What to buy? Cant decided on what used utility quad to buy...

[whistlepig]

We have a 2000 Honda Rancher and a 2006 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI. The Polaris was bought new. The Rancher was bought used. We were the third owner of the Rancher. And I don't think this Rancher was treated with tender loving care before we bought it. My wife uses the Rancher 365 days a year winter or summer to tend to her horses. It's true blue. The Polaris has been trouble free also. Our Rancher has pretty much amazed me with it's durability and low maintenance. Perhaps the Polaris will prove out the same in the years to come. But if I were to choose between the two right now my hat is off the Honda. It has more than proven itself.

 

[PapaPerk]

Get the Honda! Bomb proof!

 

[dfkrug]

We have a 2000 Honda Rancher and a 2006 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI.

Does your Sportsman have the power steering option? I don't know of anyone who uses PS on a
day-to-day basis on an ATV and am curious about its value. I am NOT talking about PS on a UTV
(side-by-side), which is a totally different issue. I almost bought a wrecked 2013 Sportsman 500
with PS just a few days ago.

 

[whistlepig]

Does your Sportsman have the power steering option? I don't know of anyone who uses PS on a
day-to-day basis on an ATV and am curious about its value. I am NOT talking about PS on a UTV
(side-by-side), which is a totally different issue. I almost bought a wrecked 2013 Sportsman 500
with PS just a few days ago.

My Sportsman does not have the power steering option. It's a 2006 model. Power steering would be very nice. Especially with my snow blade mounted on the front.

 

[dfkrug]

And you are more then welcome to make that choice...I'm surprised you got an
HST....

Thx for your permission, Roy. I don't project my choices on others. And choices of utility quad features have
little to do with UTVs. Or tractors, for that matter.

Now, anyone with the Big Daddy Honda, the Rincon, with power steering?

 

[jimgerken]

I know this is out of your "published" price goal, but I should mention that Polaris is really blowing out the Sportsman 500 ATV now. I have seen them listed NEW for under $5000 out the door. And, the Honda Rancher 420 is also typically under $5000, and is an excellent machine. Even though you said you had $3000, if you used some financing and your cash together, you'd end up with a quad that would be worry free for years and possibly last you the rest of your life. I have seen $3000 utility ATVs, and they are not in good shape. sorry. But if it was me, I'd want this information.

 

[Raspy]

Does your Sportsman have the power steering option? I don't know of anyone who uses PS on a
day-to-day basis on an ATV and am curious about its value. I am NOT talking about PS on a UTV
(side-by-side), which is a totally different issue. I almost bought a wrecked 2013 Sportsman 500
with PS just a few days ago.

I've had a Yamaha Grizzly 700 for a couple of years and love it! Power steering is a nice option. I ride a 50 mile loop through the high desert mountains with rocks and ruts. The steering really reduces fatigue and resists the bars getting jerked when hitting rocks wrong.

The Grizzlys hold back on hills extremely well and don't slip the drive belt to start out, they have a centrifugal clutch as well as a vari-drive. The 700 is fuel injected and always has enough power. Also, high and low range.

In 2wd it will powerslide on dirt roads and in 4wd it will pull a trailer and crawl up a mountain side. Long distance rides are so cush. A fine all around machine.

 

[newbury]

I am looking to spend around 3k on a used quad. I would mainly be using it for working in the woods, pulling logs, and hunting. I ride enduro dirt bikes so I will not be trail riding the machine so speed and high speed handling is not a concern for me. I have a good friend who is a polaris tech. He swears by the 05 and up sportsman 500's. Personally I am a honda guy and would like something like a foreman 450

this ones super clean but the price seems a little high for the age
2002 honda foreman 450 es

anyways, can you guys steer me in the right direction. What utility quads have you guys had good luck with?

Interesting - 2002 honda foreman es pretty similar for $2,800

 

[dfkrug]

I've had a Yamaha Grizzly 700 for a couple of years and love it! Power steering
is a nice option.

Have you ever had one of these larger utility quads without PS to compare it to? I have yet to
drive one with PS and would like to try it. I have a little time on the Polaris 850 Twin, and a
few hours on a KingQuad 700. Both were large, heavy, and very softly suspended.

 

[Raspy]

Have you ever had one of these larger utility quads without PS to compare it to? I have yet to
drive one with PS and would like to try it. I have a little time on the Polaris 850 Twin, and a
few hours on a KingQuad 700. Both were large, heavy, and very softly suspended.

My neighbor has a Grizzly 660. Same size and weight, looks almost the same, but an older design without power steering. His is just more tiring to ride and harder to maneuver in tight sandy areas or in rocks. He mentions being tired after rides, but I'm not. I think it's like having a much lighter machine. It still takes some effort, but it's easier. If I shut it off and turn the bars back and forth, it takes about twice the effort.

I also use the Grizzly to move a 2,000 lb flatbed trailer around the place and maneuver it into tight spots. Lots of steering at slow speeds. Easy. When riding fast I'm more relaxed because the bars are much less likely to get jerked out of my hands. And the Grizzly will really haul if you want it to. I ride between 5,000 ft and 9,500 ft all the time, a lot of it in sand and some of it steep, sometimes with my wife on the back and it always has enough power, or it will idle around all you want and never miss a beat.

I wanted a quad for a long time. When I finally got one I opted for the 700 Raptor. What a hot rod! Explosive power and a live rear axle with 2WD, manual tranny with reverse. Way fun and lots of sliding, but I realized I should have gotten the Grizzly to have the racks, the 4WD with locking differentials, low range, long range comfort and a tractor-like workhorse. So I went back and got it. Now I can roost around and steer with the throttle on the Raptor, or I can load up a bunch of gear on the Grizzly and venture up into the mountains, or tow a trailer around the place. When someone comes to visit we have two machines to go exploring with and fortunately, I can leave right from my place on the machines and ride as far as the tanks will allow.

I've put a lot of miles on dirt bikes, but the quads suit me much better now. There are a lot of good machines so just pick one that seems right for you. You'll keep finding more and more uses for it. The 550 is also a fine machine. I've seen them after years of serious abuse or lots and lots of miles, and they still ran just fine.