I am going to be purchasing a new Utility ATV. I have decided it will be a Yamaha or Honda. I have 2 yamaha's now in which i am selling, a 96 kodiak (rock solid) and a 2003 big bear. My family owns a honda's, but i don't really know how they perform.

I use my ATV's to haul wood, do yard work and plow a 500 foot driveway that is sometimes 20" deep or so in Northern Wisconsin. I do very little trail riding but may so i want something that is rugged with a solid rear axle (not IFS)

My new ATV has to have 4WD and must be automatic. It will also need a winch and plow.

Can you suggest WHAT ATV from HONDA i should be looking at? rancher, foreman? need the good and the bad as i haven't researched these in years.

 

I would suggest the Honda Rubicon. That is what we use on our farm and love it. In my opinion, is has the best transmission. It has an 2 automatic modes and a ESP mode which is a push button shift and has a low.

So far it has about 6400 miles and nothing but normal maintenance done to it.

 

Rubicon is what your describing. It will perform great at every need that you listed. It's a great work horse and very stable on the trails.

 

The Rubicon is a great machine for work. It will not plow 20" of snow at one time, so you would have to push during the storm if this is your only means besides shoveling or using the snow blower. I have 2 rubi's change the oil and filter every 50 hrs or 500 miles with the spec oil and it will last you forever. The Rubi is fuel efficient and its tranny is the best suited for work. I really don't see a machine from yamaha that would perform as well for you. Belt trannys just don't "work" like a hydro. Power delivery from idle to WOT is super smooth and creeps extremely well.

 

Can you give me an idea on pricing for this model? i don't have many honda dealers by me and they won't quote over the phone. i am just curious as to what i will expect to pay.

Can you tell me more about the belt drive vs hydro drive? this is new to me.

 

Here is a good Rubicon write up explaining there tranny vs belt and other 500 Utility ATVs.

http://www.atvmagonline.com/output.cfm?id=1220599


Its almost the same ATV chassis and power wise as the 5 speed 500 Foreman which M.S.R.P. for $1100 less.

Here is a good shopping site it does a side by side spec comparison of any make and model atv you plug in.

http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/en...e2=86980&go=Go

 

When I boght my 03 new 6250 OTD just the rubi. When I bought a carry over 06 with plow and 3000# warn already installed paid 5995 OTD. Felt like I was taken on the 03 after that deal on the 06. I saw a 08 hold over for 5999 2 weeks ago.
A belt no matter how good will need replaced relatively soon, but is cheap to replace. A hydro, with proper maintenance, will last a long time. If it does go out it's not so cheap. Hydro is infinately variable and is driven fluid pressure from a pump and is efficient in transfering power. In a belt situation, it all about clutching. You can creep a rubi with barely any throttle increase, on a belt/ clutch you need to get the RPMs up enough to get the clutch to enguage(more noise). A rubi cost you around $45 to change the oil yourself because it requires 5 qts of oil. You are changing the tranny oil at the same time so at least there is not another fluid to take care of.

 

Good luck pusing 20" of wet snow with any quad. You might want to look at a front mount atv snowblower to move that much at once. So you either need to plan on plowing during the storm or look at other options for snow removal.... Good luck with whatever machine you decide to get.

I'm in this position myself I live in the snowbelt in northern michigan where we get a ton of snow too. My current drive way is rather short and I could plow it with my BF, on some major snowfalls I would have to raise my plow up and scrap the upper 1/2 off then come back and replow again to clean it all up. I'm currently building a new house and my new driveway will be 1/4 mile long and up and down hill so im investigating other snow removal options.

 

Dont get me wrong I love my honda's and everyone else's. BUT the automatic transmisisons from honda bother me. They need a low range. when i tow VERY heavy loads in my truck i use 4x4 low so i dont burn out my tranny. i have heard of people using their rincons and rubicons hauling heavy loads and burning out the trannies. dont get me wrong about dissing these machines they probably haul a decent load but when getting carried away with the loads it will burn out the trannies. for the price of these two machines you could get a Kawasaki Brute Force 650 Solid Rear Axle and have about twice the power, low range, 10-15MPH higher top speed, low range and a locking front differential. you just have to sacrifice honda reliability for a kawasaki. not sure its really worth it...

 

The Honda Rubicon does have low range, it has since it was introduced in 02. I've hauled two drag sections back to back through tilled soft black dirt. Its almost to much to drag because of the limit of traction. I have 2 rubicons and use the mostly for comercial snow plowing and very heavy load pulling landscape chores. Top speed on a rubi in low is 19.6 mph according to gps. It says 23 on the display. Top speed in high on both of mine gps is 57mph the display says 55mph. The rubi also has the electric shift program which gives you 5 speeds in high and low. So basically you have ten "gears" to choose from. They are not gears, and the first speed low top speed is 5 mph. and the ratios overlap so you never have to worry about needing something between one ratio or another. I have 3000 working miles on my 03 and love that tranny. I also own a new polaris xp 550 with the belt and a high and a low range, plowing in low works fine and the higher low range is nicer for pulling the ice shack out on the ice you can get 39 mph out of low. High range I've seen 66 mph on the XP. The nice thing about the 500 class is that they are relatively fuel efficient.