Hi all,

I’m new to the forum here and have a lot of questions regarding what I should purchase for my first ATV. I’m looking primarily at used as finances can’t support a brand new one. More on this below. Oh, I’m 220lbs, 6’ 5” so size may be an issue. Please excuse any questions that have already been asked and answered (completely). I'll apologize now for the lengthy post.

I’m looking to purchase an ATV mainly for utility work. In the spring, summer and fall I’ll be using it to move firewood, mulch, stone, lumber, etc. In the winter it will see plowing and again moving firewood from the shed into the garage. It would also see a few weekend of ice fishing. Racing, mudding, crossing rivers or anything other than listed above won’t be happening.

As for environment, it is somewhat hilly where we currently are (Central New Hampshire) but not too many rocks or swamps. We’re currently on 8 acres (mostly wooded, not dense) but in the next couple years there is a very good chance we’ll be moving to more acreage. Normal high and low temps are 80 to 90F and 0 to -20F.

When I first started looking (over a year ago), a lot of the information I read pointed towards getting something with a SRA and high/low range. The Honda Rubicon (again used) fit the bill but I had a few concerns.

1: Hondamatic Transmission – some love them and some hate them. I’ve seen posts with people that have racked up 10-15k miles with no issues and others with dealers telling customers not to plow or haul too much weight on the new transmission installed at 500-1000 miles. Many people mention that the 06 and up had a lot of issues fixed and are the most reliable. I wouldn’t want to buy anything much more than 10 years old anyway, so this isn’t a problem. Can anybody confirm any of the above claims?

2: Not true 4wd – I’ve read so many posts on this my head is starting to hurt. Some say they are only 3wd when in 4wd, but others say that the front is a quasi-locker, so if one front wheel is in the air the other wheel is still getting some (unknown %) power. I can’t find anything that clarifies this. Could it have changed over the years?

3: No EFI – I’m not too concerned about this. I know for a fact that a carb when clean and set right will start right up in the coldest of days. I know a trickle charger and oil pan heater also play into this.

4: Rear drum brakes - I think there’s a conversion kit out to change these over to discs, not really sure though. I don’t even know if this is a huge issue either.

Other options that I have looked at are both the Yamaha Grizzly (500, 550, 700) and Suzuki King Quad (450, 550, 700, 750). I’ve read the king quad’s had some issues prior to 08, so I’m looking at 08+. Can anyone confirm this? Both ATVs seem to have very good reviews in terms of reliability while also providing true 4wd and EFI. I am concerned however with the IRS squatting too much while pulling weight and again, about the CVT transmissions. Any thoughts on these CVT's vs the Honda? The KQ 450s seem to be a very good deal, I'm not sure I would need any more power for what I'll be doing. Any thoughts?

I haven’t looked too much at Polaris, Arctic cat, Kawasaki, Can-Am, etc., for various reasons (reliability, safety, etc.), although I see that Polaris has a brand new 450 H.O., based on the 570, that with rebates can be had for around $5k. Having a warranty is not something I would complain about so this model is still in the running. I am a bit concerned about the AWD system that Polaris uses. The overall consensus is that it works well, but some say the dedicated front locker will pull through more.What are your thoughts here?

Again, sorry for the lengthy post but I would like to get as much information as possible so I can make an informed decision and be happy with my purchase, hopefully forever.

Any input you may have on the above is more than welcomed.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

1) yes the earlier hondamatic had some issues, and they have been refined a bit over time. I don't know about the limited plowing or towing thing.

2) no front locker. It doesn't sound like you will need it anyway. Unless you are hitting mud holes or traversing big ruts or super slick, snotty, steep Hillclimbs you won't miss it. Heck you will be surprised what these things can do with just 2wd.

3) totally correct on the carb, efi thing. efi does make life easier though, and Hondas tend to be cold blooded. I wouldn't be afraid of a carb model either

4) I am not a huge fan of drums, but they are reliable and last a long time since they are sealed. Again, for your purposes I wouldn't be afraid of drum brakes unless you have some real steep property.

Polaris pro star motors are sweet, and I think those models merit a close look if budget allows.

 

As far as Polaris 4x4 is concerned there's been nothing so far that my friend on his Grizzly 660 could go through that my Sportsman couldn't. I could actually go some places he couldn't on one of my quads because I had better tires. Both systems work great. You'll dig 4 holes with either one if you're in a really bad situation. A quad without a locker of some type will get traction with the back tires but not both front tires at the same time. Like Scooter said they'll go a lot of places without even being in 4x4. It is handy if you have to drive over a tree and the back tires come off the ground. I've done that and the front 2 wheels got enough traction to pull me right over. I doubt that would be the case with a 4x3. Honda finally started putting a locker on some of their models but if you buy used you probably won't get one.

P.S. True 4x4 works great for plowing snow.

 

Of all the quads you mentioned, I'd recommend either a Grizzly 550 or 700. Either Grizzly model is a full-size chassis that should accomodate your 6'5" frame. Both have push button 4x4 and also differential lock. You pull another lever and push another button once you're in 4x4 to get full front diff lock. Its the same system on my 660 and its very easy to use and works well. Even an older Grizzly 660 like mine would be a good value priced choice that would cost less than any of the other quads mentioned. I got mine for under $3000. It will be harder to find a low mileage one, mine had about 3K miles on it but they will run for well over 10K miles with normal maintenance. It has plenty of power and has a great cvt system and the irs makes for a very cushy ride. Disc brakes all around and great engine braking as well. Put it in low range and you can really put it to work. You will need to use the choke to start when cold but mine will start right up. It does take a min or 2 to warm up, much like the older Hondas.

 

Thanks for the quick responses everyone.

I guess another questions here is do I really need a SRA? The Griz, KQ and sportsman are all IRS and I have friends/coworkers that use them for work and play without much issue. I have seen a few good deals on the Rubicons, some in the $3-4k range with only 1-2k miles. For a little while I was actually considering a new Foreman but the transmission and lack of low range scared me a way. I see the new Rubicons are now IRS too.

One of the reasons I wasn't looking at Polaris was because of the reliability and overall build quality. I have read a few posts that mention the fit and finish of the sportsman leaves something to be desired. Can anyone confirm this? Pricing here is great though. I think they can be had for around $5k new. I could then add a plow after the fact.

I would definitely a get a Grizzly 550 or 700 if a good deal popped up. The problem is no good deals have presented themselves. Almost every grizzly (w EFI) that I see is selling for closer to $6k+, some with a lot of miles too and not always a plow/winch. The KQ seems to be a better deal, especially the 450 which I why I mentioned it above.

I feel like I'm at one of those diners that has a 20 page menu. I can never decide what to get...

Thanks again for all the input!

 

A IRS can easily pull a trailer with out squatting, It,s depents on your shock settings and trailer balance for Tongue weight. I have a trailer that can carry 3500lbs yet not exceed 50lbs tongue weight. The ATV pulls a trailer load not carries it.

On the stiffest setting both my IRS are way to stiff for solo trail riding.

You will be fine without IRS if your not doing long rough trail rides.

Drums are only on the rear and the front brakes two disk brakes is plenty on their own.

Unless you in rough country 3wd is plenty , AWD is a hail marry if 3wd just is not enough. You will need atleast normal 4x4 for plowing.

ATVs without Low range still pull and pushes, My 350 has no low yet pulls hard (1,100lb tow capacity) I think the CVT is clutch to compensate for no low range. My cousin plows snow with a 500 4x4 Scrambler without a low range.

A 500 Foreman 5 speed has no dedicated low sub tranny but has a super low 1st gear instead.

CVT is nice ,just gas and go. Their almost maintenance free and a belt last atleast 2500 miles. They cost $80 and take half hour to change. There tuff also, my 165hp Ski-Doo has a CVT belt system.

All my ATVs and passed snowmobiles had no EFI yet start and ran no problem in the winter and we have cold winters. My new sled has EFI ,except for no choke to deal with once warmed up you can tell efi from a carb while riding.

Don,t get crazy with power, a ATV will break traction well before wheel turning power.
I had a tug of war with my 500H.O and a 350 Rancher and neither ATV went anywhere the just buried themselves into the dirt where they stood.

I had a 1989 350 Big bear 4x4 with the low tranny and it would snap a CV or axle before it lost power to turn it's wheels.

Good luck ATV shopping.

 

I'll throw in one you're missing. The Polaris Sportsman X2. Originally, it had a 500 only. Then they upped it to a 700 and 800 being available. Now it's available with a 570 that is very stout. The X2 is a unique beast. It has a dump bed in the back instead of a traditional rack. It can carry 400 lbs. and tow 1500. The driver seat back folds down and a seat back folds up out of the dump box to form a passenger seat. I had one for years with the 500 cc engine and it treated me very well. Worth a look as it is the best work ATV as far as payload and towing goes. Polaris and Can-Am also make 6 wheelers with 6wd too.

A CVT transmission is probably the easiest to operate and driven correctly, the belt will last for thousands of miles. On the X2 I had the original belt got replaced at 2600 miles or so because I was worrying. Other than a tiny bit of weather cracking the belt was in really good shape. The key is to put the transmission in low if you're going to be plowing, climbing steep technical terrain, crawling at low speeds for lengths of time, or going through mud and snow that's deep. Take a look at my album Moose on the loose in New England by clicking on my user name and going down the page to the right. Pictures of the X2 start halfway on the 2nd page and go into the 3rd page.

 

So if I'm set on buying an ATV for plowing and 4x4 is a requirement then is the Rubicon out?

This may be a stupid question but is there a chart or comparison detailing the gearing of all these different models? Low/high range and low first gear don't mean much without actual specifics. What about the grizz and kq? Both have a low but which is lower?

You say don't get crazy with power, which I am agreeing with. I find it funny though that some of these ATVs are in the 800-1000cc class.

I have seen the sportsman X2 but its way out of my price range, even used. I only mentioned the 450 HO because of the price and seemingly great motor. I was unsure of their awd and tranny setup.

There's a few kq 450s in my area also in my price range (

 

Not sure what happened to the rest of my post... Anyways, the kq450s are all under $5k and appear to be in good condition. Any word on the motors? I think they're discontinued now, only the 550 and 750ss exist. What about parts availability?

Thanks again for all the info. Keep it coming!

 

The Honda 4x4 system should be fine for plowing snow. I wouldn't worry much on the low range for any of these. They are all capable and generally you will run out of traction before power in low range.