ATV of choice for the woods

gjgauthier · June 10, 2012, 09:07:34 AM

I'm in the market for a used ATV to put to work in the woods. It'll be a working ATV, not for trail riding much. I'm looking for something in the 50cc or larger class. What you're feeling on the brands or models best designed and engineered for this application? What should I stay away from?

saltydog · June 10, 2012, 09:51:59 AM

Honda. i have a 1995 300 4x4 air cooled no oil coolers full time 4x4 .light enough you can lift one end.no belts to slip and change .no electric shift .bought it brand new have worked the guts out of it with little upkeep.it was my first skidder. there still around and you can get them for 1200-2000 bucks in good shape.bulletproof.it will tow a full size truck.mine pulls a 8ft field drag in the garden.with ice chains on the tires its pretty hard to stop it.simple and half the weight of the new 800s and will go through more.i have pulled random spruce logs with a chain flat on the ground out of a ceader swamp.for a work machine stay away from the new electric stuff you will skid alot of wood.just my 2 cents from hands on skidding with a honda.

Raider Bill · June 10, 2012, 10:50:36 AM

I have 2 Yamahas 350 Wolverine and 400 Big Bear also a Honda Foreman 450 all great hard working machines. We misuse and abuse them still running strong after 5-6 years Bought them used. Can't go wrong with either make IMO.

Bobus2003 · June 10, 2012, 11:28:20 AM

I run the Hell out of my '06 Kawasaki Brute Force 650 4x4, still running after 6500 miles.. My last quad wasa Polaris Magnum 500, Sold it with just under 15K miles.. It was a good quad but I went through alot of clutches

chevytaHOE5674 · June 10, 2012, 04:22:47 PM

I have two Suzuki Quadrunner LT-4wd's 250cc's. One is a 1988 the other a 1989, both odometers quit around 6k miles and that was many years ago. They are 4x4 with high/low/super low range and a front differential lock, which means they will push/pull/drag/traverse just about anything. This past winter I finally broke down and tore the top ends of the motors apart and re-ringed them and installed new valves and lapped them in, they are back to running like new; though they still ran good prior to the work just figured it was time to "freshen them up". These machines get used daily on the farm for checking fences, checking cattle, running parts around, hauling junk, etc; basically I use them more than I use my pickup truck most days. I will keep running them until they completely fall apart then I will just rebuild them.. hahaha

WildDog · June 10, 2012, 05:47:13 PM

On to our 2nd Big Bear 400, 9yrs old, constant 4wd, a good basic quad, tough as nails. I only use it on the farm and have 8000miles on it, never misses a beat. We just sold an old Honda, I think it was the 1st quad they made, fuel tank under the seat, probably 25yrs old, rolled a couple of times and still going strong.

redprospector · June 11, 2012, 12:03:34 AM

I know it's not an atv, but I recomend the Polaris Ranger.
I was looking for an atv last year, when the land owner I was working for took me for a ride in his Ranger. I was impressed to say the least. I bought an 06 500 Ranger last March, it paid for itself durring fire season when we would have been shut down if we couldn't follow the mulcher with a minimum of 50 gallons of water ready to pump. I bought a 65 gallon tank, pump, and wand at TSC and put it in the back of the Ranger so we were able to keep working. The Ranger packed 550 lbs of water plus tank, pump, etc. with little problems. It covered some pretty rough country.
The other advantage for me is that being a side by side, I can put the State Forestry guys in and take them around for inspections.
I don't know how I got along without the Ranger before.

Andy

gspren · June 11, 2012, 06:03:46 PM

In my area Honda and Yamaha are the most common and I have one of each, both over 12 years old with no problems. The few people I know that bought Polaris ATVs really liked them for the first year then started having problems and have since changed to Yamahas or Hondas. JMHO!

Magicman · June 12, 2012, 07:31:22 PM

If you can find a Polaris 425 Expedition, jump on it for sure. That was probably the last manual shifter that Polaris made. I think mine is an '02.

TheDirt · June 12, 2012, 10:31:41 PM

Personally I'd stay away from the newer polaris machines, I've seen those things just come apart.
Yamaha's Grizzly and just about any Honda is a good bet. I have two 2002 rancher 350's that I use to bring fuel, saws and tools out to my dozer if I am bunching or doing work where I can't drive to. I work alone a lot and it's nice to know that I could hopefully get myself out of the woods fast on the wheeler if I was banged up!
Anyway, those Hondas are INCREDIBLY DURABLE! out of all the machines I run they definitely get the least tlc, or really any maintenance of any kind :-[
but they ALWAYS start, always idle and always carry way more than they should out and back.
Also you can pick them up pretty cheap, I have like $1200 into the pair.

DeerMeadowFarm · June 13, 2012, 04:07:07 PM

Andy - I have a Ranger as well and I like it a lot. One complaint I have is that I have gone through batteries a lot; have you experienced this?

Mooseherder · June 13, 2012, 08:47:06 PM

Lots of good threads on atv use in the search field.

buckgrunt · June 13, 2012, 08:54:34 PM

IMPORTANT !!!

You want an ATV with the most ground clearance to make your way around the forest and to clear existing stumps, rocks, and other obstacles. I bought my ATV with logging in mind and after a lot of research and measureing, the best ground clearance was an Artic Cat. I have a 500 cc

redprospector · June 13, 2012, 10:59:35 PM

Quote from: DeerMeadowFarm on June 13, 2012, 04:07:07 PM
Andy - I have a Ranger as well and I like it a lot. One complaint I have is that I have gone through batteries a lot; have you experienced this?

No, I haven't experienced any battery problems.
I thought I had a problem with it the other day, but it turned out to be the brushes in the starter.

Andy

DeerMeadowFarm · June 14, 2012, 08:27:03 AM

Mine is a 2007 Ranger and I'm on my 4th battery if you count the original. :(

They seem to die more in the winter....

redprospector · June 14, 2012, 11:04:15 PM

I've only had mine 15 months, but it's still got the same battery it had when I bought it. You guy's probably have a little harder winters than we do in Southern New Mexico.

Andy

Magicman · June 15, 2012, 08:27:02 AM

Not a UTV, but I just replaced the Interstate battery in my 4 wheeler. Installed it in 2007. 5 years ain't too bad.

ely · June 15, 2012, 09:26:54 AM

i now own two hondas wouldnt trade em off for nothing. 350 rancher 2wd and 400 4wd. grew up and got old on those suzuki lt4wd 250, very tough machine, bought it new in 87 and lost it in o8 house fire.

Mooseherder · June 15, 2012, 06:31:07 PM

2004 and 2005 Suzuki vinsons here.
The battery in the 2005 lasted 5 years. The one in the 2004 lasted 7 years.
Very good all around machines. I haul trees with the 2004 without an arch. The only work done on both machines is rear brake pads on the 2004 a few weeks ago. Cost 37 dollars. I would buy a used one if available in your area. Actually I am thinking about buying a Suzuki car for mileage because I have been that happy with them.

sparky1 · June 15, 2012, 08:15:59 PM

Like others, Im a Honda fan. Ive had a couple. I currently dont, but they were great machines. With that being said, my next machine will be a Ranger. We have a coupled at work. you can go about anywhere with them and are very handy.

redprospector · June 15, 2012, 10:17:49 PM

Quote from: sparky1 on June 15, 2012, 08:15:59 PM
Like others, Im a Honda fan. Ive had a couple. I currently dont, but they were great machines. With that being said, my next machine will be a Ranger. We have a coupled at work. you can go about anywhere with them and are very handy.

If you can't get there on a Ranger........You probably should have walked anyway. :D

Andy

roger 4400 · June 16, 2012, 08:00:54 AM

I have a Honda Foreman 400cc 1996, always on 4 wd, gear and I believe nothing beat them. The way Honda fit the engine there is no transfer case so less gear (no loss of power) I logged all the wood for my house, spruce log up to 17 ft and 21 inches, it pulled it.....650 logs at all and yesterday I was logging pinelogs, 12 footers 20 inches, everything went fine. Regular maintenance and changed the shaft from the engine to the front differential.....no more problem with that atv. ;)

Dakota · June 16, 2012, 09:24:08 AM

Agree with roger 4400. My Forman 400 is a mini tractor.

Dakota

JOE.G · June 16, 2012, 12:45:45 PM

I have a 2006 Artic Cat 650 H1 LE, it is a tank a lot of power great ground clearance and goes any where. It is holding up ok, I don't think it holds up as well as a Honda does though But I would buy another.

sparky1 · June 16, 2012, 07:09:21 PM

I do have a little actic cat 250 for plowing snow. For a smaller machine they are powerful. I wouldnt recommend that small for alot of people. I guess Im sayin artic cat makes a decent machine. Im sure there all decent if shown a little tlc. you could talk to 50 different people and their machine will probably be the best out there.