The joy was short-lived

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I put on quite a few miles on mine here too... 01 Honda Foreman that I bought used in 2021 when it had just turned over to 3000 miles (so it HAD been clocking about 150 miles a year)... I've got almost 7000 on it right now. I've also got a Geo Tracker that I use instead of a SxS that gets about 3000 a year on it (a few more road miles, but mostly around the farm). I've heard only good things about the durability of the Honda's vs. others... but none of 'em will keep running without oil in 'em.
 
Here's my fleet of workhorses.. I've had good luck with the old Yamahas, they're simple machines, they haul all the hay for 20 cows all winter.
Old XR500 is the most used by far in the summer months, much more nimble and far faster than a quad
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I bought a new Honda Foreman in December 2021. I keep it in a little barn by the house. Pull a little trailer with 6 or 7 square bales on it to prevent ruts made by my truck when feeding cows when it is muddy. It floats over the mud and I can reach thin spots of ground that need hay fed on them.
I put very few miles on it. I bought it mainly because my lambing barn lies about 200 yards up a gentle slope behind my house. With bad arthritis in my hips and lower back, that 200 yards seemed like a mile sometimes when going to the barn multiple times in a day.
My question may be a dumb one, but anyway. How hard is it on the motor to make that trip twice a day and never allow the motor to get warm? Sometimes I go on a sightseeing trip just to allow it to warm up and make sure I am keeping the battery charged. Do I need to worry about this?
 
The 1969 Honda sl90 I bought new has 238 miles on it, but has tons of dust on it Nesi.
That was the first bike I ever owned! Want to sell it for what they sold for back then? Through the years I traded up a few times, last was a Yamaha 250 (still have it), then a 250 Honda Quad, and then the Foreman 450. I can't make the two wheelers work for my cattle working because of having to carry supplies, duck under fences, etc.... but they WERE faster and more fun. Had an awful good time with those growing up. Lots of challenging hill climbing, off-road racing, wheelie riding, jumping, etc.
 
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How hard is it on the motor to make that trip twice a day and never allow the motor to get warm? Sometimes I go on a sightseeing trip just to allow it to warm up and make sure I am keeping the battery charged. Do I need to worry about this?
That's how these things have been used for many years. Yes, it is always better for the long term life of any engine to be able to get warmed up each time it is started, and starting and stopping alot and not getting warmed up WILL result in a shorter life span than if you DID run it for longer periods of time each time you started it... but you bought it to do what you bought it to do. It is what it is. But it isn't like you might only be able to get 2000 miles out of it, and the guy that's warming it up all the time will easily get 20,000. And again... that's how, and the kind of operation these things were intended to be used for. Use it how you do, and enjoy it. Probably would be wise to shorten the oil change/maintenance intervals a bit to compensate, since you're not putting on miles as much as you are "starts".

The Honda's have built a reputation of being very dependable machines in "farm use" situations.
 
I bought a new Honda Foreman in December 2021. I keep it in a little barn by the house. Pull a little trailer with 6 or 7 square bales on it to prevent ruts made by my truck when feeding cows when it is muddy. It floats over the mud and I can reach thin spots of ground that need hay fed on them.
I put very few miles on it. I bought it mainly because my lambing barn lies about 200 yards up a gentle slope behind my house. With bad arthritis in my hips and lower back, that 200 yards seemed like a mile sometimes when going to the barn multiple times in a day.
My question may be a dumb one, but anyway. How hard is it on the motor to make that trip twice a day and never allow the motor to get warm? Sometimes I go on a sightseeing trip just to allow it to warm up and make sure I am keeping the battery charged. Do I need to worry about this?
Yeah, it's not good to run something cold all the time. And as you say, I doubt two hundred yards will warm it up enough.
 
The Honda's have built a reputation of being very dependable machines in "farm use" situations.
The older ones for sure. You had to work really hard to ever kill one. I had 2 of the older mid 80s four trax and was still using one daily in early 2022 and it had remained completely submerged in flood water for over 48 hours in Sept 2017, then sat untouched in the same place until I drug it out 5 months later. Drained the fluids, pulled and cleaned the plug, replaced fluids and oil filter and cleaned the carb and it fired right up and I used it daily for the next 4 years.

With all the electronics on today's machines, probably wouldn't do as well.
Amazingly, no one can seem to find it.
I think Nesi is referring to your copy of the invoice. It should have been included with the paperwork you received from the original purchase.

As someone that has worked in farm equipment and heavy equipment distributorships and dealerships, as well as auto shops, I always check all fluids as soon as I get a new purchase home, even and especially on a new highway rated vehicle but also on farm equipment. As a new employee, I did make ready for both Kubota and Kamatsu, and a Ford tractor dealership and I know what the manufacturing process can leave behind and I know that more often than not, the less experienced mechanic (now called a tech) usually gets stuck in make ready 1st then move to diagnostic and repair after they've proven themselves.

Too much QA QC is left to machines nowadays, as is the milling and manufacturing process and even much of the assembly..
When was the last time ya bought a pair of new Wranglers and found a little slip of paper in the pocket that said something like "Inspected by inspector 73"?
 
These are what people use now days instead of horses. ATVs stay where you park them, don't have to tie 'em and don't need to feed them everyday. But still, I prefer horse power.
We used horses for years.. Kids helped on horses. Kids are grown, horses are old, i'm getting old. Pigs have rutted up so much now, i just feel bad making a horse navigate them. Our cows are so easy to work now, dont really need a horse anymore.
 
I bought a new Honda Foreman in December 2021. I keep it in a little barn by the house. Pull a little trailer with 6 or 7 square bales on it to prevent ruts made by my truck when feeding cows when it is muddy. It floats over the mud and I can reach thin spots of ground that need hay fed on them.
I put very few miles on it. I bought it mainly because my lambing barn lies about 200 yards up a gentle slope behind my house. With bad arthritis in my hips and lower back, that 200 yards seemed like a mile sometimes when going to the barn multiple times in a day.
My question may be a dumb one, but anyway. How hard is it on the motor to make that trip twice a day and never allow the motor to get warm? Sometimes I go on a sightseeing trip just to allow it to warm up and make sure I am keeping the battery charged. Do I need to worry about this?
Change the oil a little more often, Condensation in the crankcase is more likely and it can contaminate the oil.. otherwise just do what you do, take it out for a rip once in a while
 
I've kept 14 horses in my lifetime. Three were stallions (one I have now) the rest were mares.
ATVs can't reproduce more of themselves. :)
 
Even my Saddlebred wants to herd cartle. Why buy an expensive ATV?

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Everyone here has horses. They also all have quads and/or side by sides. Depending on the chore to be done which is best. Takes less time to hop on the quad to do calf check or change the irrigation than it would to catch and saddle a horse. There are lots of places you simply can't go on a quad to gather or move the cows that a horse will work for. Can't rope calves off a quad.
 
Can't rope calves off a quad.
Oh suuuuuure ya can. Don't ask me how I know.

And the most I ever paid for a horse was $450. The best ranch horse was $150. There are all kinds of deals out there if you have the patience and are willing to jump. Horses vary in price a lot more than cows.
 
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