No brand will have the reliability that a honda does. Honda sacrifices performance for reliability/workability and no other brand out there does it to the extent honda does. I do the things you will be doing every day with my Hondas and they perform much better than either of the can ams when it comes to pulling a load or working a machine to death. It all goes back to the cvt.
Moose- I like a 5 speed or even the rincons 3 speed better for work because they move you with torque at a lower rpm when pulling a load. A cvt in low will scream like a banshee to get moving and will let out some belt noises. It really just feels like you are beating the bike way too much. Once you get moving, you don't need to be revving but a cvt has no choice. Not the best application for working IMO

 

Yamaha makes good reliable machines and a 450 is big enough to plow lots of snow. One of my friends has close to 14,000 miles on his Grizzly 660 and has had very few problems. He was talking about getting a Polaris Sportsman 850 but my next quad might be a Grizzly.

 

After two years with lots of snow in the Northeast, New England, plowing I thought I'd probably have to replace the belt. Just figured it would need it. For $55 I got a new belt and on a nice spring day took the CVT cover off (15-20 minutes) and pulled the belt off. I couldn't even notice much if any wear between the new and old belt with around 2000 miles on it. Still worked great but since I had gone through the hassle of taking off the footwell and CVT cover I replaced it. The trick with CVT transmissions is to just give it gas so it engages. Not a jerky engagement on either the Polaris I had or the Can-Am I now have, just not sitting there gradually squeezing the throttle. The only time I've ever seen belt problems was when people were in low speed, technical riding and left it in high gear. If you leave it in low gear in mud, snow, rocky climbs, etc. you may never have to change the belt. I've had more than a few situations trying to pull a car or other ATV out mud, or sand where I dug 4 holes in the ground. Haven't ever really had any belt slippage that I noticed. Not saying the 5 speed is worse or better. I've only ridden the Hondas in non-snow conditions. For me the 5 speed just had better low end.

Again, if vpitcher can get a Honda with the locking front end for the money he has I think that would be a great thing. Once the snow builds up in front of the plow you're going to need all the traction you can get.

 

Once I tied on to a tree that I thought I could pull down but it was too big and solid. I gave it the gas and just sat there digging 4 holes. The belt never slipped, smoked, or made any type of noise. No problem towing a tree the size of a telephone pole either. CVTs are great for work IMO. Just put it in low when you're supposed to and there shouldn't be any problems. I've gotten thousands of miles off a belt easily.

 

Hey I know it works but there is no denying that the motor is turning a higher rpm the entire time when pulling a load with a cvt. Basically it's trying to pull its load with hp, not torque. A 500cc cvt may only go about 25 mph in low range but at only 5-10 mph, the motor is spinning entirely too many rpms. That's my gripe with a belt style cvt on the trail also.
I know a cvt belt lasts a long time if operated correctly. I'm still on my original belt on my outty but it doesn't see much work, just play

 

Vpitcher07,

I do a fair amount of plowing, 6 commercial lots, with my 08 Rancher 420. Its lack of true four wheel drive has never left me wanting. I've been very happy with it. I also use it mostly for trail rides, and hunting. Up until a couple of weeks ago I thought I would never want another atv. Now for some reason I'm looking at getting another atv and I know I will not go back to Honda. There is nothing wrong with their machines, just a little behind the times.