Hi folks, I have been looking at the sportsman 600 and the honda rubicon. I have probably over analyzed this, but this is my first atv. I have 400 acres and selectively log it, maple syrup production starting next year, and will need to plow and cultivate, and disc some small plots ( about 15-20 half acre plots) for QDM and WLM. The rest I can get done with the tractor.
The Q's are as follows:
1. How strong is the polaris belt drive and how much maintanence is involved over the long haul compared to the rubicon. Can it handle the towing and torque on the tranny and clutch/belt system? I know polaris has the most bought tranny out there but can it handle the weight and grind? it states 1500lbs but is this constant or "the Limit". Honda states 850lbs but I was told limits are d/t the braking sytem.
2. The tongue weight on the rubicon is 30lbs and on the polaris 600 150lbs what gives?? I heard that the rubicon was a utility atv to the max, why such a small tongue weight?
3. Same goes for the front and back racks, great on the polaris 600 and middle of the road on the rubicon. How am I supposed to pull my deer out with a rack weight of 66 lbs on the front rack?? My 11month old lab is heavier then that and I sure wouldn't draw back on something that small. Lugging seed and supplies into the field or gear would also tax this rack on the honda.
4. I know they have cut down on the zerks to I believe it is three on the polaris and I don't know on the honda. other then oilfilter changes and oil what other things on the polaris is needed to be maintained? 5.Clutch wear ?? Belt wear?? How long will a belt last if properly maintained under heavy utility work?
6. I know that engine wise the polaris has the edge, and frame wise, I think polaris has the edge again how about that transmission??
I posted a smaller item on Farm.utility, land and they recommended the rubicon, just wanted to know your thoughts and expertise. I will use this atv for 60-70% hauling and working the rest of the time playing!!
7. solid axle Vs Independant suspension?
Thanks for your help!!
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Honda rates their racks,tow weights and hitch weights more conservatively than most other manufacturers.I have towed 1200lb moose out of the woods and hauled deer in excess of 300 lbs on the rear rack with no problems at all.The hydrostatic transmission(like the one on the rubicon) is extremely durable and because of this they are used extensively on industrial and agricultural machinery where reliability is most crucial.

 

I see that no sp600 owner has posted yet, so I'll give you my 2 Lincoln's.
I bought an sp600 over 6 mos. ago and I'm very satisfied with the power,handling and towing capacity. I plowed
all winter with it and it handled everything Mother Nature threw at it.

 

well, you're on the Polaris forum, so naturally most here will advise you to go with the 600 Sportsman. Except those Honda guys who like to cruise around here and poke us with a stick every once in a while.

 

Actually tutall was over on the honda forum inviting rubicon owners to come here and give their input.I guess he wanted all the input in one location.

 

Hi folks,
Are there any websites that give a good run down on the Q's I am asking?
I did post a thread on the Honda forum and yes I thought it would be easier to get everyones imput on one site. I am new at this hope I didn't screw up the protocol [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]
I need specifics on these questions, If possible, or what you folks are finding in the your experience with these units. Thanks for the imput so far it is interesting and helpful,but I need more IMPUT. I truly don't have a preference, have run both ATV's test driven at the dealer in a parking lot and over a few curbs, but that's about it. The Polaris has more power and a smoother ride, but the Honda seemed to handle well also. I liked the tires on the Polaris, but could switch out the stock tires on the Honda for something else. You seemed to sit up higher with the Polaris and I guess that would be true d/t the suspension setup. What about those belt drives for towing?? I am looking at a Plotmaster and a Versa-Drill unit by Kasco or may just go down to the implement dealer and purchase some good used items and cut and weld them down to a manageble size for the ATV. Keep your info coming.....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Hey tutall, I run an atv pull sled and I can tell you from that experience that the Honda will in no way touch the Polaris. It is not since building the sled did I ever think highly of Polaris but my GOD am I glad I finally seen the light. If you keep the Polaris in low rancge like ur supposed to when towing and hauling heavy loads u will most likely not change a belt for a good couple of years. Had my SP since 01 and pull it almost every weekend on the original belt. Go with the Polaris cause it sounds like you will spend alot of time on it and you will really appreciated the comfort of the seat and IRS. Just try sitting on oone then the other the difference is unreal. Hope this helps. BTW I have never been outpulled by a RUBI and mine's only a 400??

 

1. Belt drive Durability: I have a 400 Xplorer that went over 5000 miles on the original belt. I currently have 7500 miles on the machine. So far, I have replaced the belt (it didn't break, just was getting narrow for spec) at $30, 2 pulley bushings @ $12 each, and 3 buttons for $2 each. I pull a trailer of up to 1000# (max rating for the Xplorer) with no problems, but remember to keep it in low range when towing. If you use common sense and low range, the belt will go a LONG time. However, an inexperienced rider, using High range when stuck in a deep mudhole, can burn a belt out in 5 minutes. The point to remember is not to be applying throttle for more than a second or two without the wheels turning. When the wheels sit still, all the pressure is on one spot in the belt. As long as the wheels turn, even if it is very slowly, the belt is moving, and the heat/pressure is not all on one spot. Should be no problem if you use low range like you should, though. My Xplorer has spun out all 4 wheels on dry ground on several occasions, and I have never burned a belt. Usually what burns a belt is a guy going in high range, getting stuck, and flooring it. If they would just put it down into low, they would solve most of their problems. As far as extra maintanence, about once a year, you want to take the belt cover off, and blow out all the gunk with an air hose. While the cover is off, it is a good idea to measure the belt width, and replace if it is getting narrow. Also, try to wiggle the pulley halves against each other. If they wiggle, you might need new bushings. The rear clutch buttons on the newer Sportsmans have been replaced with hardened steel ball bearings, and I have yet to see one of those fail. As for towing, the Rubicon might give a Sportsman 500 a run for its money, but the 600 is in a whole different league. The 500 Sportsman will edge out the Ruby, and the 600 has 25% more engine torque than the 500. That should explain itself.

2.Tongue weight: The Sportsman has the hitch carried by the suspension. This 'cushions' the load on the hitch, allowing for a higher tongue weight. The Ruby carrys the tongue directly on the rear axle/differential. Whenever you hit a rut or bump, the tongue must bounce with the rear wheels. Not having the tongue cusioned by the suspension cuts down on tongue weight. That said, if you drive carefully, and with common sense, going slow over rough areas, you probably can load down the Ruby about as much as the Sportsman. Honda is just protecting themselves from the maniac who will put a 200# trailer tongue on the hitch, then go 30 MPH over a big rut, and wind up bending a wheel/axle.

3. Rear Racks: The Sportsman has adjustable springs on the rear suspension. The Ruby does not. While you can definately load the Ruby higher than the listed weight, you will risk bottoming. Again, if you use common sense, that should be no problem. On the Sportsman, you can just tighten up the rear springs with the tool in the kit, and compensate for heavy loads.

4 & 5. Maintanence: Polaris has done away with most greasing. Not sure if there are any zerks on the Ruby or not. Oil changes are far easier on the Polaris. The filter is a spin-on, and the filler is easier to access. The Ruby has an enclosed cartrige type filter, where you have to take a cover off the engine/tranny housing to access, and then re-install. On the earliest ones at least, that even involved removing the skid plate. I think they have better access now, but it still can't beat the spin-on oil filter. The Ruby tranny is pretty much maintanence free, as well as trouble-free. See item 1 for belt drive maintanence. One disclaimer I might add: the Ruby tranny is NOT dealer fixable. The dealer sends the entire unit off to the factory for a rebuild, and installs a rebuilt one on your machine. The belt tranny consists of 2 pulleys and a belt. You can fix 3/4 of anything that goes wrong yourself on that, if you can change your own oil.

6. Transmission: I think the Ruby has the edge in the transmission department as far as versatility goes. You can have it shift for you, or use the handlebar buttons to 'shift' up or down to pre-set ratios. The Ruby probably has the better engine braking, and is smoother. The Polaris is simpler, and can be tuned to match your driving style with a $150 clutch kit. The Ruby will be maintanence-free, and the Polaris will need to be looked at every now and then. The Polaris does seem to be geared lower in low range, so that may be an advantage for heavy slow-speed work. The Ruby can be set into one 'gear' and is far easier to hold a constant speed on. I think this is a wash. The Ruby is probably better 'as issued' and is maintanence free. The Sportsman is simpler, tunable, and easier to fix.


7. Solid axle vs. Independant Rear Suspension (IRS) No contest. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER seen someone who actually owned an IRS machine say they sure wished they had their solid axle machine back after riding over a rough trail. About the only advantage the solid axle machine has is that it is simpler, and has less moving parts. If you have never ridden a Sportsman over rough ground, you MUST do so before you buy. The IRS alone makes the Sportsman worth it for most people. Some young, limber people might not be bothered being bounced around, but us old, fat soft people sure are.

There are also a few differences you haven't asked about:
4wd systems: The Rubicon is full-time 4wd. The Sportsman can be switched from 2wd to 4wd. It doens't SEEM like a big deal on paper, but you can do donuts with the Sportsman, steering is easier in 2wd, and tire wear is more even. Also, the Sportsman is true 4wd (locked front differential) where the Rubicon is limited slip. Not an issue with some people, a big deal to others. Basically, though, the Sportsman will not get stuck as easy as a Rubicon. True 4wd, and higher ground clearance will get you through more nasty stuff. Conversely, the Rubocon, being lower to the ground, has a more stable 'feel' most of the time.

Brakes: Sportsman hands down. The disk brakes are far superior to the drums. You may never have a seal go bad on a drum brake, but if you do, you have problems. To those who say drums are superior to disks, I have to ask this question: How come Dirty Howies makes a kit to convert drum brakes to disk (which are flying off the shelves) but no one seems to want to convert disk brakes to drums? Some people don't care for the single-lever to all brakes, which I guess I can understand, but if you think about it, with the Ruby being full-time 4wd, whatever brake lever you pull on slows down all 4 wheels anyway. However, I think the Ruby system provides for better 'back up' brakes, in case one fails. On the Polaris, you have one hand brake, and a foot brake. The Ruby has TWO hand brakes, and a foot brake. If you break one lever, you still have 2 ways to stop.

Farmr

 

Weight is a very big factor in pulling contests and the polaris is much heavier than the honda.While this is an advantage in a pulling contest it is a disadvantage in other situations such as mud or muskeg where the heavier machine sinks more.Lighter machines also usually burn less fuel as well and are easier to get loose should you get stuck.Like I said earlier I have dragged 1200 lb moose behind honda's that were only rated to tow 800lbs or so and there were no problems at all.My rancher which weighed almost 200 lbs lighter than a 500 polaris even towed a trailer with two elk in the back that weighed around 1500lbs total.I upgraded to the rubicon because although my rancher did the job I felt that the extra power and liquid cooling of the rubicon would make these chores easier to perform and the auto transmission makes sure that you are always in the right gear. If reliability is your concern look at what machine the proffesionals use.The seismic crews,surveyors and forestry people use hondas almost exclusively because they want as little maintenance as possible and want to minimize breakdowns as much as possible. The full time four wheel drive offers one advantage and that is that you know it is available when you need it.There have been cases of the polaris hubs not engaging so four wheel drive is not available when you need it.As far as the steering issue the rubicon steers as light in four wheel drive as some of the heavier machines in two wheel drive.Two wheel drive allows you to spin doughnuts and throw rooster tails but then to me that is not an issue anyway.

 

I guess I'd have to drive a new one to compare, but the older Hondas I've driven with full time 4x4 were horrible. After a long day of riding my forearms were very sore from fighting to steer the POS. Maybe having limited slip would help, but I personally like having all four wheels show up for work when I need them.
Surveyors etcetera may use Hondas for their reliablity, or maybe its contractual or brand loyalty going way back to when the Honda was all there was. Dont get me wrong, I dont think anyone is questioning the reliability of Hondas, thats their main selling point. The US military uses the Sportsman, they probably dont want reliability issues either.
As far as carrying or towing loads far in excess of what the machine is rated for, anybody can do that. Does it make a better machine because the owner is willing to overwork the machine? Or just risk breaking things and possibly getting hurt.
A Sportsman will do anything a Rubicon can do. And the Rubicon can do almost anything a Sportsman can do, except for the obvious.

Sportsmans come with real tires, FOUR wheel drive, powerful engines, and excellent ground clearance.