Just pulled the trigger and bought my first ATV, a 2013 sportsman 500 HO for $4999. Pretty good deal I think. Anyway, I was going over the ATV with the dealer and I asked him about the hi/low and when I should use one or the other. He basically said if I'm staying under 25mph I should use low and if I'm going over 25 I should use HI. This conflicts with what the manual says, which is that low should be used under 7mph and when towing, plowing, etc.

I guess my question is what is the rule of thumb for using each range? Obviously the manual is what I should follow but wanted to hear your thoughts.

Also, I want to get a winch and was wondering what is the best bang for my buck. Those warn winches are super expensive. I'd like to save some money and put it toward a trailer.

 

Dealer's exaggerating a bit or he doesn't know! 7 to 10 mph is the average speed in low range. Even when loading up in a truck or trailer it's a good habit and safer to use low range. Saves on belt life,runs cooler and not under a strain like it would be at this speed in high range.One Polaris engineer told me the clutches run over 100 degrees cooler in low range than in high at a constant 7 to 10 mph range which makes sense. There are times when you can go over the 10mp in low but it wont hurt the machine.High range really is a transport gear designed at constant speeds over 10 mph. People also do use the awd in high range,but it's really best to use awd in low also. This is from the manual as a general rule of thumb,but real life conditions do vary and people's driving habits are different. I've even had some people think there was a built in "low" range in high gear,like an auto transmission in cars and just left em in high range. They were the main ones we replaced belts for after they glazed them up. If you get a cheap Chinese winch, you get what you pay for which is junk!! You'll get different opinions on winches,and others can give you their recommendations.

 

Even though my owner's manual say's I can run my XP up to 39 mph in low I don't...low speed and moderate speed's on the trail I stay in low...18 to 20 mph and up I go to high range. I never let my atv idle while in gear either...I always drop it down to park for safety. Congrat's on the new 500...you'll love it!

 

Thanks for the tips fellas.

I think the manual states that you need to be stopped while shifting from HI to LOW or visa versa. Is this correct? Will it burn the belt if you shift on the fly?

 

Yes you need to be stopped to shift gears. If I am staying under 15 to 20mph I will use low. I agree with opt if I need 4wd put it in low. Anytime i am moving the machine or loading it I always use low.

I run wiper winches from motoalliance I think they are a great bang for the buck.

 

OPT said it quite well. If at a steady 10-15 mph keep it in low. Low for slow going like deep snow, mud, and rock climbing. Less strain on the belt and machine. You'll run out of traction in low range before you run out of power.

 

I stay in High range even at slow trail speed as long as the ATV is not under heavy load.
Going 5 mph down some nice trail in high range is not going to hurt anything. When you feel the ATV struggle you know when its low range (Tank Mode) time.
The 500Sportsman is a deal it still puts up a good fight in the 500 4x4 shootouts.http://www.world-of-atvs.com/4x4-atvs.html
This is from a ATV that did not change much since it came out in 1996.

 

Yes, we tried the XP's low range limits when they first came out(shops always do and were impressed. Our Polaris rep told us about the low range limit even before we got the first one in and we were ready for em! I agree though it's starting to hit the rev limiter at that speed,at least the first one I tested was, and if mine, I'd keep low range at 20 or lower like you said.