Been running older style honda rubicon thats been replaced few years ago, so in search for a new ATV. Typical run one 14 hours a day at top speed of 57-58 mph and a lot of idle time in the summer heat. The rubicon was nice in 14,000 miles only repairs have been starter brushes that was not caused by self induced stupidity. The crop residue is easy to clean out around the front exhaust pipes to prevent fires. For example others in my line of work run yamaha 550 they fight a consistent battle from catching things on fire and fail at times. Can a Polaris meet this conditions? This is a daily hard working ATV not a recreation ATV used a few times a year to hunt.

thanks

 

OK, you found a winning combination, I would probably look for another of the same model. 1 with low miles. Polaris is the last brand that I would buy for that kind of work. I have the perfect ATV for that, but it's not for sale= Diesel Arctic Cat 700 cc that I turbocharged and intercooled. Except it tops out at 50 mph. They were built for the military and use on farms and ranches. 2 cylinder diesel has unreal torque. Motor has a 10,000 hour overhaul rating. Now they are only sold for military use. Up to 60 miles per gallon.

 

The new Rubicons look nice but a lot more electronics than the older ones. The DCT transmission is very advanced but I doubt would be nearly as reliable as the older hydraulic transmission. Yamahas do have quite a reputation for reliability as well. The new Kodiak 700 would be one to consider as well. The base model still has the 708cc single which puts out a lot more power than the Honda Rubicon with a very reliable cvt system with high/low range and selectible 4x4. No diff-lock but the Rubicon didn't have it until very recently so I guess that's not something you really need. Plenty of ability to haul lots of stuff on real steel racks and good towing capacity. The Kodiak 700 shares the same engine as the Grizzly 700 but it is clutched less aggressively so its more manageable for work. Smoother acceleration especially at slow speeds. Should be quieter too, which I'm sure is something you'd appreciate for hunting and long work days. Much better suspension than the Rubicon for a better ride. For 2018, Yamaha has also introduced a 450cc Kodiak. Its basically a slightly scaled down version of the 700. It might lack the power and speed you might occasionally want though. The 700 will easily do 65 mph, the 450 won't be nearly as fast, guessing maybe 55 mph wide open.

 

thanks for the input