Hi - new to the forum, sorry for the length here! I have 13 acres with 3 or so in pasture the rest is a steep hill (60 degrees at the top), ditches, limestone rocks. Primary uses will be dragging out brush and small trees as I clean things up, checking fence lines, disking years of leaves into the ground, other work. I don't need fast, just easy to operate and safe up/down hills, etc. I have zero experience with ATV's and am 5'9" 150#. I think an automatic with IRS, liquid cooled, and fuel injection with 400-500cc? Reliability, Stability, and power to disk the clearing and between/through the trees are most important. With only a few acres open, I don't need speed. I would rather by new if possible - Rancher AT, KQ450, Grizzly, or AC? All help and opinions welcome! Thanks

 

I think the Polaris Sportsman 500 X2 will suit your needs well!!! It has a cargo box on the rear, a bit longer wheel base than most, making it more stable and better for hill climbing. The 500 EfI engine has plenty of power for what you need. Also has highest towing capacity in its class. Plus polaris AWD gives you traction when you need it ( unlike some of the others with 3 wheel drive). If your dead set againtst the polaris I would go for a grizzly. Just my two cents.

Cheers
G.A.S.

 

Thanks - I haven't even thought of X2. I'll look into them too.

 

My first choice would be a UTV/RUV such as a Rhino which is what I have in addition to a Grizzly 700 for play, but with your parameters, I would agree with G.A.S. a 2x will give you needed wheelbase for safety up and down hills and especially up if you are pulling a load. I have owned a Polaris and agree the AWD works very well and especially with the new Active Decent feature which mine did not have. I think another manufacturer also makes a 2x. I would think a 500 would be sufficient. Having said all of that, I personally view an ATV as a "compromise" and not particularly good for this type of "work" due to its relatively light weight and potential to roll over in really steep terrain under load; sure others will disagree. I tried it for years and was not satisfied with the results. I favor a UTV/RUV or small tractor such as a Kubota. I guess it is all in what you want or expect out of a machine.

06 Rhino
08 Grizzly 700 EPS
Kubota BX2200
Case CX90
Massey Ferguson 325
Harley

 

Thanks for the reply. The 2-ups are nice but they are a lot more expensive than a single person ATV. Any thoughts on a single person? It looks like prices for them in the 400-500cc range are somewhere in the $5500 up to nearly $8k depending on options/make/model. I'd prefer staying in the middle ($6k or so) if possible. I did see a "Buying an ATV" topic this time, I probably should have started this under that topic had I seen it originally. Sorry about that!

 

I have a 2006 X2 500. You might be able to get a good deal on one that is a year or two old at a dealership. It has plenty of power. Great stability because of the extra length. Also the cargo box is very handy for toting tools and such. I've towed plenty of wood down a steep hill in Vermont and it handles it well. The only drawback with the 06 is that it doesn't have the ADC (active decent control) like the newer models.

 

why not the regular sportsman 500?

 

Regular Sportsman has a shorter wheelbase which wouldn't work as well as a 2-up machine in steep hill conditions. I can vouch for the X2 being fantastic in the steeps.

 

I like my Sportsman... However, if I were buying an ATV just to do work, and ride quality was not an issue... I would probably get a Honda. Very reliable machines.

 

I think the best thing to get would be a tractor, but the best ATV for the job would be an X2. If you want a one person ATV instead of a 2-up the Sportsman 500 EFI is $6,999 MSRP but actually costs a lot less. I only paid $5,999 for mine, not $6,999. The '08 models have a $500 rebate on the 500s and $800 off the 800s.