I've been plowing my half a mile long driveway here in NY for the last 5-6 years with my rubicon and I have been very impressed with how it performs. There are times when the snow gets so deep and icy, and the walls so tall that only the tractor can plow us out but if its fresh powder, then the rubicon plows it just fine.

I don't have any videos of me actually plowing it but Here's a short cell phone video of my driveway just to give a little idea of what I have to deal with here. I plow both up and down hill to save time and the rubicon has held up great to the abuse. When plowing with an ATV, you'll usually run out of weight before power or traction so I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of a locker. The limited slip works very well when all 4 wheels are planted to the ground which when plowing, is usually all the time.

 

Scooter86, I was more referencing the low range for pulling logs out of the woods or moving boats, trailers, etc., not plowing.

Would the SRA impact riding in deeper snow, say a foot+ (ice fishing) as opposed to the IRS?

HondaR24, What year is your Rubicon? Have you had any issues with the tranny? Have you ever ridden in deep snow? If so, how was the performance?

I guess the good news here is that out of the models I'm looking at there really is no poor choice.

Any opinions on the KQ 450 or Sportsman 450 HO? Both of these seem to lie well within my price range. I can't find too many review on the 450 HO though as I think it's a new model.

It's starting to get cold up here. Woke up to 38 F and all the windows in the house open Monday morning!

 

Oh, HondaR24, thanks for the videos. I'll have to watch the videos later tonight.

 

Only the new 2014 and up Honda Rubicon/Foreman have true AWD diff lock , but normal 4wd (3x4) is plenty for plowing.

Diff is for extreme situations.

Here is a good video of diff lock applied. In the guys first two attempts, he is in normal 4wd with only one front wheel turning then he hits AWD (Diff lock) that locks both fronts and gets him through.

 

I agree with the others. The limited slip front isn't so much an issue when all 4 wheels are planted on the ground as it is with a full locker. Limited slips are tougher when you've got a wheel in the air and the one in the air is turning. You end up basically in 2 wheel drive. Honda addressed this with the last model year having a locker available.

The only Honda I personally wouldn't use is the Rincon. 1st gear on the Rincon's 3 speed transmission isn't very low torque-wise. The 5 speed automatics have a much better low gear.

SRA axles have a lot less ground clearance compared to a IRS rear. About 7-8" for SRA and 10-11" for IRS. I can tell you from experience in rocky New England the more clearance the better.

 

So I watched all the videos when I got home. Thanks to everyone for their input. I had actually seen the one with the Grizzly in the snow during all my research. I think at the time I was comparing the KQ and Griz and someone posted that video.

As far as the Rubicon goes, I've got a better handle on what it's 4x4 system can do, and i do agree that it would be enough for my use. I may be using it it deep snow, but on ice where there aren't any logs, ruts, uneven terrain, etc. I guess my concern lies with the SRA now and the lower ground clearance. When I got home today I looked out into the woods and saw exactly what MooseHenden described, a lot of rocks. Combine that with the downed trees/branches and hilly terrain and I think the IRS is the way to go. The EFI and locking diff on the KQ and Grizz are really just an added bonus.

One other thing that never crossed my mind until a conversation today with a coworker is that maybe after doing all the work that's needed I may go out and "play" on the trails or woods, really where ever. He mentioned that this is something the IRS and diff lock would be better suited for which I now agree with watching the above videos.

With that said, what is the consensus on the KQ vs the Grizzly? Both seem to have excellent reviews and very similar features.

I am still eyeing the sportsman 450 HO because of the price. Unfortunately I haven't seen many reviews of it because it's so new.

Thanks again!

 

I would give the Grizzly a slight edge over the KQ but the KQ is still a great choice. You never mentioned the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 efi. I guess you lumped it in with the polaris and can am as being less reliable. I don't really think there are any unreliable quads anymore. But the Brute wasn't efi until I believe 2008 so it will hard to find an inexpensive used efi Brute with low miles, much like a used Grizzly 700 or King Quad 750. Older carb models can be found in the $3000 range. They were a dual carb setup which gave great throttle response but took a little more maintenance to keep running well. I think an older King Quad 700 would have plenty of power and might be a little less expensive than a Grizzly 700. Both have efi and power is very similar and also diff-lock.

 

Greg24, Why do you think the Grizz get's a slight advantage over the KQ?

I did look at the Brute Force a little but can't remember why I didn't keep it in the line up. I do see that there are a few with EFI for sale in my price range, so I may start looking at this as well.

I have't found any real savings on either the lower CC grizz or KQ. They're selling for just as much as the 700/750cc models. The only savings I have found are with the KQ 450. There's 2 that I'm eying right now, both around $4500.

 

For me, given equal engine sizes, the King Quad and Grizzly are both great quads. Not the "best" at any one thing but overall great ATVs that can do pretty much all you've described.

The Polaris 450 has been around for quite awhile. It's a reliable engine/drivetrain. Polaris is nice for ride comfort and on-board storage.

 

The 450KQ was only made between 2007 and 2009 then it was bored out to a 500KQ.
2009 Suzuki KingQuadŽ 450AXi ATVs
The 450 (455cc) Sportsman has been around for a long time ,its basically the 500 sportsman but with a different bore and stroke and a smaller 34mm carb.

Same chassis and Fuji motor. 2016 Polaris SportsmanŽ 450 H.O. Sage Green ATVs

The 455 motor has been around for quite a while. the 425,455 and 500 are the exact motor with just a different bore and stroke.

I just notice the new 450 motor is called a "Pro Star" now so maybe Fuji Heavy Industries which makes Subaru cars does not build the motor any longer. Not sure if that good or bad. 2016 Polaris SportsmanŽ 450 H.O. Sage Green ATVs