Don't get hung up on Honda "load & towing capacities", they are calculated by Honda's legal department. If you like Honda's smaller engines and are looking for manuverability, look hard at the Rancher line. If you want a nice workhorse, check out the Rubicon too. Works hard and rides a lot nicer than the 450 if you decide to go for a little ride.

 

Well, the towing specifications that the manufacturers post are all relative, as each manufacturer more than likely has a built in safety measure to avoid legal issues or broken quads by specifying a number that is certainly lower than what it is truly capable of towing. If anything, they (manufacturers) would be in competition to outdo each other. As a matter of fact my Grizzly is only rated to tow 1212 lbs, yet I’ve pulled a John Deere model A tractor (over 5000 lbs) on mostly level ground to a parking place over 100’ away. I’ve also towed a Chrysler (Dodge) mini-van with a person inside to steer it to a parking place in a field over a distance of about 200 yards, and this was mostly up a mild grade (except for one point there was a somewhat steep section on a right angle turn where a rollback truck with a car on it had a very difficult time getting through because of lack of traction). I’ve also towed a large ensilage wagon (empty) to a parking place over the same route as the minivan. All the rest of my towing operations are more “normal” in nature (pulling a mower or loaded trailers), except for when I pull logs out of the woods. In some cases they get hung up on rocks (and I’ve ripped quite a few rocks out of the ground as a result) or I need a little extra momentum to get them moving so I jerk them by getting a 3 feet or so head start with slack in the chain. I have also broken my hitch twice by abusing it like this (towing way over the specified limit) and each time I’ve made repairs I’ve made it stronger. I also had my front diff lock enabled when towing the tractor and the mini van, but most of the time when towing logs I’m in regular 4WD (limited slip front diff) mode.

In comparison I’ve seen the Rubicon in action towing logs and uprooting small trees while I’m doing the same with my Grizzly. There have been certain situations where the Rubicon could not pull it’s load, not that the engine wasn’t lacking for power but the transmission just couldn’t turn the wheels. In a similar situation my Grizzly would break traction and start digging itself in (that’s where I try backing up a little to put some slack in the chain to get a little run at it to see if I can break it loose before giving up).

Bottom line, there is no denying that Honda makes very reliable engines, however their quads that have the biggest engines have transmissions that are different from the other brands (which is a good thing if subjected to less extreme use) and it’s this transmission that seems to be keeping the quad from realizing it’s full potential when it comes to pulling heavy loads. If all you plan to do is haul game out of the woods on your racks, pull a mower or drag smaller logs then the Rancher or Rubicon will fit the bill nicely. However if you need more than that, look elsewhere. If you want the absolute maximum in towing capacity then the Polaris Sportsman models (with their extra weight) should be at the top of your review list.

 

2TV, that is some great info. My friends have all said a larger ATV, like the Grizzly, Rincon are really too big for the woods. That they are very hard to cut tightly around stumps and logs. That with their bigger turn radius they are just not as maneuverable. What do think about this and at what model do you stop trading pulling power for nimbleness in the woods?

 

thats the hitch weight that has nothing to do with how much the atv can pull its how much the hitch is supposed to handle safely

 

rincon

 

The Polaris 700 twin (for instance) has a 1500 lb towing rating (nearly 300 lb more than the Grizzly) and is certainly capable of towing more (assuming other factors are equal such as hitch strength and type of tires) simply because it is heavier, as it will grip and pull a heavier load under the same conditions before it looses traction. I am not talking about quads that have been specially modified for competition pulling, only straight from the factory configuration which is the way that most people will use their quad.

I’ve swapped machines on a trail ride once where I rode a Honda Rancher 300 4x4 and the other guy rode my old 600 Grizzly. That 300 felt like a toy to me and in general was just too small ergonomically for my 6’2” 215 lb body. Not only that I was used to a lot more power. There was a sharp turn that I took in the same manner as my Grizzly, I snapped my weight in a sideways manner towards the outside of the turn while I banged the throttle. Only problem was the tires did not break loose and slide as they would have on my Grizzly (even in 4x4 mode), so I didn’t turn tight enough and ended up running off the edge of the trail and over a large stump which tipped me over. I quickly found out that day that a big quad is just as maneuverable as a small quad, perhaps even more so if you factor in the ability to slide the rear around on demand which the more powerful models can do. Also the larger quads generally give you more ground clearance which is important if you go off of the trail (or on some of the rocky trails like I have ridden). The larger models also generally have an easier to use reverse gear than smaller models do (simply shift instead of turning a **** while shifting or something like that) so if you have to do some back and forth maneuvering it’s easy to do. The only time you may wish you had a smaller quad is if you were ever in the situation where you have to pick it up or get it un-stuck. However a winch should be standard equipment on the quad for situations like that (or at least somebody that goes riding with you on a regular basis should have one). So from my experience the bigger models offer more flexibility in regards to ease of use (plenty of power to traverse virtually any type of terrain that you dare to), can go fast when you want to, can plod along when you want to and can work hard when you want to. Also the ride quality is generally better (more comfortable) on the larger models (more suspension travel)…

 

with my traxter i can pull ANY atv .i pull p700 grizzly rubicon sportman 700