Advice on UTV

[texasjohn]

Jinman has good advice.

[lutt]

BeezFun, I'm gonna have to recommend that you don't use a golf-cart for your needs. I don't know if any of them have differential lock. I surely doubt any of them have 4WD. Sure, you can modify a golf-cart with a bed and lift kit. Do they have good headlights and taillights standard? I don't think so. By the time you get all the stuff you can find on a UTV, you also are paying the same price. To add insult to injury, you have to deal with a lot of different third-party vendors for parts or go back to a dealer who often is no longer there when you need them.

Do you need 4WD on your flat place? Probably not. . . but it does give you much extra traction if you get into soft terrain or muddy spots. You want something with good ground clearance (6" to 9") and tires with aggressive tread for off road use. The ability to haul 1/2 ton is pretty important too. If you are hauling firewood, rocks, or even a few hundred pounds of hay, the extra capacity to do anything you need is worth the extra expense. UTVs have strong roll-cages and tough frames. Many of them have beds that are 48" wide by 54" long with a tailgate. Depending on what you prefer and your uses, you can get a strong steel bed or one with plastic panels. All these are standard parts from one dealership. If you buy a Kawasaki, Kubota, Polaris or other well-known UTV, you'll have one source for parts and service. Those big three names also have a well-established 3rd party add-ons network if you choose. They have manual or electro/hydraulic lift beds, cabs for bad weather, and heat & AC options. You can get the machine you can afford and add features at a later time.

I think you should go to some major brand dealers and look at their machines. After you do and see their features, go drive a golf cart conversion ad see if you think it is suitable. Once you make the hands-on comparison, you'll be happier with your choice. Like a lot of other folks, I have my preferences for brands, but I think there are lots out there that would fit your needs. With the selection available today, I hate to see anyone go for a make-do decision.

This is excellant advice,when I bought my ranger crew, I factered all these in. The dealer is down the road 10 miles, but the kubota dealer is also. Both had good reputations. THe ranger has a half ton bed cap and 2000 pound trailer cap, I think the kubota also does. 2 things sold me on the Ranger due to my friends owning them on farms. They will go in the mud better than the Kubotas,even the dealer told me this and speed. Our deer and duck hunting revolves around mud and also some of the places we go are a couple miles from the starting points. Those are probly not issues with you. My ranger sure rides good. I also use it to haul wood on the bed and pull a s -10 pickup trailer with wood on it also. I think the Kubota is where it would have shined in that department,but the ranger is no slouch. Climb all over them, drive them and pick peoples brains before you decide. LUTT

[BeezFun]

I think you should go to some major brand dealers and look at their machines. After you do and see their features, go drive a golf cart conversion ad see if you think it is suitable. Once you make the hands-on comparison, you'll be happier with your choice. Like a lot of other folks, I have my preferences for brands, but I think there are lots out there that would fit your needs. With the selection available today, I hate to see anyone go for a make-do decision.

I like that advice. I'm close to Chicago metro area, so there's no shortage of places to go look at these things.

[jcmseven]

I would have to agree that a Polaris machine seems to be the top choice for your expressed needs. I have owned a Polaris 800 EPS in the past and was pretty happy with it. I now own a JD 825i Gator and am happy with it too. I have operated or at least driven most of the top UTV brands out there right now and each has its advantages and disadvantages. It is nice, but not essential, to have your dealer close by. I have had some instance when I have regretted not being that close to my current dealer, but for the most part these machines are trouble-free so long as they are maintained. When I read your OP, I was thinking Polaris mid-sized the entire time. They now make an 800 mid sized, and also a 500 EFI. To me, the 500 EFI is the better deal. Having had the full size 800, the additional power is nice, but really not notable until higher speeds and RPM's. The fuel-injection, however, is essential in my mind. I would not buy any UTV without that. Polaris Ranger is not the best UTV out there in all areas, but it is among the top in each area, making it a good choice. My only complaint with my Ranger is that it was not heavy enough to maximally use its engine power when moving heavy things or pushing heavy snow. It tended to wander in the front when plowing, an issue not present with my Gator. That said, if I were hauling things in the bed, just driving around or maintaining a property that did not involve moving 3000 pound trailers, plowing snow, pulling rocks and stumps, etc., I would likely still have my Ranger. The cockpit is second to none and they ride great. In the mid size frame, they also offer a lot more for the money than say Kawasaki, JD (550) and most other brands and you actually can have some performance with the utility.

John M

[jcmseven]

I would have to agree that a Polaris machine seems to be the top choice for your expressed needs. I have owned a Polaris 800 EPS in the past and was pretty happy with it. I now own a JD 825i Gator and am happy with it too. I have operated or at least driven most of the top UTV brands out there right now and each has its advantages and disadvantages. It is nice, but not essential, to have your dealer close by. I have had some instance when I have regretted not being that close to my current dealer, but for the most part these machines are trouble-free so long as they are maintained. When I read your OP, I was thinking Polaris mid-sized the entire time. They now make an 800 mid sized, and also a 500 EFI. To me, the 500 EFI is the better deal. Having had the full size 800, the additional power is nice, but really not notable until higher speeds and RPM's. The fuel-injection, however, is essential in my mind. I would not buy any UTV without that. Polaris Ranger is not the best UTV out there in all areas, but it is among the top in each area, making it a good choice. My only complaint with my Ranger is that it was not heavy enough to maximally use its engine power when moving heavy things or pushing heavy snow. It tended to wander in the front when plowing, an issue not present with my Gator. That said, if I were hauling things in the bed, just driving around or maintaining a property that did not involve moving 3000 pound trailers, plowing snow, pulling rocks and stumps, etc., I would likely still have my Ranger. The cockpit is second to none and they ride great. In the mid size frame, they also offer a lot more for the money than say Kawasaki, JD (550) and most other brands and you actually can have some performance with the utility.

John M

[jcmseven]

Sorry about the double post there.

John M

[PapaPerk]

I would have to agree that a Polaris machine seems to be the top choice for your expressed needs. I have owned a Polaris 800 EPS in the past and was pretty happy with it. I now own a JD 825i Gator and am happy with it too. I have operated or at least driven most of the top UTV brands out there right now and each has its advantages and disadvantages. It is nice, but not essential, to have your dealer close by. I have had some instance when I have regretted not being that close to my current dealer, but for the most part these machines are trouble-free so long as they are maintained. When I read your OP, I was thinking Polaris mid-sized the entire time. They now make an 800 mid sized, and also a 500 EFI. To me, the 500 EFI is the better deal. Having had the full size 800, the additional power is nice, but really not notable until higher speeds and RPM's. The fuel-injection, however, is essential in my mind. I would not buy any UTV without that. Polaris Ranger is not the best UTV out there in all areas, but it is among the top in each area, making it a good choice. My only complaint with my Ranger is that it was not heavy enough to maximally use its engine power when moving heavy things or pushing heavy snow. It tended to wander in the front when plowing, an issue not present with my Gator. That said, if I were hauling things in the bed, just driving around or maintaining a property that did not involve moving 3000 pound trailers, plowing snow, pulling rocks and stumps, etc., I would likely still have my Ranger. The cockpit is second to none and they ride great. In the mid size frame, they also offer a lot more for the money than say Kawasaki, JD (550) and most other brands and you actually can have some performance with the utility.

John M

Excellent advice!

[Biggreenavalanche]

Well said jcmseven (John M)....

Rich