Hi,

I'm researching the best sort of ATV for use on summer icecaps such as on Greenland and Iceland (I have plenty of icecap experience without vehicles). The surface can often be solid and hard packed, but with occasional steep sections and fresh snow. It's rarely super-deep in the summer. Temperatures will likely be -10 to +10 C but lows of -20 at times.

Considerations are:

- bullet proof reliability
- able to be maintained to a reasonable extent by non-expert mechanics
- ability to pull a sled trailer of up to 600kg (with low friction runners)
- needing to have good traction on hardpack snow or occasional softer snow dumps.
- fuel economy for limiting weight of fuel to haul over 100s of miles.
- potential use of the Snow Paw traction wheels for hard sections. 4our Paw by 4orce Mobility | 4M Hopefully no need for full-on tracks?
- cold starting. I know that locals often use 2-stroke skidoos due to their cold start advantage.

Any input appreciated! Thanks.

 

4wd is a must for the conditions you're talking about. I would also think the 6x6 machines made by Polaris or Can-Am would be that much better with 6 wheel traction and flotation. There are not many machines that have a 600 kg/1320 lb. ratings. Polaris Sportsman X2 comes to mind. It has a 1225 lb. rating for towing and around 490 lbs. rating in the rear dump box and front rack. 570 isn't as thirsty as the bigger bore engines. 2015 Polaris Sportsman X2 570 EPS Sage Green : Features The Sportsman Big Boss 800 is a 6x6 with 900 lbs. of rack loading (800 rear, 100 front) and 1500 lbs. of towing. Real work horse with a proven engine. 2014 Polaris Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 800 EFI Sage Green ATV : Features

The Can-Am Outlander 6x6 is a newcomer to the ATV world. They have it with either a 650 or a 1000 cc engine. It has 800 lbs. of rack capacity and 1650 lbs. of towing. Like the Polaris Big Boss it has true 6 wheel drive.

The drawback of the 6x6 machines is that I'm not sure you could get a track kit for them if you wanted to.

These are the most work oriented machines of the quad world. They have the best towing/rack load numbers in the industry.

 

Thank you! From that input, I'd like to stay 4x4 if possible, had already written off 2WD, but thanks for the 6x6 heads up.

A few questions:

- do you recommend Polaris for a reason other than their wide range of large machines? Are they the best built?
- do I need to consider cooling method, fuel injection method or starting method in the cold?
- are there any brands with a particular track record, good or bad, in the cold?
- is there a brand that is just considered superbly built over and above any others? i.e. like Toyota trucks?

 

I wouldn't say they are the "best" built. Really, any of the major manufacturers have good machines. But, it seems like Polaris has some of the best numbers as far as towing and toting goes. The Polaris machines we've owned have been very good with few minor issues over thousands of brutal New England riding in mud, snow, rocks, roots, ice,etc. Polaris and Can-Am are always trying to one up each other which leads to a good healthy competition. They have lots of features that make them great machines. Don't know that Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, or Honda have the kind of towing numbers you're looking for.

Bigger bore quads that have the towing numbers you're talking about are all liquid cooled. They're also all fuel injected for easier starting in the cold.

Hondas have the reputation for best quality and longevity. But they are smaller machines. And only this year have they started to offer quads with a full locking differential in the front. And these are sub-500 cc engine sizes without the towing you're looking for.

Another thought is the pickup like vehicles like the Polaris Ranger. They are larger machines with good toting and towing numbers. All the makers have some kind of UTV like the Ranger. Polaris also offers a 6x6. 2015 Polaris RANGER 6x6 Avalanche Gray : Features This is in addtion to mid-sized two passenger Rangers and larger 3-6 passenger machines.

 

I think a side by side would be better suited for what you want. You have a big bed for hauling more stuff and can take a passenger or 2 with you. The new Yamaha Viking would be a good choice. It has a towing capacity of 1500 lb. The Polaris Ranger XP 900 has a towing capacity of 2000 lb but it costs a bit more. 2000 lb appears to be the highest towing capacity of any side by side or atv.