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middle TN | Folks,
I have a small dairy farm, and am looking for a used ATV for use around the farm. I am kinda partial to Honda, as I have had really good luck with other Honda engines on compressors, power washers etc. Not married to the brand, just partial. I have located several ATVs on craigslist and elsewhere that seem to be decent from the pics, have not went and looked at any yet. I have never owned one, and have only ridden a 4 wheeler maybe half a dozen times in my life so I know zilch about what to look for in a used model. How big, what are the wear points that one should look for, 2 or 4 wheel drive? What wears out that can't be easily rebuilt? How many hours or miles is alot? Not especially interested in the larger UTV-mule types of vehicles, as I want to be able to drive up to a gap and open the handle and go through. I want one to use for fence maintenance, as I have miles of hot wires that do need some upkeep. Don't know that I need one to pull anything, maybe drag a plastic feed bunk around occasionally, but that would be about it. I hope you can give me some info on this. Thanks for your input!
Jared in TN |
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| I guess I would make sure to buy with with EFI and independant suspension. Most brands are good machines, I just happend to have a Yamaha grizzley 550 with power steering. That is a option that it nice, especially if steering with one hand when spraying with a wand. |
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northwest tennessee | Get the 4 wheel drive or you will be sick. I have a rancher that I like and have used the crap out of it. They are kind of fool proof and not overly big and the manual shift is less to go wrong. Watch the used ones as folks like to ride creeks and that is hard on them. You might check the CV boots on the front end and also front end bearings for movement. Tires should show what kind of wear it has and they can be pricey if you have to replace. You will wonder how you got along without one after you have one for a while. |
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Snipesville, GA | I myself am partial to Honda's because they have been very reliable to us. I would go for 4x4, 400-500cc. You may only need 2wd but then you'll wish you had a 4wd sometimes. With a fourwheeler this size you can carry around 15 - 25 gallon sprayer on the rear rack for spraying fences etc. If looking at a 4x4 make sure all of the CV joint boots are not split or busted. If the fourwheeler has factory type tires, most likely it has never been in really bad mud or submersed under water hopefully. If possible many newer models have a switch for 2wd or 4wd. If not you can buy an after market one from Warn. Full time 4wd don't steer very well. Look in the air filter box for signs of water or mud. Hope this helps!!! |
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West Central Illinois | We have 3 atvs and they are all kawasaki. If you do get A kawasaki get the bruteforce dont get a prarie they have now power and are sluggish. The 650 brute force would be good for a farm. and for tires i would recomend 589 titans. i have friends with hondas they are good to. |
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West Central Illinois | We have 3 atvs and they are all kawasaki. If you do get A kawasaki get the bruteforce dont get a prarie they have no power and are sluggish. The 650 brute force would be good for a farm. and for tires i would recomend 589 titans. i have friends with hondas they are good to. |
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Top middle of MO. land of green hills and grass | We've had at least one Polaris machine on our place since '95, and have been pretty happy with them. In your shoes today, I'd be looking for one of them. I have a 2001 Polaris Magnum 324 4x4, I bought it used from a friend. It replaced a 2001 same model, but 2x4, and the only reason I moved was to get the 4x4. On a farm, I'd not hesitate to spend the money for the 4x4, we had one once, and while it beat walking, there was alot it just wouldn't do. My FIL has a 2002 Magnum 325 4x4, and my Dad has 2 Polaris Sportsman 500s and a 500 6x6. The thing I see different, is the Sportsman machines ride alot nicer and have ALOT more get than my 325, but use more gas. For light chores, checking cows, riding fence the smaller machine does fine. Where the bigger motor is nice is when you're pulling a trailer w/ 500# of cow feed through knee deep mud/snow, etc. The bigger machines also don't seem to start quite as well when below 20*, but that could just be the tuning of the machines he has. Polaris had some issues early on with their chain drive's but the Magnums and Sportmans are shaft/gear drive with the variable trans, which is great for cow work.
i'd look on craigslist and see what's out there for you, but also consider what dealer support you have around, eventually you'll need filters, parts or repair work, and you can't afford to drive across the state for that. |
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Sumner GA, Located in southwest GA, | Had a Polaris 325 2x4 as well, good machine. We towed a light wagon with ours nearly all the time. Won't say it was troublefree, but was in the shop very little. Honestly, I don't think 4 wheel drive is really worth it on a work 4 wheeler, most times you could get off and walk it out of the mud pretty easy. Got it stuck off in the field one time and couldn't push it out, ended up having to run a 1/2 cable out to retrieve it, worst it was ever stuck. Always started good, choke in the cold but it would start, even if you used the rope pull. Would still have it but some SOB stole it. Haven't been able to afford to replace it. |
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Eastern Arkansas | Its hard to beat a honda. They dont have all the bells and whistles such as big motors, independant rear suspension etc. but there is less to go wrong. I am in rice country and we are rough on fourwheelers and most people have hondas because they last. |
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Mid-Missouri | Polaris seems to be hit and miss on reviews, love or hate. Grizzly's get great reviews on NAT. Handa's have a great reputation for durability, but not the greatest for comfort, speed, etc... It depends on what you want to spend, but it is hard to go wrong with a honda. If you are on alot of black-top, try to find one to disengage the 4x4, as they roll harder, steer harder, and are harder on tires engaged. As said, Warn makes a lock-out. You might as well skip the manuals and get a sort of auto from the get go. Honda Rubicon has a good one. If I were you, I would get Honda or Grizzly. We have 3 Honda 300 4x4 five speeds...bullitproof. 1 Rubicon 04, 1 older 250. All have the Honda reputation. The newer and more powerful they get, the more corners are cut elsewhere, like racks (proably to keep the weight/cost down). If you are in alot of cold weather, I would consider efi if you don't like chokes etc... If I bought a newer one today, I would look hard at Grizzly. |
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| I have an Arctic Cat 375 that I bought used. The only thing I wish was different was I would like fuel injection. I have to stick a glove in the air intake to get it started if the temp gets below about 25 above. I feel most operations don't need as big a machine as the sales people want to sell you. A 400 or 500 is plenty big for almost anything. 4 wheel drive is a necessity however.
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west tennessee | I agree with the honda fans.300 4wd is best cranking most reliable and durable but they dont make em anymore |
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Eastern Shore of MD | I work on a lot of atv's as a part time hustle. 5 years ago I would've said you can't beat a Honda and a Polaris was junk. Today I would say quite the opposite. I have worked on a disproportionally greater number of newer Honda's with jumped timing chains (inference engine) and holes in the pistons from running lean. My opinion is the gear ratio's in the Honda automatics (especially the Rincon) are not low enough to handle oversized tires and the engines get over revved to compensate.
I'm a big fan of belt drives. While I was very skeptical at first, once you learn to not to feather the throttle when pulling a load they are great. I have found most people either love or hate a Polaris, not much middle ground. I like them because they are easy to fix, have standard (american factional) hardware and are made in USA. I am an Arctic Cat fan as well, great ground clearance with even better warranty.
The only ones I would stay away from are the Chinese knockoffs. Complete junk. Yamaha, Kawi, AC, Popo and Honda all make great machines.
For the record I've owned: Suzuki LT250, Yamaha Warrior (2), Honda 300EX (2), Honda 250 EX, Honda 400 EX, Honda 350 Rancher, Honda 400 foreman, Honda 650 Rincon, Suzuki Z400, Yamaha 660 Grizzly, Arctic Cat 650V2, Kawasaki 650 Brute Force, Arctic Cat 500, Polaris 250 Trialblazer, Polaris 425 Magnum, Polaris 500 Sportsman, Honda 300 fourtrax (2), Polaris 400 Explorer, and I sure I've forgotten a few. They were all great machines and would recommend all of them but for your purposes I would recommend a 4x4 capable of disengaging the front axle, it greatly improves the steering.
For used machines:
Check the wheel bearings especially for machines with IFS
CV boots - If its torn the CV is junk - No tolerance for dirt ($200 - $400 per axle replacement cost)
Brakes - rear drums have leaking issues and can be expensive to fix.
Put your hand over the exhaust while running - check for oil on your hand
If belt drive, Hold the brakes and try and move in reverse. Engine should over power the brakes if not - bad belt.
I had a Polaris with over 1500 hrs with no problems but wouldn't recommend anything with over 500.
Now is the perfect time to buy as most of the rednecks in this area are struggling with the economy and selling their toys but no one has the cash to buy. I'd recommend offering significantly less than asking price because the market is poor. |
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Greene County, Illinois | I've had Polaris, Honda, and my last two have been Arctic Cat. Can't say anything bad about any of them. Polaris wore out the struts I thought kind of early. Honda's are cold natured, but very reliable. One I had, you had to remove skid plate to change oil, so I didn't like that. Arctic Cat's are a little weak on their belts. There are things I could take from several brands and make the machine everyone wants. |
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| I agree with you, the Honda 300 was probably the most reliable of anything made. However, he is looking at used and there are a lot of them out there. I have a 1993 Honda 300 and it has been very reliable. Only 2 tie rod ends and 2 CV covers in the time that I have owned it. No machine is perfect, but this is a simple, reliable machine that is as close to trouble free as you can get. |
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MO | I have owned Honda 300's (2wd and 4wd) and Honda 450's 4wd. All manual shift. I recently turned my first wrench on a Honda quad. At 6000 hard miles, I adjusted the valves and replaced the spark plug on my 2002 foreman 450. Keep in mind, I went out to the shed and started it for the first time in two weeks when it was about 6 degrees and it fired right up. I also have a 2004 Suzuki Eiger. I was cheap and thought that it would compete with the Honda. It is quicker, but the quality is not there. I have had tranny and carb issues from shortly after new. I put a jet kit in the carb, and it is better (not buring off spark plugs any more, ran way to lean with stock jet and the suzuki dealer told me to "be easier on it"). When I am not working a quad, then I am playing on it. I have to be easy on the Eiger or I break it, but the Hondas will take a beating and like it. |
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| Buy a new one, from a local dealer who will let you ride it and try it out.
Imagine someone who had never owned a tractor or done any farm work asking which used tractor to buy.
How many different answers would they get? How would they decipher the right from wrong? If you aren't well educated on ATV's you are likely to get taken. Buy a new one. just my 2 cents (but I AM right) |
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| Run 3 Polaris 700 EFI's and 1 800 EFI. We put two to three thousand miles on each of them every summer, Never have had a problem with them, trade them at around 7-10k miles on them. They have been very reliable and solid machines. Use them for spraying with small sprayers and irrigating. Love those machines. |
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NE SoDak | Honda! without a doubt, they will aslo double as a submarine or amfibious vehicle. i have yet to find abuse my ol Foreman can't take. Foot shift is a must as you can drive with one hand and hold something in the other, (eg. sprayer wand) starts great anytime. I think it'd even run without oil. Only maintenance i've ever done is oil change MAYBE once a year. Polaris are JUNK, buddy had a 325 magnum and blew it up tryin to stay with the hondas. |
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| I'd be looking for an older Yamaha Big Bear or Handa 300. I've had the older Yamaha 225's, Honda 250 and 300 EX and now a Can Am Outlander 400... and I think I'd rank them best to worst in that order with the latter being the worst by far.
4x4 is hard to get by without... but I don't really like a high machine for a lot of things where I'm off and on the machine a lot and don't really need more than a 400. The bike gets too heavy for tight manuvering because you can't throw it around and they're gas hogs. I'd also, WITHOUT QUESTION, go with a gear drive. Got the belt drive. Hate the belt. Never buying another belt. To be quite honest, one of these days I'm going to take a cable tie to the throttle on the damn thing and see how far it can launch off a cliff. Something wrong with it constantly....
The 300 Ex is not a bad bike if you put a good set of tires on it either.
Rod |
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Peace River, AB, Canada | Honda 350 ES (elec.shift) and foreman are the farmers choice, I would say.
Only like any Honda, it will not start easily when it's - 25 C (-15F)and colder.
V twin Honda's for augers have the same problems.
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south central IOWA | If you want it to be reliable........ get a Honda.
If you want to go fast........ get a Yamaha
If you drive a Dodge and like to help the little guys out, buy any of the other brands cause they are all playing catch up to Honda and Yamaha. |
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| How about both reliable and fast?
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Osakis, MN | I can't think of even one reason why anybody in their right mind would ever want a manual shift or electric shift fourwheeler if they farm or have any cows. There isn't any comparison ito the ability to chase and herd cattle with a belt drive fourwheeler. I wouldn't buy a Honda mainly because they have the worst suspension. I'd vote Polaris 500 or Yamaha. They are just that much nicer to drive!!!!!! Picture holding something in your left hand and trying to push that little button on the handlebar to shift it when your driving it.
Honda is reliable but so are a lot of others out there. |
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south central IOWA | That's crazy talk! Our oldest wheeler is a 1995 Honda. In all those years of abuse it has never failed to move forwards or backwards. Now if it was belt driven just how many belts do you think we would have replaced over the years? I will agree with the electric shift. I don't see why you would need that. |
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Mid Michigan | You said it exactly right. I can't imagine why anybody would ever buy an atv that they had to shift. I had one about 15 years ago. The Polaris 500 with the belt drive are like a monster truck compared to a Honda. If you want something to let the kids ride around on the yard all day buy one of the Hondas. If you want a work atv that rides really good and has a lot of power that you DON'T have to shift buy a Polaris. The Polaris will blow a Honda away on speed too. Comparing the two is like comparing a 1 ton Chevy dually pickup to a Honda Ridgeline pickup. |
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south central IOWA | davpal - 2/15/2010 23:20
If you want something to let the kids ride around on the yard all day buy one of the Hondas.
That's right cause even the kids can't hurt a Honda!! |
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SE Michigan | Have a 2006 Rancher 400 Automatic trans 4x4. Use it in 2x4 most of the time, seldom need 4x4 even in deep mud and snow.
Dealer told me if you want off road agility and off road performance get a Polars / Kawasaki. If you want a machine that will last 20-30 years and will work like a tractor, get the Honda.
Would buy another one in a heart beat (or when the wife will let me!) The Rancher is one of the best purchases I have ever made. |
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| Polaris is a good machine, the belts are never a problem, ran over 20 machines in the last twenty years or so, never had a problem with the belts, this was pulling 100 gallon sprayer trailers and up to 40 gallon rack sprayers we've probably put on average 8k miles on each one of those machines. They do go fast, on a 700 I've hit 70 on the county roads. Basically though its like Case Vs Deere , some guys like one and hate the other, all boils down to what fits your operation, service and personal prefernce. I love our Polaris machines, we've had good luck with them but the others do make good units too. |
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| I can think of one very good reason and probably several more to have a manual shift...
If you ever had to do any low speed manuvering or descending a steep hill you'd be awful glad to have the ability to coast down with the manual transmission. The CVT, or at least the CanAm CVT is... well... CONTINOUSLY adjusting itself in a herky jerky manner unless it's under full power. In some situations it's just dangerous. Combine that with the fact that the engine has to run at half throttle to do just about anything. It makes for a very inefficient bike. It's great to pick up speed fast, especially if you're too lazy to shift but that's probably it's only virtue.
We've got an Outlander 400XT..... and in all honestly, it takes as much room to manuver as a lot of tandem trucks and burns as much gas as my Ford Ranger... and at least the bloody Ranger will start and go every day. This miserable piece of crap is frozen up half the time, most often when you need it most.
If you need a simple reliable bike every day, an old Honda or Yamaha is the ticket. 250-400 CC. Not too big. Light enough to toss around. RIGID rear axle so you CAN throw/spin it around... and a plain, simple reliable 5 speed transmission.
I'd need another page to list all the things that have been repaired in 3000 miles on this Outlander... and none of them were hard miles unlike ALL of the miles on the older Honda and Yamaha's we had...
Rod |
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| I've got an 05 Polaris Sportsman 500 with the engine brake feature in it does very well keeping you in control going down steep hills. EBT was standard on 05, but I think it was an option on 06-07s, and maybe standard again on the new ones. I like Polaris. Made in USA. Simple control layout. One of the most comfortable rides (IFS all around). Lots of aftermarket accessories, and repair parts are easily available when needed.
There are a couple of big fourwheeler rides (3-400 machines) on some private land near me every year and over half are Polaris. Honda and Yamaha have strong showings, and then there is a scattering of the rest. I don't think you'll go wrong with any of these three as long as the bike hasn't been abused.
If you're not looking for a speed demon, stay with the 500cc and under machines. Lighter weight means easier to unstuck by yourself when you find that grown over mudhole in the pasture. |
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S.C. Wisconsin | Ride them all, I ride a lot of trail riding and if you want to get beat to death buy a Honda, they have lost market share big time amongst the trail riders, but for you application a Honda Rancher probably will do you just fine. Stay away from the larger Honda's Rubican, and Rincon have serious transmission problems that are extremely expensive to fix besides the gear ratio's mess up these machines performance as these machines are known as dogs. I have a Polaris Razor which I love but if you have kids it's might be to much. |
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Rugby Ontario Canada | I have a 01 Arctic Cat 500 auto 4x4 with 4100 trouble free miles on it. All I have done to it is changed the oil and put1 battery in it but will need a new battery this spring still on the original rear tires but 2nd set on the front. these are factory tires on it . run it mostly in 2x4 on gravel and black top roads and have a 30 gal spot sprayer on the rear rack from May til Sept doing spot spraying and fence row spraying ,also have a winch which is a must if ya run it in snow or get stuck in a little mud ya can pull yourself out or for raising a plow when plowing snow. I am thinking of upgrading to a 700 Polaris Ranger with a windshield and canopy or a full cab with a winch and plow and trade my Arctic Cat in on the Ranger . Dad also has a 87 Honda 250 Fourtrax 2x4 that won't seem to die . |
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NW Minnesota | I agree with most of the above posts, if buying an older used one you can't beat the Honda but that has changed in the last few years, they are having alot of quality issues with the newer ones and Polaris has dramatically improved quality and is thumping Honda on market share. |
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| Made in the USA come on boys if we dont support our selves who will. POLARIS. |
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Educate me about used 4-wheelers....
