HI TO ALL

I HAVE PROPERTY THAT I WANT TO DO SO SOME WORK ON. IT WAS FARM LAND ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO. I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP SOME AREAS (SMALL AREAS) FOR FOOD PLOTS. WHAT WOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN ATV, POWER, GEAR RATIO TOW CAPABILITY ETC. ANY SUGGESTION WOULD BE HELP FULL.

 

it really depends on how much money you want to spend, and what your using it for. theres 400 class utilities, 500 class, and the bigger cc machines are 700 to 800s that jump up in price. id stay with a main stream brand, suzuki,honda,polaris,yahmaha, id check those brands for specification on what your looking for in price and options. id stay away from chinese off brand names.

 

One of the most reliable and best work quads out there is the Honda foreman 500 its better known for its work habbits than trail habbits!

P.s. welcome to the forum [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Thank you for your input. Money is not an issue, ( I'm not rich or even close) It is my belief that you should get the right equipment for the job. If it take a little or even a lot longer to save up for the unit I need so be it. I have an old farm about 110 acres. The fields have forty years of growth on them, each field is between 2 to 5 acres big. I would like to plant food plots in the center of each field 25 feet wide and a 100 feet long with large clear lane extending out. Like the shape of a wagon wheel. A tractor is out of the question I don't live on the property so I have to transport my equipment each time I do some work. I'm looking for a ATV that is capable of plowing, light logging, and is good at hauling heavy load. there are some question I have. What is better solid rear axel or independent suspension? What is diff lock and why is it important? The terminology that I'm reading is a little Greek to me. Is there a web site that would explain what each term means?

 

sounds to me a suzuki kingquad 400 or a honda 420 rancher would fit your needs. independent rear gives you a better ride, a diff lock turns all four wheels instead of just 3 wheels turning from a limited slip. a diff lock is nice to have, really does helps alot out when your in deep mud or pulling alot of weight. but i have a 420 rancher, straight axle, no diff lock, use it for trail riding, and hauling, never had any problems, ive only winched out of a bad spot once, that was trail riding, but just to work around the farm personaly i just cant justify to spend the extra money for a big bore utility with all the bells and whistles.

 

THE working ATV is the Polaris Big Boss 6x6, but a UTV is even better for work. If you don't need that much hauling and towing capacity then any 500 class or larger 4x4 ATV should work quite well.

 

KC2BTZ,

For your situation, I would also vote for the Honda Rancher or Foreman. They are not as comfortable on the trail as some other machines, but for work around a ranch/farm, they are almost indestructible.

 

The quintessential work quad is the Honda Foreman 500, or an older 450 if buying used! This is a simple machine with a time tested gear-on-gear manual transmission. These things will run forever!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: DODGE57HEMI

One of the most reliable and best work quads out there is the Honda foreman 500 its better known for its work habbits than trail habbits!



P.s. welcome to the forum [IMG][/IMG]</end quote></div>

Better read up on that Honda Mechanic advice

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Foreman 500: All of the mechanical issues that tuners are seeing seem to be general isss across the model, but the following problem with the Foreman is important. The rear U-joint on the Foreman is at too steep of an angle. A mechanic we talked to worked on a couple of Foremans that are victims of the breakage. After seeing repeated issues with the U-joint, the mechanic developed a hypothesis that significant stress is put on the joint under heavy acceleration in 2WD-the weight transfer puts repeated stress on the steep angle of the joint and causes failure. The only fix for it at this point is easy throttle application or consistent 4WD driving.</end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Hondas was summed up in one comment made by a mechanic we interviewed: "Drum brakes belong on trailers, not on quads! With that being said, the mechanics we interviewed all complained that, regardless of the their triple-sealed nature, these brakes get water, mud, and grime in them and become essentially useless. The fix for this problem is a disc brake conversion like the one available through Yasky ATV Accessories </end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Rincon/Rancher/Recon/Foreman: Any of these models equipped with Honda's Electronic Shift Program have been known to have some issues with the electronic shifting mechanism in the handlebars. In some instances the button malfunctions, in others, the connection is the problem. Ultimately, any of these models that have the ESP option are likely to have a problem at some point in their life. Honda released an update for the ESP in '06. According to a number of mechanics we questioned, the fix is better but it does not entirely solve the problem</end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Rincon/Rubicon: The automatic versions of these quads are geared too tall and consequently don't deal with larger tires very well. Heavy loads like thick mud or deep sand can cause these machines to stall out when the throttle is stabbed quickly. The only fixes to this problem are regearing the engine through an aftermarket clutch or being extra careful with the throttle application when encountering these riding situations.</end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Rincon: The hydrostatic transmission featured on the Rincon is just like the one in the truck that you use to pull your Honda to your ride spot. This transmission is great for normal trail riding, but really struggles with a load, in mud, deep sand, or if a heavy load is placed on the machine itself. The root of the problem lies within the torque converter; the torque converter does not dissipate heat very well, which "cooks the oil (thermal breakdown) causing the transmission to slip and experience shifting problems. The common fix for this problem is to upgrade to heavier-weight oil such as a high-quality 20W50 instead of the stock stuff. This will slow down the rate of the thermal breakdown and allow the oil to last longer.</end quote></div>

Honda does not have the soul ownership of dependability any longer sorry.


If anything Yamaha has the edge .

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>YAMAHAYamaha has a reputation for designing their models for heavy-duty use, and because of this, the mud crowd loves the Grizzly. However, there was a mutter of some discontent with a couple of the Grizz's features. On the plus side, no mechanics or even riders that we interviewed had any negative comments for the Kodiak, Big Bear, or Bruin, so good news for the boys in blue.</end quote></div>

 

I know this is going to be unpopular, but I don't think any ATV is going to do a particularly good job in this situation. An ATV may do it, but I don't think it will do it well. I have had similar spots on my property and even a using a tractor took a lot of time.

If money is not a factor, I would buy a good used compact tractor such as a Kubota, New Holland or such to work the land up as they can be transported any where an ATV/UTV can and when finished, sell it and buy an ATV to keep your plots up and to play with.

You might also consider renting one if a rental place is near.