Help me choose an atv

[Ducksnuff870]

Check out a coot or better yet the newer coot2! I have a coot and it does everything I ask plus some! And it even floatsView attachment 332653

dude that is one cool setup ya got there

 

[firebrick43]

I would do the samurai or jeep. MIL has a Kawasaki brute force and it's insane on what it will pull and do but the price and stababilty scares the crap out me. It's so top heavy that it's been rolled twice by others and I thought once I was going to and won't drive it anymore. I question the durability of the Diffs pulling heavy loads for long periods of time as well.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Weight distribution is your friend when it comes to hauling a loaded trailer with an ATV. My 02 Grizzly 660 weighs 600lbs dry, about 900lbs with myself and my gear loaded on it. At those weights, the stock suspension becomes too soft and is very unresponsive. Stock tires are also terrible at rated pressures. A stiff 6-ply aftermarket tire will be a night and day improvement. I load a 6x8 trailer with wood and pull it around the yard with my Grizzly and the front end gets light enough that steering becomes difficult and any maneuvering in reverse is dangerous as the weight is distributed over the front axles in 4wd and can jackknife in a hurry.

Of course, all of this can be avoided one of two ways. One, to know the capabilities of a machine and not exceed them. Two, to use a machine whose capabilities match or exceed your requirements.

This year I will be purchasing a John Deere compact utility tractor because my Grizzly no longer meets my requirements. My requirements now include lifting tree-length logs onto my flatbed trailer, and skidding them there. A 5000lb compact utility loader-tractor at 40-50hp should work perfectly.

If you want to stick to a compact machine, I would go to a side by side such as a Ranger or go bigger and go with a Samurai or the like.

 

[firebrick43]

A 5000lb compact utility loader-tractor at 40-50hp should work perfectly.

Make sure you add a 1500 lbs of calcium carbonate or beet juice in the rear tires or tire weights. I think I have 950 in each wheel on my 55hp tractor and when lifting decent size logs I really don't want to drive far or fast as it's sort of light on the rear

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Make sure you add a 1500 lbs of calcium carbonate or beet juice in the rear tires or tire weights. I think I have 950 in each wheel on my 55hp tractor and when lifting decent size logs I really don't want to drive car or fast as it's sort of light on the rear

Indeed, thank you!

 

[Jim Timber]

I'd go with a tractor here too.

I work the hell out of my atv (2010 Arctic Cat mud pro 700), but a tractor will do more work for the same money.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/grd/4305840698.html

 

[bigdaddy3]

I grew up racing ATVs 3 wheelers and then 4 wheelers, have probally owned over 30 of them but I bought my first side by side in 2006 when I bought a 06 Rhino, I had 3 quads at the time but after riding the Rhino I sold all of my quads and have no desire to own one, I own the Rhino, a Kawasaki Teryx and a Polaris Razer, I cant keep my family out of them, they are so much different from the old Mules, dont get me wrong nothing like my Kubota but comparing a Teryx to a tractor or even a Samurai is like comparing apples to oranges, just talk to anybody that has gone to the side by side, it will pull a load like a mule but it will also run 55 mph down the road.

 

[chucker]

I use my arctic cat 300 for break up and swampy areas along with a skidding trailer. other grounds will be worked with a allis chalmers d-15(45 horse) tractor wide front/loader. the 3 point on the back works well for pulling tree length from tight areas not accessible to the front forks. using a farm implement for logging/firewood needs traction from chains to maintain good ground contact an high/low range . with out this in hilly grounds it would be just about impossible..........

 

[redfin]

A tractor isn't happening right now. I have a fullsize jd that I have been using to excavate for our home site. It was hard enough convincing my wife that we would save money buying it. It has almost paid for itself and I told her it would go away before we buy a smaller tractor.

I am only looking for an atv at this time.

 

[GeeVee]

ASV RC 30 will out pay load that TLB, fit on the same trailer as an atv, and load your dump truck (if it aint a road tandem). An atv for woods is over powered... Kind of funny to say RC 30 is better. 48" wide, 3200 lbs, unstoppable traction,

 

[GeeVee]

Like this

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I am only looking for an atv at this time.

Then a Polaris Sportsman would be the way to go because of their weight and ease of use AWD system. A Sportsman 800 weighs about 750lbs. If a side by side is not out of the question then go with a Ranger 800. Much, much more stable.

 

[MuskokaSplitter]

Im running an 02suzuki300. Great machine has chassis of the higher end machine with just the smaller engine. Honestly it will pull anything in super low (has 15 gear selection). High, Low and super low with 5 gear in each. Locking front diff and fully independant suspension. IMHO its the best small sized atv even still on the market for a utility ATV. Now if it only had a 500cc in the same chassis. I like it a bit smaller for goin through the woods as i can go anywhere with it. It just cant pull the big loads more than a couple mile an hour . For what you describe a side by side sounds better though.

 

[hardy steve]

I have an 800 can am.I love it.I have added a rear winch to also better tires.I pull a ranger truck bed trailer behind it in woods .And will skid off bumper at same time.I will try to get some pics loaded .Maybe can ams new 6 wheeler only thing else I'd consider using.They have a forester model.You can check out on YouTube

 

[chucker]

Im running an 02suzuki300. Great machine has chassis of the higher end machine with just the smaller engine. Honestly it will pull anything in super low (has 15 gear selection). High, Low and super low with 5 gear in each. Locking front diff and fully independant suspension. IMHO its the best small sized atv even still on the market for a utility ATV. Now if it only had a 500cc in the same chassis. I like it a bit smaller for goin through the woods as i can go anywhere with it. It just cant pull the big loads more than a couple mile an hour . For what you describe a side by side sounds better though.

your machine is the same as my rebadged arctic cat in a 2000 year model.. the super low and slow 3rd gear will pull the world with chains, totally amazing machine......

 

[4x4American]

Older: You cant kill a Honda Foreman. Buddies got a Foreman 500 4x4 with big old mud grips on it, that thing will go anywhere. Tough and grunty, Yamaha Grizzly, you can't go wrong with a Grizzly. I have a Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4 and I push that thing to it's limits all the time and it takes it pretty well, but it'd be better to have a bigger wheeler.

 

[4x4American]

I also had a 91 kawasaki bayou 300 4x4, the low range on that thing would do some work. We have a Polaris Sportsman 300 4x4 at the farm. Use it every day to line the gutter with rotten corn silage, and we use it for other stuff too, but let me say, I wouldn't get that wheeler. It's one of them there automatics, it has a hard time going into gear, and the belt gives us problems when it gets wet. Starts up easily though, the battery is dead so instead of buying a $40 new one the boss has us pull start it, and it suprises me how easy it starts up. When the battery went on my big bear I was pulling that for awhile and it was a pita to start. also one time back in the woods the cover where the pull starter is held on fell off, and of course i didn't notice til I shut it off. When I noticed it was missing I walked around for awhile til I found it, it didn't fall off too far away, anyways I ended up shoving sticks in the bolt holes and held my foot on it whilst pulling it over. wasnt easy but I got her going. now them bolts are lock tighted right in there.

 

[kodiak]

Something else for the OP to take into consideration is that with most machines, especially those with low range, you will run out of traction before you run out of power. I'd expect chains would help but then they create limitations at higher speeds.

I've thought about converting to a side-by-side but my ATVs also get used for riding trails (and the river in the winter). I'm hard pressed to believe that I'd get the same level of exhilaration from a Ranger or other utility machine as I get from an ATV in this setting.

 

[kodiak]

Older: You cant kill a Honda Foreman. Buddies got a Foreman 500 4x4 with big old mud grips on it, that thing will go anywhere. Tough and grunty, Yamaha Grizzly, you can't go wrong with a Grizzly. I have a Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4 and I push that thing to it's limits all the time and it takes it pretty well, but it'd be better to have a bigger wheeler.

Says the guy with "Buy American!" in his signature. I just thought that was kind of funny.

FWIW - I have no doubt that Honda and Yamaha make excellent machines.

 

[dieselfitter]

Yes I have thought about sxs. But if I was going to go that route (you may laugh here) I would grab a samurai.

My buddy has several of them. They are by far in stock form the most capable off road rig. And they are cheap. Great aftermarket support and did I mention cheap.

I want an atv for the ability to pull my wagon at home, and then to put on a very small trailer to pull behind my dump truck. I want to use the trailer I haul the atv on to get wood out of the areas I can't get the dump closest enough to.

Yes there are cheap. The close one a friend gave me, the far one I paid $1500 for.