Polaris is kind of funny that way. I've talked to folks who own two, and put thousands of trouble free miles on, and I've talked to people who have them that said they were always in the shop since new...

 

Thanks for the replies. Other than a five-minute test drive on the Honda 420ES, I have absolutely no experience with ATV's. I had a mini bike when I was a kid and later a dirt bike which I pretty much totaled. The primary reason for the purchase will be to plow and fetch firewood with a trailer. I may enjoy this and ultimately do some recreational riding but I just don't see it as a huge interest or hobby for me at the moment. I like to pedal a bike more than sit on my butt and push the go lever.
Anyway, here's a brief tour of my driveway. I took the photos yesterday. As you leave my house, you travel about 100 yards across some relatively flat terrain.



You go down an incline and around the bend.



The next section isn't too bad but it can be a little muddy (not now though).



The road straightens out and again, not too bad.



You make another turn and head into a stretch which doesn't get much sun.



This is the final straight stretch, still all downhill from the house (I live up on the hill).



One last crazy turn (this one can be pretty hairy, coming up from the bottom)



This is the end of the road, where it meets pavement. Turn left to enter the United States of America.

 

If heavy duty plowing and an automatic are the high priorities, I'd still say the Rubicon would be a great match...

If you have no experience with ATV's be sure to take advantage of the safety course they will offer when you buy one.

 

Now that I see your pics, I would go with a Foreman 500, non-ES.

But, looks to me like you may need something bigger than an ATV for that job!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>But, looks to me like you may need something bigger than an ATV for that job! </end quote></div>

That's what scares me. Ideally, I'd have an ATV, Kubota, and full-size pickup with a plow (and spreader, as long as I'm dreaming). I guess that's why I'm here. If this mess is "beyond ATV," I need to know now before I plunk down a pile of money only to find out I can't do it.
My brother-in-law has an old Honda 350 (standard foot shift) and a driveway that's a complete nightmare in terms of grade/steepness but about 100 yards shorter than mine. He seems to do fine but can't plow up. He did have some trouble in this last snowstorm when it got hard and froze.
Do these pictures rule out the 420? I've stopped by a few dealers and they all point to a 350 and say, "That's all we use to plow our parking lot." Parking lots are a whole different sport than what I'm trying to do here. Sigh...

 

I totally agree with recon about the foreman non es. And that does look like a lot for a standard 4X4 Atv honestly. And a parking lot is flat and pavement underneath,so you got all the traction u need. Try the Foreman 500 S.

 

As long as it isn't totally frozen solid, I would think that would be plowable with an ATV. Granted, you will be making several passes.

The 420's are snappy, but I think you are going to need more in the way of low end torque, and a physically heavier machine.

I would have said Foreman FM, but since Snookie said he would want an automatic, that makes the Rubicon the logical choice.

IMHO it is probably the best ATV out there to play bulldozer with.


You will probably also want two pairs of chains, and make sure you get a plow that is wide enough that it will still cut a swath wider than the ATV's tires when angled...

 

The Rancher 350 has pretty good grunt. The 420 likes to rev more than grunt, and I see it as being a better trail quad than a work quad. The Foremen should be all grunt, plus it has more cc's and it is a bit heavier.

If you are buying used, the Rancher 350 should be a good deal, or a used Foreman 450 might be a good bet as well.

 

Same dealer has a Foreman used but it has the ESP. Probably not a bad rig but I'd still need a plow.

 

First off, that is a really nice looking piece of property.

Now, getting back to your question. Now that I have seen it, Im not sure that an ATV is what you want to plow that. Now, I look at it from the perspective of you are going to be outside, on the quad for quite some time plowing that. I mean, that is long, and its not like you will get it all in one pass. So you have to ask yourself, how long are you prepared to be outside on a quad plowing? Do you have a truck? I think a truck would be better of for multiple reasons. A truck has a heater, and more importantly a truck has a plow blade that is twice as big as what you can fit on an ATV.

I don't like to suggest to someone that they should not buy an atv, but you buying an atv to plow that seems awfully daunting to me.