which atv?? I decided!

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plumcrazy704406

plumcrazy704406

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We're looking for a used 4x4 atv for the farm. Need it to be able to handle pulling cut wood out of the forest (hilly terrain), maintaining paths, snowplowing etc. I have never owned one and have no clue as to the good and bad with different models. I do have an older mf135 tractor, but it's to big for some areas I need to get into.

so my question is, what atv should I be looking at? What can I expect to pay versus asking price?

I'm going to look at his.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...-CAT-4x4-ATV-WITH-SNOWPLOW-W0QQAdIdZ439021973

and

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...-Artic-cat-4x4-with-a-plow-W0QQAdIdZ451536165
 
I would never buy anything other than a Kawasaki or Honda. They have the best record as far as reliability around here. I didn't look at the links you posted. The price you pay can vary depending on what part of the country you are in.

Jack
 
Martin, I have never owned one, but some of my buddies do and you are going to get the Dodge/Chevy/ford thing..I know a couple years ago when I was thinking about getting one, I was at a Polaris dealership and you can get a base model(carbureted) and probably around the 500 size for $6500. Call a dealership and chk new pricing over used. You cant go wrong with a Honda either...as long as it hasnt been beat to ****.
 
I can tell you from my experience, I had a Honda 4Trax 300cc for 12 years. They are bullet proof when it came to reliability and performance. However if your looking for farm use several things you need to keep in mind. It needs to be 4 wheel drive (2 wheel drive will only bury up in snow, believe me... I know.. mine was 2 wheel drive), need to have a winch for either the snow blade or getting something out of your way or pulling yourself out..or up.., highly recommend minimum of 500 cc engine or more. Buy the small enclosure that goes over the cab to keep rain, cold and snow off of you worth every penny (engine heat will keep you comfortable in cold eather). Artic Cat, Honda, Kawasaki, are high on my list of 4 wheelers.

I wasn't much of a Polaris fan...however, just last year I sold my Honda's and bought a 2007 Polaris Ranger 700 XP UTV for the backwoods where I have a cabin and for use by my Dad who is getting up in years. I can say it definitely rides like a dream compared to a standard 4wheeler.. And has the power needed to do what I want to do. The dump bed is great for picking up wood and rocks and haul them somewhere else out of the way.. And my wife likes it too, she runs it more than I do. Bought a set of soft doors for it for inclimate weather and a few other goodies to put on this spring.. I can't afford a new machine like some people, but I can fix up an older one and do just fine.. Just a little comparison for you.. hope it helps..

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honda is the best 4 wheeler by far they may not be the fastest or the smoothest but are the tuffest i have a 2003 rubicon 500 it has 32000 k on it now it still works as good as the day i purchassd it new it has done a lot of work also. i hauled hundreds of thousands of pounds of mussels off the ice thats 3000 lbs on a slaeigh and hualed 2 miles back and forth all i ever done to it was break pads and a new shift motor.i wish everything i buy has the qua;ity built in like this rant over
 
For heavy pulling like snow plowing and stuff, I don't think I would use a Polaris due to the belt drive system.
They tend to burn up the belt with heavy low RPM usage.
You just can't beat a Honda 4x4 for this kind of stuff.
 
That's what i was trying to say above.. My Honda 300 FOURTRAX was a 1996 I bought it 1998, and I used the heck out of it when I built my cabin over 6 years. I hauled air compressor, generator, tools and anything else I needed to have while out in the woods.. Then I could go out and trail ride and take on the Polaris group. Which I loved.. I could always grab another low gear while up hill trail riding and the Polaris's just kept grunting loosing power.. Honda makes a heck of a machine, priced good and they hold their value pretty well.. It ran great till the day I sold it.
19..
 
not much in larger used Hondas for sale around me. Are artic cat's direct drive? It appears they are from reading, but I haven't found the exact info yet.
 
they are all belt drive except honda they have a real transmission if you wanna replace clutches all the time get a arctic cat if you wanna be up in belt smoke get a polaris and yamahas are no better they may be pretty thats it
 
The last Artic cat I checked out had a Suzuki drive train(FWIW).All jap atv's have a maximum wieght limit to be shipped where Polaris is domestic so they have no limit.You can get a bigger atv for the price.I own a 2000 honda rancher and it runs smooth with the sideways motor honda went to.I also know some one with about all the brands and can tell you from an unbiased opinion that any will last forever if you mainatian them properly.I've never been an Artic Cat fan (i guess because they didnt have thier own drive train) but they DO have the most work attacment,Polaris has alot also.
 
ihad a polaris 700 05 my brother had 500 suzuki king quad he rode the hell out of it much better built has sealed rear brake on both wheels polaris has only i back disk just all round better machine check atv tests
 
I'm not going to get into the whole brand X vs. Y thing. We've been riding ATV's since the eighties. I know guys that will swear by any brand you could list. I think if you find any name brand ATV that has been well cared for and serviced regularly, you will be fine.

I rode this Kawasaki Prairie 650 4X4 hard for five years! It was modded out with a pipe, reprogrammed CDI, lift kit, bigger wheels and tires. It would stand straight up on throttle alone. Kept up with all the Raptors at the dunes. Never "smoked a belt". It was well maintained and never let me down.

blingbling_zpsae727adc.jpg
 
without brand versus brand, how well will the belt survive pulling a 500lb load of wood up some decent size hills. Will I get into a slippage type situation in no time? When the belts get wet, do they slip?
 
have no comparison since i've only owned 1, yamaha kodiak 400 4wd. 10 years now, no complaints. more miles plowing or working than riding.
 
If you are hauling wood or modding the crap out of your engine, there are different springs that change the pressure on the belt to prevent slippage. Only time mine EVER slipped is when I submarined it in a pond and had to get winched out. Sat on the bank and drank a beer while the belt cover drained water. Started it up, it slipped for about five minutes, so I babied it along. Once the belt dried out, back into the pond!!!

Here is about the best ATV forum I ever found. ATV Connection That ought to keep you busy for a couple of weeks!!!
 
I bought a Polaris Sportsman 500EFI brand new in '08 and pretty much all i've ever used it for is plowing our driveway (huge driveway) and i've never once replaced a belt, so i beg to differ on Polaris's burning up belts. Up here we got lots of snow too, it will push heavy snow over the plow no problem. I did take it out once or twice over the years and put it thru hell and it didn't let me down. As long as you use low gear when pushing or pulling or even driving low speeds it will last years. plus leaving them idle in gear is bad for the belts, it will put flat spots in it over time. They have true four wheel drive as well, make sure to look into that when buying one, some other brands don't have front diff locks. Polaris has the best hookup for plows BTW. mine is attached in less then 30 seconds (60" Glacier 2 plow) Oh the Polaris 500 motor is made by FIJI motors (Subaru)

Good luck with whatever you decide on! i'm not against any brands.
 
I have always been a Honda fan, and always will be as far as their engines go. Personally, from my experience, the older ones are a lot better than the newer ones. I like ones that you actually have to shift rather than using the Hondamatic transmission. I've seen too many of those crap out, especially on the Rubicon 500's. The Rincon's are absolutely bad *** but you can't beat an old TRX300 4x4 or a Foreman 450 for durability. I'm not a fan of any of the Suzuki/Arctic Cat stuff or any of the Polaris stuff. Kawasaki makes a nice product as well. As stated before, any of the big names are going to be your best bet but they all will have their issues or quirks. Do your research and see what other people are saying. Good luck in your search.
 
Congrats! Honda makes a fine product. Take care of it and you should get years of fun and service out of it.
 
Good choice. I have a 2004 Yamaha Kodaiak 450 4X4. It still has the original battery! Though I do plug it into a battery tender when not in use and obviously that has helped!

Happy Riding!
 
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