utv's

[xlogger]

I'm thinking about retiring my golf cart and getting a side by side. Checking to see what experience you guys here have had with ones you have. I've looked at the Polaris  and going to look at Kubota. Is poper steering a biggie? Lots more $ on the Polaris. I saw a review on the gator and it was not good.

[TKehl]

Depends on how you drive it.  Laughed at my dad getting power steering on a 4 wheeler.  But, as he said, it's cheaper than another shoulder surgery and doesn't yank the handlebars driving over a log.

Those Kubota's are tougher than most out there.  Built like 2 seater tractors.

[Claybraker]

I've got a Ranger 800  EPS( now discontinued) with power steering. No problems with it.  My brother bought a Gator and after a year he traded for a Ranger 900 EPS  He spent more time taking the Gator back and forth to the dealer than he did using it. Power steering is handy.  Probably more important at higher speeds on rough terrain. Once you get above 40mph or so you'll really appreciate it.

[starmac]

It also depends a lot on how you plan to use it. The kubotas are built heavy, but not as good for off road as others.

[Bruno of NH]

Mahindra has one it's made in the US i belive
Might be worth checking out

[garyfg]

I have a Yamaha Viking  with power steering I like.

[snowstorm]

My general has ps I would not buy anything without it. With out it it's many more turns of the wheel lock to lock. I rented a ranger in alaska last spring. It was ok. But your pretty busy turning the wheel to make any speed . A general is pretty hard to beat. 100 go. Rides very good handles  very well and has a dump body. And I was told Polaris in goo g to replace  the drive line. To a shaft with c.v.joints.my only complaint was the front end noise

[Dave Shepard]

We have a Kubota RTV1140CPX with 2200 hours . Great machine, slow for some, definitely not sporty. We also have a new Gator 825i. Sporty, nowhere near the machine the Kubota is, sounds like a Detroit log skidder. Has a couple of issues since new that need to be checked out.

[YellowHammer]

I have a Polaris Ranger diesel.  We used to have a fleet of 4 wheelers, but we sold all but one Honda because everyone drove the Ranger.  Very low CG, but will go through swamps with ease and side crawl hills that would flip our Honda.  Has one wheel drive "turf" mode so won't tear up the grass and saves on tire wear.   Expensive?  Yes. But it's never been to the shop.  We put a lot of miles on them.   

   

[repmma]

I have a Ranger 570.  We use it around the property, plow the drive way and some trail riding.  For more of a work rig I think I'd go with a Kubota.   The Ranger is doing okay but I'm not convinced quite yet.  Kubota is going to be more expensive I'm betting.  Kawasaki Mule was the other rig I debated on, doesn't go as fast as the Ranger but again I question if it might be a better work machine.  If you get a Ranger and want to plow don't do a Rapid Mount, I ripped my bumper off fairly quickly thanks to that setup.

[xlogger]

I"m not worried about speed, my age slow is good. Really don't need 4 wheel drive but think I want it. We had about 10" snow a few weeks ago and golf cart would not go in it. That don't happen much here. I'd like to get a good used one but not seen one for sale lately. I hate paying all the extra tax. My hardest use for it would probably going up to area where I cut logs into length and bring ends down to OWB, other than riding it around at end of day with a Bud light looking at what I did that day and thinking about what I'm going to cut tomorrow.

[repmma]

My father bought a Chinese knock off of a rhino.  I will say he has worked the heck out of it and it has held up very well.  Can't remember the brand but there are a handful of the knockoffs out there.  Might be worth looking into for the savings.

[PA_Walnut]

Was really leaning Polaris, but ended up with Kubota RTV for a couple reasons:

Workhorse: most people I know with farms or construction go with Kubota.
Service: local dealer is very reputable and service is great.
Diesel: everything we run is diesel, so wanna stay with it. It has a 3 cylinder that is a mule. Steiner uses them in there tractors too.
Hydraulics: has hydraulics in rear for implements and/or dump.
Power Steering: Yes, it makes a difference. I use the hitch on it to move my mill and edger around. Works great!

Not fast, but gets used EVERY single day. There's also aftermarket turbo kit for it that REALLY makes a difference.  ;D

[Kbeitz]

You can always make your own....



 

[coxy]

i have a cub cadet 500 its great but will say i should have went to the 700 for a grand more it has 12in of ground clearance that is great for jumping over rocks and logs its not a speed demon by any means 45mph down hill to the floor  i like the 4x4 options to lock all 4 only did it once just to see most of the time its 2 wheel drive in less a lot of snow up hill of a mud bog in the spring I'm getting the 700     

[snowstorm]

Cat has one now. Made by textron off road that is really a arctic cat

[Dave Shepard]

Interesting. The New Holland one's are Textron, also.

[coxy]

Cat has one now. Made by textron off road that is really a arctic cat

don't know why cat would ruin there good name by putting it on an artic crap  :D :D

[snowstorm]

Neither do i.

[DR Buck]

I have  JD Gator 825i.   Have had it for several years and have never had any issues with it.   This in its self is amazing as I am hard on equipment and often fail at routine maintenance.   ;D

[samandothers]

My brother has a Kubota and likes it.  It does ride rough compared to my 4 wheeler, but they are for different uses. He bought a gas unit as he did not have other diesel equipment.

[Skeans1]

Cat has one now. Made by textron off road that is really a arctic cat

don't know why cat would ruin there good name by putting it on an artic crap  :D :D

Out here Cat doesn't have such a good name other then the 568.

[Skeans1]

I have an older rtv 900 with little issues we spray timber and carry saws where we can with it or carry the local ODF( stream and wildlife ) checkers for the state out to job out if possible only had to replace a driveshaft and a wheel end once in 2k hours.

[xlogger]

At the prices for new ones my golf cart is looking better everyday. I miss a good deal at a sale a few months ago. Maybe I'll keep looking for a used one, I don't have to be in a hurry.

[coxy]

i paid less than 9000 for mine

[Crusarius]

used ones in good price range are usually completely beat to death or you have to be really fast to get it.

The cub cadet version that Coxy has which is another rhino clone that matches my qlink go for about 7600 brand new last I knew.

I bought it for the drivetrain but then I figured out it worked really good so I put it back together and just ran it. Great machine really alot of fun and very useful.

[Raider Bill]

I have a GEO Tracker. UTV with A/C and heat.

[Crusarius]

and street legal

[starmac]

Several years ago, one of the off road magazines did a comparison between a susuki sumari and bigger 4 wheelers, the susuki did real well,

At one time in Texas a company was building 4 wheelers out of bronco 11's, V6 engines and auto trannys, with 33 inch tires. They had 3 different body styles that I knew of, but didn't stay on the market long. I always figured they ran into some liability problems.

[Raider Bill]

and street legal

Yepper! We beat that thing like a red headed stepchild in the woods then go gas up in town and grab a bite. All in style.
I think the Samurai has a solid axle in the front, seen several made as rock crawlers. Tracker is independent.

[Crusarius]

Lockers are your friend

[coxy]

the utv is street legal to just read the dec web site 

[Crusarius]

street legal with SMV sign? and under 25 mph?

I didn't think anything like that was allowed on NY streets?

[cbay]

The price of UTV's make me proud to use our old beat up Ford ranger 4wd.   

[coxy]

street legal with SMV sign? and under 25 mph?

I didn't think anything like that was allowed on NY streets?

the triangle and you need insurance  they are a utv not an atv they don't come with a title in ny but an atv has a title in ny    utvs  fall under a farm vehicle  I'm not shur about the racy type looking ones like the rzr 1000 if they have a title    the law has never stopped me on the main road i drive it up/down a county rd i have been going one way as they where going the other they may have been able to give me a ticket for no helmet and no seat belt cause i refuse to wear them  cant give me a speeding ticket cause it only goes  45mph wide open down hill  i even asked the sheriff about it and they said its a big grey spot in the law but if your not ripping around town and causing trouble do what you have to and have fun there is some info on them from the dec  and that's what i and a friend has gone by for about 8-9 years now with no trouble

[Ed]

I have an 07 Ranger 6x6.....2000 hours & 13000 miles.

Full cab with heat.

Replaced some front end parts but the rear axles are fully locked together all the time. Turning ain't easy. On my second set of rear tires, 3rd set on the front.

Still on the original belt.....

It gets used a bunch hauling firewood, can't imagine how many face cord it's hauled out of the woods.

Ed

[xlogger]

The sale that I should of got one at when for around $4200, Kubota diesel, top, windshield, hyd dump around 1500 hours. It was a rental, probably seen some rough times but I figure for that price if it had a problem maybe a couple $$ would fix it and I would still not have over $10,000 in it.

[PA_Walnut]

A word about Kubota RTV and it's hydro trans: it's a mule, pleasant to drive and dependable, but if the trans gets loaded-up (ie. you're pushing something or lugging on it), it's difficult to shift. There's a relief valve you can use manually, which sometimes helps, but other times you have to shut it off to relieve the pressures. Not a huge deal, but a PITA at times. I believe the solved it in newer models.

[petefrom bearswamp]

2012 rtv900, no issues mechanically but has some quirks.
Was $10,000 at that time.
Doesn't like to start in cold weather and even when below 50 degrees must use the glow plugs.
difficult to shift out of gear on a slope unless the brake is depressed, wont go up a fairly steep hill when empty at full throttle, but does just fine when pedal is partially depressed.
I have a 3-1/2 foot rack on mine and heap it up with firewood with no problems.
A real workhorse and very easy on diesel.
Mine doesnt go anywhere near 45 MPH about 25 tops.
No road issues here and mine is not street legal, no lights turn signals etc.

[ChugiakTinkerer]

I picked up an Arctic Cat '15 model that was old dealer stock and discounted nicely.  It's good for trail riding and hauling but needs better tires for the mud.  I looked around and was considering Ranger, Mule, and the RTV.  The Kubota is definitely a work horse but didn't suit my needs for off-road use.  The Ranger is probably the best all around, and I would have jumped at the chance to get one with the discount I got on my Arctic Cat.  If you are looking at aftermarket accessories, the Ranger rules the roost.

[coxy]

2012 rtv900, no issues mechanically but has some quirks.
Was $10,000 at that time.
Doesn't like to start in cold weather and even when below 50 degrees must use the glow plugs.
difficult to shift out of gear on a slope unless the brake is depressed, wont go up a fairly steep hill when empty at full throttle, but does just fine when pedal is partially depressed.
I have a 3-1/2 foot rack on mine and heap it up with firewood with no problems.
A real workhorse and very easy on diesel.
Mine doesnt go anywhere near 45 MPH about 25 tops.
No road issues here and mine is not street legal, no lights turn signals etc.

pete the reason it wont go up hill full throttle is that the hydrostat pump is wide open also   try going up the hill then let off and hit it wide open again it should bring the pump down and you should be able to go full throttle with the motor but the hyrostat pump should be mostly closed and you will have lots of power at a snail pace if you know what i mean 

[DR Buck]

Here is one of the days I routinely abused my Gator...... and it survived.




 




 

[John Mc]

My UTV is a 1960's era Coot. The grandfather of all ATVs/UTVs. 4WD, 4W-Steer, articulated, amphibious.

Powered by a 16 HP Briggs Vanguard engine (original engine was a 12 HP single-cylinder Tecumseh). Geared for power: top speed is about 20 MPH. No differentials: all wheels turn the same speed all the time (which is why the 4W-steer was a popular option). Will go through just about anything. About the only way to get it stuck is to bottom it out in the snow or mud (it has 12" ground clearance, so bottoming out doesn't happen very often). I have towed 3000# with it on relatively level ground. It will tow 1500# comfortably.

In the photo below, the right rear wheel is just coming down off a big rock, so the articulation between the front and rear tubs is shown. The design keeps all 4 wheels on the ground even in some very rough terrain.



This photo was taken before I put the roll bar back on. I've also since added a winch in the front and a 2" receiver hitch on the rear. This one is my work/beater Coot. I have another that looks better which I will soon add the optional propeller outdrive to (assuming I can find an appropriate prop).

[Kbeitz]

I like that Coot... I made this 4 wheel drive.



 

[Chuck White]

John, I had a 1977 COOT, but sold it quite a long time ago!

We had a lot of fun with it, and it would go places that others couldn't!

I also replaced the Tecumseh with the 16hp Briggs, installed a cooling fan to the outside, under the seat!

I used to frequent "Cootworld.com"!

[John Mc]

Hey Chuck. That's great. Where did you mount your fan on your Coot? My engine area does get a bit warm. I've been thinking of doing something similar myself. That's one of the great things about Coots: very easy to customize (my wife had trouble with muscling the 4 wheel steering around, so I put in a "steering quickener", but put it in backwards so it geared the steering down 2:1. Steering is a breeze for her or my 13 year old daughter now).

I got addicted to Coots because the because they are a quirky little thing. I own two running ones, and another for parts. Two other guys in town each own one as well. I like to claim that we have the highest number of Coots per capita of any city in the US (it helps that our town population is only around 2000).

BTW, my wife is from Pulaski, NY (South of Watertown). A lot of her family is still in the area. Her cousin is working as a Verterinary Technician at the Canton Animal Hospital (probably 20 or 25 minutes from you?)

[Crusarius]

I forgot about the coot. I would love to have one as a toy. But would probably be better as a utility vehicle. Be so easy to customize for anything you want. Could be a dump bed a log hauler a flat bed a seat for more ppl. Now you got me wanting to build one

What does that have for an drivetrain?

[Banjo picker]

 

  

 

I use this machine just about daily.  It is a workhorse, but it does have its limitations.  I have found it to be very reliable as to cranking, but as has been said unless its in the dead of summer you need to use the glow plugs to start it.  It has hauled out every stick of firewood that I have burned since it was new in 2006.  As you can see from the second picture I don't over load it NOW.  I did in the past and had to pay for my sins.  If you will look at the back bumper on this machine it is built in a radius.  The problem is your u joints which on these early models at least were not greaseable.  And you have to jack the unit up and take the bumper loose to get the ujoints out to change them.  I have done that two times over a twelve year period.  I also had to change out one of the front cvc axles...which wasn't a real big job and the axle was just a bit over $100.00.  If you are looking at a used one, you need to have it checked out really good by someone that knows their stuff.  If you had to take one to a dealer to have the rear end u joints done i would bet it would be very expensive.  And on a side note all the kubota parts are high in price, and you just about have to use their transmission oils to make it work right. 

All that said,  I love the little machine and when something needs fixing that gets TOP priority over just about any thing else.  The only way I would get rid of it would be to get another one.  Banjo

[John Mc]

I forgot about the coot. I would love to have one as a toy. But would probably be better as a utility vehicle. Be so easy to customize for anything you want. Could be a dump bed a log hauler a flat bed a seat for more ppl. Now you got me wanting to build one

What does that have for an drivetrain?

Drive train is fairly unusual: There is a variable pitch clutch consisting of the drive clutch on the engine, and a driven clutch on the input shaft of the transmission, connected by a special drive belt. As the engine speed increased, parts on the drive and driven clutches moved, changing the pulley ratio between the two. (A similar system was used on some snowmobiles at one point.) The Apex transmission had two forward gears and one reverse. This connected via chain drive to a drive shaft running almost the length of the Coot. The driveshaft connected to "Torque Transmitters", one on the front axle, and one on the rear - right where you would expect a differential to be if it had differentials). The torque transmitters had a worm gear driving a ring gear on the axle, providing further gear reduction.  I liked the look of the ring and worm gear enough that I replaced the lid on the front Torque Transmitter with a Lexan cover, so I could see it in operation.

I ended up replacing the speed sensitive clutch with a torque-sensing model. This is quite an improvement in the way the Coot handles a load, you can now get full RPMs out of the motor even at low speeds (1st gear was already quite low, but the change greatly reduces the need to downshift when you get to a hill when puling a load).

With no differential, the 2 wheel steer models took some space to get turned around (though if you were lucky, there was enough slip on soft ground to allow tighter turning). The 4WS models improved turning radius significantly, though tight maneuvering is still not the Coot's strong point.

You can find out more at the Coot user's group at www.cootworld.net

[Crusarius]

so lots of room for improvement

[John Mc]

so lots of room for improvement

Yeah, but there is an upside to that drive train: the same thing that makes for a larger turning radius also makes it drive through just about anything. If just one wheel has traction, you're going to move, and because of the articulation, it's very rare that only one wheel has traction: all four wheels are on the ground regardless of terrain. High ground clearance and a smooth belly lets it get through a lot of tough situations. And there is the amphibious part: no one would think that a 1000# hunk of steel and rubber would float - it sure doesn't look like it would. It can make for some fun reactions when we "accidentally" drive into out pond with someone who is not familiar with a Coot. Speed in water with the original military jeep tires is only about 2 knots. The propeller out-drive increased that to about 4 or 5 knots. (which is why I'd like to eventually get my nicer Coot set up with the prop. The "woods beater" will not get a prop - one more thing to worry about banging up in the woods.)

[Crusarius]

I know all about that stuff here is my other UTV.

[John Mc]

Holy Toledo! You don't need a Coot, or a UTV for that matter!

[Crusarius]

with the UTV I can fit between the trees. And I don't care much about the body on my UTV. This is how it came to me. The only thing that was holding it together was the mud

[petefrom bearswamp]

Thanks for the useful hint Paul.
Cresarius what does it look like now?

[Crusarius]

I will have to get a picture next time I have it out. This is what the knuckle is supposed to look like.





This is how it actually looked




Thats what happens when there is a bad wheel bearing and you just continue to beat on it.

[caveman]

 

 
We have a TS gator.  It is a handy tool hauler and my daughter uses it daily to haul the hog manure trailer to the compost pile.  I have had to weld the exhaust manifold back to the exhaust flange but other than that it has been trouble free.  It has over 1500 hours.  The little machine will high center pretty easily and being a 2wd it is about useless in hilly terrain (I hauled it to the N. Georgia Mountains once), but with the floatation tires and the differential lock it does relatively well in mud and sand.

The trailer was made from an old, worn out JD AMT.

[Kbeitz]

I have been enjoying my mules. They have a rough life.