Hello Group ,
I just purchased an '06 Foreman ( new ) , for the specific purpose of dragging a tool around a baseball infield . I think I may have picked the wrong machine . When dragging the tool in the most conservative manner ( ie: barely working the foreman ) . the " high oil temp " indicator will illuminate after about 6 minutes of work . I can only guess that it will illuminate much quicker when working more aggressively . The electric fan comes on and then the light comes on . The dealer came and got it and found nothing amiss ( but did replace the temperature sensor ) and returned the vehicle . No joy ... same problem .... yet when ridden around in a normal fashion ( even somewhat aggresively ) the light stays unlit ... only when using it on the infield does the problem arise . Seems somewhat simple to me ... I shoulda bought a water cooled machine . The speed at which I'm working just doesn't give the airflow that the air cooled engine needs . At this point the dealer seems reasonably interested in keeping me happy and my solution is to step up to the Rincon . I do have a concern about the Rincon tranny however .... surely that torque converter will get hot and eventually complain . I would greatly appreciate any pearls of wisdom from the ATV crowd . Thanks a ton !!!!

 

What are you dragging, one of those 'broom' things to remove cleat marks from the dirt?. How fast are you moving?. The Rincon has to have a certain rpm to engage the tranny as you said. With it, you may have to drive too fast for it to be useful.

I would look at the 07 Rancher 420 4x4 foot shift. It's water cooled, fuel injected, will tow the same as the Foreman, and it's a blast to ride.
And it costs less than the Rincon.

 

I think something is wrong with your Foreman that hasn't been diagnosed yet. I've had mine out in really hot temps, at low speeds and super steep climbs and never had the light come on. I assume the dealer found that the oil coolers weren't clogged with dirt, and that the fan actually runs.

What kind of tool are you wanting to drag?

I like my Rincon, but it wouldn't be my first choice if dragging something at low speeds was a high priority. I've used mine to drag a big honkin stump and it did fine, but it might be different if you were pulling too slow for the torque converter to stay locked.

You might consider a Rubicon. They are a liquid cooled 500 with 4 valves, with a hydromechanical transmission that I think would be one of the best transmissions for dragging and towing. There have been a few threads a while back about overheating, but I think whatever that issue was has been solved.

If you wanted a little smaller machine, the 420 Rancher is liquid cooled and fuel injected...

Lastly, some Rincon and Rubicon owners install a toggle switch on the dash to bypass the theromstat switch to allow you to manually turn on the fan. Perhaps you could do something similar on the Foreman, but I still suspect something is wrong that hasn't been discovered...

Maybe the dealership would lend you another Foreman to see if it overheats when you are dragging your tool?

Anyway, welcome to the forum...

 

Hello Hefty and Jeffin ,
The tool that I use is a 6 ft wide little mini trailer deal that weighs about 300 lbs. at most . It levels , brooms and drags all at once . It also has a 'chisel' that is far more aggressive and won't be used very often ... maybe 3 times a year . The chisel will require a bunch more grunt to pull , which is why I figured that the bigger Rincon might be the ticket . My dragging speed is pretty slow ... any faster and the drag will leave ' waves ' in the infield ... not good . The 420 Rancher was what I intended to get , however when I arrived at the dealership and saw the bigger Foreman I decided that bigger must be better and got it . Silly me . So am I to understand that the transmissions on the Rancher and Rubicon are more of a mechanical ... put it in low gear and it is happy to stay there .... than on the Rincon ? If so , that is a very helpful little piece of info . I think that any of these machines have the power to do the job ... it seems to be a matter of keeping them ccol and not abusing the tranny . While I am a true Honda guy .. I own at least 8 Honda motorcycles ... my need for the appropriate machine out weighs my need to have a Honda .... sooo .. is there a better choice out there ? Polaris perhaps . I'd sure rather stay ' red ' , but I am willing to consider any and all possibilities . Again , Thanks a ton !!! J.D.

 

Around here (very hot So. Calif.!), having a fire break (fuel-free defendable perimeter) around your property where fire fighters can make a stand, is very important!

I have been helping friends clear fire breaks with my Ranchers, by pulling drags through some very thick chaparral brush. This is hard work done at low speed, and while we always work in the cooler mornings, we have gotten into some rather hot weather.

Overheating was of course a major concern, and I have to say that both the Ranchers have done excellent. The fan on the (fuel injected/water cooled) 420 comes on occasionally, but never any temp light. No sign of any collant boiling, or anything like that. Even on the little 350 (air cooled), while the fan comes on more often, it really isn't on that much of the time!

So, do you really need a machine as large as the Foreman, Rubicon, or Rincon???? Got to bet that riding the 420 is going to be more fun than any of those! My philosopy is always to do more with less....pick the smallest, lightest machine that will do the job. And, you could save yourself thousands of $$$ in the process!

 

Hello Reconranger ,
My problem is that I don't know what I need . I'm convinced that being water cooled is a ' given ' . Rancher ? Rubicon ? Rincon ? I am a Motorcycle guy , but ATV's are new to me . My logic is ... bigger is better . It's the classic " there's no replacement for displacement " with me . I will never use this rig for anything fun .. it will always be a worker . The design of the transmission is of particular concern to me . When I use the ' chisel ' , I will be asking quite a bit of the tranny . I would sure prefer to stay with a Honda , but I am open to alternatives as well . Thank you !!!

 

You are using the Foreman for what it is made for. It should not overheat at low speed with that light load. There is some problem here. I did put a fan override on my 450 Foreman that worked great, but it wasn't because it would overheat. It was to keep my legs cooler in the summer.

 

Hello Foreman Dan ,
Thanks for the reply . If I was just dragging the ' screen ' portion of my tool , then the load would indeed be light ... heck I've pulled that with a Honda 50 . However almost every time I will be using it in a far more aggresive manner and the load is surprisingly high . When leveling , brooming and dragging the tool has a 6 inch high ( by 6 feet wide ) little wall of material that it is moving . When I let off the throttle on the Foreman the rigs stops immediately . Right now ... no roll at all . I am surprised at how much drag is being created . The idea of installing a switch to activate the fan before it would normally come on had been discussed at the dealership . They are opposed to it ... saying that my warranty would be compromised . In truth , I want out of this rig , but I am trying to make sure that my next attempt is a sure success . What water cooled Honda would you buy ??
Thank you so much !!!

 

There is something WRONG with that foreman.

"The foreman cooling system features dual oil coolers for greater cooling capacity. The first cooler is located in the traditional position in front of the engine. The second cooler is mounted higher in a protected position under the front fender away from mud and debris and is fed a cool supply of air through a front fender duct. Oil is first routed to the lower cooler then to the second high mounted cooler before returning to the engine. "

You should be able to work all day with that machine and not have to worry about overheating. Bring a video camera next time, & record it for the dealer to see. Then take it back to the dealer & show them specifically what is going on. They may try to brush you out the door. Be VERY stern with them. Document every conversation & visit with them. Who you talked to, when, what was said. I have found dealers give you much better service when you write their names down, & what action is being taken. I would even call Honda directly & talk to them. Tell them what is going on. They are usually good about helping to fix the problem.

I hope this helps.

 

How fast are you pulling that thing with the Foreman? It seems to me that unless it is so slow that the clutch is slipping constantly, there must be something wrong with the oil cooler/circulation, or the temp light switch... Some of the guys who run super-big tires on Foremans run an aftermarket clutch that engages more positively under high torque loads of huge tires sunk in goo... but then that would also likely void the warranty.

I still think the problem is something with it's oil/cooling system, though. If the dealer has a used 500 Foreman, maybe they would let you test it, and if the overheat light doesn't come on you would know something's up with yours.

My 2nd choice for your chore would be the Rubicon. It has a hydrostatic transmission with low gear, and if it won't do what you are trying to do, then you might look for an old 8N or something...

Oh, and the 500 Foreman has a geared transmission, similar to a motorcycle, but with an automatic clutch. It comes in foot shift, and electric shift. The 420 Rancher is also a geared transmission. The Rubicon is hydromechanical, like some tractors, and it can run in full auto mode, or can emulate a geared transmission by allowing the operator to switch between gear ratios via push buttons on the bar. The Rincon is a 3 speed auto with a torque converter, similar to a car's. It's fairly tall geared, so folks running huge mud tires often run a gear reduction kit...

P.S. Leftfield, where are you located?