need help picking 4 whlr
 

:eek: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

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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.

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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?

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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.

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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.

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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.

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

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.

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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!

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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.

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I have a Bombardier and love it. Not a problem yet, and it's a powerful maching.

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You can spend your money as you want but if you want to get the most reliable ,longest lasting, lowest maintenance ,start everytime atv buy a honda!!!!!!

Yamaha would be the next best.

Kawasaki and suzuki iffy?????

polaris and artic cat ..............just go flush you money ......same difference!!!!!!!!!

And yep i own two atv's honda and kawasaki . the kawa has been through more than most will ever go through and still runs but it has kept me busy buying parts to keep it that way. the honda......... one left rear bearing in 4500+ miles and 5 years of hard work.

Oh and just a note my buddys polaris 700 ,with about 600 miles has been broke in his garage for months and seems to stay in that status !!!!!!

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Artic Cat junk????

You must be from the DEEP south. LOL

Don't let them hear you say that in Canada:D

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My current ATV is a Yamaha, and if this one ever wears out I'll probably go back to another Yamaha. I have previously had good luck with Honda. For working it with a plow or mower, whatever you get, make sure you get a liquid-cooled engine.

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No sprint, I haven't OWNED a Polaris ATV. I know that they are heavy. My experience with Polaris ATVs has been limited to TOWING three of them back out of the woods. One w/ blown motor. One just dead. One seemed like broken tran-sounded like it too. I can say that indeed their racks are rather strong as none of them were pulled off when being towed - by a Yamaha.

Oh and I shouldn't forget the Honda I had to pull out. It was out of gas and no one had any tubing to siphon.

But Polaris makes good snowmobiles. But my sleds are also....................Yamahas.

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I really agree with Skeeter 7. The 450 Kodiak is one hell of a machine, especially for the money.

If you watch the incentives that Yamaha offers you can get a bonus. When I picked up 2005 Bruin, I could choose a Warn snowplow or Warn winch for just an extra $69. I'm in N. IL and opted for the snowplow. They like to get you to let them (dealer) install the plow or winch to make labor $$$, but I installed myself cause I like to know how things are designed and work. It was real simple to install. I plowed an awful lot of snow this past winter and made ALOT of cash ($95/hr doing sidewalks).

I rode the Kodiak and was really impressed with it's power. If I was regularly pulling or pushing something like a plow or mower I would have opted for the Kodiak instead of the Bruin, but the Bruin hasn't disappointed me yet.

I do believe that Polaris also has a very worthwhile incentive program.......................
.......................free membership in AAA's ATV Towing Program. Ha!

RE: need help picking 4 whlr
 

well buy a polaris or a artic cat because they have the most power and the best towing capibility

when you have the best don't screw with the rest

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I own a polaris 335 & 700sportsman and wouldnt consider going back to a yamaha or honda.

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I got a 2004 Arctic Cat 650. Love it. I shopped a long time before making a decision. I looked at them all except for Polaris (reliability) and Bombardier (no dealers in the area). I had some specific things I was looking for. Not in order:

Big enough seat for me and the wife to ride double
IRS
Auto
High ground clearance
Power
Front Locker
Low Range

It came down to the Grizzly and the AC. The AC engine was so much smoother than the Grizzly.The Griz felt like sitting on a Harley just getting shook apart. It improved once you got off idle but never as smooth as the AC. The AC also had the MRP racks, rear hitch, huge gas tank, and awesome ground clearance. The Grizzly handled better and I thought was better looking. I also liked Yamaha reliability. So it was a tough one. I think I would have been just as happy with the Yamaha though. No regrets.

If I took out the criteria of needing a big seat for two, I would have looked at smaller ATVs. Probably would have gone with a Honda Rubicon,Foreman,Rancheror Yamaha Kodiak. They are great machines, especially the new ones.

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AMEN! I would agree totally that Polaris and Arctic Catmake great sleds, but HORRIBLE 4 wheelers. Just a bomb ticking away there.I will never own anything but Honda and/or Yamaha. Why? Experience with them all in the field and seen 100's of machines in different situations. The Hondas/Yamaha are like the Energizer Bunny. Plus, my bro-in-law is a mechanic and gets Polaris 4 wheelers in the shop more than the others combined. He owns a Honda as well.

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IMO, out of all the major name brands, I would pick the ones that had the features that I liked and buy the one that cost the least. I have had different ones and can not honestly say that one is better than the other. Every one that I have owned was for more than 10 years. I currently have only one: 1993 Yamaha Big Bear 350, never been to the shop.:)

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I have a Honda Foreman 450 and it plows snow like you wouldn't believe. I have also never had a problem in deep snow, but it's usually just me on it. It also has the 2x2/4x4 switch so you can change on the move if you need, which is nice. Three years old now and not 1 second worth of trouble. This machine is also geared very low andcapable of towingheavy weight.

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The hydrostatic transmission on the honda rubicon makes it a very capable work machine.It can also be shifted manually if you desire.My rubicon has been worked hard and has required virtually nomaintenance and has been totally reliable.The 2005 rubicon also has part time 4 wheel drive and disc brakes on the front.