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Post by sd51555 on Jun 14, 2019 6:53:54 GMT -6
Starting to ponder the ATV world. Hoping to have something by next spring. Wondering how many miles an ATV has in it's useful life before it begins to fall apart.
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Post by badbrad on Jun 14, 2019 7:00:31 GMT -6
Starting to ponder the ATV world. Hoping to have something by next spring. Wondering how many miles an ATV has in it's useful life before it begins to fall apart. Depends if it is a Honda or not?
The gear drive Honda ranchers and foremans are out there and ready to work. They hold their value very well and are reliable as heck.
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Post by kooch on Jun 14, 2019 7:12:51 GMT -6
Just don't buy American, I'm sorry to say. Too many friends have killed their USA made wheelers. Don't know the answer to your mileage question. I think it'd depend on if you're dragging disks or out for Sunday tours on well maintained trails.
I have a Yamaha Kodiak 700, and it's very rare to even take it out of low range. I thought I'd be running a disk, then before I started, I learned more about this stuff and changed my mind. Now I wish I'd bought something half the size that's easy to manhandle.
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Post by Foggy on Jun 14, 2019 7:46:35 GMT -6
I've got a Kawa 400 Prairie......that I bought in the mid 90's. Been used hard and put away wet many times. Not so many miles but lots of hours. Original tires. To me.....a 400 cc is about the perfect size of grunt / weight ratio. Liquid cooled is big.....and I like automatic tranny. All I have ever done is change the oil a few times. Starts every time. Nearly 25 years old.
I also had a 325 cc Kawa that was oil cooled.....otherwise the same model and age. It won't do the work of that 400 in any way.....but was a reliable machine too. I gave it to my grandson and he has driven the spit outta it. Still running strong tho. That 400 in low range and pulling a drag or disk.....cannot be stopped until it just spins the wheels. Has nice power / weight ratio IMO.
Not sure about your question on miles.......but mine have been tough as bullets......and may look a little rough but still can put in a days work. Every now and then I think I should upgrade my remaining wheeler.....but why? Must be allot of good machines out there.
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Post by Foggy on Jun 14, 2019 8:02:41 GMT -6
^. Just thinking about thet Kawa......and I think I paid about $3500 for it (??). Likely one of the better values I got.... in a machine of that kind. I doubt it's worth more than $500 or so now....but it works as hard as when it was new.
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Post by badbrad on Jun 14, 2019 8:06:14 GMT -6
Agree 100% stay away from polaris. I like the gear drive hondas for the work we do. CVT belts like foggy is talking about is great for trail riding but I would rather have gear drive for pulling shit and low speeds. JMHO
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Post by wklman on Jun 14, 2019 8:45:16 GMT -6
Honda all the way. My '08 rubicon does everything I ask of it and more. I just keep the maintenance up and it never fails.
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Post by Foggy on Jun 14, 2019 9:20:52 GMT -6
I've never met anyone that does not like a Honda. I like my Honda UTV.....and whenever possible its the go-to unit for me these days. Still my wheeler will do the same work.....I think I just like the weight and comfort of riding behind that windshield. Keeps the twigs outta your eyes. .
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Post by Tooln on Jun 14, 2019 9:34:24 GMT -6
Like said before stay clear of Polaris. As far as miles that means crap, it how those miles were put on. When I bought my property a wheeler was first on my list. I narrowed down what was important to me on the machine as I wasn't brand (besides Polaris) specific. One of the main things I wanted was a 2" receiver as I knew I'd be pulling stuff. At that time it narrowed it down to Yamaha, Cat, Honda & Can Am as others didn't have the 2" receiver. I loved the Can AM but holy shit they were way out of my budget. Anything I found used from a private sale was all beat to crap. A good used one at a dealer was not far pricewise from a new one. This was still pushing my budget. I kept searching and found a dealer who had brand new non current year models available at really good prices. I ended up with a 700 Cat it's a 2009 model brand new bought in 2011. I got a full factory warranty and 6 month warranty on the battery. This thing has been used and abused and still runs like a top. Whatever you get a winch is your friend on a wheeler.
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Post by sd51555 on Jun 14, 2019 9:53:49 GMT -6
Hey now, let's be fair here. I do know one guy who has a polaris that isn't junk. He got 18 years out of his so far and hasn't had any costs other than maintenance. However, everyone else that's had one couldn't get 4-5 years out of them. I suppose a big differentiator is how well you maintain them, and how you use them.
All that said, If I had my way, I'd be in a Honda Rancher/Foreman by this time next year.
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Post by benmnwi on Jun 14, 2019 11:23:56 GMT -6
I have I believe a 1992 Polaris 2x4 250 at my cabin that works like a charm. You can work it like a rented mule and it keeps going. It makes a lot of funny noises, the brakes don't work too well anymore and it is ugly but it still works. It sits outside under a tree, but still starts right up every time. It beats the hell out of walking and we don't have to haul it back and forth since it is ugly enough that nobody in their right mind would consider stealing it. My dad bought that used in the mid 90's and it has been worked pretty hard for 25 years.
2 years ago I bought a new Honda Rancher 420 4x4 with the manual transmission and it is a great machine. It starts every time and has been bulletproof - does everything I would ask of an ATV. The foot shifter can be a pain in the butt in the winter when wearing big boots, but it's not a huge deal and I still use it to plow snow. I chose that ATV since everything I read said those are the old farmer machines that last forever and so far that has been accurate. I'm pretty confident that you would end up very happy if you bought a Honda Rancher.
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Post by biglakebass on Jun 14, 2019 11:39:45 GMT -6
Yammie all the way. We have 4 yammies. Beat the absolute fuck out of our rhino. Our neighbor at the farm has over 10 000 miles on his yammie kodiak. Granted its had repairs obviously. I saw a honda on craigslist not long ago. It had 25000 miles on it. It was being sold by a surveying company.
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Post by kooch on Jun 14, 2019 11:46:06 GMT -6
Yammie all the way. We have 4 yammies. Beat the absolute fuck out of our rhino. Our neighbor at the farm has over 10 000 miles on his yammie kodiak. Granted its had repairs obviously. I saw a honda on craigslist not long ago. It had 25000 miles on it. It was being sold by a surveying company. My ONLY regret is I shouldn't have bought a 700CC beast. Don't need it, not agile. I leave mine in a shipping container all winter. Each Spring, I take a fully-charged battery up with me expecting the yamaha not to start. Still starts right up, even after sitting in a Kooch county icebox for 6 months. It's only a couple years old. So, time will tell. Happy with it so far.
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Post by biglakebass on Jun 14, 2019 11:46:34 GMT -6
And by the way PoPo is garbage.
Our small engine guy always has them lined up. Cant say i have seen more than afew hondas or yammies.
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Post by kooch on Jun 14, 2019 11:51:06 GMT -6
And by the way PoPo is garbage. Our small engine guy always has them lined up. Cant say i have seen more than afew hondas or yammies. Yep. Dude I talked to said he'd be out of business if everybody bought Honda and Yamaha. Just sayin' Now, I should have considered this when I bought the 2013 Durango. I'd have a lot more money in my pocket today.
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