need help picking 4 whlr

[DR KILL]

ok guys i just moved to the hills and im gonna need a 4 wheeler to push a plow and pull a pull behind mower, i was just wondering some of your opinions on the best brand from your experence

thanks in advance guys

city slicker lol

[TrophyBux]

I have a Yamaha Kodiak 400. It does everything I want it to do. Pulls trailers, discs some ofmy foodplots, and hauls my deer out of the woods. I have had zero problems with it. Mine is 2wd, but it's all I need here in South Alabama.Just my two cents.

[Champlain Islander]

I too am looking to buy an ATV this year but in a different geo region. I need it for ice fishing and will be going through deep snow so lots of ground clearance and 4 wheel drive is necessary. Any suggestions?

[drgildy]

I have a Honda Rancher. Bought it after talking to several friends who had Hondas and then got other brands. They are saying that the Honda was the most trouble free of any machines that they have and are going back to them on the next trade. The other machines have been Polaris, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. All have spent too much time in the shop from what I have been told.

[Champlain Islander]

Thanks drg for the info. I have heard that he Hondas are the best but they have one of the lowest ground clearances of all the popular makes. Last winter I was riding on the back of an old Polaris through deep snow on the way out to a hot crappie ground and we passed another buddy who also had a rider on the back and he had a Honda and was having a difficult time going through the drifts. Both machines had stock tires without chains. I love everything made by Honda but am a little bit skeptical about the ATV for that reason.

[uncle matt]

I personally would stay away from Polaris, too much shop time with them.

ATV's and deep snow really don't mix too well unless fitted with a traxtor kit.

Other than that, if your going to be pushing/pulling alot, especially in hilly country, I'd make sure you look for something with a hi/lo range and automatic trans.

I personally would stick with Yamaha or Honda and atleast 500cc or so.

[sprintflyer]

Matt,
Have you ever owned a Polaris? I own 3 and have had ZERO shop time. The old chain drive bikes were total aP.O.S. but the shaft drive are great. If you buy new from one of the major manufactores you will be O.K. Polaris works great for me but you might hate them. Try out all of your options then make your decision.

SF

[skeeter 7MM]

Each brand has lover's and hater's..now more than ever. Personally of numerous ATV's I have encountered the 2 brands that seem to provide the best reliabilty are Honda and Yamaha. Bare in mind those other units that have the high groud clearance also have IRS, so if you will be under load (either towing or 2 nd passenger) they will squat in the rear some effectively lowering the actual ground clearance provided. Where as the honda will remain due the SRA. So while 12" ground clearance IRS unit will provide more than 7" of SRA unit, the actual amount may not be that much depending on the model, load,etc. Also a SRA is easier to get rockingfor truging through heavy gunk than IRS.The IRS has obvious benefits as well, stability, ride, etc Just saying this so you look at each offering presentedwith what your usage model will be. If your driving in a lot of deep snow a skidoo might be a better option, but 12" or under most atv's equipped with decent tires should be able to get you their.

I have owned 400cc polaris and hondas both would plow snow without problems. The honda pulled more than the Polaris based on a maul tranny, but the polaris was much easier to plow because of the auto tranny.Polaris cost me more in parts and wrench time, so for me the Honda was the better bike and investment. I think 4x4 and low range is a must for any heavy duty work, such as snow plowing, hauling.(especially if you go with an auto trans model) A lawn mower will not cause you any grief with most units. The mid range models of 400-500cc should be plenty.

Ihave beenusing a demo 2005 450 Yammie kodiak as I sold my honda 400 this spring. It is an auto, 4x4, low/high range, IRSand aftermarket tires. So far I am impressed with this bike, it has pulled through everything and hauled over 1000lbs via trailer with ease. The IRS is nice but I bumped the pre load shock settings to 4 fronts & 5 rear after very few chores, it was comfortable but a little to saggy for my likings at the 2 factory setting. I like the fact it is stature wise smaller than alot of the others, so very nimble to maneuver but yet feels bigger as it feels very well balanced and planted. The 4 wheel EBS is also very good and among the best I have ever rode on an ATV. It has 12" ground clearance spec but with the tires dry sits a tad under 13" of GC. With 1000lbs trailer it is reduced by 3" to 10" range...when going over bumps I would assume that is further reduce by varying degree's depending on the terrain. I have bottomed the skid plate twice while under load over adverse terrain but she never skipped a beat. Top end is plenty sufficient to me on flat hard pack 50 plus mph is attained and the low range has a nice grunt feature to it from my experience..hooked up very well for moving some larger objects. I don't like the fact it needs to be in neutral or park to start and takes some time to get use to having to hit brake lever to shift into reverse. Also if I were to buy it I would by pass the Rev limiter in case I required more wheel spin to get out of the junk...appears a bit weak to me but this is often the case it appears with newer ATV's. All in all appears to be a pretty decent package for the price tag of a mid range unit.

Best of luck

PS what ever you do make sure to test drive the ones of interest, do research/comparisonand buy what fits your criteria..in the end the person writing the check must be happy.

[Mazur1]

I have an Arctic-Cat TBX 500 (the one with the big dump box on the back). I love it. It is about 8" longer than a regular ATV. Plows great. I just love the dump box - no strapping down stands on the back etc. It will hold 300lbs in the rear box. I did have one problem but can't blame Arctic cat. I bought it at a Gander Mountain and they failed to send me a recall on a small bushing in the motor for the speedo. The speedo went out (wich at the time I thought was my fault because I rolled it being and idiot) and I did not get it fixed. 6 months later the main shaft in the motor snapped. Fortunatly I had bought the extended waranty and it covered everything. Had I been notified of the recall there would have been no problem. Oh by the way the recall part was $1.25! Some times it pays to buy the extended plans!

[mn16point]

Have you ever looked at a Polaris ATP? Polaris ATPhas true front and rear posi. A dump box that can haul 400 pounds which is way more than any other atv. It has storage in the fenders and under the front rack. It is the most bang for your buck.