I been looking locally for the last week to buy a decent used quad,lol,its been frustrating! They been moving quick! Is this the season to buy or what?

But right now im looking to buy one for my son for xmas, but also I want it big enough for me to ride because im going to try to get a rzr for myself come spring and if I go some place Id like to use both if he dont go,etc.

So Im a fairly big guy 6'1" 250lbs and he's 14 around 120lbs,,Im looking for a automatic,so with my size would you say a minimum of a 400cc?

I read that the IRS is a Much smoother ride and easier on the rider vs. the strait axle. So im looking for IRS,but its got me wondering is that just more stuff to break? Is the strait axle tougher and less prone to break? Should I not make IRS such a must have?

My next concern is water cooled vs air cooled,water cooled sounds better,but again sounds like more stuff to go wrong. But will air cooled not be good for those hotter summer trail rides?

Im pretty much looking for a Grizzly but either I miss out on the good deals or people want too much,and seem to be less for sale locally. My other choice was a Honda Rancher,they seem to be good reliable machines,see more for sale locally and at decent prices. But its the opposite of what im looking for,its air cooled,strait axle,no locking diff. Im not sure I would need that,but I think it might be nice to have.

This quad would be for play,trail rides mostly. Im not going to be standing on it and try to cross a river or a 3' deep mud pit or jump it etc. It will be used for trail riding,light mud play,might plow my driveway in the winter and thats about it.

So I dont know if I should stick to my guns and just wait on the right grizzly and not consider anything else,,or if I should go look at one of these ranchers. This would be his first quad and I havent been on one since 96',so He would be surprised and blown away with anything really. So im thinking maybe I should not over think this and buy a good reliable machine like the rancher and probably save a $1,000 and just let that be his first quad and see how he likes it and can upgrade down the road if we need to. Or try to get the best off the bat,like the grizzly? Please let me know what you think.

 

Don't limit yourself to just those two brands. Kawasaki, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Suzuki are fine if you find the right one in good shape and you and your kid feel comfortable on them. I've only ever had ones with solid rear axles so I can't comment on differences, and trails I've been on in my state are a bit tame compared to others so I'll deffer to others with more experience to tell you about it. Only thing I can think of is with 4wis you will keep all 4 wheels on the ground longer.

 

IRS makes for a smoother ride and I don't ever want to ride without it again with my arthritis being as bad as it is. Any 400 or larger should fit your needs. Any of the brands mentioned plus Can-Am are all good. True 4WD helps with plowing and going through mud but a 4x3 will still go most places a 4x4 will.

 

Suzuki has the King Quad in a 500 cc in addition to Polaris Sportsman and Yamaha Grizzly. All pretty bulletproof and the Polaris is probably the most comfortable ride.

 

Was talking to my brother in law about the machines Im looking at "rancher or grizzly" He was kinda telling me that my son is going to want something more sporty,so he had me looking at the Yamaha wolverine 4x4.
I know when we were looking he was more drawn to the racing looking quads,but isnt getting anything like that. But the wolverine does seem like a good trail machine. I dont think their as practical as a utility type,,but then again these are for just play anyway,What do you think about the wolverine for a trail machine?

 

IRS is not just about a smoother ride it also has the advantage of more ground clearance and a IRS can not have a rear drum brake like most SRA all do. All IRS have the better rear disk brakes.

If you want a IRS 4x4 your pretty well stuck with a liquid cooled. The only IRS air/oil cooled ATV 4x4 I can think of was a IRS 400 Yamaha Big Bear, Grizzly 350 IRS and the Old Suzuki 300KQ.

 

I wouldn't get too stuck on a particular atv until you go and ride it. I thought I wanted a Grizz until I rode one..........it felt way too tippy to me. I much prefer solid rear axle machines because they are simpler, easier to maintain, lighter, and feel much more stable in the off camber situations and around corners. When the trail gets bumpy or rough, I simply stand up and put the shock in my knees instead of my back. No big deal. I think most folks should practice this anyway. 95% of atv riders plant their butt on the seat and it stays there for the entire ride despite obstacles, steep slopes, hard corners, and other situations when body position matters. But that is a separate thread for another time..........

As for the air cooled or liquid cooled question, that will mostly depend on what size engine you go with. Most mid-sized engines on up will be liquid cooled by necessity. Liquid cooling has it's drawbacks, but there is no choice if you want an engine big enough to be fun!

Other things to consider:

*The more weight you put on an IRS, the less ground clearance you will have.

*Drum brakes on solid axle machines suck. They get too hot too fast. Disks are much better, but they can get full of mud, dirt, debris, and can get damaged. They also can get hot enough to fade. The absolute best rear brake is a wet brake system, and can be had on both IRS and SRA machines. They have no fading, and are totally sealed and protected. They also last ten times longer with no maintenance required.

*The bigger the engine you go with, generally the more gas you will have to pay for.

As for the Wolverine, it's a great machine--but it depends on what years. The new ones are not utility machines, they are sport bikes. The older Wolverines were great sport/utility machines and are very sought after. I have two myself and I much prefer them to the newer models.

Lastly, don't get too hung up on having a diff lock. It is rarely used. The only time I use mine is going up a loose and rocky hill very slowly, in the snow and mud when I'm about to get stuck, and when I'm plowing on ice. That sounds like a lot, but it probably boils down to 2% of total riding time!

Hope this helps a bit...

 

I just sold a 2007 350 Grizzly SRA to buy another 2007 350 Grizzly but this one has IRS and diff lock. The SRA 350s don't come with diff lock in 2007.

The IRS defiantly soaks up the bumps much better.
I was also stuck in a old logging skidder trail and the diff lock was just enough to get me out without getting off the seat to use the winch and get a soaker.

But the above post is right you do not use diff lock a lot but its nice to have (Same goes with a winch). Heck on most rides even the 4wd button is not needed most of the time let alone the diff lock.