I've been wanting a Honda rancher for awhile. All the guys I know that have one have been very happy. They run great, and are very dependable.
I've been looking for a 2007-up model (definitely want fuel injection) with electric shift. 2wd or 4wd is fine, but the 2wd is more in my price range.
I found a 2010 2wd w/ electric shift nearby for $3400. It's very clean, some scratches on the plastic, but it looks clean and runs great (I've already taken it for a test drive). Definitely hasn't been abused. He was asking $3500, but he said he'd knock $100 off.
Does that seem like a fair price?

I'm currently riding a 2006 Yamaha Bruin 350 4x4. I bought it 2 years ago for what I thought would be a good price, but in the end, it was more of a headache than I expected (had to replace the wiring harness, rebuild the carb, new petcock assembly, and had to track down an electrical problem that wouldn't let it start up without jiggling the battery a couple times). I probably put $250-$300 into it, and got it running good, but I really lack confidence in it, and I won't ride it far because I'm afraid it'll quit on me. There shouldn't be any reason for me to feel this way because it's running great now, but I want something newer with fuel injection, and a reputation for dependability.

 

Fuel injection is a complete waste of time. Bikes with carbs get dirt in the carb and you have to clean it out, bikes with injection get dirt in the filter (if you are lucky) and need the filter changing. If you are not lucky and dirt gets through, the pump will seize or the injector block up. As for the wiring it is so complex on the 420 that I defy anyone to work out what is going on, for example, two rectifiers and a relay in the charging circuit.

Having said that, the old 420 engine seems very reliable, the chassis sound and only the rear axle gives trouble. This needs checking regularly, as both hubs come loose and the shaft comes loose in the diff, ruining the splines if ignored. If you never use 4WD on the Bruin you won't miss it but if you do need 4WD sometimes, you are going to get stuck on a bike without it.

 

Sorry about your 350 Bruin/ Grizzly issues but your defiantly are in the minority they are super reliable just look at these owner reviews Vehicle Reviews for 2006 Yamaha Bruin 350 Auto. 4x4 but you can always get a bad one.
My friend had a new 500 Foreman that was in the shop a few times until warranty got the bugs out.

But a 420 2wd 2012 for $3500 in Canada sure would be a good deal but not so much in the states I think.

I was in Michigan looking at a mint condition 2011 mint condition 450 Grizzly with IRS,25"tires,Diff lock and power steering for $4200 this summer but it was sold.

I'm with Merryman with carbs ,its not a big deal ,all the carb toys I bought always started up and ran good.
I ride my Friends 420 Rancher and unless he told me its EFI I could not tell the difference, you give it gas and it goes forward just like a carbed ATV.

Get ready to spend some money on tires , with a 2wd you sure will not want the stock little 24" tires for long.
Is your Rancher the E.S model?

You call that lots? Get a Polaris and that's what we call a spring tune up.LOL

 

Well, I paid $2000 for the Bruin 2 years ago. The plastic was cracked, but I found a guy that had brand new camo plastics for it for $100. It died on me in the woods, turned out the wiring arrests had some bare wires and it was shirting out. Found a used one on EBay for $100, replaced that. Carb was dumping too much fuel, and it leaked out the overflow tube like crazy, and the engine would shut off after 10 min of riding because it was getting too much fuel. Can't remember how much I paid for a carb rebuild kit, but it was a project getting that done. Also, got a petcock assembly for it. New battery, air filter, and hours of headaches later, it's finally all straightened out. I just don have as much confidence in it as I'd like.
It's hard to put a dollar figure on how much time I spent trouble shooting/making repairs, as well as time lost using the four wheeler. I bought it a week before hunting season in 2013, and I didn't get to use until the last week of the season, over 2 months later.

I'm sure that it's pretty dependable now, but I'd really like something newer.

 

If you're going to spend that much money for a used Rancher 420, I'd get a 4x4 model. I just looked on my local craigslist and found 2 420 4x4's for less than that in good condition though they were foot shift and not electric shift. $2500 is a more reasonable price to ask for a used 2x4 420 Rancher. You can buy a brand new 2x4 Rancher for about $4500, a 4x4 for about $5000. I saw a local dealer selling new 2014 Foreman 500 ES 4x4 models for $5500. With the redesign of the Foreman and Rubicon for 2015, they're making great deals to get rid of the 2014 models. The point is, $3400 seems like a lot to ask for a 5 year old 2 wheel drive utility atv. In reality, it sounds like you have the bugs worked out of your Bruin and it has 4x4. And cracked plastic happens on all atvs, most people just zip-tie it together for $5 and keep using it. Spending $300 like TLC said is nothing, that's basically a new set of tires. The 420 has a little more power than the Bruin but without 4x4, I don't really see it as an upgrade myself.

 

NOT interested in foot shift. Regardless of the price. I haven't seen any 07-up 4x4's on my local CL for the price I'm looking to spend. I did call a dealer, and they said they could get me a 2wd electric shift rancher out the door for $4679. That's the cheapest I've found, and that's 2 hours away.

 

That's actually a great price for a new one. The cheapeast I've seen them advertised is $3999 for new foot shift model and that's not the out the door price. Add about $800-$1000 for taxes, freight and other dealers fees so its closer to $5000 out the door. Honestly, you can find a nice used Grizzly 700 for that price and that would be head and shoulders above a 420 Rancher. Way more power, fuel injection, 4x4 with diff lock and a great cvt auto with high and low range. Many have power steering too. I think you would be much happier buying one of those.

 

Buddy, I wish I could find one of those machines you've mentioned for the price you mentioned. The only grizzly's I find in my price range ($3300) is the Grizzly 350!

 

I was referring to the $4679 for the new Rancher. I saw a 2008 Grizzly 700 for $4000 locally in good shape. Though there aren't many for that price. Most are around $5000 or more. There are some Grizzly 660's for around $3300, still a great machine and would be a huge step up in power over a 350 Bruin but doesn't have fuel injection like the 700.

 

From all the posts about E.S troubles I think I would pay more if it was a foot shift rather then thumb shift.

The 420 is about 27hp while a 350 Bruin/Grizzly is 24hp so do not expect a world of difference in performance or suspension.