ATV recommendations?

[Ljohnsaw]

I'm sticking this in the General Forum - please move if there is a more appropriate one.

I'm planning on purchasing an ATV to work my property and for fun.  I am a hobby miller - just building my own cabin and furniture.  I've visited the Can-Am (by BPR the maker of Ski-doo and Sea-doo), Polaris, Yamaha and Honda stores.  Of course they all compare and trash the competition.  I'd like some honest feedback if you have an ATV.  At the Can-Am dealer, they have CC sizes of 450, 500, 800 and 1,000.  The Polaris guy was not helpful by any means and the one they had was way overpriced and without any necessary options - though I did drive a smaller one at the dunes at Pismo Beach.  The Yamaha has 350, 400, 450, 550 and 700.  The Honda dealer didn't have any brochures so I'm going from memory - the largest was around 700cc.  I'm looking at the top end of each line because I want the independent rear suspension for when we go out riding for fun.

Primary function - fun, secondary - plowing snow, third - helping me build my cabin.  What I was concerned about was the towing capacity since I would be using a log arch.  The Honda had the lowest of 850lb, Yamaha of 1,100 and the Can-Am of 1,300 (with the 800).

There is a significant difference in price - I can get a 2012 Can-Am 800 (don't think I need the 1,000) for about $2,000 less than either of the other two's largest models.  The Can-Am is rated at 71hp - I use to have an old Case 210b 4cyl that put out 30hp and that as a tremendous amount of power for what I needed back then.  Honda 700 - 38.5hp, Polaris 850 -69.1 hp / 800 - 49.6hp, Yamaha 700 - 45.6hp.

Are the Arctic Cat, Suzuki or Kawasaki units worth looking at?

Each has their own type of transmission/drive-line.  Some fully automatic, some CVT and some clutch-less shifting.  Some have switchable 4WD and others AWD.  Also, the larger models have twin cylinder engines that inherently run smoother, less vibration.

If money was no object, I'd buy and ATV AND a tractor - but back to reality.  What would you buy?  Would you buy what you have again?

[Magicman]

Get the size, weight and horse power that you think you need.  Be comfortable with the drivability and transmission shifting arrangement.  Also some of the heavier units have power assisted steering.   Other than that, my general thoughts are that your dealer is more important than the brand name. 

[Mooseherder]

We have a couple Suzuki Vinson 500cc.  Bought one in 2004 and another in 2005.  They are both automatics and have been great machines.  I wouldn't hesitate to buy one used if I needed another. 

[Ianab]

Considered any of the 4WD buggy type ATVs? Kawasaki Mule or JD Gator?

Load carrying and towing is better, also safety and passenger seating. Don't let the fact they look like a golf card with knobbly tires fool you, they can go places.

[ND rancher]

I have had 3 500 AC's.The first 2 were great! the 2 yr old one is junk! The hitch bent the first time I used it,doing the same thing as the old ones did.Looked at new ones this fall and the only ones I sort of liked were Polaris 500 & 800.Can Am 500 was 2nd but no storage or hd front bumper .My opinion Is atv's are no longer made for work just fun.Would consider UTV like Kobouta  for work . I have used them for herding cows and just to hard to maneuver .

[chain]

We have a yamaha Rhino 700 4x4 FI for the farm. It's tough, powerful, and heavy enough to pull most of our chore loads and jobs. However, in wet and muddy soil conditions, and I'm talking open fields where I may need to run shallow water furrows to drain cropland, it will tend to collect mud and debris up and above the axle guard plates. I've had to remove the guards to clean and now keep them off when on the farm.

Snow drifts give it a fit as the Rhino will bottom out, then, you will have to have a tractor.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Working with the S.C. Forestry Commission for 26 years, I have ridden just about every brand of 4 wheeler made. During that time, I bought a KAWASAKI 400. It was an automatic. No changing gears at all unless I needed to back up. Enough power for my farming needs and always cranked the first time....always. I kept it 6 years. When my son turned 7, I sold it, for his safety. We now have a 4 wheel Kabota, IMO, , a little safer than an ATV.

If your looking for a personal opinion about ATV'S .....I highly recommend the Kawasaki.

[Ljohnsaw]

Considered any of the 4WD buggy type ATVs? Kawasaki Mule or JD Gator?

Load carrying and towing is better, also safety and passenger seating. Don't let the fact they look like a golf card with knobbly tires fool you, they can go places.

I'm having a hard time justifying the "toy" for me at $8-10k.  The side-by-sides start at $12k!    They also are a bit wider (great for stability but not for fitting in the bed of my pickup :() and they have roll cage/protection.  Great things, but a lot more money. I don't need to carry a bunch of stuff, other than perhaps firewood.  But a trailer can handle that fine.  So, I'm not convinced that I need a Razor-type vehicle. :-\

Working with the S.C. Forestry Commission for 26 years, I have ridden just about every brand of 4 wheeler made. During that time, I bought a KAWASAKI 400. It was an automatic. No changing gears at all unless I needed to back up. Enough power for my farming needs and always cranked the first time....always. I kept it 6 years. When my son turned 7, I sold it, for his safety. We now have a 4 wheel Kabota, IMO, , a little safer than an ATV.

If your looking for a personal opinion about ATV'S .....I highly recommend the Kawasaki.

Thanks, I'll check them out if I can find a dealer near me.

[Mark K]

I recommend the Yamaha big bear. Have two of them on the farm and they've held up well. I bought a Polaris Sportsman 400 in 05. It now has 600 miles on it and is the biggest piece of junk I've ever owned. Electrical nightmare! Has been back to the dealer more times than I want to remember. Its always stored indoors. Maybe they've improved.

[WildDog]

I recommend the Yamaha big bear.

I'll second that, I am on my second one with 12000 kms, no frills tough as nails. I am not sure what the Kawasaki ATV are like but I bought a Kawasaki 250cc stockman 2 wheeler 7 months ago and I couldn't be happier with it.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Personally I hate CVT/belt transmissions, as the can slip under heavy load. I have a suzuki 250 4wd and an arctic cat 500I both are 5 speed manual shifting transmissions, and haven't had any troubles with them under daily farm use. I also like being able to shift into 2wd or 4wd, as they steer better in 2wd.

For towing a solid rear axle is better than independent rear suspension as the weight goes directly onto the axle and tires with a solid axle. With IRS any tongue weight is transferred through the suspension as well.

My experience with towing is horsepower doesn't really mean squat it all comes down to weight. My AC 500 is almost 20 years newer than my Suzuki 250 and has over twice the power but only weights 60lbs more and can't really tow more than the little 250.

[Dakota]

I have a no frills Honda Forman 400.  Combined with a log arch,  it's like a little tractor.

 



 

[Ljohnsaw]

Personally I hate CVT/belt transmissions, as the can slip under heavy load. I have a suzuki 250 4wd and an arctic cat 500I both are 5 speed manual shifting transmissions, and haven't had any troubles with them under daily farm use. I also like being able to shift into 2wd or 4wd, as they steer better in 2wd.

For towing a solid rear axle is better than independent rear suspension as the weight goes directly onto the axle and tires with a solid axle. With IRS any tongue weight is transferred through the suspension as well.

My experience with towing is horsepower doesn't really mean squat it all comes down to weight. My AC 500 is almost 20 years newer than my Suzuki 250 and has over twice the power but only weights 60lbs more and can't really tow more than the little 250.

Excellent points - Now I need to go back and re-think, re-evaluate :P.  I was kind of leery of the CVT for long-term durability under heavy load conditions.  Also, the IRS has me concerned as well for timber work but I still like it for ride comfort when playing :.


Thanks, all, for the great responses.

[Mooseherder]

No pulling problems with the Suzuki automatics.
They pull just fine and will not slip.  I've dragged logs and hauled trailers with mine.  My 12 foot enclosed single axle trailer I pull behind my truck also gets moved around with the 4 wheeler easily if I need the trailer moved on the property.

[samandothers]

We first bought a 2006 Polaris Sportsman 700.  I was going to use it like a tractor on the land.  However it was too light for some chores.  if you try to winch with it, depending on what you are winching, it would be pulled instead of the object.  I did use it (with 2" ball in the reciever) to pull the trailer I carried it on.  This was handy.  If your land is hilly be very careful and I have over loaded my trailer and going down hill had the unit jackknife because the trailer and load weight was greater than the Polaris could hold back.  I have only had one issue with my Polaris. After about 4 years the kill switch had an issue and started causing the unit to miss while running and got to point it would cut off.  New switch and no more issues.

After about a year or 2 of having the Polaris I bought a tractor and never regretted that move. To clear land the tractor with grapple and bush hog are great!  Don't tell safety police but I use the grapple as a man lift at times.  : It did take a while to pay for but it was well worth it!  I wish had bought the tractor first and saved the money on the 4 wheeler.  Kids and wife ride 4 wheeler around for fun and I'll occasionally pull a small log with it.  If I had to do it over I would seriously consider going with a UTV.  To go somewhere with chainsaw, gas and oil you have to tie down on ATV, if you want to haul wood you need the trailer, if you want to take two people it is not convenient on the ATV.  In my area the only concern I have with a UTV over the ATV is the ATV appears to be smaller and may fit through the woods better.

Good luck

[MReinemann]

Beat my 2004 Honda Rancher ES.  4x4 shaft drive.  Been rolled over several times.  Stuck in water up to the gas tank and pulled all sorts of trees around.  Of course I have the tractor now for the tree pulling escapades.  Highly recommend honda or yamaha.  Have owned both and never been let down.
-Matt



 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I'm not saying belt drives are inherently bad, but they can slip, especially under heavy loads or if they get wet or glazed up.

I have a suzuki 250 parts machine that I retired a year or two back and it had about 18000 miles on it without any major issues. I put new piston rings and lapped the valves once in that time frame. Finally retired it as the frame and suspension was just worn out (shocks, springs, ball joints, wheel bearings, etc), motor still runs and it still shifts through all the gears just fine. I keep it in case I need spare parts for my other suzuki 250 that I'm still using.

One reason I bought the Arctic Cat that I have is that the motor and transmission are Suzuki made...

[Ernie]

I've had most brands of bike over the last 40 years but the best by far was the Yamaha Big Bear Professional.  It did everything I asked of it and i miss it sorely


I now have a Yamaha Kodiak with the CVT, I haven't found it slipping under load but I do miss shifting of gears.

[OlJarhead]

We have both a Honda Rancher 420 2WD and a Yamaha Big Bear 350 2WD.  The Yamaha is a 98 and still runs and drives reasonably well though it's a but low on power and is lighter and less comfortable then the Honda which is an 07

The Honda is awesome except that it's a 2wd and not 4x4 which I wish we'd done but at the time couldn't really afford it and didn't have land either.

Today, if I were to do it again (and we might some time in the future if the stars line up) I'd get a 2 seat (called a 2up last time I saw one) in 4x4 around 750cc's.  Why?  Too often we want to take one rig and two people (my wife and I), could always use the 4x4 when pulling loads of wood back to the cabin and power and traction go a long way when pulling a load up hill.

As for brand? I think they all make pretty decent machines (at least they all meaning the top brands) and agree with Magicman (I think he said it anyway) in that the dealer might be your best reason to buy -- kinda like buying a tractor.

[sawguy21]

I am really happy to see no one is going with the clones. My employer is the parts distributor for one of those lines, they are poor quality and factory support is next to non existent. The major brands are all good, it boils down to personal preference and the dealer.

[Ironwood]

As stated it really boils down to how your gonna use it. For me the JD diesel Gators have been great. CVT has never been an issue, and I REALLY work them. The pics show about 1000# loads of Ironwood craned off the truck. I use it everyday, all year.....I have an estate I use to get my materials, they have about every UTV out there and some crazy othr stuff (look up Goldini dumps http://www.ferrari-tractors.com/products/specialpurpose.htm) and amphib's (6x's and 8x's) you name it. Gators are the favorites of the crew of 10...

I retro fitted a power angle meyers blade to mine (jeep size, with custom quick release assembly so it didnt hang out front unless it was necessary) and ordered the HD front springs, changed out the 10" rims before 12" became standard so I could run skidloader tires. Some of the snow pics show a "Run flat Godyear Mudlite" that was a great tire, but expensive. I settled on the Titan skidloader.

Ironwood



  

  

  

 



  

 


  

 

[Ljohnsaw]

That Gator is pretty nice but I couldn't justify the expense for what little I would do with it (work wise - plus I would look like a geek using it on the dunes ) .  I'm looking at a tandem rather than a side-by-side because my son will eventually have his own when he gets older (8 right now), unless I buy a low CC model that would be legal for him to ride.  Also, it is narrower for working in the woods.

The Yamaha dealer gave me a DVD to watch.  Big surprise, their Grizzly out does the competition! : 

Their selling points are:
1) the CVT belt is always tight - never slipping, burning the belt
2) they are the only ones that have full diff lock where all 4 wheels work together
3) you are in control of 2x, 4x limited slip or 4x full lock with the switch of two buttons
4) 4 wheel engine braking (if in 4 wheel drive, secondary electric clutch engages at low RPMs)
5) 4 wheel disk brakes 
6) all electrical connection are waterproof marine grade
7) air filter is a foam, washable, reusable unit
8 ) air intake for the engine and the CVT cooling are mounted high to prevent water infiltration
9) extra wide clearance tunnel because of the way the struts are formed

They invented the electric power assist steering, so they say, and Honda has the same setup so I don't count that as a major selling point.  Others have it.

Not every model they compared to has faults with all of the above but many had several faults.

So, its down to the fact that they have 4 wheel independent suspension to give greater ground clearance and better ride.  That would be a minus if I were to have a heavy tongue weighted trailer.  They are also one of the lightest big-bore machines - a minus for towing but a plus for ride and fuel mileage when out having fun.

I think I had too big a sip of the Koolaid  :D

If I could get them to drop the price 10-15% and add the winch and rear seat for free, I might drink the rest of the glass...

[jander3]

 

 

Polaris 500 H.0.

[Ironwood]

All that Yamaha stuff sounds good. Really though ANY of the majors are good machines (at least the older ones) from what I have seen ...

[gspren]

  My 400 Yamaha Kodiak which is now called a Grizzly is used nearly everyday and has hauled/towed many cords of wood and bales of hay over the last 12 years and is still on the first belt. A friend had several Polaris ATVs and needed a new belt every year until he swithed to Yamaha about 7 years ago and hasn't bought a belt since. Anything over about 500 CCs is for speed and bragging because you won't run out of power with a 400. That is speaking with over 20 years of owning ATVs. JMHO!