me and my father are both going to be buying atv's in the next week,we looked at rancher,outlander,bruin,i think we are both sold on the bruin 350 2wd,i am just wondering about yamaha's auto trans,has anyone had or heard of any common problems?,and also i've seen in forums about the rear arm breaking,neither of us have ever owned an atv,but this one sounds good to both of us,it will be used for hunting/trail riding.though i would ask some experts there opion before we tottally made up or minds,thanks in advance

 

its a great beginner quad but why not a 4x4? i know the price is a big difference but what the 4x4 can do when needed is well worth it. but the 2x4's great, it gets the job done. It'll move ya too.. id recomend the 4x4 but if ya cant afford that than the 2x4 is still great

 

If what you want is a belt drive auto...they dont come any better than the ultramatic on the yamis. The belt and pulleys are always engaged, so you have long belt life, and the crankshaft has a sprage clutch on it, for great engine braking. Now adays, all the belt drive autos are sealed very well, against water entry.
I havent heard about breakage in the rear arm, but i would think that some abuse is to blame on that...its certainly not common, or a known defect.
Make sure you drive all of them before buying. It gets very expensive if you make the wrong decision. The resale on 2x4 quads drops very steeply, after the first buyer. If you decide you dont like it, it drops about 1000 bucks, right off the bat. Even if it has 10 miles on it. The used market is full of 4x4s ....2x4s dont resell well. Unless you are strongly convinced you dont want 4x4, you need to rethink it, if nothing else, they hold their value better, and are desireable on the used market.
The only complaints i hear on bruins, is lack of low range, which limits the slow speed crawling, but if youre only trail riding, its not a biggie. But if you want to tow a trailer, or do chores, the lack of low range is a handicap.
They also are a bit tippy, the front outside tire likes to tuck under on hard cornering...the chamber (non adjustable), and 2 ply tires contribute to this. It can be unnerving to an inexperienced rider.
The outlander is much more stable, and has independant rear suspension, that can be a real plus for someone who only wants a trail riding machine. Plus the 330 and the 400 are hotrods, by far the quickest in the catagory.
The rancher is a honda, and is reliable and rugged, and has the best resale of the 3 you mentioned. When it comes time to resell...people will fight over who gets to buy it. Its very stable, even on side hills, and if you buy the s model or the at, you wont have any problems. Some of the es models have had angle sensor issues, but if youre buying new...honda should have a good grip on the issue by now.
The most important thing....dont be in a hurry..try to find whats best for you and him. If you can, ask for test rides at the dealership, and not just in the paved area, try side hills, and the acceleration, and the brakes, Do some slow and quick cornering, and youll see what i mean about the bruin, compared to the others.
On new machines, the saftey institute, will offer to send you to a beginners class on atv saftey, you may even get paid to do it, your father too. Make sure you go, its fun and well worth your time.
The other option is find a used quad, because right now, lots of guys are trading up to newer machines, and theres lots of used quads out there, and they can be very good values. You could get a used 4x4 for about what a new 2x4 goes for.
Welcome to the forums

 

hello i got a 05 bruin 2x4 and love it, it is my first four wheeler got 80 hours on it never a lick of problems with it i was gonna buy a 4x4 but got the 2x4 instead i put a winch on mine i take my bruin anywhere have to use the winch once in awhile but no biggie, i have crossed rivers up to the seat always keeps going, the auto trans is great my boy got a manual shift i used to like riding his but im spoiled on the auto now the auto braking is nice to have never use the brakes. cant go wrong with the bruin just my two cents, good luck and have fun riding.