Hello, I'm new at this game. I need advice on which machine to buy. I'm looking for a multi purpose 400 ATV. I need someting for snowplowing, treehauling, and of course.. fun. Honda are too expensive and i'm told Yamaha, Arctic cat and Suzuki are the best for the bucks.?????
All advice and experience will be greatly appreciated.

 

Actually the Honda 400's are right around the same price range as the others. The cheapest is probably the Suzuki Eiger 400 4x4 Semi auto at around $5299. & $5599. for auto.
Honda Foreman 400 4x4 is around $5899. (fulltime 4x4)
Honda Rancher 400 4x4 is $5999. (selectable 2 to 4x4)
Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 around $6000., auto (Yamaha reduced the 400's price after the 450)
Kawa. Prairie 400 4x4 around $5999., auto
Arctic Cat 400 4x4 around $5999. (Suzuki motor)
I would also consider the 450's too.
Yamaha Kodiak 450 $6199., auto
Honda Foreman 450S $6199. ES $6399.

A couple things I would want is a 4x4, selectable 2 to 4x4, light weight, good looking, and reasonable price. (to name a few) I like the 400 Eiger, Honda Rancher and Kodiak.
The Eiger's reviews were good but lacking in the 4x4 area. Sporty
The Rancher hasn't been tested yet.
The Kodiak seems like a good machine.
Out of those three it would probably come down between the Rancher and the Eiger. The price might make the big difference. But I would be tempted to buy a Foreman 450S if I was going to spend close to 6000. but I would compare the Foreman 450 to the Kodiak 450.

You really just need to look around and talk to some dealers to decide what is best for you. Also read the threads to see if certain models have had any problems. Good luck.

 

I set out to get a 400 class quad for hauling trees on my farm, and hauling me around. Ended up with a 500 instead (Arctic Cat 500i), but that's another story entirely...

Couple of questions you may want to research and resolve before you choose the machine:

Do you want IRS? Great for very rough ground - better ground clearance and rides smoother - but costs more.

Manual or auto trans? If you're pulling a lot, you may want a manual transmission (I did, and got one), but that will limit your choice of machines.

Being able to switch out of 4x4 is nice, especially if you spend any time on hard pavement.

If you're looking for pulling ability, look at the heavier utility machines - Cat, Polaris, Bombardier. The new Bombardier Outlander 400 has had some very good reviews.

In the end, my choice of the Cat was as much choosing the dealer as the machine. The Cat/Suzuki dealer was a lot more eager to sell than the local Yamaha/Honda/Kaw dealer. To tell the truth, the machines were all quite close, once I had resolve the IRS and manual trans choices. As the local Cat dealer didn't have a 400 in stock in the color I wanted, they cut the price on a 500 down to where I couldn't say no...

Oh, and the Cat 500i has impressive tree dragging capabilities. One year on the farm, and nothing has gone wrong with it.

 

Go with the eiger!!


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98 bayou 220

 

i think down the road, you'll wish that you would have bought a 500. the only difference in most makes is the size of the engine. they weigh basicly the same.