Looking at these four models that will be used for mainly hunting with maybe a little playing around the woods. Might never see a trail and top speed is really not an issue. Hope this will last forever so what are some positives and some negatives I should consider on each?

the rancher is worth a look as its a tough bike. the eiger is also a good bike, my nephew just bought one and i like it pretty well. the bruin is the smallest bodied of the bunch(i think). my buddy just bought one of these and it seems like a decent bike but compared to the eiger it doesnt have near the power or the ride(just my opinion). it also doesnt have a low range for pulling in slow speed conditions. dont know much about the prarie so i cant help you there. hope this helps ya.

I also looked at all four of these. I ended up getting the eiger, and i love it. Its a real tough machine. i have 1,000 hard miles on it and not a single problem. it's cheaper, larger in size and more powerful than the other three. suzuki makes very reliable engins. the only complaints would be they front end bottoms out easy, and is not the best looking atv. but beyond that its great.

Hunting = Arctic Cat. The MRP rack system on the AC"s is hands down the best of the best. The AC's are top of line heavy duty dependable machines and that MRP rack systems allows you to provision the machine quickly and easily for whatever the mission is.

I hunt deer in VERY rugged country. The AC performs ahead of the machines you listed here. The plug in accessories for carriers, baskets, gun holders, bow holders, fishing gear, ice augers etc etc. makes it a first choice in my book. For some reason it takes a half a pickup truck load of equipment to hunt nowdays and that AC will not only carry it but carry it well. Nothing worse then having damaged equipment from falling off and then having to go back and find it.

We've had a good number of guys with all kinds of quads show up for their first year. You would be absolutely impressed with number of them that show up with Arctic Cats the 2nd year.

FYI - The Arctic Cat 400 TBX is one heck of a hunting machine in my opinion.

You choose what is best for you but from one hunter to another - go look at the AC's and see how those plug in rack options will help.

I bought a pair of Ranchers. I too like the Eiger, but I don't have anything within a reasonable driving distance but Honda dealers. You might go to Ebay Motors, click on ATV parts and accessories, then in the search line type in Rancher, Eiger, etc. one at a time and this will give you an idea of what is avaiable for accessories for each particular model. Trust me, once you get one, not matter which model you get, you'll accessorize it. A lot of the accessories are generic in nature, but there are some that are brand or model specific and maybe some of the models mentioned don't have accessories you might want.

I myself own a Rancher and my g/f owns a Bruin. So I can compare both side by side and be fair about it since I have rode both an equal amount of time.

From a easy, fun to drive stand point, the Bruin is favored here because of it's auto transmission. It is quick off the line but my Rancher will catch it and outrun it on top end. But that doesn't matter because we trail ride mostly and we seldom "race" each other. The Bruin has more ground clearance than the Rancher but feels more likely to tip over also.
Tha Bruin(2004) started burning oil on start-up but I stopped that by switching to Amsoil 0w-40 synthetic.
I installed a Warn 424 on my Rancher and increased the fun factor 100% and in all honesty, would rather drive my Rancher instead of the Bruin.
The Bruin has better features such as front disc brakes, selectable 4wd, and adjustble suspension but lacks an accessory 12 volt outlet. The Rancher has that outlet but lacks the disc brakes and adjustable suspension.

All in all, both are good machines and the Rancher with the 424 takes on a new personality with the machine in 2wd.
My g/f prefers to drive and not shift but I prefer shifting so she loves her Bruin for that plus the fact she bought it almost a year ago for 1000 dollars.

If you take a trip to my local Yamaha/Kawasaki dealer, you will see he sells more Yamaha's than Kawasaki's by the fact that he has quite a few 2005 Kawasaki's in stock but no Yamaha's. In fact, the Kawasaki's out number the Yamaha's by almost two to one on the show room floor.

I would buy the rancher. We hunt up here in Maine, and most of the guys I hunt with still have 300 fourtrax's, and they do everything just fine. You don't need all that much of a wheeler to hunt with. If it gets you to point A to point B everytime you need it can you complain? The only thing that can be said is that the four wheeler might get you there better and more comfortably. You don't have to walk atleast. The rancher has a great reliabilty recoard. My friend has one that has been pounded into oblivioun, and the only complaint he has is that it is cold blooded. But aren't they all? (excluding EFI models) It has been beat day in and day out and kept going. It's almost as if the rancher asks for it! He hasn't had a lick of trouble with it after a years worth of tough riding. That said I think the rancher is all the quad you'll need. I don't know but I have owned some suzuki's and I will say this only. I will never own another one. The yamaha is a nice machine I sappose, but I just prefer Honda. I'm biased probably. The prarie is also a nice machine and IMO comes in a close second. I hope I have helped, though probably not. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

picked up 2 quads this year, both were primarily price point purchases rather than brand driven decisions. the first happened to be a manual eiger , the second was a cat 400 tbx. now of the two i use and like the eiger more, as i seem to lean toward a "shifter", feeling theyre a little more versatile and i just like the fit of the suzuki . that being said the cat is still [i think] a very good machine and is superior, from a feature standpoint . my point is that i would consider an AC along with the group your looking at, if you shop around you might be pleasantly surprised that it can be as affordable as the rest

Everyone knows honda's are the most reliable, but there is one thing missing in the rancher, the fun. if it is just for hunting its fine, but if you want to play, the rancher is boring. The two best for ruggedness, power, suspension, and fun are the Eiger, and the AC 400. Dont get me wrong i love hondas, just not the Rancher, and forman. Go to suzukishowcase.com,and click on atv. they tested the 400's.

The two best for ruggedness, power, suspension, and fun are the Eiger, and the AC 400. Dont get me wrong i love hondas, just not the Rancher, and forman. Go to suzukishowcase.com,and click on atv. they tested the 400's.
>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;

Thats kind of a subjective statement. Have you looked at the BRP Outlander 400? Keeps up with most 500's and is as comfortable as anything else in it's class...you can work or play, it's great for both.