tommyyboyy05

Not sure how many people own one of these, but I've been reading people have issues with it bending the hitch on their ATV. I'm currently in the market for an ATV and am looking at a 2015 Arctic or possibly an 2015 Sportsman 570. My question is, does anyone know which ATV would have the strongest STOCK hitch to support one of these bad boys? The Arctic hitch is welded into the frame so not sure if that is a plus or minus.

Thanks, Tom

mrbb

not to change your mind, but IF I was looking for an ATV to do food plot work, I'd ONLY be looking at a Honda Foreman and one with a solid rear axle

any ATV you get is going to take a beating pulling ANY disc that is heavy enough to work hard ground, there ATV"s NOT tractors
NO maker makes one for pure WORK
and I been doing food plots for almost 30 yrs with both ATV;'s and tractors

so, YES They can do it, but money will ALWAYS be better spent on a CHEAP tractor
like a old IH, model H< or a ford 8N
which can be had if you shop for under a grand and to 5 times the work of an atv in HALF The time and NOT beat your atv
just honest advice!

tommyyboyy05

Yeah I know a tractor will make food plotting much easier, but I just can't justify buying one for a couple acres of food plots. The wheeler I'll be able to use much more. Does the Honda Foreman have a pretty reinforced hitch system on it as that is my main concern.

Topgun 3006

You won't be using the wheeler when you tear it up using it for something it's not designed for. I'm constantly amazed when people come on the net to ask a question and here a guy with 30 years of experience tells you what you wanted to know and yet you say you'll buy an ATV anyway! If you do I'd bet when it costs you an arm and a leg in repair or replacement costs that we don't hear about it!

Hatfield Hunter

For occasional small food plots a Honda foreman 500 is tops standard gear transmission and tough rear end have been using one for 10 years still going strong H H

mrbb

the foreman has a solid rear axle and its a very stout frame and set up
over an IRS , IMO
it will be better suited for dragging a disc,
but again the costs of a CHEAP tractor is a better investment for you in the long run, and still BUY an atv
the advantages of a tractor are SO huge as to just an ATV
implements can be had cheaper, and be larger and , again do more in less time
all the while saving you a TON of life on your atv
if you are on a budget I get that for sure
BUT again if you price shop, you can find a CHEAP tractor, maybe like 750 bucks, if you get a deal
and don't laugh there out there, there plain jane NO bells not pretty to the eye, but there SIMPLE things and were made to last forever with basic care
I had and used a 1948 IH model h for almost 20 yrs, Problem free 20 yrs too, minus a few oil changed and filter changes and two tires I wore out
and sold it for $1500 bucks a few months ago, and it was in MINT condition still, a lesser looking one would have gone for about 750-1,000

pulled a 8 ft disc about, over what an atv's 4 ft IF that, and lpulled it WELL
a decent entry level 4x4 atv can be had for like 5k or so
a BIGGER atv will run 7-9 k
and that 400-450 cc'd motored 4x4 atv will do about anything the bigger one's will as far as driving down trails and lawn work and hauling out deer or fire wood!

so, if you do the math , that means you can buy BOTH and save your ATV from a LOT of un needed stress and abuse, adding yrs to it
JUST saying,
the concept one ONE tool for the JOB< doesn't work well, its like a one size fits all deal, yes, many can use it, but why kill it when there are better option
PLUS the tractor will hold its value 100% better than any ATV will !
these older tractor I am talking about have hit there LOW< and have held there for the past 20 yrs, and will continue to stay at there value due to the fact they plain and simple WORK, and last, and there are MILLION of parts out there STILL being made for them due to the fact they LAST and are desirable
again just honest advice , trying to save you the pains of learning the hard way! and getting a ahead of the game faster!

North Texan

Take the money you would spend on an ATV ($7-$9K), and you can get a decent tractor, possibly with a loader and a few attachments. Then as the budget permits, start accumulating attachments. And you'll get a lot more use out of the tractor than the ATV. Especially if you plan on doing "a couple acres". ATVs will work, but they aren't made to work anything big enough to be measured in acres. ATVs are made for joy riding. Tractors are made for work. I'm still honestly amazed that ATVs and UTVs are still so popular with hunters while compact tractors are not. Not as much fun to ride, maybe, but a lot more practical and generally a better investment. Damage from overheating, broken axles, and fried transmissions can all happen when an ATV is used for something it was never really designed to do.

If you are dead set on an ATV, I can't say anything other than I've had a Yamaha Grizzly since 2002, and other than replacing a throttle cable, haven't done much to it, although I've not used it to try and plow. The throttle cable failure I think stemmed from using it to spot spray mesquites. Moving a little ways, stopping and spraying, then moving a little more, stopping and spraying again kept air from really moving over the engine good. When combined with the heat of summer, it got hot on some of the rubber/plastic portions of the cable, causing it to fail and become stuck. ATVs are really designed to have air moving through them, and at speeds of under 5 MPH, they don't get much. If you do try to plow or shred on one, make sure you wash it out good each day after you use it. Dust and grass can really compromise the engine's ability to cool.

mrbb

here is a an example of the difference in an atv VS a tractor this was done to PROVE it COULD be done, and I would never do it on a regular basic
this is a 1999 honda 400 foreman, I have owned it since new and have done MANY small food plots with it
I started this plot with about a ft of grass, sprayed it down with roundup and then using an ATV disc, 3 ft wide had at it, its about 2 acres in all
and the bet was I could do all 2 acres with JUST my ATV
this was a site that had a plot put in every yr or other yr, of clover or turnips or beans or corn or rye grass
it had rye grass this yr, I did this!
there was again a 1 of dead grass on top and its a rather rocky HARD soil plot!, with a slight hill to it
it took me a little over, (forget exact number)
about 50 plus hrs of seat time to prep it to this condition!,, spraying with atv, disc-ing with atv and rolling with atv using a 10 ft wide cultipacker
it beat the snot out of the atv, had to stop MANY times to allow it to cool and I am sure took a lot of wear and tear on it
I changed the oil before and AFTER, running Amsoil in it(since new too!)

NOW I could normally plant this field with a smaller older tractor(see pic) a small old 1948 model H, about 20 hp, BUT It weights over 3600 lbs, so its geared LOW and will out work a 100 hp atv without breaking a sweat!
I sold this tractor for $1500.00 and the wide front end brings a premium and this one was a cream puff LOL low hrs and garage kept since new, I got off original owner
BUT again they can be had, seen many go for about 750-1,000 bucks!
I can plant this field in about 8 hrs of seat time in all
as to 50+ on an ATV, and NOT again beat the snot out of the atv
so YES an ATV can do it
the type of soil will make a BIG difference in seat time and abuse to the atv, as will what implements you pull behind it
we have about 15 different type of atv's at my hunting camp, and have seen from 400's to 850's being used to pull a disc and other ATV implements, and NONE will do the work of this OLD 1948 tractor and many cost closer to 10k, than the 1500 I sol;d this one for??
at atv has a LOT of uses all yr, so I get the wanting one, and agree there worth the price for SOME< (cannot justify the costs of some of the higher ends one at all, can buy a jeeps LOL)
but if you can swing 8k for an atv, be smart, buy a used tractor and an ATV of a smaller size , larger atv are NOT needed for 99% of anything you will do with one!, over priced and just wasted $$

the 2 acre plot and the atv used to do it ALL<I won the bets, but spent a LOT of hrs to do it LOL





the tractor I recommend and there likes
these OLDER tractors were made to WORK and last forever, NOT like the junk they sell today, with electronic's this and that, and the new one's just don't have the weight, this old 20 hp tractor will out weight most modern 50 hp compact 4x4 tractors
and on a tractor, weight is your friend

Hatfield Hunter

yes I agree a tractor would be the best choice, If we all were in the same tax bracket as you the Clintons and Donald trump---My atv does many duties that a tractor just would not be the correct tool---taking the wife for a ride in the woods (ATV or Tractor which would work best) after my back surgery ( hauling stands into woods ATV >? Tractor ? a little snow plowing ( ATV ? TRACTOR ? ) taking grandchildren for a ride ( ATV ? OR TRACTOR ? ) My food plot consists of 3/4 acre and 1/2 acre four and 1/2 foot wide trail through the woods, TX I ,ll stick with atv not both

mrbb

I'm not in the Clintons tax bracket, not even close
thats why I use older machines and also why I value my ATV and want it to last, thus why I try not to kill it doing tractor work with it
as I said, if your looking at a 7-8 k atv, you have all the $$ needed to own both? a new rancher ATV can be had for about 5500, and a good tractor again for about a grand?
thats cheaper than most 500 cc'd atv's on the market?

old saying, penny smart,
dollar stupid!

a few repairs to your atv and that would have funded a tractor?or just shaving a few yrs of life off it and needing to replace sooner, again would fund you a older tractor?
and then you' d have two things rather than just one?
spiltting the wear and tear between them, making both last even longer!
your $$ spend it as you like, I just tried to offer advice from experience and help you save a few $$ along the way?
let us know what you end up with too if you don't mind?