First, the vital stats - I'm 6', 225# and 59 yo. I'm in decent shape for my age although I do have a disability that affects my right leg. I've never owned/ridden an ATV, a motorcycle or, until recently, even a lawn tractor. I recently retired from the city to a house and 40 acres in wilds of southern IN - mostly hills/hollers (fairly gentle slopes) and woods with a pond, a creek and a few acres in pasture.

I'm considering purchase of an ATV mostly for getting around the above-described land - it also might be used for some light hauling/towing (e.g., landscape trailer, etc). I don't anticipate any extreme conditions although it may encounter some mud/snow occasionally. Since I'm clueless, I'll appreciate any advice - specific brand/model recommendations are welcome but I'm mostly interested in what features I should consider. It needs enough, but not too much, horsepower to do what I want and it should be reliable and low maintenance. Due to my leg problem, it would be best to avoid (or at least minimize) any foot-operated controls on the right side, if possible. TIA for any help.

 

hi there iam in the same boat you are in so i bought the kawaski 3604x4 it not a fast quad but it does everthing i ask it to do .i have enjoyed it very much i use it to help me around the yard and plowing snow.and to get away to the woods its hard for me to around and this thing helps me do that and more.mark

 

With snow and needing to do a little work, sounds like you will need a 4wd....but not a monster work quad or mud bogger. I like the machines in the ~400 class. They are the great trail machines, but yet are big enough to do light to medium work.

Honda Rancher 420! It is new this year, and is a way sweeter machine than I ever hoped to find. You will get more for your dollar with the Rancher than any other machine there is! If you are on a budget, find a new leftover older model Rancher 350, or a used one. The Ranchers are solid reliable time proven autoclutch manual transmsion machines.

You will not need your right foot on either of these. The right foot is an extra rear brake. The left hand lever is also a rear brake....so no big deal there.

See more comments here: http://forums.atvconnection.com/mess...did/518436.cfm

 

I agree. A Honda Rancher420 is a great machine. Also look at the grizz 450 or King quad 450.

 

Lots of good quads out there that will do what you want. I would suggest a 4WD with a differential lock for the front end. I, like Prairie2006, have the Kawasaki Prairie 360 as I wanted a quad that would give me good pulling and snow plowing capabilities and a decent trail and play rig. I did not want blazing speed nor did I intend to make a submarine of the machine. To date the 360 has proven to be rock solid and it has been used around the farm for a variety of chores. When filling in behind a trencher and backhoe when laying pipe I worked the heck out of it and the Swisher snow plow. No problems at all. It is also used to pull the Swisher rough cut mower and has chopped up a lot of heavy grass and sagebrush. I like the CVT transmission and after using another quad that has a shift gearbox would not buy anything but the CVT system on another quad. Some folks hate the "rubber band" drives but this one has proven to be very sturdy with zero problems. I have found the 360 to be a good trail riding quad that compares favorably to the various machines other ride. I'm not into high speed trail riding nor do I enjoy trying to climb a cliff. I've seen others on these 360's go some pretty amazing places but other quads on the market will often go further because of way more power. For their class the P360 is a very good trail quad IMO.

I would suggest you visit a number of dealers and find a quad that fits you comfortably and avoid the really big machines as they tend to be harder to handle for those of us who are getting older, I'm 65, and have past injuries that limit our mobility.

The Prairie 360 is an excellent quad for my needs but I'm not so brand loyal or myopic as to ignore the fact that there are a lot of good machines available. Take a close look at the dealership you are dealing with and look at their shop area. Kind of like a restaurant, the back room is important. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

LMAO....Referring to anyone in particular? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] Don't have any idea what you are referring too there Mr Wolvydude. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I was simply stating the fact that IMO many machines would meet CHuDWah's requirements. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

That's what I figured... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

LMAO !!!