I'm looking into replacing my 1995 Foreman 400 4x4 with a new Rancher 4x4 420 manual shift (foot). Is there anything that the Foreman will do better than the new Rancher? I have to deal with a lot of mud also, but I avoid it when possible...for when I have to go through a mudhole, how do these new Ranchers do? Do they have the Traxlock system or whatever up front?

And about the 2wd/4wd system...is it shift-on-the-fly, or do you have to be sitting still/barely moving?

thats all my questions for now, and thanks in advance for helpful replies.

 

The owners manual says you should come to a stop to engage or disengage 4x4. I hear people saying they do it on the fly, but I don't think it's worth the risk of damage. In 2wd the Rancher 420 is a remarkably capable machine, but when 4x4 is really needed for things like crawling over obstacles or or plowing through muck, it's not much of an inconvenience to pause long enough to engage 4x4. I'm new with quads but have been methodically putting my TRX420FM through it's paces for the past two weeks to find out what the limitations of the machine are and to build my own skills in the process. The machine is still ahead of me. I doubt the Rancher is going to be a handicap for you in the mud, but with my limited experience I can't say how it compares to the Foreman you've been riding in this regard. I'm sure someone with better insight on the mud factor will respond.

 

Thanks for the post.

And our Foreman is awesome in the mud. I'm tempted to say it is near unstoppable unless it gets high-centered. The 350 4x4 Ranchers perform just good enough for me in the mud, but there is PLENTY of room for improvement on the one I rode (bald stock tires from the 2nd year of the Rancher I believe, rode it couple months ago).

I don't have a problem with stopping to engage 4x4, but where I ride, it's often mud-hole after mud-hole after mud-hole in some spots. It's okay to just drive around in 4wd, right? If so, I'll just do that until I get in the clear and out of bad sections of the trails. I'm more worried about going into a nasty hole without realizing how bad it is, and needing 4wd, but being in 2wd...stopping in a mudhole to put it in 4wd would almost guarantee a stuck ATV lol.

thanks again

 

When conditions warrant you can drive it around in 4wd all you want. Handling is a little more nibble in 2wd, and it's quicker, that's all I've noticed.

 

Just curious..... What happened to the rest of the posts?

 

I'm wondering the same thing, redphone. I thought I was going crazy, because I remembered asking a question that isn't here now.

So, mods, where'd the rest go? lol

 

dbeck made a mistake lol

 

im looking at a new rancher 420

new things it has are disc brakes up front and fuel injection.

i would love to here more .

 

The 420 is a sweet little machine. It's going to be better than the old 400 in every way!

We kind of decided that it is probably possible to shift on the fly, but I'm going to play it safe and at least slow down.

TraxLok is torque sensing, and a very good system.

 

I only worry about the ground clearance. At just 6.5", it seems like it would high-center on everything where I ride. My Foreman 400 has 7.5" of ground clearance, and it gets high-centered from time to time.