Hey guys,

I'm looking to purchase my first quad and I'd like some suggestions before making any decisions. I've been looking at the 2014 Honda Rancher 4x4 420. I need the quad to plow about a 500 ft driveway in the winter and to haul wood out of the woods. I went to a honda dealer near me and was offered a 2012 Foreman 500 with plow and winch for $7,000. Is that a good deal? Is honda a good brand for what I'm looking to do? What else do you recommend? Thanks

 

If you want to plow I'd go with the 2014 if it's the model that Honda finally put a full locker on the front. Up until this year the front end, when in 4wd, only had a limited slip. So, basically you have 3-3.5 wheel drive on the pre-2014's and only a couple of the 2014's have full 4wd. Traction is the key in plowing snow. You'll run out of traction long before you run out of power.

The reason I harp on the limited slip front end was made even clearer to me last Saturday. Went for a ride up in So. Maine and there was one Honda with us. Playing in a sand pit and was watching everyone after I had my fun. Guy on the Honda tried to make it up the hill I just got up and you could see the rears and one front tire pulling. He didn't make it up.

 

Thanks for the reply. The only reason I was considering the 2012 was because of the deal I was offered. Is that deal any good?

 

Not sure if that's a good deal or not. I like Hondas but am not so familiar with their pricing.

I would still go for the full 4wd, personally. That little bit of extra traction can make a difference, in snow, mud, sandy climbs, and getting over good sized rocks. If you have a limited slip and one front tire gets in the air you can end up with, effectively, 2wd.

 

If I'm not mistaken Honda's only true 4x4 is this year's Foreman and Foreman Rubicon. Both the Hondas you're looking at are 3 wheel drive. I would get a different brand with true 4x4. That would be just about any other brand. Hondas are reliable but come up short on things that matter like traction. Any other brand will also have more power in the same size engine if that matters to you, but like Moose said you'll run out of traction before you do power.

 

I snow plow my driveway with my 08 rubicon from time to time(same chassis as the foreman but different powertrain setup). It's 1/2 mile long unpaved until you get to the house where I also plow my 30x10 cement driveway. Don't let anyone fool you. The foremans will plow just fine and are probably better fit to do so than any other bike on the market considering the ohv engine, 5 speed transmission and the rear axle. Not to mention Hondas reputation for making a unmatched product in terms of reliability. The light weight will stop you way before any traction becomes a issue, especially when pushing snow. A locker certainly helps in a lot of situations but when you have 250+ pounds of snow in front of you and your on ice, it becomes a matter of weight. They will never push like a truck, but still do a nice job for what they are.

 

A CVT in with the transmission in low range is just as effective as a 5 speed automatic. That being said, the Honda 5 speed is their better transmission than the 3 speed they use in the Rincon. Rincon just doesn't have the low gearing that the 5 speed has. I don't see how a Honda is a better fit than any other bike if the front end doesn't lock completely. And, as you said, weight is a factor in getting traction. Honda's are some of the lightest quads out there in the utility lines. I agree that Hondas are uber-reliable but in my mind not the "best" for plowing. As said, if you can get one, go for the full locker. I've seen mud holes where the guy with the full locker and similar tires to the guy with the limited slip, got through.

Another example I can think of is when a group of us had to climb a rock face that was about 4' tall and about a 65 degree angle. 2 of us with Polaris AWD machines scaled it without a thought. Guy with a Suzuki Vinson was not getting up it. One front tire was spinning the other wasn't. It was kind of new to him and he didn't realize he had to move a lever and push a button to fully lock the front end. Once I showed him how to do it, he scaled the rock without an issue. Just some food for thought.

 

Thanks for all the info guys, it's really helpful. So if not honda, what other brands do you recommend that are in the same price range? I was really attracted to honda because of their reliability reputation - any other brands with the same rep?

 

Yamaha, Suzuki, are two underrated, very reliable quads. Not sure what's in your price range. Can-Am and Polaris are good machines. Maybe not quite as reliable as a Honda but good machines with lots of power. Don't know much about Arctic Cats. Kawasaki only has the Brute Force in 650 and 750 cc machines if my memory serves me right. One thing I don't really care for on the Brute is that you need to grab and hold on to a yellow lever to keep the front end locked. Not an issued going straight or on level surfaces. Could become an issue if the left side of the machine is in mud or a rut and you have to stand on the right footwell. I've been in some hairy situations where, if I were to reach across to grab the locker lever, the machine would have tipped.

Are the Hondas with the locker within your price range? If so, they'd be a good choice.

 

7 grand is probably the top end of my price range with a plow. Which is why I would rather not go with a 2014 Foreman as they start at 7. However, if front diff lock is that important for plowing (which I'd imagine it is) I was looking at the Yamaha grizzly 450.