Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
#1
02-12-2006, 05:40 PM
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Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
I will be buying my first four wheeler in the near future and not really being brand loyal I am comparing various 350-400 class Atv's and the rancher has about two inches less ground clearance than the Prairie,Bruin,Eiger. Has this been a problem for anyone? This four wheeler will be used for hunting mainly so it will never be on an actual trail. Thanks in advance for any replies.
#2
02-12-2006, 06:31 PM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
It hasn't been a problem for me on the trails I ride on. I don't hunt but where I ride there is 230 acres that I could hunt and the terrain is no problem for my Rancher.
Like anything else that's 4wd, you can stick it and have to either get pulled or winched out.
Like anything else that's 4wd, you can stick it and have to either get pulled or winched out.
#3
02-12-2006, 08:01 PM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
I bought a pair of Ranchers about a month ago and have just finished putting the first 100 miles on both so I really don't have a lot of experience here, but from what I have noticed so far, I don't notice the need to "straddle" something to where I would get high centered and when I send the front over something fairly high, generally before the machine can bottom out, the rear tires are already starting to climb the obstacle. I think the Ranchers have one of the shorter wheel bases to begin with, which might help with their lower ground clearance. Another difference is with the 350 to 400 class machines, most have 25" tires where the Rancher has 24" tires. When time comes, I will be putting on some big foot kits with 26" tires on these and gain another inch of clearance.
Having said all that, in my location, we are not blessed with much brand selection. I can drive in all 4 directions and hit a Honda dealer well before I'd hit a Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawasaki dealer, not to mention the others out there. Had a Suzuki dealer been within reasonable driving distance, I'd almost bet I would have bought one Rancher and one Eiger. I have no experience with them (for that matter I had no experience with a Honda quad prior to my buying them), I just like what I've read and heard about them. The Bruin 350 4x4 would have been another I'm sure that would have interested me. Choice is good, while I like that I could get service or parts for my Honda all around me, I wish we had other brands as well.
Having said all that, in my location, we are not blessed with much brand selection. I can drive in all 4 directions and hit a Honda dealer well before I'd hit a Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawasaki dealer, not to mention the others out there. Had a Suzuki dealer been within reasonable driving distance, I'd almost bet I would have bought one Rancher and one Eiger. I have no experience with them (for that matter I had no experience with a Honda quad prior to my buying them), I just like what I've read and heard about them. The Bruin 350 4x4 would have been another I'm sure that would have interested me. Choice is good, while I like that I could get service or parts for my Honda all around me, I wish we had other brands as well.
#4
02-12-2006, 11:29 PM
#5
02-13-2006, 01:13 AM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
no problems here. I go wherever my buddy's foreman 450 goes. Just put 25 or 26" tires on and you'll gain some extra height. all solid-rear-axle quads have ground clearance issues, that's a given. But when I'm riding my rancher, i never get that feeling that i'm too close to the ground. good little machine, pretty cocky looking too for a smaller quad.
#6
02-13-2006, 03:06 AM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
On the plus side...of the quads you mentioned, the rancher is the most stable, because of the low clearance. So its a tradeoff. I have a foreman, and i love the way it feels rock solid, and it slides as good as a sporty, which lots of 4x4s wont..because they tend to be tippy as the ground clearance is higher.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
#7
02-13-2006, 08:43 AM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
Originally posted by: hondabuster
On the plus side...of the quads you mentioned, the rancher is the most stable, because of the low clearance. So its a tradeoff. I have a foreman, and i love the way it feels rock solid, and it slides as good as a sporty, which lots of 4x4s wont..because they tend to be tippy as the ground clearance is higher.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
On the plus side...of the quads you mentioned, the rancher is the most stable, because of the low clearance. So its a tradeoff. I have a foreman, and i love the way it feels rock solid, and it slides as good as a sporty, which lots of 4x4s wont..because they tend to be tippy as the ground clearance is higher.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
You "slide" due to the fact that you have a SRA, where as more of the bigger utes can't because of the IRS. Most bigger utes that have SRA like the prarie power slide exellent. But at the end of the day my back will feel a whole hel! of a lot better.
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#8
02-13-2006, 10:13 AM
Does low ground clearance cause problem on rancher?
Originally posted by: hondabuster
On the plus side...of the quads you mentioned, the rancher is the most stable, because of the low clearance. So its a tradeoff. I have a foreman, and i love the way it feels rock solid, and it slides as good as a sporty, which lots of 4x4s wont..because they tend to be tippy as the ground clearance is higher.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
On the plus side...of the quads you mentioned, the rancher is the most stable, because of the low clearance. So its a tradeoff. I have a foreman, and i love the way it feels rock solid, and it slides as good as a sporty, which lots of 4x4s wont..because they tend to be tippy as the ground clearance is higher.
But you will need to pick your line thru the mud and ruts, because the hondas are always the first one to hang up...all the other quads have better ground clearance. But you can look at it this way, id bet money it would be the most dependable, and have the highest resale value when you go to sell, than all the others you are looking at. Look at the traderonline ads, or elsewhere for 3 year old quads...the rancher keeps it value higher than the rest.
I agree with you. My girlfriend has the 04 Bruin and it sits a good 2 inches higher than my Rancher and as a result, feels more like it' likely to turn over in a tight corner at speed where the Rancher doesn't.
#9
02-13-2006, 11:44 AM
#10
02-13-2006, 11:45 AM