UTV: Mule or Rhino

[monkeyratmom]

Looking at either a 2004 Kawasaki Mule 550 for $4500 or a 2008 Yamaha Rhino 450 for $4800. Not that I would pay full asking price. Leaning toward the mule because of the actually useful upgrades (I just get suspicious when something is all prettied up). Just want a reliable workhorse.

The Rhino looks well used and as expected for its age. Message convo: Has used winch and pulled trailer. I don't have any more details. Found it on Facebook Marketplace. Lots of pictures so I can see all its features, except not sure what type of hitch it has.

The Mule has been gussied up but he says he has used the winch and pulled a trailer with it. Deets: 2004 Kawasaki Mule 550, custom black base coat/clear coat paint job,
Custom wheels, oversized knobby tires, winch with wireless remote, custom LED lights, recently serviced, receiver style trailer hitch, custom decals, rear view mirror, cup holders, dump bed, battery tender, new starter, new battery, diff lock, metal top.
Message convo: Yes. I have pulled a 6.5' x 12' utility trailer moderately loaded. I have used the winch to pull a boat dock onto the shore. Also pulled a heavy commercial zero turn mower that was extremely stuck in the mud on the shoreline. Winch rated for 2500 pounds.

Going to look at the Mule today at 7:00, and the Rhino Saturday if I don't go ahead and get the Mule.

[BargeMonkey]

The mule is a better "work machine", I have a 650 Artic Cat and it's ok, great for hauling oil, tools, I have a wood wagon that holds 1FC and handles that ok on good ground. Biggest thing is look it over and make sure it hasnt been pounded in the rock, check the CV shafts, that's250-300 bucks right there if you start changing them out. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Ditto what barge says. The Mules are easy to work on and the parts are easy to find BUT some parts can be pricey. The drive converters for instance. This one you are looking at is 2WD so consider the terrain you have. I have an '04 3010 that is a beast for me, but I need that 4WD for daily work.
 All things being equal, I would go with the Mule, hands down.
 Good Luck.

[monkeyratmom]

Thanks y'all. That's what I was thinking. We have level and rolling wooded terrain. A few steep areas going down towards creeks. Definitely planning to crawl under it and look at the important stuff.

[BargeMonkey]

 A winch on the front / back set up for the receiver will get you out of most trouble, nothing wrong with running a set of chains, I would on a 2wd machine especially a low geared machine like a Mule. Normally on the UTVs if your stuck pretty good in 2wd, 4wd isnt going to save you anyway, my arctic cat is pretty helpless when you get into the rough ground. Normally you can just tell looking at a machine what kind of life its had, I wheel and deal in ATVs, like machinery theres certain ones to stay away from because of the parts. 

[monkeyratmom]

Offered $4000, settled at $4250. Very nice less than 1800 hours on it. Very well maintained.

[Old Greenhorn]

Ditto again what Barge says (this is getting to be a habit). I have chained mine up on all fours, but prefer only two if I can. They don't do well in deep snow, but that is a good machine and the price you got is good also. I have been shopping for one for a co-worker and you can't really find them under 6500 if they are running.. Get the shop manual, chaep as a download on fleabay. It will save you some time figuring it out, but they are pretty simple.
 Have a great time with it. Glad you got a inch, that is essential, use mine a lot for pulling logs out of the muck. Never needed it to get myself unstuck. I do wish I had a receiver winch and will probably make one someday, very handy things.
 Have a blast and do some dumb things to get the feel of it.

[pineywoods]

Know next to nothing about the mule,but learned a bunch about the rhino. A while back, I bought a 2006 rhino 450 at a real good price, not running. Guy says it needs a new carb , which it did ($95), nobody mentioned the other problems like a completely trashed bottom end. My mechanic son and I pulled the engine and put it on a workbench. We completely dis-assembled the whole works. Some jackleg had attempted a shade tree overhaul and left out a few critical parts, like oil seals on the crankshaft, starved the rod bearing. Parts were no problem, I found everything I needed on amazon, including a new crankshaft. I have been impressed. this thing is very well designed, all heavy ball bearings on all moving parts, full pressure lubrication to all moving parts, even the transmission, and full flow spin on oil filter. . It's liquid cooled plus an oil cooler. The cylinder showed some wear, so I bored it oversize and installed a new piston and rings. Still not quite done, but I expect to have under $3k in it for a newly overhauled machine

[monkeyratmom]

Good grief, I would hate to have to do all that. Our company got bought out so I am pretty sure no off-hours personal machining projects are allowed any more lol.

[Old Greenhorn]

I was thinking of your post and the other day I stopped to take this photo. This is about the best turn I can grab with the mule. Hard to see but that longer log is about 12" at the  butt. From this spot I have a steep uphill run, about 30° and it is a challenge to keep the tires engaged with the ground with a tail load. No problem though. These mules, as barge said, are workers.



'
Maybe this is a better angle?


 
 Good luck with your new toy!

[luap]

As long as opinions are free , I will throw mine in here. When I was looking for a utv,  I wanted to get a new one. I didn't want any surprises. I liked the mule but no nearby dealers. I didn't like the bucket seats on the rhino. I ended up buying the Polaris 570. Easy to slide in an out with bench seat. Have had it 5 years, kept it stock other than windshield, roof and winch. I have had zero problems. A great work horse around the property. Hauled it out to Montana one year, did some mountain riding. Worked great at higher elevations'. I have done some trail rides but its main purpose is just around home. Firewood, dirt hauling, fence making, collecting sap, it's great. It's amazing where it can go just in 2wd but the awd works fine. It is amazing how the price tag adds up with accessories and more cc's.

[thedoublejranch]

I have a Mule 610 I bought new, its a 2015 XC SE, It came with a roof, I added the windshield, full road legal kit (can do in my state) added a 3500# Superwich and radio dispatched with a 2 meter ham radio (I am licensed). I also added the trailer hitch, bed mat and floor mat, extra storage box under seat, side mirrors, rear view mirror, horn and Condor emergency light bar on roof, its LED and does 15 different patterns.

Its perfect for running around my acreage, hauling my gear, pulling logs, dragging tools and making fence repairs. It has a locking rear diff, a LSD front diff (its 4WD)

It is not a good rig if you need to travel long distance, especially at any speeds. Its only a 400CC engine.

Kawasaki makes a bigger Mule, called a 4010??? This one has more power and you can get it in a 4 seater and even diesel engine.



 

 

 

 

 

[farmfromkansas]

Noticed you can get a discount price on a mule if you buy while they are doing inventory end of year.  I bought a used 13 Teryx 750, and only problems I have had was the radiator had been bent in by the kids of previous owner, and it sprang a leak from fan rubbing on it.  Bought one off ebay, called a racing radiator, and it is slightly thicker, and cools better than the original. And the electric fuel pump was clogged up, I sent for strainers, then a new pump motor rather than spring for the new one from the dealer. The Teryx is quite a horse.  50 mph down the road, and I can pull hedge posts up out of the crick with it.  2 at a time, big ones.

[mad murdock]

My next UTV will be a Mahindra Roxor. Basically an original 1950's Willy's Jeep with a truck frame under it so it can tow 3400 lbs and also a 62 hp Mitsubishi turbo diesel under the hood. Can be made road legal in most states for about $500 additional. They are too cool to be true!  

[monkeyratmom]

Way cool, but I would never do that to my granddaddy's 1948 Willys. Too many fond childhood memories. 🙂💕💕💕