Hi, I'm completely new to this so please be gentle. My boss at work asked me to find out about ATV's so we can get one for plowing snow around our building, and maybe just a little joy riding near by. But 95% for plowing snow. I would like to get something reliable and cheap. I was thinking of maybe getting a 2-3 year old one but I'm not sure what the price difference is and if it's worth it. The only thing I found out about so far is that I need a 4x4 and that a Warn plow is good. Any help over that is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

If you want something cheap and realiable go either for a Yamaha Big Bear I would say no older then 6 years old or a Honda 300 4*4, but i'd go with the big bear first as it has a low gear option.
Hope this helps.
2002 Traxter XT

 

Get a Honda and don't look back. Rubicon is my choice.

 

i agree, the big bear is less expensive and goes in and out of 4wd, i think yamaha might still have the plow deal for.....69.00$ i could be wrong on the price. ive been leveling dirt for the yards here lately and it does a great job with that so the snow will be no problem

 

billie, he said cheap not over priced!


the big bear would suit your needs nicely leavundst.

 

Try a Honda rancher with a plow. I know someone with that setup and it works well for them. The rancher is fairly inexpensive. With the money you save on the rancher buy a little bit better tires for it.




Personally I have a Polaris Sportsman 500 HO with a plow. Having a heavy atv helps a lot when plowing because of the extra momentum it provides. I can plow faster with it than the rancher. But the rancher still does a nice job.

 

Over priced! ha ha I priced a Polaris just for the fun of it ( I had no intention of buying one) and I was able to ge a real ATV for about the same money. I could have actually purchased the Sportsman 700 for the same price as my Rubicon. But the 700 is way too heavy, way too tall, centre of gravity is through the roof, and the resale value is brutal.

Anyway, since the question is about plowing, and in Canada we do a ton of plowing. It's recommended to get a machine that will move mass easily, the Rubicon or even the Foreman 450 will do a great job. The engine tranfers power directly to the drive and the energy transfer is extremely efficient.

Goood Luck.

 

Billie, that doesn't say much right there bud. You're bragging that you bought a 500 cc machine for about the same price as a 700cc big bore... Price that Rubi to a SP500 and see what you get, or a Rincon to a 700... talk about sticker shock....

 

ok kiddies, time to take the tiff to another forum...

leavundst....there are a lot of machines that can do the job you specify.....you should at least get something in the 300cc range.....there is no need to go to a 5, 6, or 7 hundred cc machine....if you could find a 4x4 in the 350 to 450 cc range it will be fine....and it seems that the yamaha and honda machines are your safest bet if buying used....at least around here....have someone with you who knows a lot about quads and take them with you...you will find a good used quad at a reasonable price eventually...good luck...me personally, if i was looking for a machine to do what you specify i would try to get my hands on a honda 450s.

 

If you are truly interested in a 95% work machine your best bets for price and reliability would be the Honda TRX300 or Foreman 400 4x4s, both machines are discontinued but both are virtually bulletproof. However both Hondas feature manual transmissions, a couple of auto option (more expensive) would be the Kawasaki Prairie 400 and the Yamaha Kodiak 400.

The Warn plows are a good product but a bit pricey. Moose and Cycle Country both offer great equipment at an affordable price. A few more accessories that should be considered are tire chains, handwarmers, and a winch (to use as a lift).