Opinions needed! I am going to purchase either hot grips or gauntlets for my 650 but I am in a bit of a dither as to what to do. The grips certainly work but are more expensive and you don't get the $ back if you sell your machine. The gauntlets (nylon outside and furry stuff inside) look like a good option. They are cheaper and you don't have to sell them with the atv. I dunno...what do you think?

 

My hands would be fine if the wind stayed off the gloves and the gloves stayed dry.

I'm gonna ask santa for the gauntlet for those reasons and also because I can take the gauntlet off and use it somewhere else like you said. Not to mention that santa's resources are lower this year.

I realize you cant see you hands with the gauntlet, but you don't need to now that you have ridden the quad for a few hours!

Hopefully someone that has more experience with this stuff will give you a better reply.

 

The only problem I found with the gauntlets was when using a winch or if you are on and off your quad alot. I didn't realize how often I took a hand off the handlebars until I put the gauntlets on, so they take a bit of getting used to. The ones I have are hard to get your hands into quickly, but they are definitely better than nothing. I have a windshield that I use in the winter that helps protect my hands from the wind. Brush guards might work almost as well for wind protection of your hands and also give you the freedom of hand movement. I have a thumb warmer now, but I am thinking of adding the hot grips as I like warm hands and if its really cold, even the gauntlets don't protect them enough for my liking. With hot grips I probably won't need the gaunlets.

 

I installed the hot grips first and it helped, but the wind blows all the heat away pretty fast. Then I added gauntlets overtop and it works much better. It lets you ride with lighter gloves so you can work controls, adjust goggles etc. I still would like to add the thumb warmer too, but my machine doesn't put out enough juice to run all the extras. Sometimes i stuff one of those chemical hand warmer packs down in my glove by the throttle thumb. Keep in mind I ride down to 40 below, so this may be overkill for where you are. But like nyroc said, if your hands get wet nothing will keep them warm. That's where the gauntlets help.
jscyoung was right, stick your hands in the gauntlets and you soon realize how often you use your hands for other things while you're riding. You'll find that some controls end up inside the gauntlet and some outside, depending how it mounts, so you will have to adjust a little. Also if you do real technical stuff where you have the bars cranked way out to one side while you hang off the other side, the gauntlets are a bit limiting. But if it comes down to a choice of stay home, freeze, or get gauntlets; i'd get them.
One more thing, mine have closed-cell foam inside instead of fur. Not only is this stuff wind and waterproof, but it helps keep the gauntlet open when your hand is out.Makes it easier to stick your hand back in quick, very important if your brake hand is out.