ATV Recommendations

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67Dart440GT

67Dart440GT

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Does anyone have any recommendations for a new atv? I'm in the market for one now. This will mostly be used for working around the yard and snow plowing in the winter. I have an average length driveway and a small parking lot in front of my shop.

Today I looked at a 2021 Honda Rancher and a 2021 Yamaha.
 
If you're plowing, you want a 4x4
Heavy, with lights and enough juice to power a winch
 
My old 85 F250 diesel and Meyers plow was the ticket.

A set of P wag chains. Take rear tires off. Remove air from tires. Put chains on as tight as you can. Air up tires and reinstall on truck.

Leave all snow in truck bed all season. Soon the entire bed is a block of ice. It add extra weight.


Go make money.
 
A lot of people have Polaris. I'll tell you what I've found about "those" working in auto parts recently. They are VERY proprietary. Sometimes I couldn't get the simplest things. Spark plugs, air, fuel and oil filters, belts. It's really stupid. So if you go that route, just be prepared.
 
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I own two. Bought a 2002 Polaris 425 2 wd Ranger. Still have that one. It has pulled trailers and done things it never was intended to do. It was so good I bought a 2019 900xp 4x4 Polaris Ranger. I'm happy with both. A picture of the two.

374352CF-B3D2-41A5-8558-0573627AFEE3.png


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I have owned suzuki quads since grade school. They always treated me right so just as loyal to them as I am Chrysler.

Look up a used eiger, vinson, or king quad. You won't be disappointed.
Currently own an eiger and king quad 750
 
At the the ranch i live on the owner has a Polaris 6x6. I used it to pull a full size work van out of a ditch and up the hill.

It didn't like it but it got it done where as the two wheel drive full size chevy 3/4 ton that pulls the horse trailer was just spinning its one tire.

So yeah, those Polaris can get stuff done.
 
I've worked on them all, but got out about 8 yrs ago, so I can't speak to anything built after about 2012.
If yur talking a true ATV, not a side by side, and for plowing;

Polarises pre 2012 are out! They are cheap for a reason.
I had to accept that Yamaha's made some good stuff, in those years, finally.
I like Hondas
As to the others, not enough experience to say.

As to Hondas;
I like the Hondas because;
they do not have a belt drive system.
they have a really nice automatic on the bigger models.
I like their front differentials
I like their real suspensions, and
I like the old-school solid rear axles, where available.
I have plowed a lotta snow with a big Honda. I forget the model, but it was unstoppable. I just kept piling up the snow ever higher. That was around 2010. It was the second year of the 450EFIs,(which you should never buy), and was probably the biggest they made that year.

As to Polaris
I absolutely hate the Polaris weakazz front ends; from the Micky-Mouse front struts that last about long enough to drive from the showroom to your trailer, with the super pillowy springs that can barely keep the frontend up, to the electric front differential locks and tiny front wheel bearings that need to be set up just right.. They may be great for pounding thru a farmer's field, but give 'em a hard turn and you better be hanging on, or you will need wings after it high-sides you into outer space,lol.
Putting a plow-kit on one of those is, IMO, just plain silly.

That's all I got for you.
 
I have a canam 850 but 2 up was important to me. If it wasn’t I would look at a Honda or Yamaha 4x4 preferably with locking diffs. I have a 5’ eagle power turn plow that works awesome on mine
 
I have a 2015 Polaris 450. Why they call a 450 is beyond me because it has 572 engine. Anyhow, I like it for what I use it for. Mainly putting my pontoon and dock in and out of the water and to do some plowing in the winter. We used to have Kawasakis and Yamahas when I worked on the railroad. Very, very ruff usege and they didn't last long. Three weeks in and they were already breaking down and we were stuck with them for four more years. Then we got wise and bought a fleet of Honda Rangers. One of them had over 80,000 mi on it with no mechanical break downs. The rest of the fleet average over 40,000 mi each. We ran these 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. If I could buy anything I wanted it would be a Honda. Again my Polaris does what I need it to do and it costs a lot less than a Honda. That's why I have one. And I do like it. Plenty of power.
 
Cope said:
My old 85 F250 diesel and Meyers plow was the ticket.

A set of P wag chains. Take rear tires off. Remove air from tires. Put chains on as tight as you can. Air up tires and reinstall on truck.

Leave all snow in truck bed all season. Soon the entire bed is a block of ice. It add extra weight.


Go make money.
Click to expand...


honestly, when i had to buy a plow rig to do my driveway this is the way i went
i picked up an 87 ford bronco, slapped a plow on the front and added a 3rd row from a yukon XL to the back, and BAM, a street legal plow vehicle that i can fit the entire family in and can be used as a car all year round

someone needs to borrow a car in juli?
grab the bronco

need to pull a trailer?
grab the bronco

now, there were 3 main reasons i went with a truck instead of an ATV or a tractor

1: ease of use, i can drive it to the gas station when i need to fill it up, and i dont freeze my fingers off while driving it

2: price
seriously, you're looking to drop 6K easily here
that gets you a few year old truck around here, and thats just so much more for your money

3: difference in usage of a truck over an ATV
like i said, the plow truck becomes that spare vehicle
you dont wanna know how often i lend out my plow truck to friends, or how often i use it because the "main family hauler" is in the shop

(it has also become my official boat hauling vehicle, its wider and taller, and has a higher towing rating then the family hauler, so i can actually see what im doing when i back the boat up with it)



to me, that just made sense
 
I like Yamaha and Suzuki, hondas are nice too. I do not like Polaris. I bought a 04 model in 08 it was low hours and it was junk from day one I had so much trouble with it. From the hubs to the auto transmission to the steering system to the wiring. Maybe I got a lemon but it was nothing but trouble. I worked on it more than I rode it. In the other hand i had a Yamaha Timberwolve for years and never did anything but change the oil. The Polaris was a 500 4x4 sportsman. It was way to heavy and big to navigate the trails in the mountains also.
 
I would buy a honda, rugged and dependable.
I have a couple of honda atv's, just keep them full of gas and ride, they are dependable.
 
I have a 2019 Kubota RTV X-1120. 3 cylinder diesel. Powerful machine, but slow, 28-29 mph tops. They are for working.
Kind of expensive.
 
hondas brakes suxx and there 4x4 is only 3x4! very dependable tho'!!! i like the american made polaris my self! erry body cusses cv belts but erry body runs them sept honda! use to take my 400 polaris and push my buddys 650 vtwin caw-a-socky threw the deep holes!!! Pullin Out Losers And Riding In Style, POLARIS!!!! but really its personal preference! got set on them,..take a demo ride and buy the one you feel best bout!! if i had the money id buy the can am 1000 pro mudrunner,..but that 16,000 price tag tho' smdh! oh yeah,.the bigger it is the higher resale!!
 
You all are gonna hate me but I bought a CF Moto 500HO 4x4. In the USA it'll be a 600 2up. There getting a much larger following since entering the North American market within the last 10 years. I've read the engine is designed by KTM and the engine management is Bosche. Best thing about these ATVs, UTVs is that there cheaper retail and typically have longer warranty periods.

No harm looking at them... some will complain they are Chinese. But I really like mine and never had an issue in the 9 months of ownership.

Riddler
 
Riddler said:
You all are gonna hate me but I bought a CF Moto 500HO 4x4. In the USA it'll be a 600 2up. There getting a much larger following since entering the North American market within the last 10 years. I've read the engine is designed by KTM and the engine management is Bosche. Best thing about these ATVs, UTVs is that there cheaper retail and typically have longer warranty periods.

No harm looking at them... some will complain they are Chinese. But I really like mine and never had an issue in the 9 months of ownership.

Riddler
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9 months? That’s cute. My Polaris Ranger is 19 years old. I can safely say it has been dependable.
 
I checked out the Honda the other day. The 450 was recommended by the dealer because it has the solid axle. It has a push up and down shifter button. Not sure the other half would like that. They didn't recommended the bigger model with the full auto trans. Something about a stall in the converter wasn't good for plowing. Also Honda said no belt drive.
 
I have a 2019 Polaris 900, but I don’t think it would do the trick of snow plowing for me. You’d have to push it way out of the way to make room for the next snow. Neighbor has a long driveway also,

Polaris 1000 and he has it hammered and it’s going down the driveway about a 45degree angle.
 
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