2004 Polaris TM Ranger
| Goin’ Gator Huntin’ 2004 Polaris Ranger “TM” |
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FIRST LOOK
TMstands for “Task Master”. Designed to compete with the John Deere Gator”! and similar machines, the TM stands head and shoulders above the rest. The seat comfortably seats three adults, which gives you the ability to carry 50% more human cargo than all the others in class. Seatbelts are provided for all passengers. Controls are dead simple, Gas Pedal, Brake Pedal, Shift Lever, Differential Lock Lever and a Parking Brake. All work as advertised. However we found the Parking Brake Release Handle to be awkward to release. The angle of the lever forces the operator to pull backward and down at a 45° angle. It seems to us, easier to pull straight back or straight up, instead of down and back. All in all, a minor annoyance. The standard Ranger”! roll bar has been retained, but with a steel mesh grate to keep wayward cargo out of the passenger compartment. The rear dump box which can hold 18 cubic feet of cargo is also retained. New for 2004 is the Ranger”! Modular Tool Holder
& Bed Rail System. With this unique system, a number of formerly hard to stow tools, implements and a 5 gal. Igloo”! water cooler can be transported without fear of littering the trail or worksite with them. While the suspension was shortened from the standard Ranger”! (4.3in. Front, 4.6in. Rear) it does an admirable job. And given the fact it even has suspension, front AND rear, is a giant step above the standards for this class of machine.
Motive power is by an 18 hp, 653cc Robin/Fuji air-cooled twin-cylinder industrial engine. Air-cooled? Yup, the radiator and water-cooled power plant were dispensed with. However during our testing, climbing the mountains in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with temperatures hovering in the lower 90’s, we never experienced any over-heating what-so-ever. Is only 18 horsepower enough? This horsepower level was selected because if the TM was capable of speeds greater than 25 mph, it would not fall under the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Slow Moving Vehicle Act. To demonstrate the pulling power of the TM, Polaris hooked up a fully loaded TM to one of their tractor trailers via a heavy duty snatch rope and actually towed the tractor trailer fast enough to bump start it!
Yes, but is 25 miles per hour enough? It gets you where you need to go. It’s faster than walking and for employees and farm hands, that may not be trained in a higher speed vehicle, it provides a margin of safety. Plus, all the other vehicles in class, are WAY slower anyway! Unlike the other vehicles in class, the Ranger TM, can be used for off-road excursions. With 7.2 in. of ground clearance and the remarkable Titan 489 tires, you have a very versatile and capable machine.
The driveline is slightly different than a conventional Ranger. On
the TM, the clutch assembly has only splash shields, instead of being fully sealed. The TM is not marketed as a full on off-road machine (even though it is plenty capable in most situations). However Polaris did include their limited lifetime warranty on the drive belt. This is in keeping with the machines intended use. Also the TM is only a two-wheel drive, with a selectable locking rear differential. Four-wheel drive is not option. During our testing, which consisted of fireroads, light mud and mountain climbing on rocky jeep trails, we found the TM to be more than up to the task. 99.5% of the time we were in single wheel drive, with the differential unlocked. The combination of weight, ground clearance and the 489 Titan tires gave us all the traction we needed. Only when we got hung up while trying to climb a large rock formation did we momentarily need two-wheel drive. With the rear end unlocked, the TM will not chew up your lawn or even a golf course. Just remember the drive is not fully sealed, so pass on the gumbo mud and deep water crossings, but it should still get you to your cabin in the mountains, along with two other people and a cargo box full of gear. Try that with your Gator”!! Being able to go places with the TM that would make a Gator”! choke on its scales, getting there faster, with more available power, giving the passengers (all three of them) a smoother ride thanks to the suspension front and rear, and all the while carrying a load of gear would, in our opinion, make this new entry in the low speed vehicle utility class, a winner.
TMstands for “Task Master”. Designed to compete with the John Deere Gator”! and similar machines, the TM stands head and shoulders above the rest. The seat comfortably seats three adults, which gives you the ability to carry 50% more human cargo than all the others in class. Seatbelts are provided for all passengers. Controls are dead simple, Gas Pedal, Brake Pedal, Shift Lever, Differential Lock Lever and a Parking Brake. All work as advertised. However we found the Parking Brake Release Handle to be awkward to release. The angle of the lever forces the operator to pull backward and down at a 45° angle. It seems to us, easier to pull straight back or straight up, instead of down and back. All in all, a minor annoyance. The standard Ranger”! roll bar has been retained, but with a steel mesh grate to keep wayward cargo out of the passenger compartment. The rear dump box which can hold 18 cubic feet of cargo is also retained. New for 2004 is the Ranger”! Modular Tool Holder& Bed Rail System. With this unique system, a number of formerly hard to stow tools, implements and a 5 gal. Igloo”! water cooler can be transported without fear of littering the trail or worksite with them. While the suspension was shortened from the standard Ranger”! (4.3in. Front, 4.6in. Rear) it does an admirable job. And given the fact it even has suspension, front AND rear, is a giant step above the standards for this class of machine.
Motive power is by an 18 hp, 653cc Robin/Fuji air-cooled twin-cylinder industrial engine. Air-cooled? Yup, the radiator and water-cooled power plant were dispensed with. However during our testing, climbing the mountains in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with temperatures hovering in the lower 90’s, we never experienced any over-heating what-so-ever. Is only 18 horsepower enough? This horsepower level was selected because if the TM was capable of speeds greater than 25 mph, it would not fall under the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Slow Moving Vehicle Act. To demonstrate the pulling power of the TM, Polaris hooked up a fully loaded TM to one of their tractor trailers via a heavy duty snatch rope and actually towed the tractor trailer fast enough to bump start it!Yes, but is 25 miles per hour enough? It gets you where you need to go. It’s faster than walking and for employees and farm hands, that may not be trained in a higher speed vehicle, it provides a margin of safety. Plus, all the other vehicles in class, are WAY slower anyway! Unlike the other vehicles in class, the Ranger TM, can be used for off-road excursions. With 7.2 in. of ground clearance and the remarkable Titan 489 tires, you have a very versatile and capable machine.
The driveline is slightly different than a conventional Ranger. On
the TM, the clutch assembly has only splash shields, instead of being fully sealed. The TM is not marketed as a full on off-road machine (even though it is plenty capable in most situations). However Polaris did include their limited lifetime warranty on the drive belt. This is in keeping with the machines intended use. Also the TM is only a two-wheel drive, with a selectable locking rear differential. Four-wheel drive is not option. During our testing, which consisted of fireroads, light mud and mountain climbing on rocky jeep trails, we found the TM to be more than up to the task. 99.5% of the time we were in single wheel drive, with the differential unlocked. The combination of weight, ground clearance and the 489 Titan tires gave us all the traction we needed. Only when we got hung up while trying to climb a large rock formation did we momentarily need two-wheel drive. With the rear end unlocked, the TM will not chew up your lawn or even a golf course. Just remember the drive is not fully sealed, so pass on the gumbo mud and deep water crossings, but it should still get you to your cabin in the mountains, along with two other people and a cargo box full of gear. Try that with your Gator”!! Being able to go places with the TM that would make a Gator”! choke on its scales, getting there faster, with more available power, giving the passengers (all three of them) a smoother ride thanks to the suspension front and rear, and all the while carrying a load of gear would, in our opinion, make this new entry in the low speed vehicle utility class, a winner.
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The TM is an ideal vehicle for ranchers who would use it as a second tractor or Jeep®, hobby farmers who need more carrying capacity than a standard ATV can give them but want more off-road capacity than a Gator”! can provide, and hunters who feel they do not needed the larger, faster and more expensive Rangers”!. Businesses would benefit too by not allowing untrained employees to handle a faster, more expensive machine, yet still have way more versatility and cargo capacity than any of the other machines in its class. For inclement weather Polaris has designed a deluxe cab that will allow year-round use. We think this new incarnation of the “Ranger” is a winner.