Ask The Editors: Is 250 Enough?
Both 250s but designed for very different purposes.
Is a 250cc 2 wheel drive enough to pull a wood splitter around the farm and through the woods?
As shocking as it may seem today, there was once a time in the ATV industry when a 250 was considered the big bore entry of the line. In fact, all the way up until 2002, Suzuki’s flagship King Quad sported an engine of only 280cc.
So much of your question, however, depends on factors other than the sheer displacement of the engine. This is when having information such as the weight of your wood splitter and the make/ model in question would be very useful. So much of what our machines can and cannot do depends upon things like gearing, intended purpose and so on.
That said, a utility machine with a CVT or semi-automatic transmission should have little trouble towing an average weight splitter. Take for example the Honda FourTrax Recon 2WD- its air-cooled 229cc engine is rated to tow 500 lbs. Harbor Freight’s PREDATOR 20 ton 212cc log splitter comes in at 378 pounds. You’d have no trouble whatsoever towing this combination.
Where a 250 might start to give you trouble is if it’s setup for sport/ performance. Setups like manual clutch, chain-driven rear drive aren’t designed for towing, regardless of engine size. We’re not saying it’s impossible, just that you would surely find the process a handful, especially if factors like snow or mud enter the equation.
If in doubt, check the manufacturer’s towing spec for the machine you are considering and go from there. Even if you don’t know the exact weight of the wood splitter you’re trying to move around, checking spec sheets on comparable modern units online should provide you with a pretty good estimate.
