Hi all,

First posting and searching for ideas -excuse the length. Searching for my first Quad....6' 230 lbs, will be playing in a small yard of swampy, woodsy 5 acres(50%), trail riding(45%) and pulling a brush/trail mower for a small tree farm(5%).

Shopping the above for best fit and relaiblity. My brother has a Honda 3 wheeler that's a blast and just keeps working but around SE Wisco, the new stuff mentioned seems pricey right now. Have some future co-riders with Sportsman 500,600,700, and 330 ATP; and two with Hondas, '04 AT and brand spankin' new rubicon.

I've shopped them all along with Yamaha 450 Kodiak (leaning toward this) - but not ridden them. I'm frugal?? / cheap, but have the funds for shopping anything. The Yami and Hondas are OTD at list plus fees and taxes at several local dealers. The polaris are OTD at about list price; taxes an fees incl..

Not sure I like the "plastic" tank look or seemingly high maintenance requirements of the polaris but the nationwide service network, IRS, ease of use (idiotproofness) and popularity say something works there. The Hondas are known (or rumored) for their reliablity and acceptance of neglect (SRA baaaaad). I like the small-ness?, IRS, independent brakes and locker of the Yamaha but the smaller motor for the similar money as the others bugs me.

On top of this, my local Yami dealer is offering a potential of a "rebate" of $4000 in 36 months through a marketing thing driven by lawyers and accountants (argh). I like the idea of a $2500 Kodiak in time but research shows the loopholes of possible less than 4k rebates. but that's not the worst either...

None-the-less, thanks for listening and any advice is welcome...starting ease, reliablity comparisons, application fit and your experiences with your shopping struggles

thanks
GBF (green bay fan)

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I wouldn't worry about the engine size of the 450. It has plenty of power for the majority of riders. I don't know the exact numbers but I would guess the 450 kodiak weighs 100 - 150 lbs less than the sportsman 500. This probably offsets any horsepower advantage the 500 would have.

 

Do you use the 4wd lock option often...I've heard that it's nice but used rarely.

 

I don't use it very often but it is nice when you need it. I am not much of a mud rider but have had to use it in the snow on a few occasions.

 

If you plan on actually going fast on the trial get the Rubicon. The other 2 are nice if you want to putt around. When the trails get tight and fast, the Sportsman won't hang with a Rubi, when it get's tight and slow, the Kodiak will shine.

Don't take the Sportsman if you plan on doing serious hills, unless you like a huge pile of insurance claims(and maybe a body cast).

Rubicon for fast trails, Kodiak for slow, technical trails. Forget the Sportsman.

 

Thanks Crblick, what do you ride? and any other history?
Since I'll be local for 50% of the time, and nearest trails are 2-3 hours, I'm thinking that trails will be secondary. Plus, I've never been a speed demon...Yami taking another step up

Shopped all day yesterday at several various dearlerships and found:
Camo kodiaks OTD - $6500 (Probably will pull the trigger on this, this week)
Ruby's are about $1200 more, ouch
Polaris salesman admit the need for more maintenece vs. the others; but state every machine does in some form or another. It's your choice as to how you want your machine to last or perform...all true.

Got one service tech from a Honda/Polaris dealer saying to me to stay away from Polaris. He showed me their service area with 12 polaris and one honda...He liked Hondas and Yamahas for making his job easier to do (for what it's worth)

Wish I already owned one ! 6 inches of fresh snow and sittin' inside with no toy...

 

Thise prices seem a bit high...keep shopping. I saw an ad in todays paper, for a new kodiak 450, $5600, and then add 6% tax, so roughly 5900 otd.
There is alot of difference in the two types of auto trannys. The polaris and kodiak use cvt belt types, and the rubi uses a hydrostatic tranny. If its possible, ask for a test drive, and youll see there is alot of difference, in how they work and feel. You may preferr one over the other, and this would make the decision easier.
The rubi uses a solid axle in back the other two are irs. Again, there are alot of differences in how they handle...especially for a newbie, try a side hill and youll see the difference. Also its much easier to do powerslides and donuts with a solid axle, if youre into that kind of thing.
The polaris and kodiak have lockers in front...polaris full time, and the kodiak on demand( when you want it to be on). Keep in mind the polaris will only have awd when the back tires have already broke traction, and once the traction is back, it disengages...all automaticly, when the awd switch is on.
The rubi has a very good, torque sensing differential in front, and for those odd times, that one front tire gets airborn( like going over a log), a squeeze of the front brake, will give traction to the tire which needs it. The torque sensing diff, needs resistance to work, and the brake provides the resistance. This is referred to sometimes as the honda locker.
The motors on the yami and polaris are quick to rev, the rubi is more tractor like, with a heavier flywheel. They have different powerbands...the bely cvt models like to rev, and the honda can just plug along, barely above idle. The honda has lots of low end torque,and it isnt necessary to wind it out. Again , its a personal preference thing...some people get tired of a motor always churning along at 5800 rpm.
All 3 have more than enough power to do what you need. and all go fast enough to scare you.
The polaris has one lever braking, for all tires, and the yami and honda have separate braking for front and back...if you come from a motorcycle background, you may perferr one over the other.
Dont be in a hurry to buy...if you find out you made a bad choice, and want out, the resale on all of them is a steep drop. Its better to wait and make a choice which fits you best. See if your buddies will let you try out their quads, and ask them about the pros and cons.

 

I am not going to comment on the Polaris, since I have never thrown a leg over one.. and won't BS you on them.. But I will have a couple things to say about the Rubicon and the Kodiak. First off, the Rubicon... You really need to look at teh 04 and 05 as two distinctly different machines. 04 has drum brakes, 4WD all the time, where teh 05 has disk brakes, and 4x2 capability. Plus it has updated plastic.. I have an 04. Love it. It is a tank, will do anything you ask it to do... but the ability to go into 2 wheel drive mode makes it a lot easier to steer. I also like the solid rear axle.

The Kodiak has IRS and Disks.. Some people like the ride you get with an IRS.. it definately has it's places where it is superior to a solid axle. Sliding around corners, and hauling loads are not it's expertise. More things to go pop in the night too.

Of the two, if $ is not a problem, I'd spring for the 05 Rubicon for a work machine that can play... If you want a play machine, that spends most of it's time with just you on it, and occasionally has to do some work.. then the Kodiak is a damn good choice. I hope you can see the difference there...

The 04 Rubicon might be the sleeper here, as they were going out the door at a very good price in my area ($1200 under retail) Due to the re-design of the 05's and dealers wanting to get the older models out of the warehouses. I would suspect you can still get a great deal on an 04

Lastly, if you are buying for a workhorse, although the three will do the work, Take a look at the Rhino, or the Polaris side by sides. Maybe even consider the Kubota side by side.... They each have a lot of good features... but no matter what you get, don't expect them to replace a small tractor in ability...

 

Thanks guys, great comments...like the unbiased views !

I never see any ads in the paper around milwaukee....None the less, I'm holding off right now. The dealer with the big rebate was tempting, but had no stock left (deal was for on-hand inventory) see there's always a catch. and the rest can wait for my money...all for me to score a better deal.

The year old rubicon was a thought but some of the guys I talked to say the fulltime 4wd kills your arms after a long day. Then I read about the warn retro, allowing for 2wd, has pretty good reviews. But why retrofit an '04 ultimately getting near to some '05 prices, with better long term resale...more to ponder on though.

I'm headed to upstate NY for work, I'll shop there too.
Dragginbutt, Virginia address with Wisconsin land? Hmmmm, whereabouts and why?

 

Born in Viroqua, lived on a farm near Cashton, then moved to Rockford, IL when I was 4. As an adult, I spent 20 years in the military, ultimately landing in Washington, DC. After retirement from Military, I found work with the State Dept and have been here as a consultant for 8 years now. I am planning for my final retirement, and purchased 9 acres near the village of Kendall, just SE of Tomah. I still have family in the area, and thought it would be nice to return to a less hectic lifestyle in my latter stages of life. After living in the war zone around DC, it will be nice to hear a bird sing, and the wind blow again.