Side by Side

[coalcreekfarms10]

I have started the process of looking at all the different side by sides in order to purchase one. I have come to find out that the best information you can get is from word of mouth. So I was hoping that anybody with one could give me some information about there side by side they have and stories good or bad. All information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[arkie1]

I don't have one but know several guys that have kubotas and they are happy with them. They ride smooth and look like they'd be fairly easy to work on. I'm still sticking with the 4 wheeler. Too many close trees on our place.

 

[M.Magis]

You'll probably get as many suggestions as there are brands. There have been a number of threads about this the last year or so, but the search function isn't always the easiest thing to use.
What do you intend to do with it? Some models are more geared towards heavy work, some are jack-of-all-trades types.

 

[M-5]

if your wanting a play toy I suggest Polaris ,can am etc . if your want a work vehicle I suggest Kubota ( I own one) , Mule are 2 that fit that bill. I suggest you drive everyone you consider. I did that and settled on the RTV it fit me best and I liked the function of it better and cost was a little better. I use the heck out of mine

 

[Brute 23]

The best thing you can do is go drive them at dealers. See which one fits you best. As long at it is a name brand you pretty safe.

Couple things to look for. If it has leaf springs like the Mule 4010, Kubota RTV, or solid rear like some of the John Deere Gators it will handle heavy loads better, for longer. If you are constantly carrying a lot of weight in the bed of an IRS (independent rear suspension) bike it will take its toll. The trade off for that is IRS way smoother of a rid. You have to decide which is better for what you will be using in for.

Most of all the utvs have fuel injection and power steering... get both. Its worth every penny if you can swing it. Its really not that much more.

Kubota and Kawasaki both offer units that switch from 2 to 4 seat. That is very handy IMO.

If you have a lot of boggy, soft ground stay clear of the Kubota. Its very heavy and designed for hard packed ground or light mud.

Kawasaki, John Deere, and Kubota all have several options from leafs to IRS.

Personally, I am a Kawasaki guy. The Mule 4010 or Mule Pro are two great machines with proven history. Those would be my first choice hands down. Second is the John Deere Gator products. There are a lot of choices and a dealer on every corner usually. Third choice would be Polaris Ranger. Next would be Honda because of the price. Yahama and Kubota tie for last. Bobcat or some of those others are of waste of enet space IMO.

I have around 100hrs and 600 miles on my Mule Pro already and I bought it in December. Use it for every thing from hunting, to moving cattle, to cruising the neighborhood. I enjoy every minute of it.

 

[HDRider]

I am happy with my Mule 4010 4x4.

My Dad was happy with his Mule.

My brother has two Kubotas and he like them.

 

[dun]

If you clan on carrying stuff in the bed, look at the height of the bed. We've stuck with Mules through the years because the bed is lower than most of the others.

 

[coalcreekfarms10]

The best thing you can do is go drive them at dealers. See which one fits you best. As long at it is a name brand you pretty safe.

Couple things to look for. If it has leaf springs like the Mule 4010, Kubota RTV, or solid rear like some of the John Deere Gators it will handle heavy loads better, for longer. If you are constantly carrying a lot of weight in the bed of an IRS (independent rear suspension) bike it will take its toll. The trade off for that is IRS way smoother of a rid. You have to decide which is better for what you will be using in for.

Most of all the utvs have fuel injection and power steering... get both. Its worth every penny if you can swing it. Its really not that much more.

Kubota and Kawasaki both offer units that switch from 2 to 4 seat. That is very handy IMO.

If you have a lot of boggy, soft ground stay clear of the Kubota. Its very heavy and designed for hard packed ground or light mud.

Kawasaki, John Deere, and Kubota all have several options from leafs to IRS.

Personally, I am a Kawasaki guy. The Mule 4010 or Mule Pro are two great machines with proven history. Those would be my first choice hands down. Second is the John Deere Gator products. There are a lot of choices and a dealer on every corner usually. Third choice would be Polaris Ranger. Next would be Honda because of the price. Yahama and Kubota tie for last. Bobcat or some of those others are of waste of enet space IMO.

I have around 100hrs and 600 miles on my Mule Pro already and I bought it in December. Use it for every thing from hunting, to moving cattle, to cruising the neighborhood. I enjoy every minute of it.

If you don't mind me asking why would you say Kubota would be tied for last? I went on a ride this weekend with a Polaris 900 and a Kubota 500. I was able to see both of them in action and even drove the Kubota for a little bit. I really liked the Kubota but man it doesn't have much get up and go speed. It was taken is some pretty rough places and never missed a beat when it was in low range. I even watched the Polaris and Kubota go up the same hill and the Polaris spun the back tires twice and the Kubota never spun the first tire.

I also like that the Kubota 500 fits in the bed of a full size pickup truck. I know it might sound like I have already made up my mind and picking the Kubota but trust me I haven't. I know several people that have a Polaris and they absolutely love them and wouldn't trade them for anything. I have drove a couple year old smaller Polaris and really liked it also.

I also have drove a couple year old Mule and it kind of felt like the Kubota. Not much get up and go but would go anywhere you wanted it to go.

I guess I should have posted what I had in mind of using it for. I will be using it around the farm, as well has getting back in the woods to hunt, and several times a year going on an all day ride back in the woods and mountains.

I know there is good and bad in all of them but it's still nice to hear other peoples opinions on them. I used to say that I never wanted a side by side cause of it being so much wider than a four wheeler but that isn't the case as much anymore. I'm not trying to say I want a smaller one but I know on some of the trails where I live if you have to wide of one you will need to clear some space in the path.

 

[dun]

For the tights I like the 610 mule (4wd) for the really heavy work I prefer the 4010. In this area for nearby service it's either a Mule, gator or honda. We've been doing business (not use Mules) with the local kawasaki place long enough that we get maybe a touch better prices/considerations than we would at the other places.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Mule rules here in this part of the world
Sold my old one last year after 13 years of hard use. Fellow that bought it still using it.
Secondly the law will light you up for the ones that will run over 25 mph and with out a slow moving vehicle triangle

 

[coalcreekfarms10]

For the people that have a Mule are they full time 4WD or can you switch between 2 and 4?

 

[dun]

Switch

 

[HDRider]

Switch

Plus the Mule has a differential lock that will move things along without going into 4 WD.

 

[Bigfoot]

I am currently looking for one, for my father. I believe I'm leaning towards a kubota. I'm not ruling out a John Deere.

 

[M-5]

Switch

Plus the Mule has a differential lock that will move things along without going into 4 WD.

so does the Kubota. I will have to admit I did stick mine this spring going thru some water , I drove thru a flooded area and the water was so deep it was over the seat which choked down the utv. I had to walk out and get the tractor to pull it out . I was not bogged down and have never bogged it down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I am currently looking for one, for my father. I believe I'm leaning towards a kubota. I'm not ruling out a John Deere.

Fellow here has one tough as they come what turned me off was my tractor. Good machine when I needed a part is was 120 miles round trip to a dealer then.

 

[tomnt369]

I searched and test drove most that were mentioned here about a year ago. Settled on a Mahindra 1000 diesel. We use it all over the farm...feeding cows, hauling equipment, running thru creeks and woods, etc. It's holding up really nice. If you get a chance test drive one.

 

[Brute 23]

If you don't mind me asking why would you say Kubota would be tied for last? I went on a ride this weekend with a Polaris 900 and a Kubota 500. I was able to see both of them in action and even drove the Kubota for a little bit. I really liked the Kubota but man it doesn't have much get up and go speed. It was taken is some pretty rough places and never missed a beat when it was in low range. I even watched the Polaris and Kubota go up the same hill and the Polaris spun the back tires twice and the Kubota never spun the first tire.

Don't mind at all, I'm and expert on my opinion.

The Polaris spinning the wheels doesn't mean any thing. Trying to feather that Polaris 900 throttle had more to do with it more than capability.

If that Kubota was staying with the Ranger the stuff yall were driving was not that bad. The Polaris Ranger is one of the, if not the, most capable off road sxs on the market. If you are doing mud bogs, riding the dunes, rock crawling... the Ranger is in your top 2 or 3 bikes. The only thing I knock Polaris for is longevity. If you own one and run it hard day in and day out you will put it in the shop more than any other bike to replace wore out parts. For the cost of those things, they are in the shop too much IMO.

There are 2 kinds of Kubota sxs. The RTV and the RTV-X. I have not been around the X enough to say what it can or can't do but I doubt its that much different. The regular RTV will not do what I need out of a sxs. I buy a sxs to go where my pick up can't. That is partially due to size and partially do to terrain. When we hunt we always end up in the worse spot on the ranch. Its the boggiest, thickest, bottom area, that you can imagine. Several guys have tried to run the Kubotas and they are constantly having to be pulled. The bog down too easy and their drive train is week. You can bind them up where they won't spin the tires. Nothing is worse than trying to get to dogs and you have some one getting stuck constantly.

The most extreme case I have see is we were hunting some country that is basically level with the bay. When the tide is high enough it goes under water... very soft stuff. I'm in a Mule with one guy and another guy is following in his Kubota. All the sudden we look back, they aren't there. I back down the road until I see them. They are stuck. Luckily he doesn't spin it down too far. We hook up to it with the mule and Im locked in and in Low. I do not want to break the tires over or I'm going down with him. The guy that was riding with him jumps in my bed to help with traction. The guy jumps in and gives the Kubota a little gas. We will it probably 5' and still can't get it on top. Tell him to get out and just reach in with his foot and give it gas. Go another 5-10'. Still can't get it on top. Finally the guy gets a stick and just walks beside it giving it a little gas. I have to pull it 20 or 30' like that before it finally jumps on top. I never spun or broke thru with the mule. This happens all the time to this guy. He is trying to sell that Kubota right now because with all the rain we have been having he hasn't even been able to take it most of the time.

That is not a big deal to some people. If your cruising your home place. Got decent roads, maybe see a little slick mud here and there in the pens or what ever it will be fine. If there is a bottom to it you will be ok and will like the machine.

We have some soft stuff between the sand pastures and bottoms. These past two years I have leaned heavily on the Mules to check cattle, water gaps, fill feeders, ect. A lot of the pastures were not accessible to trucks and you even had to be carful in the sxs. For a fact, the Kubota would not have gotten me where I needed to go these past 2 years.

They are not bad machines, just definitely designed for a certain application (which is actually plants, refineries, construction sites, ect). IMO the Mule, Gator, and Ranger are better all around machines... that will do any thing the Kubota will... and a lot more... for the same cost... or less. One other plus for Kubota is they will lend money to a tree stump... but a lot of people don't talk about that. ;-)

 

[cowgirl8]

If you have a lot of mud, get a JD.. We have 2 Gators and we drive the hell out of them. The diesel engines seems more dependable than gas. The gas engines are nothing but trouble. Over the years we've had all but the Kabota, but we have a kabota tractor and its not near the tractor as our DJs are. Dont get a ranger, they are nothing but trouble...

 

[M.Magis]

If you have a lot of mud, get a JD.. We have 2 Gators and we drive the be nice out of them. The diesel engines seems more dependable than gas. The gas engines are nothing but trouble. Over the years we've had all but the Kabota, but we have a kabota tractor and its not near the tractor as our DJs are. Dont get a ranger, they are nothing but trouble...

I always wonder why people speak in absolutes, particularly about something they're not familiar with. I've driven the pizz out of my Ranger for the last 3.5 years and it hasn't given me a bit of trouble yet. I know plenty of other people that have had the same luck. There are lemons in every brand, but I'd venture a guess you've never actually owned one.
And just to be clear, I'm not suggesting the Ranger is the best choice for everyone. But to suggest any brand is "nothing but trouble" is arrogant and foolish.