well im looking to buy my first quad and im looking for some advice. the quads im looking at are a 08 yamaha big bear 400 4x4, 2008 honda fourtrax rancher 4x4 es, 08 polaris sportsman 400 (which is really a 450) 4x4 and a 09 polaris sportsman 500 h.o. 4x4. the reason id like advice because whenever i go to a dealership and i also tell them what other quads im looking at they seem to bash them which is nothing new. thank you for your help!

 

Of all of them that you listed , I,d have to say the honda rancher. I've owned mine for a couple years now with no trouble what so ever. I know it dosen't have all the frills and thrills that some of the other brands have, But that was one of the selling points to me. Keep it simple. Thats why its reliable.

 

all are good mechines. The bigbear 400 has a carb, selectable 4x4 and push button diff lock.its IRS, so nice and comfy ride. its the only mechine thats oil cooled. they come standard with mudligh tires and are geared low for work. if you plan on going fast alot this is not for you. the bigbear has been around for years, and is nearly bulletproof! its also a foot shift.

the honda rancher 420 is an all new design. its the only one of the four with EFI, a big plus since ther is no chokeong or adjustment needed. you can get the 420 in a footshift, es, ot an automatic model. the auto model also comes with IRS, the footshift an es models are SRA, or straight axle designed. it is water cooled, selectable 4x4 and torx-loxk front diff. if you get the basic rancher footshift its the cheepest $ wise.

the other 2 polariss are ok. the 400 is in the old hawkeye frame, and the 500 has been around for a few years. i would STAY AWAY from the 400, the have a flaw in the front diff. its actually a hole in the top! if you get into any water it will flood the front diff. a costly replacement. the 500 is pretty much the same as its always been. ofcource the 500 will be the most powerful, but carbs are going out. nice coochy IRS on the polariss, and auto too. no low range on the 400, a disadvantage if you wana pull anything.

IMO, if you have no brand preffrence, the rancher is the best value for money! iv done research and havent heard of any cronic problems with the ranchers. when i have the $'s there will be a new rancher in my garage, not a polaris and not a yamaha

 

It's pretty funny. If you read the responses their recommendations are always what brand they are riding! I would imagine you want an unbiased point of view, but it is nice to hear from people who ride the atv's you are looking at to get feedback. However, I rarely see anyone say their atv sucks and don't buy one! LOL! I feel your pain with the dealers, they are no help. Haven't they realized that bashing competitors does no good?

My personal opinion is everyone makes a good atv, but not all atv's are good! LOL! What I mean is there are known issues with some and you definitely want to stay away from them. I don't think any of the ones you are looking at fall into that category. That said, I would write down what you are going to do with the atv and where you will primarily ride. Include any thing you want, like storage, add ons, available mods, etc. Then, go sit on and ride every one of them you can. Make a list of all their specs and attributes. Compare them. Also pay attention to how they are set up stock, like do they have good tires, wheels, storage, etc. I will say that EFI is a plus, especially if you ride in different elevations and cold weather. Also, a good dealer relationship is important. Having them local is even better and more convenient. Many people drive for hundreds of hours to get parts from their dealer, that would suck!

Luckily, you have found a great forum to pose your question. There are a lot of great people on here with excellent advice. Whatever your decision, keep this forum near as you will learn alot from everyone! Good luck and post pics when you get one!

 

what firehog said about people preaching about there own brands can be very very true. but i didnt buy a honda and then start saying they where great, i bought one because they are damb good mechines.

its all about the luck you have with certain brands, like the neverending Ford vs. Chevy debait.

 

Yeah, some people can buy lemons too. Everyone has them. It's mass production. One thing I can say with 100% certainty is HONDA owners are the MOST loyal than anyone! I wouldn't dare say anything bad about a honda, I would be voted off the forum! LOL! (not that I have anything bad to say about them). That must say something about their atv's!

 

well right now i plan on using the quad for plowing snow. and say on a weekend i get bored and say screw and go camping i just want the room and rack weight. so im kinda leening towards the sportsman 500 h.o.

 

The sportsman 500 HO is a solid machine, just as cherokee said. It's been around for a long time. Popos are easy to ride. The AWD system is great. One thing I hated with some other brands is having to stop, change gears, lock axles, etc. With the popos you just put it in gear, 2wd or AWD and ride. The only time you have to change gears is to go to low for towing or really nasty stuff. My wife loves hers for these reasons. They are also comfortable on long rides as their suspension has proven to be the best. They have a great lock and ride storage system and can handle a lot of weight. And if you need more, you can easily and inexpensively add stiffer springs for more weight addition. They also make an excellent plow system (glacier plow) that is so easy to use and the mount for the plow can stay on all year and is out of the way. These are some things to consider for the polaris. But, don't forget about the others, they may have similar things to offer.

 

for adding stiffer springs where or what is a good website to look at for aftermarket parts so i can see what other brands have to offer?

 

Highlifter is probly a good start. Seems to be the most common.