I'm thinking of getting an ATV primarily for utility reasons, pulling logs, hunting, plowing snow, tilling and planting. Can anyone suggest what to look for and what to avoid when looking for an ATV .... which makers and models to steer clear of? I would think 4X4 would be the minimum requirement, then shaft or chain drive? What kind of suspension? How do I check out the engine and transmission on a used vehicle - what should I look for or avoid?? thanks for any or all help!

 

personally i like buying new. i would never want to buy someone elses old toy. As for makes and models every one has there benefits. In my opinion: Honda makes the most durable quad, Yamaha makes the most powerful (grizzly 660), Kawasaki makes a good all around quad but for heavy work i wouldn't buy one, Polaris is a good bike but the newer ones seem to be losing a little ground to the other makes when it comes to automatic transmissions. These are just my opinions and some people may disagree. What do I think is the best all around work/fun reliable/cost effective. Arctic Cat. I have been driving arctic cat snowmobiles all my life and when they came out with an ATV i laughed. I thought that they were a joke. Then my buddy bought a 2003 500i. And now I will buy nothing else. The Arctic Cat has the most ground clearance which is a major plus, even if it is only 1.2 inches higher then the grizzly 660 that is 1.2 inches of tree stump that i will be able to drive over. Also the rack capacity is very high, i am not sure what it is compared to other bikes but I know that it is 300 pounds on my 2003. That is more then most, for sure most 500s. Also the top end speed is decent for those days you are in a hurry, it isn't the fastest but I am 100% satisfied with the speed I can get out of mine. The gas mileage is alright, it can tow over 1050 pounds, the independent suspension is very smooth, very easy to clean compared to some of the other big quads, the engines are made by Suzuki, who in turn have an agreement with Kawasaki that they will share technology, (the reason for the new Arctic cat 650), and I love having a an option of owning a manual transmission (for work I have found that they are nicer, and no worries about belts), Arctic Cat is great when it comes to customer service,and the price is great. My friend bought his grizzly the same time I bought mine, I paid about $2000 less, and in my opinion I got just as much quad, if not more in some situations, usually if I can't pull a tree stump out of the woods, he can't either. Right now the prices on the 2003's are going down, someone on the arctic cat forum picked up a 2003 500i manual for 5800 after tax, title, licence, and 2 year warrenty! Everyone has there own opinions and i am sure that someone will disagree with me but I will never own another type of ATV again. Best bet is to test drive as many as possible, GOOD LUCK in your decision. There are many Arctic Cat dealers in Wisconsin so take a look![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

luvthemud is right if you decide to get a atv you should get it new if you want powerful gow with the 660 grizzly it is tough enough to pulling logs, hunting, plowing snow, tilling and planting.

 

i like my quad witch is a arctic cat 500i and i do everything on it it is a gr8 all around bike and alot of farming stuff is made for this quad but like luvthemud said the grizzly 660 is a bigger and more powerful forwheeler buti like artic cats just my opinion but i personaly to prefer to buy new

 

I'm a Honda fan -- as Trailblazer said, they're generally considered the most durable. Those guys really know engineering, and they make a solid, reliable ATV that is among the best in each class. When there's a choice between the latest innovation and proven technology, Honda's work-oriented machines usually stick with reliability & durability, which is what I look for in a Utility vehicle (truck, tractor, ATV.)

In my not-so-humble opinion, for your purposes you'd want:
4 wheel drive (preferably switchable to 2WD when you want);
shaft drive (far more durable & maintenance-free);
solid-axle suspension (you buy a 1/2-ton sport truck, you want IRS, but for a work truck, you're looking for solid axles and big leaf springs. . .).

If you buy "used", pay the buck$$ to get a good shop to check it out & tell you what it needs or will be needing. Often new is cheaper, overall. If the seller won't agree to the shop check, find another quad.

Independent rear suspension is wonderful, and if you have a bad back the IRS can be solid gold. A well-designed IRS can also give you more ground clearance, but the "numbers" don't tell the whole story, so don't get too wrapped up in competitive measurements. You'll pay more for IRS, and it can be tricky in certain situations. If you were primarily "mudding" or sightseeing, IRS would be cool. For the kind of heavy work you're considering, I'd stick with the straight axles.

If you must have automatic transmission, take a look at the Rubicon. It's an automotive-type transmission, which I personally prefer to the excellent belt-n-pulley based auto trannys of most other ATV's.
Need AT plus IRS? Check out the Rincon, but bring your checkbook !

Hondas seem to be the #1 choice of commercial companies that are working their quads hard, day by day -- big ranches, regional utility companies (power lines, pipelines), etc. I read a posting on a forum a while back from a guy who works on a big ranch in (I think) Montana -- something like 175,000 acres of cattle land ( !! ) He said "We've got maybe 40 quads we use to get around on the ranch. When it's play time, several brands are favorites . . . but when it's time to head 'waay out from the main barns, to haul or to pull another quad back 'home', we ALWAYS take one of the Hondas, 'cause it's a long walk back . . ."

Though Hondas & Yamahas are considered reliable and durable, the commercial firms often opt for Hondas because of their stable model-lines (meaning = repair parts available for more years), bulletproofness, and availability of more aftermarket work accessories, esp. agricultural implements (if a model has been on the market a long time, it's worth an implement-mfgr's time to tailor an accessory to fit that model.)

I don't work my Foreman 450ES anywhere near that often, but my work uses include pulling a 1500# trailer, moving a 3000# boat/trailer, snow plowing, pulling logs off the trail, pulling trucks out of the mud. My wife's Rancher is more fun on the trail, but that "work truck" Foreman thumps along nicely -- even at speed -- through any trail obstacle I've tackled on it.

 

I personally would never buy new.....let some other fool take the big loss on the high dollar quads.You can find ones a year or so old for HUNDEREDS cheaper than new.Now if you were in the youth sizes you are better off with new they dont depriceate as bad as the big ones.But first go test ride the ones you like and on what brands to watch out for is really none in the past few years all the makes have had to improve to stay in bussines.But if you check out the papers you will find a guy with HUNNY trouble ready to almost pay you to take his toy away before the wife blows her gasket.

 

Actually, resale value convinced me to buy new instead of 1-2 years old. There just wasn't much difference in the price, especially for a machine that can be subjected to considerable abuse. Mud riding especially can wear out a quad if the previous owner wasn't diligent about cleaning it off.

I went with an Arctic Cat 500i with manual transmission, glad I did. I use it mostly on my farm, which is a pretty craggy piece of land. Haul firewood, fencing tools, pull trees off of fencerows, and I've used the winch to stretch wire while I'm repairing a fence. The Cat rolls over some really rough ground, terrain that would high center my old Big Bear. And drags a pretty heavy log. It's built like a tank, very stout construction.