I am buying my first ATV this weekend. Should I buy a Rancher or spend the extra 600 dollars for a Foreman. It will be used for Hunting and recreation. I would also like to know if any of these would fit in a Toyota Tacoma. I would prefer not to spend the extra money on a trailer. This is a big investment for me and I will be keeping it for a long time.
Thanks,
Gene

 

We love our 350 Ranchers, but the 450 Foreman has a great reputation too. The Rancher is a little lighter and smaller than the Foreman, but the Foreman is available with selectable 2/4wd, so that might be a consideration.

 

get a sport bike![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

foreman is too slow.
I would go with the rancher

 

For hunting you'll need more power than speed.
You can only go through the woods so fast.

Get the Foreman 450 ES or the Rubicon if you can afford the extra cash.
Rancher is also a good choice.

It depends on what you expect the machine to do.

 

What sort of hunting and recreation are we talking? The rougher the country, the more weight to carry or tow, the more you'll appreciate the extra torque, power and construction of the 450. Why do you need 2/4wd capability? Because you'll only use 4wd a tenth as much as 2wd, unless you ride exclusively in a swamp or stone quarry. In 2wd the machine is easier to steer, and there is less friction, wear and tear on the engine, transmission and front drive train. Meaning: more efficient, less maintenance, easier to ride and way more sporty performance in 2wd. If the Rancher meets your lighter duty needs, its a fine machine. But for the extra $, you get a machine you won't soon outgrow in terms of skill or ability. I love my 450S.

 

Gene,

I contemplated that same decision for a couple of months. Foreman or Rancher. For the money the Foreman seems to be the better value. $600 bonus bucks vs $300, the traxloc feature(this was the deceiding factor for me) and more powerfull motor not to mention what I think is the cooler looking quad. The Rancher folks on average seem to like their machines alot. Finally bought a new Foreman 450ES for $5500 OTD on Saturday. I have to say that so far I'am 100% satisfied. The motor produces tons of torque. Don't forget that the new 2002 Foreman's also have the new front diffs. so a comparison to older Foreman's may not be totally accurate. My vote is go with the Foreman.