14mercs

I am thinking of getting either a Cat 650 or prairie 700. both have give and take features, but I think the IR suspension might be the trick.

doughboysigep

hope you have lots of time because this kind of topic usually gets a lot of replies and everyone likes their brand (Ford vs Chevy; Remington vs. Winchester; Matthews vs. BowTech etc.)

I personally have a Yamaha Kodiak and have no complaints. I know the Prairies are rated pretty high. I like the idea of IR suspension, but have heard it can cause some problems under certain driving conditions (higher speeds I beleive and it can decrease clearance?). A lot depends on what you will be using he machine for.

if you get the Outdoor Channel, I would suggest watching ATV Television. They have subjective reviews of most ATVs throughout the year. I think the reviews may be on their website also.

I would also search the Web for ATV message boards (I have found a few that are quite well reponded to)

bobo21

I will recommend a few things on ATV's but not an actual brand.

*I recommend one that you feel comfortable on. My Yamaha is more comfortable than my Polaris.
*I recommend IRS for the ground clearance. Both of my ATV's are SRA and they keep me high centered when playing in the rut's.
*I recommend one with Hi/Lo on it. Especially if it's belt drive. Both of mine are Manual
*I recommend metal vs. composite racks. My plastic on the Polaris has cracked.
*I recommend a winch.
*I recommend that lighter is better. I have a polaris 425 that is hard to move with muscle power.
*I recommend a 4x4.

I have a Polaris 425 4x4 and a Yamaha Big Bear 400 2x4. I prefer the Yamaha in all situations. Because it is light, easier to steer, more comfortable.

skeeter 7MM

Unless your hauling or doing heavy rancher/farmer work anything over 500cc's is not required in ATV. It adds weight and expense for the lack of real usage. Weight may not seem like a big issue but trust me bury her stick and berries deep in a mud bog and you'll be glad you have less to worry about. I also reccomend a 2000lbs winch for that very reason, make sure it free wheels so you can pull it out to hook up not have to run it out. Tires can be the big equalizer if your in wet terrain scrap the factory nubs for a set of good lugs and you'll find your smaller cc engine will do better than the bigboys. If you do require a big ccer put a 3000-3500lbs winch on it, as you must take in account the weight of being stuck, atv and rider..with lots of cable..hehe.

I own a polaris 400 sportsman it hasn't let me down. However in all honesty if I had to buy new it would be: Honda and Yamie in that order. I have owned Hondas (still have a 400 foreman) and they have been excellent. I know many who own yamie's as well and no real problems. For me a 4x4 atv is a must and wouldn't even consider a 2x4. I used bigreds, while they ran n' ran with only a oil change and gas they sure caused some headaches.
All ATV's will cost you money to own and operate so be prepared to dish out 15 bucks for a little air filter & so on[:@] but if you take care of them and do PM work they will take care of you.

I agree this is usually a heated debate[]

biglmbass

Agree w/ Skeeter above regarding the 500cc machines. They have their place, but I can't justify one for just hunting.

For what it's worth I went w/ Honda's Rancher 350 in 2WD. Does eveything I need it to do and has plently of motor for my needs. Very nimble in the woods with good trail riding manners. Also, mine is light enough that I can easily pick up the front or rear and move it around if need be (like parking it in a corner of the garage, etc.). Best thing about mine was that it didn't break the bank at less than $3500 out the door.

Regardless of what you choose, shop around for end of year deals. Anytime after say August & Sept some dealers will be offering incentives to move the current model year machines out to make room for the new ones coming in.

slugman

anything but polaris , I pull one out with my honda at everytime me and my buddies ride

bobo21

I would go with a Yamaha 400. If I had to choose. You can;t see much but she's still going strong right through the river.

Ruger-Redhawk

I have a Polaris Sportsman 500.It has more power then needed. It's big and heavy. A winch is a must on one this size. I have a Warn 2000 on it. It's paid for itself on a couple of occasions.The Polaris does ride nice and has been quite dependable.I do like my Polaris.I plan on keeping it for several more years. To me customer service means allot. I called Polaris on an issue I had. They have to be the worst customer service I've ever dealt with. The woman only knew how to say take it to your dealer. I like my Polaris like I said but Polaris has about as much chance as a snow ball in Hell of me ever buying another one. My next one will be a Honda or possibly a Kawi Mule.Incase anyone's wondering. Polaris came out with a plastic Belt Cover that's more heat resistant. Mine has warped from the heat and the belt slaps the cover. I just wanted information about these revised covers.I might have gotten more info from the wall then that useless woman.She sounded like a broken record . "Take it to your dealer"-arrrrrk -"Take to your dealer" This isn't my first experience with Polaris C.S. all the times about the same results.

Ruger Redhawk

JagMagMan

I'd agree most situations don't call for anything larger than a 500!
For dependability and value, HONDA!

T/C fan!

I'm going to stay out of the "which one is better" debate, but I can vouch for the Praire 650. I use it for hunting and also for sport riding and it does both very well. Plenty of power, locking front differential, excellent instrument panel, and as for the weight, it weighs only about 5lbs more than the 400 it replaced. Like others have said, get a winch!! Its handy for obvious reasons, plus a winch is a great way to hoist big game for field-dressing. I can't really say what the long-term "test" will be, its only got 1100 miles on it, but so far, so good. Preventive maintenance is the key to any machine lasting.