1990F-150
Member
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2023
- Messages
- 31
- Location
- Argyle TX
- Tractor
- 2023 LS MT240HE. JD S240. Honda Pioneer 520. Ford 8n. Ford 9n
Hi, I thought that I should give my initial impressions of my new Honda Pioneer 520. I bought this machine to replace my aging 2011 Polaris Ranger, which was starting to wear out. I did not need something fast, because I already have a 950 cc pure sport unit, but I wanted something that would have a lot of low-end torque to pull trailers and go up steep hills at the hunting lease.
So far, this thing has had plenty of torque to get up very steep hills and back my 1500-pound trailer into its spot. This unit is also small enough to fit in the back of a truck bed, so no trailer is needed to go out to the lease. The four-wheel drive engages very smoothly, which is not something that the Polaris AWD system did very well. Where the Polaris was better though, is the smooth cvt transmission. This Honda automatic transmission is very jerky and it is not much smoother in manual. The transmission is supposed to smooth out after the break-in period, so hopefully that will smooth things out. The machine has a relatively smooth ride on trails on my property, and it seems to have plenty of power and traction for almost any trail that is not a mud hole or a rock-crawling obstacle. I already have a roof and bumper on the way, and some 26-inch tires to get over rocks.
Overall, I am enjoying this Honda so far, and I am going to put it to work next weekend putting 30 bags of corn in my deer feeders in the 103-degree Texas heat.
So far, this thing has had plenty of torque to get up very steep hills and back my 1500-pound trailer into its spot. This unit is also small enough to fit in the back of a truck bed, so no trailer is needed to go out to the lease. The four-wheel drive engages very smoothly, which is not something that the Polaris AWD system did very well. Where the Polaris was better though, is the smooth cvt transmission. This Honda automatic transmission is very jerky and it is not much smoother in manual. The transmission is supposed to smooth out after the break-in period, so hopefully that will smooth things out. The machine has a relatively smooth ride on trails on my property, and it seems to have plenty of power and traction for almost any trail that is not a mud hole or a rock-crawling obstacle. I already have a roof and bumper on the way, and some 26-inch tires to get over rocks.
Overall, I am enjoying this Honda so far, and I am going to put it to work next weekend putting 30 bags of corn in my deer feeders in the 103-degree Texas heat.
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