4 x 4 ATV Recommendations Needed Please

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

Looking to buy a 4 x 4 ATV quad to pull small tractor style cart with atv type tires to get firewood out of mucky areas on my property. Have about 3 acres of wetlands behind the mill with about 50 to 60 cords of firewood in there. Cant get back there with tractor or bobcat cause i sink quick and deep. Have given wife more than one good laugh trying, then spent half day pulling tractor or bobcat out. Dont think tracks over bobcat wheels would help much either...this muck just wont support much weight

Was thinking about getting a used 4 x 4 quad. Can anyone recommend which older models are the most reliable. Not looking to spend a fortune on a new one. Something that wont get stuck in mud, that i can put winch on, automatic transmission, maybe a rack for chainsaw and gas can. Just a basic no frills workhorse...not one of these $10,000 plus ones they sell today at dealerships that are nicer than the car i drive every day...lol

Advice appreciated

[stanmillnc]

I've had older Honda's and recently picked up a Yamaha Kodiak, which I love. The Honda's are bulletproof and last forever under normal operating conditions and maintenance. And they hold their value. A used Honda Rancher 4x4 is a solid, safe investment in my opinion.

When I was looking to upgrade to a late model, bigger machine and 4x4, the Honda's price point shot way up. That prompted me to research Yamaha, which is known to be a high quality manufacturer. Yamaha ATV's offered more features at a lower price point than Honda. Ended up getting a 2 year old Yamaha with low hours and extra features (EPS, automatic trans, IRS, fuel injection) for ~$1600 less than the equivalent Honda. Had it 6+ months now and love the machine. Super smooth automatic transmission, quiet, plenty of power and super comfortable to ride with the electric power steering. This Yamaha has a built in full size trailer hitch mount and is winch ready (pre-wired) as well.

A friend of mine is a long time ATV enthusiast and has had them all (Polaris, Can-Am, Honda, Arctic Cat etc.). He says that Honda / Yamaha are the highest quality and resale value, Polaris is the best bang for your buck, Can-Am has nice fancy features and to be careful with other brands.

[gspren]

I have a 2000 Yamaha 400 Kodiak 4x4 that's been great and has brought out tons of firewood with a small trailer or a log arch depending on tree size or terrain. In mushy areas the first few trips are often ok until things get loose, sometimes if the bark is coming off when I split I'll put the bark in the wet spots and that helps if it's a temporary trail. I know some people like the bigger 600 size ATVs but they seem to sink in quicker. I also hear people say to stay away from belt drives but I've got 21 years on my original belt so no complaints there.

[Gere Flewelling]

I have experience with Honda and Polaris ATV's from both work and personal utility use.  I have an old Honda Forman 450S that I bought new in 2003.  I have used for personal use hauling firewood and logs all these years.  I still have the original tires on it though they are pretty worn.  It has the foot shift transmission which won' do you much good at the races, but is very bullet proof for what I do with it.  I put a new winch on it when I bought it and can count on one hand how many times I have used it.  I made a logging arch to tow behind it and have had good luck with it.  I have a fleet of ATV's where I work that have many abusive operators that run them daily.  We started out with machines just like my personal machine years ago but found the air cooled Honda's didn't hold up well in the winter time when worked hard in cold weather.  We switched to the Honda Rubicon 500 machines.  These have a true automatic transmission that would probably work great for a single operator.  They also have a liquid cooled engine that can handle the hard cold weather RPM's we subject them to in the winter.  The transmissions do fail on occasion, but have done better than the mechanical transmissions and clutch's.  We also tried several Polaris Sportsman 500's a few years ago.  I found that they ride a lot better than the Honda's and had lots of power.  The problem we found with them was that they are belt driven and have independent rear suspension.  When these units were worked hard in the conditions listed above, they proved very unreliable.  The belts and clutch's just couldn't handle the towing strain and the rear CV axles were constant maintenance keeping cv boots intact.   After 3 years of using the Polaris machines we gave up and went back to the Honda's.  The Honda's still break down when driven by the type of employee's we have, but are repairable and just plain tough, in my opinion.  The oldest Honda I have at work is a 1999 Forman 450 and the newest is a 2018 Forman 500.  There are several Rubicon's from the 2000's in between.  If you are going to haul or tow heavy loads, you need to stick with the solid rear axle and liquid cooled engines.  This has been my experience.  On a side note: Don't ever buy a used ATV from a ski area. Just saying! ;)

[mike_belben]

King Quad 300 has a lot of virtues.  Its biggest design flaw is air cooled, best attribute is 3 transmission ranges x5 mainbox gears.. plus 4 wheel locked diffs.   I have made mine into a service truck to bring fuel to the other machines or maple back from the woods etc. It will also pull its heart out but hard to keep cool.  They need an electric fan. 

























No matter what you choose HP is never the issue.  Its weight up front.  They will all wheelie immediately and you need tons of counter weight.  Add enough weight and power and youll just snap the thing.  Put the load on wheels.. Im not exaggerating when i say you can forward approx 10x more tha  you can skid over the same ground with the same power.  


If your really seriously in a swamp, make a walking beam trailer and put conveyor belting over the tires to create floatation tracks.  Winch the thing across if needed.. Just dont full throttle assault and sink yourself to the skid plates.  A brush matt trail would help a lot too.  

[Walnut Beast]

That's what I call warrior style 👍

[Raider Bill]

I had Yamahas and a Honda bought used. Beat the crap out of them all and they still are going strong.

[Mooseherder]

suzuki vinsons and king quads are work horses.   I have 3 Vinsons and almost bought another last weekend but it was already sold when I called.  It was going to be for my son in law.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Make sure there is still support available. We just got my wife's Artic Cat 500 back after 9 months in the shop and still had to take it to another guy for a starter issue. I hear they make great snowmobiles but their ATV line folded. I have a 650 Kawasaki. Replaced the motor last year. It has taken way more abuse than any machine, or rider, should ever face.

[farmfromkansas]

I had a Kawasaki Teryx 750 that I gave my son when I bought a new Polaris 570.  Kawasaki's can be bought cheaper than others.  I bought parts on ebay.  Had to replace the fuel pump, and the radiator did not keep up, bought a oversize, called a racing radiator, better cooling.  Also have an 06 Honda Rancher, still have not put anything on it but filters and oil.  Mine is the 350 air cooled.  Has a fan to cool the engine, runs off a thermostat.

[Dakota]

 

 

1999 Honda Forman.  Can't beat this work horse.

[snobdds]

We have had all kinds at the ranch, but the Polaris Sportsman 550 in the 2003 vintage was bulletproof...literally. A trespasser shot the *DanG 4 wheeler and it still ran. The yamaha's were good too, just dogs, too over geared. 

We now use Polaris rangers as they have the biggest engines and aftermarket support in the market and they have been good.  

[Old Greenhorn]

I am no expert. My neighbor bought a Honda 450E Foreman and I have, and continue to do all the work on it. It runs well and has guts, I will say that. BUT my advice if you are looking used is to stay away from the electric shift models. Nothing but problems and it can leave you in a real lurch when it won't shift, with is too often.
 I'd also suggest you pay special attention to tires given your stated use. The aggressive tires that look cool are probably the worst thing you would want, they tend to be narrower. I'd look for a wider tire with better floatation lower footprint pressure. The truth is that when you have heavy deep mud every tread pattern loads right up and is useless. Tire width can help a little, but stuck is stuck. :D ;D

[barbender]

"Something that won't get stuck in mud", you need to get that fantasy out of your head immediately, Beaver!😂😂

[Iwawoodwork]

The rancher that runs cattle on our property says the Hondas are the most durable for their use, rounding up cattle in the mountains and hay field work, I noticed he had a couple Polaris in his bone yard.

[Walnut Beast]

We have had all kinds at the ranch, but the Polaris Sportsman 550 in the 2003 vintage was bulletproof...literally. A trespasser shot the *DanG 4 wheeler and it still ran. The yamaha's were good too, just dogs, too over geared.

We now use Polaris rangers as they have the biggest engines and aftermarket support in the market and they have been good.  

Absolutely I've experienced the 550 of that vintage in the mountains. It's a mountain goat

[barbender]

I have a 99 Polaris Sprtsman 500 I bought new, at the time they were the only outfit with the independent rear. The ergonomics and ride quality were so much better than anything else at the time, they didn't even compare. I was well aware of Polaris' poor reputation for quality, my intention was to buy a new Honda or Yamaha as soon as they came out with a comparable machine because they were built so much better. Well, here I am 22 years later still riding that thing, it's just never given me any trouble🤷🏽‍♂️ My Dad had a couple Honda Foreman ES450's, they weren't even enjoyable to ride. Little skinny hard seat and ROUGH riding. I don't doubt they would be a tougher machine if you are truly abusing them I've worked mine pretty hard and it's still ready for more. 

[Gere Flewelling]

Busy Beaver- You have received a lot of opinions.  Clearly everyone has different opinions and there is no good reason to question any of them.  say_what I certainly wish you luck with what ever you decide to purchase.  I will be interesting to know what you have decided in the future and what your opinion will be once you have experience with you unit.  GF

[upnut]

I have hauled ALOT of firewood with a 2012 Yamaha Grizzly 350, never any issues. The Yamaha 350 engine is as reliable as they come, no problems with the belt drive or drive train. Light, easy to maneuver, dependable....



 

Scott B.

[dgdrls]

"Something that won't get stuck in mud", you need to get that fantasy out of your head immediately, Beaver!😂😂

If your only reason is to pull firewood from the swamp, IMHO you'll be better served with a skyline.
anything on wheels that goes into a swamp = stuck.

Once the logs are on the "dry side"  game on!

D

[Greyman]

We have 3 Yamaha Kodiak 450/400's (1997, 2013, 2020), hardly a problem with any of them.  The biggest problem was the 2020 came with crappy 2 ply tires and I had 2 flats in 1 month.  Heck with that!  I changed them out with the 10 ply Free Country tires and they are great!  Not much improvement on dirt/rock but excellent on snow.  I'm the only one in town still using my 4wheeler in the snow.  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074DRKC7Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also, the 2020, being fuel injection, badly needs a computer fuel injecting map update since day 1.  If you buy one, any fuel injected toy, have them check the injection map before you take it.

[SwampDonkey]

I use a Polaris Ranger 570 for forwarding my firewood. I cut, buck and split at the stump and foreword to my pickup. I cut out trails. If your in wet, don't plan on pulling anything far, no matter how well built the machine. Forward your wood and travel on corduroy trails. ;D I currently am working along the main road, so have not gone back very deep into the bush with it yet, but my ground is mostly firm, with wet runs that are firm enough to drive a pick up through, done it on the winter road and in November. ;D My firewood is from thinning, mainly aspen and softwoods, once in awhile a red maple. Trying to leave all good hardwoods.

[mike_belben]

As kids we built pallet roads and bridges across the swamps we really really wanted to cross badly enough. 

[upnut]

If you have the time and patience March is a good month to sneak out on frosty mornings after a good overnight freeze. Just be ready to call it a day before the crust thaws....

Scott B.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

"Something that won't get stuck in mud", you need to get that fantasy out of your head immediately, Beaver!😂😂

If your only reason is to pull firewood from the swamp, IMHO you'll be better served with a skyline.
anything on wheels that goes into a swamp = stuck.

Once the logs are on the "dry side"  game on!

D

I thought about rigging a skyline but dont have a clue as to how to do that