I recently bought an 06 Rancher 400AT and I'm thinking about selling it while I can especially since I can make a few hundred of it. Well I've already been looking around at other hondas and found a guy that's got a 06 Rubi with only 300 miles and 70hrs on it that he'll take $3900 for. Well it sounds like a decent deal to me especially considering that's what I might be selling my Rancher for so I won't have to invest anymore dinero. But then my buddy told me that the Rubi's have the same tranny as my Rancher. Is this true? That's one of the reasons I'm looking to get rid of my Rancher because I believe the angle sensor went out on it the other day the first time I took it out riding. Does the 06 Rubi have the Hondamatic? Because I'm kind of sketchy about that tranny now and I want something that is gonna be reliable over anything else.

I took my Rancher to the dealership in my town to have it checked out and have the sensor replaced and looked at a couple 08 Rancher manual shift 4x4s they had there. I like what I've read about the 420s and I've always been a manual shift guy because of their reliability and simplicity. I talked to one of the sales guys about it and he said with tax I could get one of the 08 Ranchers out the door for $5300, which seems like a pretty good deal to me? But if I could get a 500cc Rubi for $3900 I'll have some money I can put into it instead of being broke with a new Rancher.

I'm sure I'm not the first with these questions and I wanted to get a direct comparison and response from you guys that have some knowledge and experience. So what would you do? Thanks for the help

 

The rubi does have the hondamatic. The rubi's is larger and has low range. I have 2 rubi I work the heck out of, love them both. Have over 3000 on my 03 been great so far.

 

Yeah, the Rubicon has a hydrostat drive unit, with a sub-transmission with low range.

You will see threads about angle sensor issues and that kind of stuff, but I think for most people the transmission lasts for the useful life of the quad if you don't go out of your way to damage it.

The hydrostat in the Rubicon is similar to the hydrostat often used in small tractors. It is really well suited for high torque, low speed tasks, like heavy towing, dragging, and plowing. It also provides really good engine hold back on down hills.

The 420 Rancher is a totally different animal. It is physically smaller, and less ground clearance, but that contributes to their excellent handing. They are responsive, and the engine is much more punchy in the higer RPM range. It can be used for work, but for heavy towing IMHO the Foreman or the Rubicon would be better. The Rancher would be an excellent trail machine, snappy and agile.

I'd also opt for the foot shift. They also now have an independent rear suspension version, with a double clutch 5 speed auto. The down side is they are expensive, and the transmission is probably the most complicated to ever be put in an ATV.

I'm really happy with my foot shift Foreman. Frame and suspension is very similar to the Rubicon, but with an auto clutch 5 speed. The engine is air/oil cooled where the Rubicon is liquid cooled, and the Foreman is 2 valve, where the Rubicon has 4. Seat of the pants wise, power is pretty similar between the two.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Good info. I think I'm gonna go with a Rubicon when I sell my Rancher. I like the new ranchers but I'd rather save a little money by going with a used Rubi and maybe buy a couple extras for it. I'm mainly gonna be using my ATV for hunting duties and trail rides when I can.

I have no intentions of doing the whole 5 ft deep mudhole wheeling like a see alot of guys do but I wouldn't mind have the reassurance of snorkels for my 4wheeler just in case so what all would I need to do to waterproof a Rubi as much as I can. I know the air intake and vent lines need to be raised but what else can you think of that would make it better prepared?

Thanks for the help

 

I would make sure the electrical connections throughout the machine were given a good shot of dielectric grease.

 

I see the Rancher line as trail quads, where the Rubicon is trying more to be a combination work/trail machine.

We are seeing more Rubi problem posts than in past years, but I think is becasue there are many out there that are beginning to show their age.

I always like the simple solution, so I would never own one of the needlessly complex Honda automatic trannies....but Honda's market research does indicate that most folks want an automatic. I think the new 420AT trans, may be the ultimate answer!!!

 

Maybe take a lesson here: http://forums.atvconnection.com/hond...-slipping.html

 

Like all 5 speed Hondas the Rancher would have a super low 1st gear for those heavy work days so don,t count that ATV out.

 

thanks for the info. So what is the differences between the foreman and the foreman rubicon? the more I think about it, the more I need believe I need to stay with the KISS method and stay with the manual foot shift. Is there any difference in the foreman manual and the rancher manual? It is so hard to find a rancher or foreman that is a foot shift in my area. I think when I sell my 400AT I'm just gonna keep my eye out for a 420 rancher or a 500 foreman that's a foot shift. I figure both of them would be great. Anything on a Foreman that I should keep an eye out for? If you had to compare a foreman 500 foot shift to a 420 rancher foot shift, would you rate one better than the other? I see them both as being very comparable

 

The Rancher has more of a reputation as a trail/part time work quad, and the Foreman more as a work/part time trail quad. One of the magazines did a Foreman evaluation, and they had a Rancher along at the same time, and they said the Rancher was "more fun"! The Foreman is actually a 475 and the Rancher is a true 420, so the difference in displacement is only 55cc's. The Rancher is a bit lighter. (My only complaint about the Rancher is that it is on the heavy side.)

The Foreman has a solid reputation. It is kind of old school carberated and air/oil cooled. It will take big tires better than the Rancher will.

The Rancher is fuel injected and water/oil cooled, and it rips right off the bottom! For me, the Rancher is agile and fits between the trees that much better than the larger machines.

Honda really seems to push the ES shifting system, over foot shift. So yes, foot shifters can be hard to find!