atv size

[fenceman]

Shopping today for a new four wheeler. I've got by for years with a Honda 250. Pretty small compared to the giants out there now. But you know I could take it anywhere, places you can't go on thehorseback. I'm going to get a bigger machine for sure, but I'm kinda thinking about staying kinda small , 500 maybe. Still got my side by side. The four wheeler will also be loaded, with ramps on a flatbed truck, very often.

 

[ram]

I thought you were talking about a TV. To me the one thing I want is simplicity. The more bells and whistles the more problems. I have an old Yamaha 660 Grizzly that is tough and has plenty of power. But the big ATV are fuel hogs.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've got the biggest Honda foreman. Can't say it's bullet proof, cause I've only had it a year. It replaced a 450 foreman that was a good machine. People say a Yamaha is good product. I had a Yamaha motorcycle back in the 80's that was junk.

 

[bird dog]

I have stayed small for the reason you mention. I have an old Honda Rancher 350. It fits nicely in the back of the truck even with a toolbox. It has been my most valuable piece of equipment this year with all of mud. Its big enough to haul me and a spray tank around but small enough to get in tight places. It also is quick and turns easily when moving cattle. It is one piece of equipment that I would have a hard time doing without.
A big machine would be nice but I don't think the benefits outweigh the convenience of a smaller machine. A 250 though is probably to small. A 400 would be about right for me.

 

[Bigfoot]

If it's for transportation, and not pulling I'd go as small as I dared. It was before ATVs were a thing, but my dad kept an 80cc Honda motorcycle in the back of his truck all the time for checking cows, and scouting crops.

 

[jltrent]

My Honda Rancher is as big as I need and it drinks plenty of fuel. I rode my neighbors Foreman and it is stiff compared to my Rancher, as after he rode mine he wished he had got a Rancher.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

For checking cows and fences I do not see any reason to go above a 400. The bigger you get the more they weigh, the more fuel they use, and more $ to buy.

 

[bigbull338]

if you want a good machine go with the honda rubicon 500 4x4 thats as small as i would go.my 500 blew up so being in a tight i went with the 420 rancher 2wd.that thing will jar and jamm every bone in your body when you shift gears.know this the 500 rubicon 4x4 is about $8400 to $10,500.

 

[Kell-inKY]

the 500 rubicon 4x4 is about $8400 to $10,500.

This is insanity

 

[pricefarm]

I have a yamaha big bear 400 it's just right as far as size goes. If I where buying new I would go with Honda rancher

 

[John SD]

Another vote to stay with a 400 class machine. My first atv was a '92 Polaris 250 2x4. Traded it for a '99 Polaris 300 which was basically the same machine with a bit more plastic on it.

Now I have a '13 Honda Rancher 420 4x4. It is the top of the line model Rancher with power steering, IRS, full automatic or ESP transmission, and heated grips and throttle. Also street legal, licensed and insured which requires windshield, speedometer, and rear view mirror.

Previously owned a '12 base Rancher which is a fine machine with the manual foot shift, straight axle, and none of the above bells and whistles. Reason I bought the new Rancher was for my citified sister to use to clear her sidewalk/driveway and for her elderly neighbors next door. She did use the ATV once, but prefers using her walk behind snowblower :roll:

Last night I sold the "used once" snow blade to my deer hunters who live in town. He does a few driveways in winter, and will mount the blade on his Polaris 500. They went home empty handed as far as the deer, so they had room to haul the blade home :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[bigbull338]

Another vote to stay with a 400 class machine. My first atv was a '92 Polaris 250 2x4. Traded it for a '99 Polaris 300 which was basically the same machine with a bit more plastic on it.

Now I have a '13 Honda Rancher 420 4x4. It is the top of the line model Rancher with power steering, IRS, full automatic or ESP transmission, and heated grips and throttle. Also street legal, licensed and insured which requires windshield, speedometer, and rear view mirror.

Previously owned a '12 base Rancher which is a fine machine with the manual foot shift, straight axle, and none of the above bells and whistles. Reason I bought the new Rancher was for my citified sister to use to clear her sidewalk/driveway and for her elderly neighbors next door. She did use the ATV once, but prefers using her walk behind snowblower :roll:

Last night I sold the "used once" snow blade to my deer hunters who live in town. He does a few driveways in winter, and will mount the blade on his Polaris 500. They went home empty handed as far as the deer, so they had room to haul the blade home :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

you just got lucky with polaris.i bought a new 96 300 polaris automatic.with in 3yrs i spent $600 on a new starter new battery supposed;y fixed carb.got it home ran 3wks quit for good.nephew sells polaris and he knows not to ask me to buy 1.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I had a grizzly 660 .. if you stick it and don't have a winch you are possibly s.o.l. a 300 or 400 I can pick up the back end and spin it around to get it out of the mud ..

 

[tom4018]

I have had 2 Yamahas, first one a Moto 4 350 used it for 16 years with not much trouble. Bought a Grizzly 550 with power steering 4 years ago and it has been good so far. It rides better and is 4wd. I will say the independent suspension on all seem a little weaker that the straight rear axle in the weight hauling area. To me 550 is plenty of power would have did a 450 but wanted fuel injection for better cold weather performance. The old one was cold natured as it got older.

 

[Lucasbranham]

I have an 03 rancher 350 4x4 that I bought used about a year ago. I love the thing. I ride it about a mile up a paved road and another half mile on a dirt/gravel road to get the farm I was leasing up until this month. Plenty of power. I kept a chainsaw, small bag of fencing equipment, cable come along, and a bag of random tools/straps on it at all times. I never felt like I needed anything bigger. It will do about 51 mph downhill. It does lose speed on climbs in high gears. But for the money I spent and how reliable it's been, I don't think I would want anything else.

 

[gimpyrancher]

I guess it depends. I'm an old f*rt and need some power for my uses. I have 150 acres of fairly which forest land. So I am constantly pushing over trees, bucking, limbing and hauling the logs. Don't care about speed, but need power. Bought a used Polaris (to go with my Ranger 700) Sportsman 800. Auto, winch, all the goodies I'd need.

I have to admit, for my use, this is nice. Fuel, never really noticed. Never come back empty.

 

[jedstivers]

I have one of the older bullet prof Hondas. It's not to big, I think it's a 350 but don't even know. Have it for me or the hands. It's a good size.
Also have a big red and love it too but it's for something altogether different.
Also have a 250 2wd I bought for my daughter 10 years or so ago. If it was 4wd it would be the perfect size for me. Would go anywhere, light enough to pick up one end and move over and small enough to get almost anywhere.

 

[bigbull338]

honda has 1 problem.they are building their 4 wheelers as small and compact as they can wich is hard on old crippled up old men.

 

[saltbranch]

I have a Kawasaki Bayou 220 that I bought the kids. They ran the tires off of it for several years. I have kind of taken it over now that are teenagers and chasing women...LOL Anyways its been great little machine, small size is great in the pasture. Definitely not for pulling anything for very long of a time. Fence work, deer feeders etc its great. I am pushing 325 lbs and I have had 500 lbs of feed on it. Turning was a bit tough. I service this one once a year and to date no problems, it always fires up. I think a 350 or 400 would be a better size but for now the 220 does good. I'll tell you something else to think about is an electric golf cart. I have a 2012 Yamaha 48v that I put a lift and ATV tires on....that thing is cool. Talk about quiet and driving up on animals, people, cattle etc....its stealthy. I am rigging mine out with flatbed now and adding some other options. Main thing is to get use to checking batteries twice a month and adding distilled water as needed and as I tell my kids--- if it aint moving, its on the charger. It will not go n all the places a 4wheeler will, like in muddy conditions though. I have had it 1 full year to date and love it.

 

[John SD]

I have a Kawasaki Bayou 220 that I bought the kids. They ran the tires off of it for several years. I have kind of taken it over now that are teenagers and chasing women...LOL Anyways its been great little machine, small size is great in the pasture. Definitely not for pulling anything for very long of a time. Fence work, deer feeders etc its great. I am pushing 325 lbs and I have had 500 lbs of feed on it. Turning was a bit tough. I service this one once a year and to date no problems, it always fires up. I think a 350 or 400 would be a better size but for now the 220 does good. I'll tell you something else to think about is an electric golf cart. I have a 2012 Yamaha 48v that I put a lift and ATV tires on....that thing is cool. Talk about quiet and driving up on animals, people, cattle etc....its stealthy. I am rigging mine out with flatbed now and adding some other options. Main thing is to get use to checking batteries twice a month and adding distilled water as needed and as I tell my kids--- if it aint moving, its on the charger. It will not go n all the places a 4wheeler will, like in muddy conditions though. I have had it 1 full year to date and love it.

You can do some amazing things with a smaller machine if you have a bit of patience :nod: I once got in on fixing fence in some darn rugged country. Had my little Polaris 250 loaded down with about 20 steel posts, roll of wire, stretchers and tools, with 3 guys on it. Couldn't have fit much more stuff or people on there

One guy in the seat, one standing on the running board on each side. I was the guy on the throttle side, I hung on to the handlbar and ran the throttle. The guy on the brake side did his thing. The guy in the middle just kinda leaned whatever way to keep us balanced. We made our way up a steep ridge that was just wide enough for the 4wheeler. It was a long way down on either side if we made a mistake but we were committed once we started

My experience with Kawasaki is they are good machines but every Kaw I have ever been around has been very cold blooded. Temp gets down to 0 and you might as well forget starting. Maybe EFI has changed that :idea: My 2-stroke Polaris 250 would start with the rope at -20. Had to start with the rope because the battery had gone south