I'm gathering info to purchase a "working" ATV...not for fun or thrills. I'll be using it on a farm for hauling, driving to neighbor's farm, misc. chores. No snowplowing at this time...possibly in future. Have narrowed it down to Polaris Ranger vs John Deere Gator. (I noticed The Deere isn't mentioned here...is it a no-no?) Would like comments regarding each/either/both, positive & negative.

 

not to sure about all the specs with utility quads but artic cat atvs are known to be the quad for farms very good work quad!!!!! good luck

 

i would have to say no to both of those. gators are a no-no imo, as are polaris, you cant spell polaris without POS. hint hint. i would recommend taking a look at the Arctic Cat Prowler XT 650 H1. The H1 engine is known well for its incredible low end power and torque. will have no problems hauling you and whatever you want behind it. they also have 12" of ground clearance which is industry leading so you can get over all sorts of obstacles. great all around machine. if youre looking specifically for a UTV get the Prowler. if ATVs arent out of the question go for the 650 H1, or if you live in a northern state maybe even a 700 H1 EFI for the added benefit of EFI for cold starts (note that the 700 EFI H1 engine comes in a prowler too). theres always the AC 700 Diesel if you want extreme power. you could never go wrong with the 650 H1 though. the H stands for hemi by the way so you know theres power.

 

650 H1 Prowler http://www.arcticcat.com/PROWL...ER&model=PROWLERXT650


700 H1 EFI Prowler http://www.arcticcat.com/prowl...R&model=PROWLERXTX700


650 H1 ATV (08 and older only, replaced with 550 H1 and 700 H1) http://www.arcticcat.com/atv/pastModels.asp?id=857


700 H1 EFI ATV http://www.arcticcat.com/atv/d...TILITY&model=700H1EFI


new this year is the 550 H1, has the hemi power house just a smaller package, comes in both:

prowler http://www.arcticcat.com/PROWL...WLER&model=PROWLER550


and

ATV http://www.arcticcat.com/atv/d...UTILITY&model=550H1EFI

 

The Gators I've seen had a tiny fraction of the suspension Ranger does so if you're not riding on a maintained road they aren't much good.

Between the bed and hitch capacity the biggest Prowler can haul 2,100 pounds. There are at least two Rangers, a 4x4 and a 6x6, that can haul 3,750 pounds and several 4x4 Rangers that can haul 3,500 pounds. If you want to haul 79% more than a Prowler you need a Ranger. Arctic Cat is in the middle of a huge lawsuit for Prowlers flipping over and severely injuring people too. I don't know if people were working them too hard or not. I just know a bunch flipped over and people are suing. If you get a Ranger 6x6 you can put tracks on the back 4 wheels and go where no other UTV possibly can.

tehpwnerer has been talking sh*t about Polaris since he joined the forum Saturday. But one n00b's biased opinion about Polaris doesn't make them a POS, so just take what he says with a grain of salt.

 

I've read reviews on both the John Deeres and the Rangers. Both got high marks. All in all, the Ranger has the best towing and hauling numbers and has more suspension travel. For 2009 they are coming out with an HD model that will include power steering, a 700EFI, and self load leveling shocks. The shocks alone are worth it to me. It will also have a Lift and Carry system available that allows you to attach a plow, grapple, or bucket. Might be worth the wait.

 

hey just cause youre a POlariS fanboy doesnt mean you need to talk $hit about me. from my experience which is enough to know, polaris is a POS. my inlaws get 2 new polaris' every year and every year they suck. its not my fault they cant manufacture a decent machine.

 

tehpwnerer, the trouble is that there are a lot of Polaris owners who haven't had any of the major problems you seem to suggest Polaris is famous for. If you go on any forum here you'll see that there are people having trouble with just about any brand. My experience with Polaris has been the opposite. I only know of one that stalled and didn't restart. It was because his battery went bad after 5 years. That's pretty par for the course. I know of one snapped belt and it was because the kid driving was going over rocks in high gear when he should have dropped it down into low. I've seen an Arctic Cat that was brand new not even starting. Had a great toolkit that came with it but even with a lot of people we couldn't get the thing going. I've got high centered on rocks and pulled people out of mud I've gone through. My personal opinion is that the major brands all are pretty good to excellent. I'm talking about Arctic Cat, Can-Am, Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, and Yamaha. I hope I didn't leave anyone out. Every quad has it strong points and weak points. It's been my experience (I've been on some of the original 125cc quads)(Don't miss them) that if a manufacturer is having problems they clear them up over time. No one is perfect. I'm sorry for anyone who gets a lemon and for anyone who has had bad experiences. I'm not brand loyal. I'll buy whatever suits my needs the best. Right now that is Polaris. Maybe in a few years it will be Arctic Cat or Yamaha.

 

I 2nd that Moose, nice post

 

I may be a Cat owner but for what you want to do with it, I would suggest the Polaris 6x6. All those people using them in Alaska wouldn't be using them if they weren't dependable and strong. If your needs require a tighter turning radius, check out the regular ranger. It has a turf mode to save your lawn or fields and it tightens the turning radius a considerable amount.