looking to buy my 1st quad. Im going to buy new and with power steering. I have 100s of miles of mountains and forest service roads and trails right out my back door. I want something that is a great trail riding machine but i also want to use it to hunt and just take the kids (toddlers) into the woods and cruise around. something that could handle plowing snow during a north idaho winter or some light duty property work (yarding small logs, etc). My main focus is for trail riding and hunting but definitely want something i could fit myself and 2 kids on and cruise around.

I searched some old posts from 2010 and was gearing towards a polaris sportsman after reading them but after more recent searching it seems like a lot of people think they are garbage. I would rather buy nice than buy twice but i also want to spend at the absolute most 10k out the door including my add ons (except plow)

reccomendations please

 

Without getting into the legality or safety of it I'll just say that having 2 kids on a single person ATV is going to be very crowded. It can be done but it's like having 4 or 5 people in the front of a pickup truck. It's possible but not recommended. The only 2-up ATVs I know of are Arctic Cat, Can-Am, and Polaris. You'll probably want something in the 650cc or higher range for riding at elevation.

 

Let me rephrase that...the only riding I will be doing with my kids will be around my property, nice and slow. I won't be doing any serious trail riding with them.
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong) all those companies that make a 2up quad don't make a very good machine, just from what I've gathered from searching. Maybe I would be better off getting a kodiak and putting a back seat on?

 

I thought and hoped you would only putt around your property with 2 kids on but it's still easier to handle when you aren't crowded. I've seen about 5 people on an ATV before so that's possible. But it's almost impossible to steer because you just can't move very well. It obviously wouldn't be as bad with your 2 kids but it's not the same as riding solo.

Polaris' quality seems to be all over the place but all of mine have been pretty good. No one I know has an Arctic Cat but what I hear about them is mostly good. Can-Am has a lot longer warranty than most other brands so they're confident in their product. Yamaha has the best quality according to one article I read and most other people say Honda is the best. I don't hear a lot of complaints about Suzuki or Kawasaki but I don't know that much about them. One guy I ride with alternates between his Yamaha and his Suzuki and everyone else I ride with is either on a Polaris or a Yamaha. One of my friends switched from Yamaha to Polaris but so far all the guys with Polaris ATVs are sticking with them.

 

I had very good experiences with a Polaris Sportsman X2. This was back when it had about 32 HP and 500 cc's. The newer one is a 570 with something like 44 HP. It has a 400 lb. rated dumpbox in the back that also converts to a passenger seat with a backrest in about 10 seconds.

Also have had very good experiences with my present Can-Am Outlander Max 650 XT-P. Nice roomy quad with plenty of power and loads of rack space, even with a passenger.

A lot of people come to forums looking for help with minor to major issues. I don't know that I would judge a maker strictly from forums. Very few come on and say their quad has been completely trouble free. Most of what I've seen for damage or breakage has been from the right combination of speed, and trail conditions.

Another thought is to look into the side by sides. Personally, I prefer riding on, rather than in, a machine. Polaris and Arctic Cat make machines that will fit down 50" limited trails. Maybe Honda's Pioneer 500. These two makers and everyone else makes side by sides that are wider.

 

I disagree with you on the 2 up machines. Arctic Cat, CanAm and Polaris make outstanding ATV's. I have a 2008 Arctic Cat SuperDuty 700 Diesel that is a tank. The longer wheel base makes for a better ride. The side by sides are still going to be awkward for 3.

 

I agree with the post above me. A Polaris Sportsman is great for all of those things. It is big, I have used it hunting, used to plow the driveway with this quad, goes good in our trails, and more. This quad is great, reliable, and will work for everything your looking for.