Just a FYI on the plowing thing. Per my signature, I have a Yamaha Grizzly 700. I would not recommend doing a 2up on it... or really, any machine not designed for 2up as what you already mentioned, the longer wheelbase.

But, back to the plow part. First plow I bought was a 52" poly plow. The 52" wide plow seemed OK but the blade height was too low for CO mountain snow storms. My machine could handle that 52" blade with ease even in 2wd. I decided to sell that plow setup and went with a 60" poly blade front mount as I was not scraping enough snow per pass with the 52" blade. Beside the 60" blade being wider, the best aspect of the new blade was the increased height, which is significant. Much, much nicer for CO snow storms. The front mount was also nicer as I do not need to remove the mount for summer spirited riding.

However, the 60" blade is a significant difference in terms of machine capability required to effectively run that 60" blade. I would not suggest going with that big a blade without a big bore type ATV. Additionally, I do need to have my Grizzly in 4wd when 60" blade plowing now versus not having to use 4wd with the 52" blade.

This is coming from actual experience for two different sized blades on the same machine with same tires. Granted, the 52" poly plow was a universal mid-mount versus the 60" poly plow is a front mount. I do not suspect the difference in plow mount is responsible for the difference I feel when plowing.

 

With the wider blade you're pushing more snow so that even if the blade itself isn't heavier, you're pushing more weight with each pass. It is a shame Yamaha doesn't make a 2 up atv. The Kodiak 700 in a 2 up version would be a great value in a 2 up machine if it existed. The op said he tried out an Arctic Cat 700 2 up and seemed to like it. The Kodiak 700 would have similar power but would probably cost a little less. The Outlander 570L I think would be another one at the top of the list. While the 450L might have enough power, the 570 definitely would and would be at or below the cost of the Cat 700. The Polaris Sportsman touring 570 would be another one to consider. Basically these are the 3 I would look at: Outlander 570L 2up, Arctic Cat 700 2up and Polaris 570 touring. I honestly think the Arctic Cat would be the best choice of these 3. It has the most displacement so it should have the most low end torque. The Can-am makes its power on top end. And you get a true locking front differential in the Arctic Cat, which you may need at times to plow thick snow. The Can-Am visco lock works pretty good but it doesn't fully lock right away. The Polaris 4x4 system relies on wheelspin to engage. It does work pretty well but its all or nothing. There is no limited slip option. Just 2wd or fully locked 4x4. Sometimes you don't need diff-lock.

 

I've spent hundreds of miles on the Polaris with it's AWD that comes on when any difference in speed is sensed between the rear and front tires. It's seamless and instantaneous. You don't even notice and it will crawl over/through anything any other quad with full lock will. I've also spent a lot of seat time on Can-Ams with the older Visco-Lok and the newer, quicker Visco-Lok QE (Quick Engagement). The older system did have a bit of lag that I didn't care for. Still got through everything the other machines did but it took a little extra gas to get it to engage. The newer QE system is pretty seamless, like the Polaris. Personally, I love the ease of pushing one button and leaving it at that. 4wd is there whenever I need it, fully engaged, without having to do anything else. The system on Suzuki, Yamaha, and Arctic Cat requires you to stop, push the 4wd button, and get going again to be in 4wd limited slip front end. If you want full lock in the front for nasty situations, you have to stop again, move a lever, and push the 4wd button again to get full lock. I've had to remind friends that they had to do the extra step to get over a 3' high rock face where the limited slip was not quite enough. I've seen them forget in other situations too. Not the quads fault. This is why I like the Polaris and newer Can-Am's systems, personally. If you don't mind stopping it's not a problem. With the Polaris and Can-Am systems you can flick it in 4wd on the go without an issue. You just don't want to shift the transmission between low and high gear without coming to a stop. Same with all machines that have high and low ranges.

 

If you have a sidewalk you want to plow a 60" blade may be too big. A 52" or 54" blade fits great on my sidewalk but a 60" won't. In 19 years of riding Polaris 4x4s I've never felt the 4x4 engage or disengage. It works so smooth you just don't feel it.

 

moosehenden "In all my years of riding I've seen every quad maker's machine break down at some point. I can't say one has been more problematic than the other. Honda riders swear by them, but they don't offer a quad with a 2 rider setup. Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki all make good machines but no 2 rider quad. So, you are left with Arctic Cat, Polaris or Can-Am. Just for features alone, I like Polaris or Can-Am. Power is up there too. Polaris and Can-Am are constantly trying to one-up each other so the consumer gets the win. The other makers haven't kept up with Polaris and Can-Am power-wise and feature-wise.

Thanks for your reply Moose. It is reassuring to hear you have had good luck with Can Am and Polaris. I have found only the three manufacturers make the 2 up machine. You are right, folks tend to post nasty reviews when angry, and not post anything when things are going good. That's why I was hoping I could find some independent organization that gave objective data on "problems reported per machine".

I think I will start visiting some independent ATV repair shops and ask a few questions. The folks who work on these machines certainly have experience on bad designs and manufacturing as they probably see repeat problems.

David

 

Great info redrocket204 on snow plowing with an ATV.

I intend to do this for the time I own the ATV. We average over a 100" of snow in my area every winter. I had decided on a 60" plow as I find Colorado snow much lighter weight than Minnesota snow (except in the springtime). I haven't selected an engine size yet, but friends around here recommend a larger engine for the altitudes. The Arctic Cat snow plow I tried on Friday was a "mid mount" affair with push rods up to the blade. I gather a winch is required for all snow plow applications.

I did see Cycle Country sells a "state" plow that is tapered to roll the snow into a furrow, might be handy. My friend with the Arctic Cat 700 said his poly plow was too light and tended to bounce up over the snow when plowing. He recommended the heaver steel plow.

I don't have any sidewalks up here at 8300'. My driveway is rather narrow, and it does have a significant grade to it. 4WD is required, and maybe tire chains on the back. Or I can have the wife ride in the rear seat to give us more traction. I don't think she liked that idea much!

David

 

Thanks for the video link jumbofrank. Reviewing some of these will be helpful, especially the comparisons.

I wonder if they have a video of a new machine smoking its drive belt during one of the tests? Or failing a rear hub or axle? Or the exhaust pipe melting plastic bodywork? Or the engine dropping a valve? Or the ECM failing while driving through muddy water?

Reliability is important to me, but there is very little information available before you close a deal on a very expensive machine.

Manufacturers ought to provide 3 year bumper to bumper warranty if the owner can demonstrate completing the maintenance schedule at the dealer's shop and demonstrate no "abuse beyond intended use". I know those are "weasel words" but some owners ride their machine very hard, jump high, land on a rock and break the transmission. No one would submit a warranty claim on that, would they?

David

 

Defintely, but also with the increased height, the amount of snow I am pushing has increased by a lot. The blade is actually still pretty heavy even for a poly blade.

For a Yamaha Grizzly 700, that is not true on the 4wd. I use it all of the time while moving, engage/disengage and there are no issues. For full lock and switching high/low, yes, you must be stopped.

Larger engine will help at altitude for spirited riding and plowing. I'm at about 8000' but ride at Taylor Park and other places frequently to 12,000'. And yes, you'll want a good winch.

I have no problem with my 60" Cycle County (Kolpin) Poly plow riding up over the snow. It is still quite heavy. I use it on my large paved driveway that has elevation changes. I use a heavy duty tow strap cut in 1/2 and a boat roller to lessen the winch angle and slow the plow up/down movement. Broke synthetic plow ropes too easily so switched to a tow strap with built in hooks with gates. Pics to follow.

I also wanted to avoid the State Plow as I have areas where I make a pass, turn around and make a pass in the opposite direction.

 

dbj216,
I know that in our area I see a lot of Can Am, Honda, and Yamaha. And since Honda doesn't make a 2 up machine only side by sides, I think that Can Am might be your ticket. Every Can Am owner I've visited with has had nothing but praise for them. As far as Honda's and Yamaha's go, I've driven both and reliability in my humble opinion you couldn't go wrong with either one. But they don't have the 2up option, as far as power I have 2 2013 Honda Ranchers and live at around 5000 feet, my wife and I ride double on occasion and with the trails around here we easily get between 8000 and 10,000 regularly and have experienced virtually no power loss while riding. Would I like a little smoother ride? Yes absolutely but the dependability we've experienced has been stellar. As far as plowing goes? I'd give it an A-, my brother has a 2012 and he runs a 60" Warn plow with mid frame mount and push tubes and sure moves a lot of snow with that sucker, I live in town and have only had mine for a year and haven't been able to put it to the test yet but mine is a 54" and fits perfectly on the side walks so I am looking forward to Blessing some people this winter by running up and down the walks in our neighborhood. I wish you the best of luck in your search, I wouldn't be afraid at all of the CanAm. FF

 

Hopefully we have helped. Basically I would narrow it down to the following 3 quads I mentioned before: Arctic Cat 700 2up, Can-Am Outlander 570L max and the Polaris Sportsman 570 touring. You could step up to the Outlander 650 Max, that's the one Moose has and I'm sure he would tell you its a great choice. More expensive, as would be the next model up in the Polaris lineup, the Sportsman 850 touring and the Arctic Cat 1000 2 up model. More power is more expensive. I'd ride several models to find the one that you like the most. Any new model should be reliable, it basically comes down to personal preference and where you can get the best deal. There's really no wrong choice here.