ATV advice
 

I am thinking about getting an ATV-never owned or used one. I will be hunting upland game, turkey, water fowl and deer/elk. On the upland game I have 1500 acres of ground that is both row crop and great CRP ground, the water fowl is a combination of ground blinds and pond jumping and the turkey and deer is mostly thick trees and brush along rivers. I hunt in and out of snow. I would appreciate advice on what to look for and what models might suit me best?

RE: ATV advice
 

I have owned a few different makes and models and have ridden many more.My current personal favorite is the honda rubicon because it offers a hydrostatic transmission which is extremely smooth,quiet,can be shifted manually,has the best engine braking in the industry and has no belts to slip or break.I work mine hard and it requires very little maintenance and is extremel dependable. The 2005 model also has disc brakes and part time 4x4.If you aren't going to work this machine hard the rancher 400 has the same transmission but without the dual ranges.It is also slightly lighter and a little easier on fuel.

RE: ATV advice
 

Another vote for Honda. I own the Foreman model and use it for everything from plowing snow, hunting and moving around trailers and boats to being my all around tractor. The Foreman is a full time 4 wheel drive unit and will do maybe 45 downhill( it's not designed for speed) and I find it a real workhorse.

RE: ATV advice
 

Do your self a favor and buy a Yamaha Rhino or Polaris Ranger, if you, like I, take extreme pride in my gear buy a Polaris MV7, Its the military version of the 700H.O. minus the role bar. It has wench on back and front, racks that nobody can match and dual gas tanks. $9,000, I can promis nobody else will out do you when it comes to ATV (Wife calls it a compitition with my best friend).
But truly you only need a Polaris 330, 5,000.00.

RE: ATV advice
 

I have a Bombardier Quest 650, and it's probably the 6-7th 4-wheeler I've owned...and it is the best. (The John Dee Bucks are actually identical to mine...just $1,000 more) It's smooth and easy to operate. It has D, R, P, L and N settings like a car and a hand shifter like a car...Fully automatic. The 4WD is also on-demand so it is never a burden when turning. It kicks in when the back tires begin to slip. I wasn't sure about this option, but am now in love with it. The price is right, too. They're still just a touch over $5000 here. I bought mine new off EBAY from a dealer around Cleveland, Oh. (If you want info, e-mail me...and NO, I don't work there!)

Depends on what you are looking for, though. I like the smaller size of the Honda's. Those 350 Rancher 4x4's are animals. My Bombardier is 800 pounds and rubs the wheel-wells on a full sized truck when loaded. It's sturdy as hell on hills...up and down or sideways, but it's heavy as a tank and very wide.

I'd drive a few if I were you...They're all made pretty well now. If they weren't they wouldn't be selling any!:D I am not a fan of Polaris equipment, though. Nothing against them...but they're hard to work on if you have to.

RE: ATV advice
 

Due to the fact that they have more moving parts than other quads they do require more maintenance.As far as the polaris ranger is concerned,it does have a great deal of hauling capacity but it is also very large and is not very manouverable in tight quarters.

RE: ATV advice
 

I have a Honda Rancher ES 4x4 and love it. Just go look at the quality and track record of the honda verses the other manufacturers! If you want to spend your time riding it instead of working on it get a honda.

RE: ATV advice
 

Duck if you want a simple and ultra durable one then look for a 300 4x4 FourTrax (Honda). They arent built anymore (the market has changed, everyone thinks they must pull houses and run over 50 mph with a hunting quad) but you can ask anyone that truly knows, they are practically BULLETPROOF.

They arent a part time 4x4 and dont have a 2 speed gearbox. But thats part of what makes them simple, lighter and tougher. I have pulled plenty with mine, burried it too the frame, drove it where it wasnt supposed to be and Ive even used it to pull out larger machines that were stuck. My 98 300 4x4 still runs like a top. Its THE quickest starting 4 wheeler among my group and certainly the oldest. Everyone elses is 1-2 years old and 600-750cc in size. But they NEVER laugh at my "lil green tank" because they know it will outlast theirs 2 or 3 too 1 and I have not had the FIRST problem with it. Only "complaint" I guess I have is you could call it "semi-cold natured". The lil carbed 300cc (actually think its like 283) requires a couple of minutes to idle with the choke on if its below 35 if the engine is cold. Other than that its been THE most dependable thing I have ever owned that burns gas. Its been in the shop twice and that was for the semi-annual maintainence that I have performed for safe measure (adjust the valves, replace the battery, filters etc...) I had a 94 300 4x4 before that and the ONLY reason I traded was because I wanted a green one instead of the blue one that my 94 was. That 94 was run too hell and back (was totally submerged once while trail riding) and yet it continues to run today, a friend still owns it.

The bike has ONLY had Mobil 1 synthetics in it since day 1 and I honestly dont plan on replacing anytime soon. If I get anything it will be a golf cart type unit for riding too and from stands in basic silence. But you can bet the lil Honda will get the call when its time too go get the deer. I've pulled my bassboat around the yard with it (a 20+fter with a 225) and I have pulled a 5x10 trailer full of coolers and half a dozen or more dove hunters on it, each season since new. The units just flatout are too tough and dont wear out, thats partially why I think Honda quit building them.

I have a good friend that displays new quads in our store and he is a Honda and Polaris dealer. In his own words the service intervals and "problems" with regards too Honda vs Polaris was, "like daylight too dark"!

Good luck,
RA

RE: ATV advice
 

I have run Yamaha, Polaris, Honda,and Suzuki. I average about 5,000 miles a summer on my 4 wheelers. IMO you can't go wrong with Yamaha or Honda. The one most prone to break down is Polaris. I run a black bear camp and most of my hunters (about 35 a season) bring up 4 wheelers. Polaris is the 4 wheeler I see most go home in need of mechanical assistance, in fact I would say over half of them have some kind of a break down during the week. For your needs I would go with either a Honda Forman, or a Yamaha Kodiak. Both great bikes with pleanty of features.
Just my opinion.

RE: ATV advice
 

highlifter

Check out the forum over at highlifter.Alot of the people are brand loyal but you can still get the pros and cons of all the different bikes.