load for hours at a time on a hot summer day. I pretty much destroyed my engine several years ago pulling a heavy lawn roller on a hot spring day. I ended up having to bore it and install new piston/rings. My Polaris still serves us well around the yard and it excells at plowing snow, but the build quality is just not as good as the old faithful Honda four strokes.

I would not recommend a two stroke or a Polaris. I would look at four stroke gasoline powered Honda's if I were you. I got my Polaris cheap from a good friend who owned a Polaris dealership, but if I had been paying full retail, I would have went Honda.

Kurt - I have 3 acres, have to plow snow and do all you mentioned. What suits my needs better for less money is a John Deere Garden tractor. They are plentiful on the used market in the mid-west.

I bought a JD 316 with 4 way hydro snow blade, snow blower, rototiller and 50" deck for $1,900...........You wouldn't believe the dirt pile I had from burning stumps that I was able to blade out. I would hook up a chain and pull a good sized log off the log pile to cut it up. Guessing a 40 ft tree, 18 inch diameter - no problem.

If I was to do it again, I'd buy a JD 318 for the power steering.....

In the winter, I have the option to plow snow or blow it, depending on conditions......... Just an idea.......Cheaper way to go.......

Ok, what Tim and Bob wrote...rat bastards:)

ATVs and a plow are nearly an oxymoron. Any old Toyota trucks near you?

Around $6K. Yeah, Tim, after some research I am definitely going with 4 stroke and probably water cooled. Most new ones have those features anyways.

As for a mule, that is overkill for my needs, plus I like the fun factor of an atv and my daughter can play with it under my supervision.

Bob S., you have given me something to think about, but I already have a 20hp Craftsman lawn tractor. Good for some things, but not others. I get it stuck down in the woods and then have to pull it out.

Kurt, I rode a newer 500cc 4 stroke Polaris in some god awful terrain in Arizona last week. The owner (my old Polaris dealership owning buddy's brother) has three of them, but one was down with fuel injection problems. I don't know what it out there for new models, but if I was buying, I would want carburation and simple robust systems where possible as you don't want headaches as the thing ages.

That's what I was about to say... (rat bastard :p)

My '82 is indispensable on my 6.5 acres. I can't tear it up, wear it out, or beat it for use anywhere in the yard. I used it to snake all the logs away when we cleared all the trees away from the edge of a 2 acre pond. I moved the 33' Mothership a little closer to the garage with it because the Chevy won't turn tight enough. Spring-time limb clearing, pine cone picking, and sweet gum sapling cutting-and-clearing are no problem. It gets me to work on cold, rainy days, it hauls away my garbage, hauls in parts-n-things (more garbage), and is as reliable as sunrise.

Watch...now that I've proped it up in words, it'll blow a head gasket the next time I drive it. :D

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I've owned 12 ATV over the last 15 years............

yamaha, honda, polaris, don't look further, in that order.

newest quads bring power steering and fuel injection.

2011 yamaha has a 450cc mid sized quad with power steering, 700CC offers fuel injection plus the power steering. Yamaha Grizzly can't go wrong, polaris Sportsman, both very nice machines, I own both with 4 ATV's in my shop now.

If you're into performance, weight is everything, just like a porsche. The new 450 from yamaha is a mid size nimble quad you can weave through trees. Bigger 700+ CC's are damn heavy, pushing 600-700+ pounds. A winch is value added to get you out of a ditch.

I have a 1996 Polaris Sportsman 500 4x4, it is carburated. It has never stranded me in the woods, is bullet proof and starts during hunting season (sub zero) when the newer Kawi, Honda, Yamaha atvs wouldn't start.

I pulled a dead horse about a mile over Labor Day weekend, just put it in low gear and and away it went.

Mine is a liquid cooled 4 stroke, that cost me $2,400 3 years ago. I have put over 1,000 miles on it, a lot of it in very very rough terrain.

I have serious issues spending $7-10K on a new one.

On a side note, you can still buy the Polaris Sportsman 500 4x4 with a carb. They are a lot cheaper, and to be honest, other than cv joints instead of u joints, there really is not a lot differnet betwteen them and mine.

Bill

I've been plowing my drive (more than 200' long) for the past 6 years with a Yamaha ATV. Works great.

We love our MULE, they are great tough vehicles. However if doing it again it would be a Kubota RTV with a diesel motor.
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Thanks for all the good advice! Really not looking for a pickup truck. Even a mule is bigger than what I am looking for. I know an atv can plow snow because I see them doing it all the time around here in winter. I am going to look for a good used one if I can. Just need to know what to watch out for.

All the ATV's are pretty good as long as you maintain them.

I use mine for snow plowing, weed spraying, hunting and fishing. I also take weekend trips with friends in to explore the back country.

Some times 20 + miles from pavement. reliability is absolutely critical, They are amazing machines, the simpler the better

Honda Foreman ES at 9,700 feet in the Tobacco Root Mountain Range Yesterday.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1286809689.jpg
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My experience has been different, but my driveway is gravel, 1/2 mile in length so I'm thinking I need more purchase than the lighter ATV allowed.

There are times when I have to plow on my MF tractor backwards due to the depth and weight of the wet snow.

I would buy yamaha, Honda, or Kawasaki. In that order. I've had products from all three and the yamaha were by far the better built

let me add this..............my (2) guys working for me are MMI graduates. work for ridenowpowersports. a goofy azzd consortium of a gazzillion dealers they bought up. handle your general brand names yamaha/suzi's, polarius etc. the nickname for polarius is REPAIRIUS!


of all the ATV/OHV's they service guess freeking what they work on ALL THE TIME! polarius. have mucho amigos with all the brands.



the brands to stay with are yammers(mine), honads,suzi's PERIOD!


now i have a 2000 yammer grizzily 4WD 600. i have BEAT THE LIVING SNOT OUT OF IT for 10 years doing (2) things. dragging property with a very very heavy RR I-BEAM with 8x8x16 blocks on it and HUNTING!


i have dragged (3) cow elk and (1) bull elk COMPLETE less guts out. putt putt put as obviously we have FAR EXCEEDED the mfgs weight limits.


just used it this weekend hunting quail. nasty slow trail you would have KILLED a jeep on and you sure as hell would have KILLED anything bigger.


i have changed oil/plug/adjust valves/clean air filter every 200 miles religiously and thats IT! has 2331 miles on it and i have FLOGGED IT! never a whimper.


buy a 300-400cc and its a corvette/p-car on the trails. buy a 600cc and up and they drive like a one ton truck. they are NOT meant to go fast. mine weighs 600#'s and it has tried to kill me once on a very steep off camber hill and rolled over on me. and trust me wearing a helmet when going on steep technical crap is a damn good idea especially when loaded down with the kitchen sink and (2) people. goes 61 MPH with jet kit and K&N and thats as fast as i want to evar go on it.


it gets me to my happy hunting grounds loaded with everything i need. cover it with camo cover under a tree,take GPS coordinates and START HUNTING!



latest rumour all polar-ius parts SOON TO BE MADE IN MESSIKO for even furthur QUALITY CONTROL!



my .0000002 centavos.



look for brands with ELECTRIC and PULL START for when yer battery takes a crap 70 miles out in BFE!

Charles, your writing drives me crazy, but you do have good info if one can decipher your writing! :D

Saw a couple of 4x4 atv's on Chicago craigslist with winch and plow for less than $5k

usually on the belt drives the 1st thing to take a poo is..........THE BELT! this is because of excessive heat build up aka lugging the hell out of it with a load or a drag.


yes the lil banana buggies are cool looking but yesterday we were on this nasty azzd trail(?) and we had to grab our snotguns and point them straight because of width and overhanging palo verdes and salt cedars.


so bottomline my quad will go more places than a full size UHV anyday.



and to top that a lil 300 2 wd will go MORE places than mine because of size and weight...............and the best part.............ya dont need 4 people or a winch to pull them out like my big pig.



so yer choices : lightweight and small carrying capacity or big pig with mucho carrying capacity.



the nice lil easy going trail today, just may be yer death a week, month from now after some GOOD EROSION!



cant tell you how many times i have gotten off my fat azz and walked next to it on the uphill side so if it rolls over i aint KILLT DEAD thru nasty sections.