Looking at ATVs

[WNYBuckHunter]

So I am looking into buying an ATV this year. It will most likely be something in the 500+cc range. What I am looking for info on is using it for doing some food plot work. I know I dont want a belt driven machine, like the Polaris Sportsman (love those things, great ride, but I dont want belt drive). What are you guys using to do plots? It will probably see some discing, spraying, seeding, cultipacking use. We have a tractor that we use for most ground breaking, and soon to be tilling, etc. Ill also be using the wheeler for plowing the driveway, hauling deer, etc, which any ATV in the size range I am looking into is more than capable of.

 

So far I am really looking at the Honda Foreman/Rubicon.

[phade]

I love my 400 sportsman. I got a steal on it and I plan on using it to plot a bit with my groundhog max and eventually do some spraying. Enough for me since I'll only be working a 1/3 acre plot and maybe one or two other small ones.

 

Hondas never really scream food plotting to me. Great farm and ranch machines, though.

Edited April 18, 2014 by phade

[First-light]

I have a Suzuki king quad 400. It does fine in the plots and whatever else is asked of it.

[Perchlake]

Stay away from can-am i had a outlander 1000 brand new great riding machine but was at the dealer more than i rode it had electric issues,then they put 2 power steering boxes in it went into limp mode had internal engine problems my brother bought the same machine at the same time what a headache we both finally sold them i bought a polaris 500 sportsman and he bought a suzuki king quad 750 both are great machines

[gastrodoc]

I have had a Suzuki King Quad 750 for 5 yrs and it does everything I ask of it.  I beat the hell out of it plowing snow and also on the food plots and it has not hiccupped even once. 

[thphm]

WNYBH When I was looking for what you want, I stopped at the local Artic Cat dealer, the Service Man, recommended what I bought a 500 cc auto,it has a high and low,2 or 4 wd.I pull a small wagon,10 - 12 cords of firewood a year,tons of stone for stone walls,even used it to winch out my JD tractor wedged between trees.7 years and no problems at all and I use it just about every day all year round.

[HectorBuckBuster]

You say you don't want belt drive. I was the same way. Have a Suzuki 500 4 x 4 that your have to shift. Well got a good deal on my neighbors sportsman 500 (needed a cam). After getting it fixed adding a plow, my Suzuki just sits. The automatic Belt drive that I though I would hate, I love it. It plows all the snow in the world, and can shift between forward and reverse and can tow just about anything. The only down fall on the Polaris is you need to use the reverse override to backup faster then a snail.

[thphm]

And I live on the side of a mountian,No flat ground either up or down.

[mbucks27]

I have a Honda Rincon 660 and have used it for both plots and trail riding.  Never let me down once. mine is an 05 but the new one is 700. It has it all is fast smooth and powerful.

 

http://powersports.honda.com/2014/fourtrax-rincon.aspx

[ants]

For what its worth I own a Polaris sportsman & 3 of my buddies do as well. we ride these things hard and non of us have ever had a problem with belts. I had a belt drive Arctic cat that I rode for years and sold to a friend 7 years ago. Same belt on it with zero problems so far.

[thphm]

Tractors are made for working the soil,AtV have there use spraying,seeding and pulling wagons.I had a plow on my last ATV,did not bother to put one on this one.My riding mower 4WD came with a plow it has power tilt and up and down,no more winch and cables.Took the tow behind York Race and mad it into a 3 point hitch for the larger JD tractor,can raise and lower it with out getting out of the seat also tilt it with the top bar.You can buy attachments for the tractor you have and they will do a better job.For less money then for the ATV.This summer I am buying a plow setup for my older pick up.No more sitting out in the open in 0 degree snow storms.And again I use my ATV just about every day weather permitting up and down my mountain side.If I were to buy another,it would be a side by side seat UTV with a top and a tilt bed in the back.

[stoneam2006]

Honda foreman are great machines couldn't really go wrong or a rubicon.

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[WNYBuckHunter]

You say you don't want belt drive. I was the same way. Have a Suzuki 500 4 x 4 that your have to shift. Well got a good deal on my neighbors sportsman 500 (needed a cam). After getting it fixed adding a plow, my Suzuki just sits. The automatic Belt drive that I though I would hate, I love it. It plows all the snow in the world, and can shift between forward and reverse and can tow just about anything. The only down fall on the Polaris is you need to use the reverse override to backup faster then a snail.

 

Any of them can plow snow, its the pulling of discs, etc that concerns me with the belt drive.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Tractors are made for working the soil,AtV have there use spraying,seeding and pulling wagons.I had a plow on my last ATV,did not bother to put one on this one.My riding mower 4WD came with a plow it has power tilt and up and down,no more winch and cables.Took the tow behind York Race and mad it into a 3 point hitch for the larger JD tractor,can raise and lower it with out getting out of the seat also tilt it with the top bar.You can buy attachments for the tractor you have and they will do a better job.For less money then for the ATV.This summer I am buying a plow setup for my older pick up.No more sitting out in the open in 0 degree snow storms.And again I use my ATV just about every day weather permitting up and down my mountain side.If I were to buy another,it would be a side by side seat UTV with a top and a tilt bed in the back.

 

We have lots of areas where we just dont want to take the tractor, so we use wheelers and side by sides to disc, etc. I have thought about a side by side, they are just so pricey.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have a Honda Rincon 660 and have used it for both plots and trail riding.  Never let me down once. mine is an 05 but the new one is 700. It has it all is fast smooth and powerful.

 

http://powersports.honda.com/2014/fourtrax-rincon.aspx

 

A torque converter setup, I like it...hmmmm. How is the rear suspension for discing, etc?

[Doewhacker]

This one should fit the bill, just watch out for Culver he will want to steal it. Matches his shorts

 

 

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Culvercreek hunt club]

A torque converter setup, I like it...hmmmm. How is the rear suspension for discing, etc?

You would have to buy a rear suspension lock if you a pulling anything that will be sensitive to the hitch height dropping. As you  strain against eh load the rear end squats. I have to pu the locking bar across mine when pulling the rake or grader blade.

 

EDIT---and I don't see the problem with PINK. I am rather fond of it

Edited April 22, 2014 by Culvercreek hunt club

[DeerStalker22]

We have 3 polaris sportsman 500s.  mine is a 98, my brothers is a 2000 and my fathers is an 04.  If you could see the stuff we put ours through between bringing out trailer loads of wood to deer, we've even pulled out a 3500 pickup that got stuck up to our camp.  The independent rear suspension is what really stands out for me, I have ridden plenty of four wheelers from the Suzukis, Yamaha and canams and nothing i have ridden has come close to the drivability of the sportsman.  There is not a bumper or body panel on them fourhwheelers that isnt either bent or broke but they still keep working  

[mbucks27]

Suspension is awesome. It's like riding on air. I have used it to disc my plot for a few years now with no problems at all. If you saw the disc I use you would think I'm crazy Lol. Its an old tractor disc that we broke apart and use one of the three parts. Its heavy but the quad pulls it like nothing.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Suspension is awesome. It's like riding on air. I have used it to disc my plot for a few years now with no problems at all. If you saw the disc I use you would think I'm crazy Lol. Its an old tractor disc that we broke apart and use one of the three parts. Its heavy but the quad pulls it like nothing.

 

Do you guys use a suspension lock like Culver is talking about?

 

I have a pair of discs like you are describing too.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

typically not required with discs because thee is no need for depth control that could vary with the "squatting" of the machine. If you used a hitch mounted disc like the Kolpin ones it actually might help to have the added down pressure from the squatting under load. The ones I have are tow behind with two rows of discs. when it squats, the hitch and tongue goes down and the pressure comes off the back disc set. SO I use one for pulling that and the grader.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Gotcha

[jrm]

Jumping in late on this topic...

I have a 2011 Polaris Sportsman 500. I use it for fun and some work on the property. The work involves brush hogging trails for hiking and ATV and dragging a horse arena (130x300).

The Polaris is great and I love it, but I did run into a lot over overheating problems with it when hogging or ring dragging for long periods. Nothing major, but I did have to shut it down for 10-15 minutes before the "temp" warning went away.

A 500 (or smaller) can do the work - it all depends how hard you are pushing it and what you are pulling behind it. For what I am doing I think I am at the limits of what this machine can handle.

I have since picked up a Can-Am Outlander 800. Big difference. It can work all day without blinking.

It is not necessarily a "better" machine, just more suited to the power level I need. Take a look at what you want to do and make sure you don't undersize the machine. Discing a large area or plowing a heavy snow on a long drive _might_ be too much for a smaller machine.

Edited May 20, 2014 by jrm