Ok...so I've narrowed it down a bit.
Went and looked at a 2012 Honda Foreman ES 4x4 with 2300 miles the other day. Liked it alot, but it had no rear brakes. The owner wasn't sure of the problem, but the rear pedal seemed like it was stuck in the down position, and I had to use a little elbow grease to pull it up. Rear brake lever was loose and didn't function. Owner said it probably needed new cables and shoes. Not sure if that is true or not. Front brakes worked fine.
Wanted to give him $3700, but he only came down to $3900, and I wound up walking away from it. I didn't want something that would require repair, especially if I wasn't getting it at a price I liked.

Been communicating with a guy who has an 08 Rancher 4x4 ES with 200 hours. Seems to be in good shape, no issues, no broken plastic. He (as well as the previous owner) used it for hunting. I was hoping to get it for around $3500. Haven't seen it yet, since it is a 2 hour ride from my house.

I really wanted the foreman...it rode so nice, and was a heck of a cool machine, but the brake issue put me off. It's not like the brakes were worn down...there was some kind of issue where they weren't functioning AT ALL. If it were a matter of needing new rear brake shoes, I'd have taken that thing home with me. Definetly more than that, though.

What do y'all recommend?

 

happened to me as well.i purchased it new.i replaced both cables and found that dirt and grime had it seized on the shaft when the brake peddle connects to the body.use penetrating oil and a heavy hammer and pry bar up and down ALOT .it will eventually come around.i put a bungie strap on it to help once it started,than i used my foot.keep working it .hope this helps

 

All Hondas except Rincon have that drum brake which gives trouble. Suzuki Eigers have the same problem. Water gets into the shaft for the brake cam pivot. It is easy to repair but recurs if you go through water, or rain can do it.

Some owners don't use the footbrake, I'm a left hand braker myself, this causes the footbrake pedal pivot to seize. These are a pig to free off and I fit a grease nipple when I have done it, this doesn't always work as they come in for service with a seized pivot again if the owner doesn't use it. They often need new handbrake cables, but the footbrake one rarely seizes as it is short and almost straight.

Those who think disc brakes are the answer are wrong, I spend more time per bike, freeing seized caliper sliders than I do on seized pivots.

 

If you like the Foreman I would still get it. With working front Hydlulic twin front disks and being a 5 speed that you can gear down to use engine compression to slow the rear end down a steep hill, you can live without rear drum brakes if you had to.

Even working good, mech single drum brakes are pretty weak at stopping any ways.

I always hated mechanical rear drum brakes as well because of the crap that gets into the drum housing, but one good thing about them is they are simple to figure out and cheap and easy to work on.

 

I went with the 08 rancher! Thanks for all the input.