please help on atv purchase.

[mountaineer]

I am in the market for an atv. i will use it to pull  wood around my property with a small trailer, push snow. (steep gravel driveway) and other general work stuff. nothing too crazy but i do have really steep hills. i also will trail ride as well a little. i have looked at mainly arctic cats and hondas. i have been told by the few people i have talked to to buy a honda. i haven't talked to anyone about arctic cats except the dealers. the one dealer likes them both and sells them both. he says get the one that fits your needs best.i feel both of these model arctic cats would work great. but i want to keep this thing for a long time. the dealer rep for arctic cat says that honda hasn't advanced in technology in ten years and is living off its rep. he still says its a good product though. hondas are more expensive new. arctic cat has 1.9% financing and honda has 3.99% one thing is i do have to finance. i can finance used but not as good of apr.%

models i have considered.
arctic cat 500 auto new 2008 - 5500$
arctic cat 700 efi camo 2008- 6000$ with 400 miles considered new with 1.9%
honda rincon es 2007 60 hrs. 5000$
honda foreman es 2006 500 miles 4200$

any help would be greatly appreciated. any opinions are as well. what would you do if you were me? 

    thx, mountaineer

[Jeff]

I love my Rincon!

[pasbuild]

Hard to beat the Rincon..................I have a Polaris

[Handy Andy]

  I have an old Yamaha, had for 14 years, still runs ok, broke the brake cable last.  Neighbor has a Polaris, breaks that belt once in a while, leaves him stuck walking out somewhere.

[Tillaway]

I have used:
Honda, a little, worked fine not tough use it was older so no independent suspension but followed the ground well.

Arctic Cat, helped a friend beat the snot out of a 500 atv logging.  It lasted about two years of hard use before it was totally trashed, transmission and other failures.  He was running ring chains on the rear similar to a skidders just micro sized.  It was pretty darn impressive where you could go with that thing with the chains on pulling an arch.  The suspension was excellent.  I was impressed.

Suzuki,  I used a little 250 4X4 with something like three gear ranges for 15 forward speeds and locking front and rear differentials and fully independent suspension.  It was my favorite for getting around out in the woods at work.  It was light enough to pick up and get out of the stupid places I tended to wind up in.  I would buy one similar as my first choice if I went back into the private sector.

Yamaha,  Used both a 350 and a 400 quite a bit.  Given a choice I would take any of the above over these.  The suspensions were terrible and tended to not follow the ground.  They were very tippy compared to the others.  They ran good though.

[tonto]

I had a Honda Rincon. It was a great sport quad but with out low range, it was tough to pull wood and plow snow. I bought a Polaris Sportsamn 700 X2 2 up. Helped convince wife that it was a good buy - she could go ride with me. When not a 2 seater the seat folds down and you have a cool dump box in the back. P.S. she has only ridden once in a year that we have had it! Tonto.

[mountaineer]

thx tonto, that really helped.

[Jeff]

I guess I'm going to have to dig up the dozens of photos of my Rincon pulling logs and stumps and all kinds of things, including my fat butt. I have zero problems with low end torque, then again I work on relatively flat ground for the most part.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,33351.msg482157.html#msg482157

[fishpharmer]

I don't think you can go wrong with Honda.  I know alot of folks that have had good service from honda.

My experience:

yamaha 3 wheelers- I pushed them to the limit.  Several total submersions.
Finally got tired of them.  Still ran. 

Suzuki- early 250 4x4.  Was a good machine if ran often.  Let it sit for
a month or two and the carb needed cleaning.

Polaris- 350 sporstman (I think).  2 stroke. Might have been a lemon.  Always something wrong.

Yamaha- 450  super dependable, plenty of power.

Arctic Cat 250-  never would idle correctly, "cold" natured.

I am sure most modern ATV's will work for logging.  It is amazing what they will do.

For what you want to do a small tractor
may work better.

[Onthesauk]

I've got a 2001 Suzuki 500, don't think I'd go any smaller then that to use in the woods. 
For me, like the ability to shift in and out of 4wd, doesn't tear the lawns up as bad in 2wd when I'm around the yard.  Have seen some incredible deals on ATVs in this rotten economy.

[dutchman]

I've got a 2004 450  Foreman ES. Used with an arch,it has done a great job pulling logs.
Put a winch on that has come in handy.
Plow snow it's quick and easy.
Change oil and plugs,keep battery charged,fires up every time.

[jander3]

I borrowed a friend's Honda 450 Foreman last fall to pull in logs.  It worked great and had plenty of power to move 25-30 footers (red pine) through the woods (with the log arch junior holding up the tail end).






Early this year, when it was time to purchase an ATV, after looking at Honda, Artic Cat, and Yamaha.  I decide on a Polaris.   I needed a basic machine that is tough and will hold up to constant pulling, pushing, dragging, and just about anything else I ask of it.   The 500 Polaris Sportsman (H.0.) with factory kickback was a couple thousand dollars cheaper than the others.  I ended up purchasing a new machine for just a little more than I would have spent on a used Honda.

With a single log arch, the Polaris is pretty much maxed out at 35' aspen (13"-14" at the Butt).  It will pull the log on level ground, but you won't get up a hill with it.

I've been very hard on this machine all year and I've been very pleased with the performance.





Generally, I use the ATV for moving logs; however, at times, I have to use the Oliver cause the ATV just doesn't handle the real heavy stuff (i.e. 30' plus). However, I wouldn't use this on a steep hill.  Probably not the ATV either.  On the steep hills I would opt for a winch or a skyline.

[chevytaHOE5674]

I have two arctic cat 500I's both with the 5 speed manual transmission. Between the two there is probably 3-4k miles on them. Never had any issues with them and only ever done regular fluid changes, and a couple sets of brake pads. I use them for everything from trail riding, to hauling logs, to pushing snow, moving trailers, hauling cattle feed, running fences out, etc.. I absolutely despise the belt driven auto's because under heavy load they can slip the belts. 

[sprucebunny]

I recommend Honda Foreman series because of the solid rear axle. I love the low range on my Rubicon; I haven't found much that stops it. It's survived me for 5 years with only a minor problem with a sensor in the transmission. I fixed it myself.

[Dave Shepard]

I've got a Rincon, and I really like it. Never had a problem with the transmission style, it's got tons of power. I only run Honda. Too many problems with the others I've used.

[isawlogs]

   I have a friend that is in the fixing of used bikes , so I asked him once , what bike he liked , he was quick to point out the polaris ,  8)   I like dem alot , keep me busy   : :D   So I rephrased my quest to , which bike dont you like , he pointed out the Honda ...  ;) That was good enough for me .

[ladylake]

I'd go with the Honda, farmers I know with Polaris are in the shop a lot, yet they keep buying them, hard to figure/   Steve

[mountaineer]

does anyone own an arctic cat with automatic?  thx

[MattJ]

I have a honda that I bought brand new in 1994.  Only change the oil and thats it for maintenance over the past 15 years minus a few spark plugs and air filters.  The thing never stops.  Original brakes, transmission and everything else.  I can't even imagine how many hours it has and it always starts right up and runs all day for the chores I use it for.  Its only a 200cc (back when 300cc was considered large).  In the super low first gear I have dragged some massive loads with it. I was even able to drag a 600+ lb / 36" dia river birch log with it with a friend sitting on the back for traction.  My personal opinion from riding lots of different quads is that a manual or electronic shift manual is a better transmission for control and keeping rpm's high under short durations of high load. 

One thing to think of when you are looking is go bigger than my 200cc, but remember a big ATV chews up a lot more gas, and is much harder to get around in a woodlot than a more compact one like the hondas.  When the big polaris's first came out is when the trees on our riding trails started to develop what tree farmers call tractor blight!  I also can tell you small hondas are very good at pulling those polaris's with the broken belts!

[IMERC]

  I have an old Yamaha, had for 14 years, still runs ok, broke the brake cable last.  Neighbor has a Polaris, breaks that belt once in a while, leaves him stuck walking out somewhere.

he hasn't figure out that he needs to carry a spare and a tool kit yet???

he needs to walk out....

[chevytaHOE5674]

he hasn't figure out that he needs to carry a spare and a tool kit yet???

he needs to walk out....

He needs a manual trans so that he never has to worry about having a drive belt on his ATV let alone breaking one. IMO.

[Polly]

      if you really want one to work with get a jd gator or a mule as for as i know the john deere is street legal and classified as farm machenery and tax deductable my neibor just had his quar turn over backward while trying to pull a tree limb and he broke a rib , now if you want one to play with and dont need anything to write off your taxes any of the ones being discussed will do  8)

[Harvey]

Mountainer

             I have a 2002 Arctic Cat 375cc  4x4 (almost the same as the 400),  it's auto and I've had no problems with slippage or breaking a belt.  It has semi independant suspension,  rides great.  It has a low range and i'm really impressed with what it can pull,  it's a real work horse.  I don't have a plow.  I'd buy another but probably go to 500 cc.

              When trail riding I'm usually with Hondas,  I have no problem keeping up,  the Hondas are great,  espically the Foreman's,  you can't go wrong with Honda.

Harvey

[mountaineer]

thank you harvey,

i needed some input on the arctic cats. as of right now, i feel that the 700 efi m4 2008 model arctic cat for 6000$ is a great deal for what you get. the 1.9% is great too. honda is just too expensive for a new atv. i really want a honda, but can not justify the difference in price.  if i bought the equivalent  in honda it would be 8000$.

                                      thx

[Corley5]

My experience with Arctic Cat ATVs left a bad taste in my mouth.  We had one at work that was/is the biggest piece of crap I ever had to deal with.  It's a 96 or 97 300cc? 4X4 bought new.  It seldom starts when it's needed in pinch.  If you know you're going to need it and it's set for more than a couple weeks the carb WILL need to be cleaned.  My 250 Honda Recon can sit for months on end and fire right up and be ready to go.    Maybe it just doesn't like me but that Arctic Cat caused me enough aggravation that I'd never even consider one.  We needed to do some stuff with an ATV last summer and rather than put up with the POS I took my Can Am 650 Outlander to work for a couple days.  In my experience the Honda would be well worth the extra $$

[mountaineer]

that was the first or second year arctic cat made atvs. they were not good models in the early years from what i have heard.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Just found some pictures of the abuses my AC 500i's have taken without injury for 2k+ miles a piece. They are tough machines. I can't find any pictures skidding wood, pushing snow, or doing any real work at the moment though. 

[mountaineer]

looks intense. how does one learn to pop a wheelie without ending their life  1st try?   

[chevytaHOE5674]

To the left of the picture there is a giant hole, that we rode up and out of and then just leaned back and hoped for the best. Once you do it a few times it gets more comfortable.    ;D

[mountaineer]

so it's now between a honda 2009 rancher 420 auto with efi and power steering. but no h/l and no diif lock.  (new) good feeling atv. a little small.

or the 2008 arctic cat 700 efi auto. with 400 miles. has front brush guard and front diff lock and high/low. nice size atv. 

th honda will be 800$ more. 1200$ after financing over 5 years.

is h/l and diff lock very important? the clearance on the cat is a lot higher. also important?

the insurance on the honda is 120$ a year lower.

thx again folks.

[CLL]

High-low is very important and diff lock is nice. my son has gotten out of some tough places with by having the low and diiff lock. They will pull a mountain then. Some without the low range will burn belts up in tough going.I would say buy the best you can afford for the use you its intended for.

[Corley5]

I looked real hard at the Honda Rincons before I bought the Can Ams.  The performance of the Can Ams sold me on them  8)   That said if I was buying a four wheeler just for work I'd buy a Honda without a second thought.  My one experience with Arctic Cat ATVs ruined me on them forever.  I hope they are better than they used to be and they must be because they're still making them 

[mountaineer]

please people that plow snow with their atvs, will the 420 efi honda rancher be able to push a steep driveway of snow? and pull wood? and create world peace? lol.

[Jeff]

Steep driveways are easier to plow then flat ones. Just make sure yer plowing in the right direction.

If you had snow like we have the last couple years, forget plowing with any atv.

[chevytaHOE5674]

If you had snow like we have the last couple years, forget plowing with any atv.

Up here ATV's are only good to clean up the "crumbs" that occasionally roll off the edge of the plow or tractor blower.   

[isawlogs]

 I open my yard here with a Honda 350 4x4 I do put ring chains on the back tires , a 50" plow and open a large yard. There are front mounted snow blowers for atv's I have a friend with one and work really well , he has a good long steep hill to clean and also has to deal with blowing snow with the blower the banks dont get as high and has less drifting.

[caver]

I had not owned a four wheeler since the late 80's when I had a Yamaha Blaster.
I bought a Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI/EPS. A fun machine that I use around the farm.

A friend of mine is an independent motorcycle mechanic. I asked him of any brands to stay away from and he said they are all pretty equal in reliability.

If you are buying Honda/Polaris/Yamaha, Abernathys in Union City TN is hard to beat on price and they have their out the door prices on the website including last years models.

[stonebroke]

Honda, I just put a starter on my foreman four hundred at 6500 miles It was the first thing I have had to do to it. All my others never even made it that far.

Stonebroke

[mountaineer]

so i talked to a guy at abernathys for a few minutes. they have good prices. i told the guy what i wanted to do with it and he told me not to get a rancher or foreman. he said they aren't made to plow etc. he also said not to get the rincon. he said the rubicon is the way to go. he said it's liquid cooled and is geared for that kind of stuff. rubicon anyone?

[Jeff]

Um... My Rincon is liquid cooled and plowed snow in western U.P. of michigan up until I got it.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Um... My Rincon is liquid cooled and plowed snow in western U.P. of michigan up until I got it.

They must have plowed often and always. There are times i have trouble blowing snow with a 7' two stage thrower on a 100hp tractor.

If you have the time to plow often then your golden.

[mountaineer]

before we go on any further, i would like to say that i'm really jealous of all the white stuff you folks up north get. we get some here, but not like the old days. where is a good old blizzard of 93' when you need it? in 93 we got 125" of snow.(the whole year) (4ft in one storm) you probably get 125"   in one storm. :'( i really don't know why i'm so worried about the dang plow.

[Corley5]

I know a guy north of Shingleton, Van Meer actually just south of the Bear Trap, who plows with a newer Polaris.  I'm not sure of the size.  He builds ramps out of the snow and just keeps going higher pushing the snow off the end   He's semi retired and has lots of time too  ;)   I'd recommend a fuel injected machine.  They're much more convenient to start in the cold

[Banjo picker]

Kubota 900 RTV...You can get the extra hydralic hook up if you were to need it....Drive post, run jack hammer...etc.   A little more pricey than some of the others though...Tim

[WildDog]

I think I chased price, clearance and a strong frame when i bought my Yamaha 400 over the Honda, i've put 9000km's on it in 5yrs and now looking to upgrade. The Yamaha has been a tough machine mainly used for mustering cattle and goats and has now replaced my horse, the biggest problem I have is constant 4wd, i do a lot of night time spotlighting for roo's, deer and pigs and driving around in the scrub steering with the right arm while I am holding the light with the left for hours on end takes its toll on my shoulder and elbow. One other fault is the half foot plate to often sticks gat driven up into my boot or ankle. >:(

I have a real old honda with the fuel tank under the seat seen better days but still going,  I was leaning towards a Polaris but there is a few new brands available down here now that might warrant a look, like the Can-Am's. Its a bit hard to know who to trust for advice, When I bought the Yamaha, I was told they had the strongest frame then last week I went to the Kawasaki dealer to get a 2 wheel agg bike and he said they were getting a lot of Yamaha atvs traded with cracked frames. I had some drovers on the stock route that were  working for a cattle station that only ran Honda Foremans funny thing is these drovers said the station mechanic would replace the frames with a home made heavy duty one before they got used.

[cheyenne]

How about a good used Foreman 500 with standard tranny if price is an issue. If it's a work machine I would never have an automatic tranny. But that's just me. I have a 2005 Foreman & I can't kill it . It skids logs, jerks over trees, pulls a wagon load of wood uphill, plows snow, grades roads, And it makes a great attachment to the beer cooler......Cheyenne

[Banjo picker]

Kubota 900 RTV...You can get the extra hydralic hook up if you were to need it....Drive post, run jack hammer...etc.   A little more pricey than some of the others though...Tim

I should not have bragged on this rascel ...it started making a racket this weekend...going back to the dealer this morning...sounds like its comming from the transfer case...only does it every once in a while.... :( >:(  Tim

[manatarms]

mountaineer,

Newbie here...I'm by no means an expert, but Honda's don't have front locking differentials...in my opionon a must have feature on an ATV that is going to possibly get stuck in the woods or encounter off camber logs at slow speed.  Honda's are known for reliability, however I don't think you can go wrong with most any of the majors.  If your gonna want to plow...heavier is better.  I think most A/C and Polaris (which I have) are heavier than other machines.  Many A/Cs also have a standard 2" reciever...so you don't have to add an adapter to pull standard trailers about.

A/Cs and Polaris have TONS Of factory accessories available and are generally thought of as great utility/work machines.

Every machine has pros and cons.  What is your budget?  Did you look at Yamaha Grizzly?  Grizzly's have a great reputation as do anything, with adequate power, great 4WD system with front locker, and loads of aftermarket parts available.  It's not the best at anything, but it is *DanG good at everything.  Just my 2 cents.

-Mark

[Banjo picker]

Kubota 900 RTV...You can get the extra hydralic hook up if you were to need it....Drive post, run jack hammer...etc.   A little more pricey than some of the others though...Tim

I should not have bragged on this rascel ...it started making a racket this weekend...going back to the dealer this morning...sounds like its comming from the transfer case...only does it every once in a while.... :( >:(  Tim

Found the problem...front u joint was going...evidently a recurring problem with them...went to Muscle Shoals and got a new one for 30.00 ..kind of steep for such a small critter...Kubota has changed the design on the drive shaft on new models i am told....Tim

[Ironwood]

Banjo,

Not really ATV's but useful non the less.

The RTV had a spline issue in the front as well. It is likely that they fixed yours or it went out after the factory found the problem. I like those the only thing is there is little room for a taller tire and hence more under axle clearence. I put 12" rims on mine so I could have a better tire selection. If you guys REALLY get out in the boonies, Goodyear makes a Run Flat Mud Lite (see first pic) that can easily get you out of the woods and back home w/out issue (Tested that on a logging job a few weeks back :). I was hauling about 900-1100 lbs per load on the racks, luckily it occured unloaded. so I just headed out the mile long skid trail. These tire would also work on a true ATV.

Been plowing w/ mine for 5 years or so. I put a used Meyers on it (6') I see where you can get plows for RTV's, Polaris's and Gators thru one of the catalogs now, like $4000 I dont have much in mine as I cobbled together most of the parts from my truck plows. I have really put this thru it's paces and it has held up exceptionally well. As for the drive belts I am ABSOLUTELY amazed at how well those belts hold up on a CVT tranny. It's almost a little surreal, at times I would think "no way it's gonna snap under this load/ situation" Never one issue.

The last pic is of an older HPX gasser I had first.

Ironwood

 

[littlechub]

my 2006 suzuki has a belt driven automatic, and i promise you that it will run out of traction a long time before the belt will slip. ive pulled some huge loads behind it and have yet to slip the belt in low range. ive treated it rough ever since ive owned it and other than brake pads have done nothing to it.

[Banjo picker]

Sorry about that.  I guess the diff.. would be  All or Rough...My bad....Tim

[cheyenne]

You can put lockouts in the front wheels of Hondas, for about $ 350 but I have never chosen to as I have never seen the need & I do some hellaious hauling out of the woods. When the snow hits I just put chains on & keep going. Just this morning I made 5 trips out with the ATV wagon loaded with 12" hemlocks 8' long a 3,000 lb. load and a lot of it is up hill. The trick is to build up speed & keep it rolling & when to down shift & how much gas to give it so you don't spin the wheels. Once you start spinning your dead or if its wet out don't even think about it. Now if someone would invent a steel wheel with spikes like on a skidder for an ATV I would be their first customer.......Cheyenne

[splitter]

Got a Honda Foreman love it starts everytime. Keep oil changed new plug once in a while can't go wrong. Splitter

[mountaineer]

well it's done. I went on vacation for a week and when I got back to town i purchased a new 2007 suzuki kingquad 450 efi with independent suspension. all the reviews by people online love this machine. I didn't buy a honda because the honda guy told me not to get the foreman because it isn't water cooled. he told me to get the rubicon. he had a 2007 new but the reviews from several people on this model were pretty scary. 4 out of 10 had major problems with it. it also does not have independent suspension. tha arctic cat dealer didn't give me a good enough price and the suzuki lady was really good to me. it's also 30 minutes from my house if i need service. I paid 5499$ out the door with 1.99% financing. I didn't care about the 2-3year model year difference because i plan to keep it as long as possible. by the way, I love it. drives real nice. most places I have gone have been in 2wd. i went places my 4wd truck will barely go on the 4wheeler in 2wd. i was amazed where this thing will go with 2 wheels pushing. i did purchase a 17 cubic foot metal dump cart. and before i got it 50 ft into the woods i flipped the cart. it's junk. it tossed and turned and would release the lever to dump every 5 ft. i guess i need something beefier. any suggestions? one thing i did notice is backing the cart up is a lot different than in a truck. took me a couple trys. :D   

                             thx for all the help,

                             mountaineer

[beenthere]

Now that it is done, we will be interested in seeing some pics of moving wood with it.  8)

[cheyenne]

Boski makes an atv wagon I have 3 & I highly recomend them. Their at ATVwagon.com.....Cheyenne

[isawlogs]

I think what you bought is a garden tractor trailer , they are not real good with a garden tractor , with a bike it gets a lot worst .  ;) You really need a wider tired trailer to pull behind the bike, the pole needs to be longer and it will be much easier to back up. Shorter the pole harder it is to move it straight backing up .
My dad has an older 250 quad 4x4 and he does evry thing with it , it has been to the shop a few times but it also has gone through two sets of tires , I dont know how many miles it has but rarely does it sit still for a day .
  You should have a bike that last on long time .

[fishpharmer]

Congrats Mountaineer.  If your happy we're happy ;D

[caver]

About the junky cart. I was at Paducah KY Gander Mountain to look at a Polar trailer and the guy said they had a more bang for the buck trailer in back. He was right. It's made by Otter X-ST and is still listed in their catalog.
This same trailer looks to be the Arctic Cat branded trailer I saw in a local dealers storeroom. It's a stout trailer and plenty big.
Link is a PDF file for those on slow connections.
http://www.otteroutdoors.com/catalogs/OtterATV&Trailer.pdf