ATV's

[isawlogs]

Brad ,
You are right about having a tractor around ,but he has a  cedar swamp , wich relates to wet and wetter . He is looking into the atv  to get around in there and keeping a low impact on the environment .

     I beleive that he should be looking into getting both .  ;) ...  Both would come in handy in there. I would wait tillI was there on a more permanent way to get a tractor up there , it would bea big asset when building time come around .

[Burlkraft]

Marcel...You are a very intelligent man.... ;) ;) ;)

That's exactly what I was gonna say...... :D :D :D

[isawlogs]

 
Thanks , but I got to admit to being called other wise a few times  :D :D

[scsmith42]

Check out the Polaris Ranger 6 wheeler too.  It's the only vehicle on my farm that has never gotten stuck, and that's saying a lot...

Ranked very high in terms of towing capacity (1,750 lbs as I recall), it has a two cylinder fuel injected motor, all 6 tires pull when you engage the electric AWD, and a 45mph top speed.

Optional cab, optional glass winshield with wipers, steel roof, etc - these things are made to work.

Dump bed on the back is standard, along with a Reese hitch.

If I had a choice between a 4 wheeler and a Ranger, and could only have one, I'd go with the Ranger.

One benefit of the 4 wheeler is that it is a little more maneuverable in tight environments.

Enjoy!

Scott

[Engineer]

Only thing I don't care for on the Ranger and a couple others is that you sit way up high, not down low like a Gator.  I get nervous on a high seat, especially on slopes.

[solodan]

The Ranger has a bench seat that goes over the top of the engine, even a quad puts you up there. The Yamaha Rhino puts you down next to the side of the engine.

[Dave Shepard]

All right, now that this has shifted away from ATVs, how about the Kubota RTV? It is more machine for the money than anything in its class. Wait, there isn't anything in its class.


Dave

[Jeff]

Budget is a big concern here. :-\   Actually, we did have a tractor picked out to begin with but after touring around on the property for a day with Jeremy and Greg and throwing ideas around, and knowing that Greg is thee go to guy for anything regarding tractors, and his opinion changing from tractor to ATV, I think ATV is the way to go for several reasons. Marcel's in the biggest. Low impact. I want to put as small of a footprint on this land as possible. I want it to stay what it has been. However, I want to still utilize some of its resources to create a way for me to exist with it, and on it.  The other reason for the ATV is that this area surrounding us is a paradise for them. Many, many maintained trails and trail heads right at our feet where we can use them to hunt and fish or just site see or even visit neighbors..

[RichlandSawyer]

I was helping a friend clear a downed burr oak out of a creek bottom. We hooked the 4x4 kubota to it and couldnt get enough traction to drag it up the hill. I suggested we get the ATV and hook it on too to see if we could get it to move. We chained it to the ATV and before i could get the slack out of the chain on the tractor the ATV was taking that log up the hill. unhooked the tractor and that 650 sportsman pulled it around like nothing. WOuldnt have believed it if i wasnt there to see it. Still cant figure out why the ATV would have better traction than the kubota.

[Ironwood]

Kubota RTV is nice, but make no mistake about it, there are a bunch of machines IN it's class and several better. Including the Ranger Scott talked about, one of my clients has two of the 6 wheel Rangers to move sugar from the sugar bush in the mountains. Don't be a brand snob, Mr Shepard.

             Reid

[Luckyfarmer]

about a month ago I bought a cub cadet, 20hp,760cc cat d.  It is the only way we can feed cattle..It has rained or snowed all winter.  I have lost 23 calves so far and it going to snow 3 inches tonight...I may go to Fl next winter and off bear for Tom.  I really love this atv, I looked at JD but liked cadet better 8)

[Engineer]

I've just wasted half my afternoon on a ton of research, and boy do I like that Yamaha Rhino.  I guess I've got to head out to the Yama dealer and see one.  My JD dealer won't talk to me anymore if I get one, but they look like the perfect machine for what I'd want.

[Robert R]

Holy Smokes, Scott.  What are those things.  My guess is QHs with double Impressive breeding?  Sure make mine look like puny things. 

[isawlogs]

 Robert , Those cant be  Quarter horse ... there more like Six Quarter horse   There big .  !!

[Mooseherder]

Plus, ya gotta have sumpthin to drag an arch around eh?
4 Wheeling is one of the reasons why I want to move back north. ;D

[Ironwood]

Engineer,

The Rhino is a really SUPPED up UTV. Fast, furious, and made for pleasure riding.

The Rhino has quite a following among the go-fast crowd. It seems t obe a downsized dune buggy to me. Things evidentally really go like H%$L. There is a ton of aftermarket parts for them as the go-fast crowd loves to spend money to go faster. Check out  www.ridesidebyside.com This guy (Todd, of Hunterworks) downsouth has all kinds of cool aftermarket parts and accessories. He develops alot of them himself. I have developed alot of functional parts for my machine on my own, he says there isn't enough market in the HPX's to him to bother. The forum is a good place to get inside scoop on querks of certain machines, SAY the deteriorating condition of a front universal of a RTV, which seems to be a design flaw issue.

                          Reid

[scsmith42]

Robert, the back of my dually has a sticker that says "Real horses weigh a ton"!  Duke and Prince are actualy a ton and a quarter...  apiece!

My wife looks like a little kid up on top of Duke.  In reality, she's 5'7".  Believe it or not, it is 6' from where her hand is resting to the ground.

The first time that we shod Duke, I wanted to compare his shoe to those used for the game of "Horseshoes".  Duke's shoes completely circled the outside of a regulation horseshoe.

We obtained these two fellows from the NYPD.  They were an experiment (failed) in extremely large (read intimidating) horses for crowd control.  They are both full blood Percherons, police trained and all that good stuff, and they were selected in a large part for their attitude.  They did not exhibit the typical "gentle draft horse" personality, but a much more dominating one.

Duke is 18.2 hands, 2,400 lbs, and we had to have his blankets custom made (something like a 110").  Prince is also 2,400 lbs, but only 17.2 and shorter (but stockier) than Duke.

Unfortunately for the PD - their experiment worked.  In addition to intimidaing the general public, they intimidated the farrier, the vet, the stable help, and many of the officers.  They got to the point where they were a liability, and the PD wanted to place them with someone that would devote the time to helping them work out their issues.  For the two years that they were on the beat in New York City, they either lived in a 14' square stall, were in a 20 x 40 turnout, or were being ridden, and basically they had forgotten what it was like to just be a horse. 

During a visit to NY, we heard about them from some friends on Long Island, and stopped by to see them on our way home.  I really fell for them.  The rest was a matter of convincing the PD that we'd be the right people to help turn them around, and getting the checkbook out!  Took a few months, but we prevailed in the end.

We got them back to NC and worked with them for a couple of years to teach them how to be horses again, instead of bullies.  After turning them around, we placed them with a couple in Missouri, and they absolutely love them.  I do miss them; as it was a blast to ride them (towering about a foot above the other riders).   The only things that I don't miss are the hip cramps from riding them and the hay bills - they'd go through a 600 lb round bale in a week and a half!

Scott

[Robert R]

I never think heavy horses when I see someone on one.  I've ridden Molly a couple times but find my appy much more comfortable to sit across.  I remember reading something once about that experiment.  My Belgians only weigh about 1600 or 1700 a piece.  I've one QH that weighs 1400.  The rest of mine probably don't top 1,000.  Most folks think their horses weigh more than they do but I bet you are right on with those weights.  I looked briefly at a black Percheron over 18 hands before I bought Molly and Ginger.  I was impressed with him and had he had a team mate, I'd have probably bought him but I am glad I didn't.  Wouldn't want to have to harness something that tall.

Do you have a spot where the oxygen masks drop down out of those monsters?  I'd love to see more pics if you have them.

[PineNut]

I have a Honda Rancher ATV and it fits my needs quite well. The tractor is used for the heavy work and the AVT makes a great toolbox. I put large baskets on both the front and back of mine and that was well worthwhile. Also use a sprayer on it with a 100 ft hose for spot spraying.  It also makes a great fun vehicle when now working.

[woody1]

I have a Polaris atp works great. Just sold my big boss 6x6 to a farmer up the road. The 6x6 was a must when I built my camp, but time for something new and more dependable. Used atv's around here are plentifull, but if a kid touched it, don't buy it. especially if it was my kids. They can ruin a $5000. atv in 5.7 seconds.

[Onthesauk]

I've got a small tractor which is fine on flat ground or out in the open but not of much use up the hillside and on narrow trails.  Got a ATV a couple of years ago and use it almost every single day for one thing or another.  Amazes me where it will go and has been just about trouble free.

[tomboysawyer]

If you have to get a quad, the hondas are very good.  I prefer a polaris, with the transmission that works like a snowmobile, that way anubody that shows up is able to drive the thing.  But, you have to be careful pulling any real weight with the belt drive. 

We bought our Polaris (Sportsman 700) BECAUSE it is rated to tow more than any other ATV on the market - 1500lbs with a 200lb tongue weight.

She skids 16' 20"dia EWP all day long with no arch through mud.

The belt doesn't drive the wheels, like a snowmobile, it powers the transmission. The belt doesn't slip unless there's something wrong.

So, fear not towing with a Polaris. We looked at new ATVs when ours needed some work (first year of the model - now has upgraded electronics) and I'll tell you, the only reason people recommended the Hondas was something about reliability. I like having Park on my transmission. I like my gear shifter on the right. I like being able to start in any gear.

As for an ATV versus an uninspectable road vehicle - they are much narrower. They are designed to go in the woods and they'll fit and turn in much tighter spaces. I can do 360 deg. circle in about 12'.

Different wheelers use different 4wd configurations. I like Polaris versus Honda because I'm only stuck when all 4 wheels are spinning - not just three. I also have 11" of ground clearance which is good for clearing many stumps. You can get stuff to mount on the wheelers. Good for plowing up to about 12" of snow.

My favorite thing for our wheeler (besides the 3 point hitch and plow) is our trailer:
http://www.countrymanufacturing.com/wagons.htm

Carries all sorts of stuff (including hubby out of woods when he got injured) - nothing like an ATV ambulance. Carries my big timbers too!

[jokers]

I've got a small tractor which is fine on flat ground or out in the open but not of much use up the hillside and on narrow trails.  Got a ATV a couple of years ago and use it almost every single day for one thing or another.  Amazes me where it will go and has been just about trouble free.

Your machine looks like the newer version of mine, a `98 Suzuki 500. I`ve got about 2700 miles on mine and the only complaint is that it is full time 4wd so the steering can be a little heavy at really low speeds. It`s truly impressive where I`ve been and what I`ve done with this machine. I`ve crossed many downed trees up to 16" or so in diameter going uphill with this quad. It may not look pretty but the job gets done.  ;D

[jokers]

All right, now that this has shifted away from ATVs, how about the Kubota RTV? It is more machine for the money than anything in its class. Wait, there isn't anything in its class.


Dave

Kubota RTV is nice, but make no mistake about it, there are a bunch of machines IN it's class and several better. Including the Ranger Scott talked about, one of my clients has two of the 6 wheel Rangers to move sugar from the sugar bush in the mountains. Don't be a brand snob, Mr Shepard.

             Reid

I can`t imagine that there would be anything in the same class as the `Bota given that the one I saw at a local sportsman`s show last year cost over 24 GRAND! Yeah it was a diesel and it was outfitted with all sorts of ersatz doodads but 24K? That`s insanity in my book, a guy can buy some real machinery for that kind of scratch. 

[Ironwood]

The best off road vehical is the the Tool Cat, by Bobcat. It is 5400 lbs. 56 HP. $26-32,000. Envision, a heavy duty RTV / GATOR , which can use full size buckets and dozer blade. HEAVY DUTY to an amazing extent. A RTV/ GATOR can be acessorized to the N th degree. The heated cabs alone can be $5000. It can make sense for universities and such but not hte average user.  http://www.bobcat.com/utility_machines/products

              Reid