IMO I would go with Rancher 420AT. I think almost anyone can agree that Honda has a record for building the most dependable, reliable, long lasting ATVs. In this day and age, almost every company out there is reliable though. It's just Honda has been focusing mostly on reliabilty and durability more than the other guys, while they may be a litlte bit less fun to ride, it should last forever.

That being said, if you don't want to go with a Honda, I would go with a Yamaha secondly. IMO they have the 2nd best reliablilty. When you think reliablilty, most people think Honda, then Yamaha, then the other guys. A Grizzly 550 or a Kodiac 450 would probably be fine for you.

A Sportsman 500, Outlander 500, King Quad 500, or the Cat would all be fine also. I don't think there is anythign really bad about any of them. Just that Honda and Yamaha are generally the most reliable dependable. We have had no problems with our Outlander 800 or with my LTR450.

 

Honda HAD a reputation for rock-solid reliability years ago. Now the forums are full of problems with Honda. I especially see a lot of posts about the electronic shift not working right.

Part of the reason I think Polaris is more reliable than Yamaha is because of one of my friends hitting a stump and breaking the frame on his Grizzly. When I hit a stump about the same size and at about the same speed all it did was bend a tie-rod instead of ripping the frame apart where it's mounted. Yamaha isn't built like a tank, but Polaris is. It has a lot of extra steel in the frame. My other friend with a Grizzly seems like he's lashing the valves every 2 or 3 weeks and my first Sportsman never needed to be done in 9 years and 4,000 miles. None of my other Polaris' have needed any valve adjustment or engine work in over 11 years either.

Almost any ATV has something that it's better at than most others, but there are compromises. If they make it lightweight so it's quicker, they have to cut weight someplace. Like the frame and the tires. So maybe you end up with a quick quad with a weak frame with crappy tires that need to be replaced right away. Or maybe you have something built like a tank but it's slower out of the hole. Utilty quads aren't made for drag racing anyway, so I chose a tank.

 

I have a bunch of Hondas, and several of them are ~10 years old and have thousands of miles on them, and every one runs like the day they were new! That said, I have never had an major issue with any quad/dirt bike I have owned, and that includes the Hondas, Suzukis, Kawi, and Yamahas.....but I am a maintenance freak and I always run the finest ester synthetic oils (Redline and Maxima).

I will absolutely agree that Honda has a problem with ES shifting. I don't know why everyone gives Honda a free ride on this one???? This is a real scandal, but eveyone just sweeps it under the rug! ES is a button operated servo that shifts a manual transmission remotely. For years, I have cautioned folks to avoid this option, and shift the old fashion way with their foot! Thing is, market research shows that most folks have no idea how to shift a manual transmission, and are not particularly willing to learn (I can teach a kid to shift a manual in half and hour). This is why the belt drive autos are so popular.

All that said, the Rancher AT does not use the ES system! It is a totally new and unique transmission, that is not found on any other quad from any manufacturer. Clearly it will be the wave of the future!!!

 

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

Welcome to the forum rockyman. There are a couple of 500s built like tanks. The Sportsman 500 H.O. and 500 EFI. <u>They're the original IRS quads</u> and the design has been perfected over more than 12 years. I've run trees over with mine and done a lot of other stuff that tanks do and ATVs normally don't. I did break a bolt on one of the rear A-arms a few years ago, but if you keep jumping something that heavy, something is bound to break. It didn't even affect the ride either. That's not bad IMO for 11 years of beating the crap out of them. The XP 550 should be good too.



The last time I looked at a Grizzly's rear suspension it looked a bit flimsy compared to the Polaris. Arctic Cat makes the only other 500 IRS quads I've seen.</end quote></div>

Actually, AC had the first fully IRS/IFS quad made. But both are good machines.

 

3,800 miles on my 02 500 cat and have drowned it twice to the point that the cylinder had filled with water and could not crank over. 9 oil changes in 2 hours and it was back to riding. around here,everyone rides honda,yamaha and cats. I have turned 9 friends to the cat and not one has has regreted it. In fact i just bought my third one, a 700 efi and 2 friends bought the same thing. what it comes down to, is not that the other brands arent reliable, but the cat offers everything we are looking for in an atv for the riding/work we do with them. I had bought the first cat out of all of us back in 1999, it was a 300 and ive liked them ever since. polaris offers a better/smoother ride imo. grizzly was my second choice but i didnt like the smaller racks and smaller bike.(not that its alot smaller.)

 

the kitty rides smooth , but they r not built like a tank , i got an 04 500 4x4 and it eats rear wheel bearings , my friens has a03 and it eats them all round , we have changed them before a ride and them b shot half way thru the ride , i broke a rear axle after i unloaded it off a trailer and was just turnin round , another guy i ride with broke his axle easing thru a mud hole , & ive heard two more guys i no that baby their bike have broke rear axles , im very dissapointed n mine ,

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: mudslinginfool
what it comes down to, is not that the other brands arent reliable, but the cat offers everything we are looking for in an atv for the riding/work we do with them. </end quote></div>

exactly, it comes down to whatever you are looking for in an ATV. None of this brand loyalty crap that Brand X makes the BEST atv and all the others are crap. It comes down to what do you feel comfortable on/with, and what has the features that you are looking at.

 

ill admit ive gone through some bearings. i assumed it was because i was ALWAYS in the mud and water. the other guys havent had any issues with thier bearings yet.

 

i hope uns dont , it sucks , on ours the rear axles r different sizes , one side is bout .75 dia , & the other one is bout 1 inch , that dont make any sence to me

 

ive noticed on some that the axles are infact larger than others. most of them were on the 700s and the 1000 and some on the 650. so i wonder if cat is making them with a larger axle and some still have the smaller one? you right ,makes no sence though.