I just recently bought some hunting ground and am in need of an ATV. Not sure what brand or size I would need. I'm looking to use it for riding around the property, hunting (dragging deer, building food plots, carrying equipment, etc.) and possibly pushing snow from my driveway. I've read some things that say minimum of a 500cc ATV if towing implements. The land has some steep hills.
Any help would be great.

 

Service is a big thing, so buying from a dealer close by helps. Are there any good, trustworthy dealerships close by? Also, the rider plays a big part- are you a larger person, older, have a bad back that needs a good suspension and comfortable ride? If you are looking for a workhorse, Artic Cat seems to be a good choice. Polaris has big motors and a cushy ride, Kawasaki V twins are pretty fast, Can Am is expensive, but one of the most powerful and fastest out there. Yamaha has a very good drivetrain and is a good medium to large size frame quad. Sounds like you want something with at least these features: Low range for towing,liquid cooling for slow,hard work, good rack and accesories attachments, solid hitch or able to mount a 2" trailer tow hitch to it for hauling loads and trailers. Almost all the big name quads now come with EPS (power steering) and most have Diff Lock, nice for slow, deep mud, or rocky, slippery areas, so the final decision will be just your preference, what brands you like, what fits you best ( sit on a bunch, ride them if they will let you) and what has the features you will use the most. Let us know what you find in your area, I'm sure there are a lot of quad owners here that can let you know about each brand.

 

my vote would be a can-am outlander 650, buy the newest you can afford.
I love my 2011 outlander 800, had a 2006 cat 700 before and would NEVER go back.

 

If you want a hard working very utility oriented quad width vehicle the Polaris Big Boss 800 is quite a machine for the money. It has 6 wheel drive with a dumpbox that can hold 800 lbs. Can tow about 1500 lbs. Next would be the Polaris Sportsman X2. It's a quad with 1250 lbs. towing and honest 400 lb. rated rear springs. I use the dumpbox for hauling firewood, chainsaws, tools, etc. It's very handy and can convert to a passenger seat in 10 seconds. Nice for the occasional passenger but not quite as comfortable as the Touring models. Arctic Cat makes a quad with a box in the back but I'm not sure if it dumps or not. The rest of quaddom offers great ATVs with front and rear racks that will handle most chores but the very heaviest. Typical ratings for racks are around 150-200 lbs. on rear racks with about 100-120 on front racks. 95Wolv pretty much sums up the other differences with the makers' quads. Only things I can think of to add are that the Hondas only have a limited slip front. Fine for anything but the nastiest rocky hill climbs or deep deep mud pits. All other makers have some way of locking in the front axle.

 

Did they ever come up with a solution to the Can-Am frames bending and breaking?

 

I'm on can-amforum.com for a while now and i never heard of any one having issues. Everyone with common since puts on a nice skid plate.

 

The newest Can-Ams, Outlander 800/1000, Renegade 800/1000, have a newer more traditional tube frame. The older Can-Ams have the spar frame which is about a 2x4 hollow thin steel wall box. The troubles I read about mostly involve where the front lower A-arms attach to the spar. People who were moving at a decent clip hit an obstruction and the spar frame bent in the area described. Some say it's not an issue but I think there would not be a market for "frame inserts" if it wasn't. A frame insert and/or skid plate typically takes care of that issue. At least for peace of mind. I'm waiting to see a Max come out with the new frame. We did the frame insert in my son's Renegade. Took an hour and a half or so. Worth it in my mind.

 

PS Let us know what you decide to buy. It's always good to provide feedback for the folks who have taken the time to type out their thoughts.

 

tbh he doesnt need any of those expensive machines. he needs 4 wheel drive if pulling deer out of the woods. the least worked on machines are the simple ones. the honda foreman or a kingquad 400. something like that. u dont need a big 800 for what u are doing. id personally go with the new foreman or the king 400 less things to break. i have a backup ozark250 since 06. and only need to change the brakes after 3000 plus hard beaten miles. simplicity is the best.