I'm looking to but an ATV I'm looking at the Honda rancher 400 at, or the 400 es, and the Yamaha Kodiak 450. I will use it for trail riding, which includes crossing water and going up so steep hills and for pushing snow. Which one would be the one to buy. Pros and Cons on these ATV
Thanks

 

From my observations, I would list the pro's and cons as follows:

Rancher AT:
Pro's: Honda reliability, beltless auto transmission, nice digital gauges.
Cons: STIFF suspension (could be a pro if you like that), the auto transmission is sent to California for repair. somewhat underpowered compared to the Kodiak 450.

Kodiak 450:
Pro's: Ultramatic transmissions proven reliability, Hi-Low range 4wd, 2005 models will have independent rear suspension.
Cons: the black rims are fugly.

I'm sure there's many more but these are ones that stick out in my mind.

 

The trans in the rancher at is the same one that has been used in the foreman rubicon for years and also other, non atv products. It's a proven trans as well. Not to mention the fact that the trans is mechanical and not belt drive so there is no belt to wear out, adjust, or get wet. Much less maintenance.

 

i went with the kodiak 450 because: more power, hi-lo gears, diff-lock, higher towing capacity, higher rack capacity, disc brakes, more suspension travel, and the belt drive system. i would rather spend money replacing a belt than having the rancher tranny worked on.