Hello all,

I am fixing to step up and buy myself a 4wheeler. I have been looking at the Honda Rancher, Yamaha Big Bear and Wolverine. The Wolverine is more of what I am intersted in, but Im not sure that the other two would also work for me.

here are my needs:
hunting - not a lot of mud or long periods of travel.
playing - I want to be able to play at will, and not be inhibited by a large cumbersome bike. No major jumps or drops.
gereral purpose - I need to be able to ride the wife and kid around the yard and etc.
work - I need the ability to pull a small trailer, use it for yard work and hauling deer stands and such
price - 5g's tops. I can get the 3 mentioned for that.
weight - Can't be a "tank"

Given that I am coming up from a 1985 Honda 110 atc (stolen), means that pretty much any thing I get will ride like a dream and do more than what I had. I'm looking for something to work, play, trail ride on.

So hit me with some feedback on the selected bikes and make other suggestions if there are any.

 

get the rancher............

 

My vote would be the Rancher. The Wolverine is an old tech bike that needs some updating. It looks cool but in the world of Utility quads looks are very decieving. The Big Bear is a good bike but for an entry level bike. The Rancher will do all the things you need it to do well. It's not a monster horse power machine but it's not a very heavy machine so the power to wieght ratio is very good. The bike has good ground clearance and is the most nimble 4x4 "woods" bike on the market. The front limited slip diff actually works well on the Honda without any discpacks to wear out (gear type LSD). It's a Honda. That is the best thing about it. The ergonomics and plastic are all very confertable and durable. Reliability is always in Honda's favor if you ask me.

 

If play time is a big part of your riding,the Wolverine is hard to beat, I pull stuff around the yard, drag yard equipment around, take rather large jumps,and love to ride fast. A low range would be nice for slow heavy work, but if you are looking for the best of both worlds, it is a great quad. The Rancher is extremely reliable, great work/trail quad, not the jumper the Wolverine is, but you said that wasn't a concern for you. I believe the Big Bear has a low range for the tranny,so that would help for working. Sounds like you ride a wheeler for a very long time before buying a new one, so reliability is very important to you, so I would have to agree with the others and lean towards the Rancher, I've owned a couple of Hondas, and they are great quality, I've seen some from the mid 80's that look like he!! but still run after one tug of the recoil, and the ride of the Rancher will keep you comfy for all day work/trail rides. To be honest, you can't go wrong with any of the choices, but for the long haul, you would probably like the Honda the best.