I'm going to buy my first ATV and could use some advice from experienced "elders". I primarly want to use it for Hunting, but will probably also use in the grden to pull som things around, nothing major.. These are the few things i'm "sure" about:
I want a 4x4, I want a very reliable machine that will "never" cause trouble, I want to make sure it doesnt guzzle gas for aliving so that i wont be stuck some where up on the mountain. It should be all around, although i dont plan to drive in not much Mud, i want it to be able to haul a deer if i for some odd reason would get one, and it would be fun if it was reasonably fast and could jump. I have saved the money so i'm ready to buy the right one, cost is not the biggest motivator.

Any ideas?

 

I WOULD SAY YOUR ONLY PROBLEM IS WHAT TYPE OF QUAD YOU WANT I.E. MANUFACTURE TYPE SOME GOOD ALL AROUND 4X4 IS THE POLARIS 500SP IF YOU WANT BIG GRUNT GO 600 GRIZZLY IN MY OPINION YOU WOULD BE HAPPIER WITH THE POLARIS BUT YOU SHOULD TEST RIDE ALL OF THE MODELS YOU ARE LOOKIN AT AND JUST GO TO THE DEALERS AND SEE WHICH ONE IS GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY THATS THE BIG THING DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BRAND YOU BUY IT'S DEALER SUPPORT THAT IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR FIRST ATV BUY

 

Tons of nice 4x4 quads out there that fit your description,Im partial to the newer 01 Sportsman HO 4x4.You get more bang for your $$ and it will do most anything you ask of it.BUT,dont try and do aggressive jumps with it,it weighs 700lbs.====Bill

 

You sound like you are in the same boat I was in, I wanted a new machine but was not sure which one. For light hunting and tooling around the garden I would not suggest spending the money on a Sportsman or a Rubicon or whatever. Having a gigantic 4-wheeler is nice but is it necessary? From the sound of it you do not need a 500cc plus machine. Without being in mud alot and just needing it for deer recovery I would suggest going with a slightly smaller machine. I would suggest something in the 250-350 cc class. The options are still out there. You can get all the features you are asking for but save yourself some money. The bad thing about 4-wheelers is the cost of buying one is more than the cost of the machine. How are you going to transport it? Do you need a trailer? do you need a winch? What kind of accesories do you want? Gas cans, oil filters, tire slime, extra spark plugs..... you get my point. Many of these 500+ cc machine are going to run you between $6000-$7000. You could get into a smaller machine for between $4000-and $5500. That leaves you some money to outfit the machine. Best of luck. make sure you test drive before you buy. Almost all of the machines on the market are quality machine, people just value certain options more than others. Ride them all and pick your favorite. Get on the websites and look for special deels. Many companies offer free or discounted winches with purchase. Riding a 1000 miles with a winch and never using it is better than riding 4 and needing it.

 

From what you have described, the Honda Rancher ES4x4 would fit you nicely. Great reliability, and will also have all the power to do the things you described and then some. Go down to your local Honda dealer and ask for a test ride and you will love the features of the Honda which is also the best midsize ATV. So, if you dont need the power to pull over the empire state building then get the Rancher and pocket the extra cash. If you want a top of the line big boy, look at the Honda Rubicon.

 

Everything you said describes a Sportsman HO except for the jumping part. Smoothest ride in the industry, to boot. Yamaha Wolverine is a good choice for a 'sporty' utility quad. So is a 400 Xplorer, but a lot of people don't like the chain drive. If you lube it often and don't mud much, they will last a long time. Just depends on how much maintanence you want to do. The Hondas in general are good, solid, reliable machines (Rancher and Foreman). This would be much easier if you were to shop around a little to see what is in your price range & narrow it down to just 3 or 4 choices. Probably 1/2 of quads made fall under your qualifications. Oh, well, Too many choices is far better than too few!

 

Choices,choises ah yes, GOD BLESS AMERICA, where we get what we want,when we want it, and alot of it!
Good Luck with your purchase, aswede.As far as jumping goes, the Polaris Sportsman did best in a 4 way shootout between itself. a Honda Rubicon ,a Suzuki Quadmaster and a Polaris Magnum.

 

Aswede,
Archer makes some good sense in his post,however,this being your first quad,it could actualy wind up costing you more in the long run to buy a smaller cc quad.Check this out.

Here's what happens to alot of first time buyers.They start out small and purchase something in the 250-350cc class of 4x4s.And guess what?After owning/riding it for awhile,they decide they want something bigger and with more power.[especially after just riding their buddies bigger,more powerful 4x4]There is NO power or ground clearance comparison between the 500cc class of 4x4s and the smaller 250-350cc 4x4 quads.For the extra thousand or so it will cost you for the larger displacement CC 4x4s,it could really be worth it in the long haul.I have two friends that ride the 335cc Sportsmans.It was their first quads.The dealer talked them into the 335s.One ride on my 500cc Sportsman and they really regretted their purchases.Now this dont happen to everyone,but I've seen it happen alot.My friend Chuck rides a 99 King Quad 4x4.It is powered by a 280cc engine.It was his first ATV.He will tell you that knowing what he NOW knows about ATVing,he would of went with the bigger CC 4x4.Im just telling you this because I wanted to give you something to think about NOW,before you make your decision.Best of luck,
Bill

 

I was looking for the same requirements when I bought mine. I chose a Kodiak. I bought a treestand holder and a profin bow/gun holder from Cabela's. I also bought a Agrifab 17 cu. ft. trailer for light yard word and it hauls it around full of logs like it's nothing. It's a blast to ride and has tons of power. It will easily haul out any deer imaginable. Good luck with your quest.

 

The quad you are looking for should have a 400cc engine- no more, no less. If I were you, I would look into one of the Honda FourTrax Foremans, the Yamaha Kodiak 4x4, or the Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4. All of these quads are great. If I were you, I would not go with a Polaris. Polaris quads are great, there is no doubt about that, but because they are the ugliest quads I have ever seen in my life, I don't even consider them. I don't understand why you people can recommend such ugly Polaris quads. Of course, if looks are not an issue, then look into a Polaris 400 4x4.