Hi,

I can get the two mentioned machines for the same price. I am not so much interested in the better ride of the sportsman.

I need a machine I can use for towing, trail riding and mudding. The most important use will be hauling a 1000ld trailer over 4-5 inches of snow for a few miles. I will use it for trail riding, but not so much in tight difficult trails. I usually load the kids on the back of the trailer and drive around all weekend.

I have drivin both at the dealership, and do like them both. The HO has a bit more spunk which I like. Someone told me the magnum's gearing makes it the best choice for towing, which I will be doing alot of...opinions???


Thanks!!

 

At first, I thought this was going to be a tough nut to crack. However, once I read they were the same price, it made the decision much easier (in my mind, at least). I would go the HO Sportsman way myself. You say the ride isn't much of an issue, wich means you either are going to be traveling some pretty smooth trails or didn't ride a Sportsman much. Going slow, not much difference, but the Sportsman is AMAZING for soaking up bumpy trails.
My brother in law has both a Magnum and a non-HO Sportsman. Here are the differences as I can see them, as far as towing and work goes:
The Magnum seems to be geared just a little lower in Low range than the Sportsman. It would seem that would make it the better choice for towing, but since the SPortsman became the HO, the engine puts out more power, which, in my opinion should more than overcome this.
For running through mud, the Sportsman is superior; more clearance & more power. Snow is kind of hard to tell. If the snow is the kind you have to push through, the advantage goes to the Sportsman, if it is the kind you have to ride over or else be high-centered, the Magnum might be a little better at that. A tough one to call.
Pulling a trailer - I say go the HO way, especially if traction is questionable. The independant rear suspension of the Sportsman allows the wheels to follow ground contours better - the better the wheels contact the ground, the better the traction. Also, if you haul kids on a trailer, here is another thing to consider. The trailer hitch on the Magnum is connected to the axle, meaning the hitch follows the terrain, bouncing up and down whenever the rear wheels do. On the Sportsman, the hitch is mounted to the frame, independant of the wheels, with the trailer hitch riding as smoothly as the passengers on the ATV. Takes a lot of the banging out of pulling a trailer over rough stuff.
Keep in mind the more you weight down the Sportsman's rear end, the less ground clearance you will have, but you start out with more, so you can afford to lose a little and still be ahead.
Also, there are intangables. They both will have lifetime belts, the S.S. brake lines, and the improved steering components & brake pads - no advantage here, so check out the small stuff.
Does either come with rack extenders? Which one has better tires (Most Sportsmans I have seen have much better/more puncture resistant tires than the Magnums), the likely better resale value of the Sportsman, the lower maintanence requirements of the Magnum, electrical outlets you may need, etc.
I, personally would side to the Sportsman for the same $$, but I where I ride, the going can get rough, so the smooth ride means a lot to me.

 

i would choose the magnum. while it may not be as good riding as the sp, it still rides plenty soft. the gearing in high range is higher than on the sp. the gearing in low range is lower than on the sp. another reason i would choose the magnum is because of the solid rear axle. i wouldn't be needing the ground clearence of the IRS. it is a stonger design. the axle is looks twice as tough as the one on the kawasaki 650. it is also alot simpler and there is a ton less to break on it. one problem i keep hearing with the magnum is that it goes through belts pretty fast. i think this has to do with the higher gearing and people driving it in high range too much. hope this helps

 

what do you pull the kids around with currently?

 

YEAH, what farmer said.
Nice post farmer,makes me want to go out and buy another SP.

 

Farmr/Yamahagye:

Thanks for the posts, just what i'm lookin for.

I was using a Magnum 325 to pull the kids in. It was stolen. I LOVE THE MAGNUM though, so i'm a bit partial. The 325 did great pulling, except when the snow came.

One thing i'll be using the new machine for is ice fishing. We will take the trailer(300 pds) + our homemade icehut (200 pds) & 2 guys(400pds). Usually there is a packed coating of snow with 2 - 3 inches of powder on it. I want to make sure I have a good reliable machine as we usually go 3 - 4 miles out.

I am leaning towards the sportsman, for the HO and it has the 12V accessories built in. Since I am doing so much towing, I am worried about wearing the rear shocks dowbn though... Is this a valid concern?

 

Hi Gang,
Thanks for the replies. I found another dealer who was willing to give me a deal on a '02 Magnum. I put a deposit on it. It looks like it will be best for my needs and pocketbook.

The only bad thing about the magnum is I alwas wanted to say I had my very own HO. :-)