Poll: Most Reliable and Best Utility ATV " For My Described Use "

I would like for anyone posting to the poll to please be honest and be impartial. Don't just say a brand because you own it. This is a very important purchase for someone who will really use the ATV.

I am 41yrs old and looking for a new or used ATV in the $3500 to $6000 range. The ATV would be used for hunting, trail riding, and pulling a 1000lb trailer through pastures. I do want a 4x4 to help with the pulling of the trailer. I do not want something I will have to work on a lot. I will change the oil, clean the filter, and maintain the 4 wheeler well. 30 mph is faster than I would probably ever go. No jumping or swimming in a pond or deep mud for me.

I have narrowed the brands down to a few and would like to find a 4 wheeler that is dependable like my Tacoma. Please help me.

 

Definitely would recommend a Grizzly. At a $3500-$6000 price range you can get a low hour and low miles well maintained Grizzly 700. My little brothers' friends ' parents own a large lodge in rural WA. They go out there to ride together alot. They have Yamaha Rhinos, Honda 350s, Polaris, Arctic Cat. All newer machines. Whenever my brother comes back he is always saying something about one of the newer Polaris ATVs, Polaris Rangers, Arctic Cat's being broken and needing repairs. He also says that a Polaris 500 can barely keep up in most condition to a Honda 350. That is through water, through mud, in the straights. He always chooses the Honda to ride. And that gets me to my 1998 Yamaha Grizzly 600. It has 3500 miles, been sparingly maintained, sits outside mostly, and starts on first pull or first crank (if battery hasnt died) after months of sitting. My Grizzly 600 rides great and has never let me down. You will not be disappointed with a 660 or 700. They are great machines.

 

Im going Polaris all the way, They are very stable with hauling trailers, the 4x4 on them is amazing i have never had a problem with them. The polaris sits up a bit higher than the hondas i know for sure, dont really have much experience with the others

 

Polaris is the way to go. I own 2002, the original v-twin Sportsman 700 and have done only routine maintenance to this atv. The newer Sportsmans like the 850 are bullet proof also but cannot buy new for that price but at $6000 you should be able to find a used one. These atv's sit higher and have an extremely great ride with the independent front and rear suspension. The real time 4x4 is a treat that no other atv has. There is no need to pull levers to lock the front diff like other atvs have. These machine do it all by themselves, and they all tow 1500 lbs. Good luck and I hope this post helped.

 

My polaris 800 in Colorado, im bias haha, it did great there though and x2 on the independent front and rear, its rides great.

 

I would go with a Polaris Sportsman 550 or 850 XP

 

Is there a reason you ruled out the Can Am Outlander 650?

 

I have a '98 Polaris Magnum 425. It has 900mi. on it. I don't do the maintainance I should. It has never let me down. I plow alot of snow with it, it drags my deer out of the woods, I mud it, I jump it, and all is still well with it. It has done everything I ever asked of it with no problems. I don't know how it would tow 1000lbs., but it pulls a trailer with a heaping half a face of Oak, Locust, and Ash every six days through every thing from my yard to a foot and a half of snow. I like my Polaris even though it is kinda out dated with a straight rear axle and chain drive.

 

Wow....Thanks for the responses. Here is where I currently am on this issue.

I myself like the looks of the Polaris and the storage capability. The 4x4 seems to be good on them also. They look good and I hear they ride good. I have heard if your pulling something you need to be in low gear or the belt will slip causing belt failure. Same goes for full throttle take offs. Many have said the belt will only last a hundred hours if that if you full throttle it alot or take it in water. Just what I have heard. I will not do any of those things so that should not be a problem for me.

LRGRNR, Honda's have no low gearing so pulling trailers with those I would think would be hard on the tranny. Why do you say every other ride Yamahas and Polaris ned worked on ? Is it because of abuse by the owners ?


The Yamaha Grizzly seems to be a nice machine as well just from looking although I like the looks of the polaris better. They seem to also have a great 4x4 system.

The Can Am dealer nearest to me is 2 hours away. That fact and the fact they have not been around along time worries me.

The Atctic Cat is a nice beefie looking machine and we do have a dealer nearby. I don't know much about them though.

If I had it my way, I would want the polaris body and frame, Can Am engine, and the King Quad Transmission. Thats in a perfect world.

Why do some people say they have to work on Polaris and Yamaha all the time ?

 

the grizzly is a tank. my dad bought one for getting around on our farm and we've had it stuck in mud up to the seat and pulled it out and it starts right up. it barely gets maintained and is abused like no other by my brother and i and it still runs great.

 

my dad just picked up a polaris 500 and it does just fine. I dont know much about these machines, but as long as you dont abuse them, and maintain it, whatever you get should last you quite a while.

 

In the last 5 years I have owned a Polaris Ranger, Yamaha Rhino and a Kawasaki Mule 610. I love the Mule the most of all. It has the least amount of power but it seems to fit all my needs, it's comfortable, and excellent quality. I have it rigged out for what I use it for, but the best think I like about it is when I drive through my yard and turn, the rear wheels do not tear up my grass because the two rear wheels are not constantly locked. I know that there will be some of you that say this vehicle simply does not have enough power, but it all depends on what your individual needs are and what you are purchasing it for. For me, out of the Polaris Ranger, Yamaha Rhino and Kawasaki Mule, the Mule fit my needs perfectly. And I feel that it is much safer for my grandchildren that the other models.

 

OK, Keep the comments coming, I need alot of input on this so I can figure out what to buy. Can anyone tell me experiences you've had like belt failure or other issues that I will have with certain brands. Thats what i need to know. What ATV is the most expensive to buy parts for ect ect.....

 

Do you think the Honda would have a hard time pulling a 1500lb trailer ?

 

MY 2007 HONDA RUBICON WITH 1200 MILES HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN..NO ISSUE'S WITH THE BELT EITHER (LOL)..OR YOU COULD GO WITH THE SUZUKI 50.....MY SON LOVES HIS.I BOUGHT HIM A SUZUKI BECAUSE HONDA DOES NOT OFFER A 50.....

 

We've got two grizzlys, a 550 and a 700 and they are the best riding hardest working quads out there.

 

Honda makes the best fitting best finished ATVs out there. Why do you think there cars are ALWAYS at the top in customer satisfaction? Change the oil, clean the filter every now and then, and I'll out last you. There was a story about a train maintaince crew that basically ran Honda 4wheelers 24/7 and had logged over 60,000 miles on several of them (on a single cylinders mind you) with out any problems, other than brakes, tires and batteries and the such.

 

I vote Honda. I've got a 1986 model that still runs great. The only people I know with a Polaris have electrical problems on them. They never go though mud or water holes. I like Polaris, and I'm not saying just because theirs have problems, that everyones will.... It would just make me uneasy about it if I was the one in the market.

 

The Rincon will tow a 1500lb trailer, it's not recomended but it will tow it. The 680 is the most comfortable riding quad that honda makes and you never have to worry about belts, just change the fluids and clean the filter every once and a while. My second choice would be the Yamaha, almost as reliable and I like how the belt always has tension on it, last a lot longer than any other belt out there.
The polaris has to be the worst for build quality and reliability, and who wants to smell burning belts while they ride anyway?
If you do get the rincon, get a 2010 or newer, comes with locking front diff

 

i would 2nd that, cam an is very powerful and would be great for pulling a load. i use my can am too launch my 18 ft lund boat at saginaw bay. i would never try that w/ my polaris. they do cost alittle more! i have a 350 polaris and 650 can am. both have serve me well.