A buddy of mine looked at the Traxter a few months ago.. there was an issue with frames breaking, I dont know if they solved it or not.

I dont know about other areas, but Bombardier dealerships are non-existant around here.

From what I heard the John Deere version is more beefier..take a look at John Deeres website..

 

a 800efi, they are a tractor lol j/k

 

woops i dint see your price limt, your way over budget with a 800efi

 

sorry for all the posts but if i were you i would serouily look into a tractor, your gona kill a quad doing all that

 

It's funny that you mentioned the Sportsman 500. I was just riding with someone with one. (not the one in my pics) He kept commenting how he liked my quad better. (matter of preference of course) He liked the Foreman's stance better. He has found that the Sportsman is too tall for where he rides. He actually bottomed out in places where I just drove through without a problem. At one point, he was stuck on a large rock and yelled for me to help him. He commented on how he thought I had more ground clearance. I reassurred him that his quad did in fact have more ground clearance. (He also has like new tires while I have beat stock tires.) Now this is a true story and here's my point. If you know how to drive. The height of the Foreman will not be an issue. If it would make you feel better. You could put some skids on the bottom. No worries. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

The Foreman is right in the middle of your price limit. There should be some really great prices, especially if Honda stops making the Foreman 450 this year. I think the Foreman is made better than a lot of the newer quads. The Foreman has more metal while the newer models have more plastic. (Trying to stay light.) Plastic bumpers, skids, and even dip sticks, all metal on the Foreman.

I use my Foreman to pull my boat and wood splitter around. I mostly use it on the trails. The switchable 2 to 4 wheel drive makes it easy to do donuts. The Foreman tackles snow and mud with ease. I have never been stuck with mine. (worn down stock tires) Once, I drove off a compact snowmobile trail and had sunk down a few feet in the snow. The Foreman worked it's way out without any trouble. I've thought about getting a winch but I don't really need one. Maintenance couldn't be easier. Change the oil and go.

Whatever you buy, remember to take the plow mount off the bottom of the atv before you hit the trails. It will take away from your ground clearance. The Sportsman in my pics had it's plow mount still on. (not the one from above story)

Right now, I think the Foreman 450 has the most bang for the least amount of bucks. You should be able to pick one up under the retail price. ($5799. S- model) Other models have a few more options but they also cost a few more hundred.

The Honda Foreman 450 is a good reliable quad that is capable of doing both work and play.

 

you dont want shaft drive for heavy work becuse would you rather have the belt or the shaft brake ? more $$$$$$$$ and it will give your motor many more year of life. dont get the honda 450 very poky!
and i agree with tbguy get a tracktor or a big bor quad like the 700efi,bf750,kq700,grizzly,600twin,and if you can get the 8500 saved up get the 800twin EFI most power on the market.

 

I appreciate all the replies. I know I definately want a manual trans or auto trans i can overide(prefer auto clutch) and user selectable 4WD. I don't want any piece pf equipment deciding it's power and traction range on it's own (who's doing the driving here anyway?). Shaft drive would seem to make more sense for heavy work but Fred may have a point here.

Insight anyone on shaft vs belt?

 

LOL. Poky?

 

kawasaki brute force 750

 

will we plow with our sp 500. does awsome i have plowed 4 feet of snow befor. ya have to go thought it a few times but it gets the job done. also pull stumps . and its never been in the shop for nothing.