I'm looking to buy an 05-10 700 or 800 Sportsman. It will mainly be used for work--pulling trailers part of the time. Low end pulling power is much more important to me than top speed. Is there any particular problem, year, engine, etc. I need to be aware of? I live in Montana so EFI would be nice as long as there aren't a lot of problems. I do all the work on my own machines as you don't learn how something works by paying to have it done. Thanks for your input!!

 

All ranges of these models had problems on the plastic roll cages in the front diff cracking,some fuel pump failures,and thin electrical wiring and connectors leading to the efi sensors,not the sensors themselves. Aftermarket aluminum roll cages solved one problem, Cheap aftermarket fuel pumps are available along with a good source for stronger sensor connectors Only The Best solved most efi harness problems.
If low range power is what you're after I wouldn't discount a Sportsman 500 carb or efi model either. Efi and carbs both had the same roll cage problem as the 700/800,efi on the wiring,but was the bread and butter of the Polaris atvs for many years and easier to maintain. Condition means more than year model so find a good clean one which ever one you may choose and get a manual since you're the tech.Work machines will tend to need more repairs on average.

 

Thanks so much for your input. My only concern with a 500 is the power. I will most likely be keeping it for quite a few years, so I'm thinking that while I'm getting one I might as well make sure it is big enough. Having said that I may look at the 500s again. My nephew has an '05 800 and my brother has a '10 500 HO. They live right next to me so I have been riding theirs trying to get a feel for each of them. I'd like to know more about the 500 from your perspective. Would they be better in terms of reliability since they were produced for more years compared to the 700/800s? My brother's 500's engine has a tinny sound compared to the 800.

 

500s do have a "tinny" sound to them mainly because they're a dry sump engine and have an over head cam. Most of the oil at any given time is in the oil tank and circulates through the engine. This helps the engine in getting the most power. The crank shaft isn't slogging though two quarts of oil trying to make its power. The 700/800 has a mid engine cam with hydraulic push rods like an auto engine. Yes they have more power,but are a more complicated engine.Plus a little more complicated on efi systems also. Ride each one a little more. That can help you decide which one you like the best and the one more suited for your needs.

 

Thanks for all the info. There are several guys around here who have sportsmans and your comments may be just what we need to fix a problem someday. My brother was really interested in what you said about the 500. I found an 07 800 EFI with 260 miles on it about two hours from me for a super price. Will go look at it next week--guy's holding it for me.

 

look on all the forums, more problems w/ Polaris than about any late model quads, except the Chinese junk, never buy one of them ! hard to beat tried and true Japanese quads. !

 

Yes look on all the forums.. They all have their own problems. As far as "Japanese" made machines,you might look at where they're made..

Honda - Operations Facilities
Yamaha Motor's Newnan, Ga., plant surpasses 3 million vehicles - Atlanta Business Chronicle
Suzuki Cycles - Manufacturing
https://www.kawasaki.com/About/MotorsManufacturing

 

I had an 06 Sportsman X2 500. Was, and still is, the best work quad out there. 400 lb. rated rear springs, dump box that converts, in seconds, to a passenger seat, and great towing numbers. I even pulled an industrial sized wood chipper up a slope where our trucks couldn't find enough traction. They did make it briefly with the 700, 800, and 850. It now has a 570 that's got quite a bit more power than my 500 had. Only reason I got rid of it was because of top speed. I ride in the winter with guys who have the 800+ cc machines and couldn't keep up on the power robbing snowy trails.

 

A 800 can not pull more than a 500 both will break ground wheel traction well before motor power, that's why they both have the same tow capacity.

If you tied any atv with a low range to a tree it will just bury itself into 4 wheel ruts before losing wheel turning power.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I know some guys don't like the way Sportsmans are bigger and heavier than others. I can also see why the all-wheel-drive system wouldn't be the best for some types of trail riding. However, for the way we use them around here they're perfect. Thanks for the info concerning the 500s. I'm going to be looking at that 800 in the next couple days. Guy supposedly used it only for plowing snow and kept it in a garage all year. Is there anything I need to be on the lookout for in a machine that has sat for several months at a time? Hopefully he used non-ethanol gas and topped all the fluids off every spring when he was done plowing.