Duck,
It is a fact that most people will not bad mouth what they bought.
When I was doing my research prior to purchase one of the biggest selling points for each Polaris dealer I talked with was their service. The reason, it seems, is that service is needed quite frequently.
I weighed in earlier on this and was quite adamant about the Kawasaki Brute Force. The dealership where I bought mine sells Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda. The owner had me take a 350 Kawasaki out and ride it. Being a friend, he was not looking to make as much money off me as possible so he said: "You do not need a 4X4. A 2X will go anywhere the 4X will unless you are going to be running in a lot of mud. Take my advice, don't go anything over 400 CC and a 2X. I also took a Brute Force out for a spin.
When we got back to the shop he asked "O.K., which one will it be?" I said, "I'll take that Kawasaki Brute Force over there."
He just walked off shaking his head.
The deal was, that was the one that I liked best.
So how has it performed? Beyond my expectations. I ride almost every day in an area that is filled with creeks, steep terain, mud, clay and thick woods. The engine braking works perfectly and I love it. The CVT is awesome. I like the fact that I set up just a little higher than most ATV's. I like the 4X4 on demand (low and high range) and especially like the fact that I can lock up the front end. My winch has only been used to pull logs off trails. I now have several hundred hours on this machine and it has never hiccuped or never been stuck. But let me be perfectly honest with you. If I were to go down and buy a new one today I would seriously consider a Honda 4X4 even though there are some things about them that I do not like. I would probably go with a 400 CC rather than a 750 CC (like I have). That much power is just not needed unless you are doing a lot of heavy towing. I would also like the added maneuverability of a smaller unit and a lower center of gravity. I would definitely like to keep a high clearance on my choice and it WOULD be a 4X4.
So if you want the show and the go, Brute Force may be for you. If you want a good all around machine that will keep on trucking and serve your hunting needs, the Honda is a great choice.
One thing that I heard mentioned by several of the posts was jerky power on inclines. I have never had that problem with my machine but it is possible with any of them. To avoid sudden unintended power, always keep your thumb near the base of your throttle.
By now you have probably purchased your new machine. No matter what you get (or got) you will enjoy it. I love mine and truly enjoy exploring the outback where I live. I have 4000 acres to ride and can actually ride out of my garage to the woods. It just don't get any better than this!
Please do a follow up (unbiased) post on your machine once you have put it through it's paces and GOOD RIDING!