HANG ON, THERE'S MORE TO IT! Suzuki/Cat and Yamaha use a "wet clutch" for pre-engagement slip, Polaris uses a snowmobile type where the belt is loose prior to engagement. and of course there is the manual gear trans. which type do you guys think is the best, (most effective, longest lasting), for towing on both flat land and up hills. first hand experience preferred.

thanks

 

Man that is a tough question, personally I like the dual range 5 speed for heavy work, I think it will last longer with less maintainance. But, the belt is nice to use for heavy work cause you have no shifting , you're always in the right gear, just gas it and go, just remember to use low range. All the big bores are belt drives so obviously people love 'em and they must be standing up to the task, otherwise people wouldn't be buying them.

 

mine works great in low with heavy loads, never smell the belt, even with an empty trailer I use low because of the slow speed, I'd rather have the rpm's up than cook the belt.

 

on my 500 i hauled an brush chipper (commerical) and the only problem i ever had was backing up with traction, power and slippage was never an issue. always used l. range going forward and could pull it up the back hill w/ out a problem. besised if u find alot of the atv pulls are won by belt drive.

 

Never had a problem towing with my sportsmans. I haul two wood carts and a wood splitter up and down the river bank in the fall and winter and have never had a belt problem. I tow in low gear The only time I have blown a belt is in below freezing weather and I jumped on and rode to 60 mph. Had to get a ride home with the mail man. That was operator error.

The wet clutch on the Yams are nice but in 2005 Polaris did redo the clutch a little bit. Where the belt rides when at idel is less aggresive than pre 2005 sportsmans.

 

I would have to say manual just beacuse of the slip factor of the belt even if u cant smell it

semis are manual for a reason also

 

Yeah, because if they were auto, that would be one heck of a transmission! Some conveyor belts used in factories haul a lot of weight, and they are belt driven! LOL!!!

 

wayout here, whats up with this wet clutch, and where did you here about it, i see it on here all the time,what is a wet clutch, how can the belt be in some type of oil, and still work? wayout, out...............

 

well beleave it or not guys trucks are auto now. and they take alot of power away w/ the converter. i agree that a man. vs a belt is stronger, thats a no brainer. but for what you could actually haul w/ an atv is limimted by its own weight to power ration, meaning you would loose traction before you run out of power to haul things. just my 2 cents.

 

Never had a problem tow with my xplorer 400 4x4 2001. Mine works great in low ranger with
heavy loads about 900lb tow on trailer of rock no problem with low ranger and belt about 3 mph at rpm 3,000. I am immpress with my xplorer 400 4x4 can handle on 2-stroke and very low gear at mph 7 only speed limit at up to at 7 mph with heavy loads tow.