Need to buy a new UTV, wow there's alot!?

[farmboy12]

We looked at the EZ-Go before we bought our 6x4 back in the day, and it just wouldnt cut it. The fact that you need 4 wheel drive on the property is a must. Even to get up some of the roads we've setup you need 4wd.




Thats good to know. My mom actually mentioned the Ranger earlier when I was talking to her about them. Completely surprised my father and me.

Whats the bed made out of? They look like plastic...

The beds are plastic...goods and bads about that.

Like I said, you can get 4wd and tires on an EZ-GO.


Kyle

 

[Dmace]

Looks like a complete RTV knock off lol.
Father looked at Kioti when buying our first tractor and something realy pushed him away.

What pushed him away? Was it the cheaper price, longer warranty, higher capacities, more standard options, cheaper parts or a front end loader control that's not 3ft away from you mounted on the dash instead of the rear fender?

For the OP, I love the Yamaha Rhino for it's off-road manners, great suspension, and Yamaha quality but if I were looking for a utility machine more than a recreational machine I would go for a Polaris Ranger instead. It has a higher bed capacity, lower gearing, and flat seats which make getting in and out much easier then the buckets on the Rhino.

 

[Gary T.]

I've had my rtv900 for about two years now. I can't imagine being without it. It is built like a tank. I've hauled 1500 plus lbs of retaining wall blocks in the bed, moved my 5000 lb boat around my property (not just flat ground), and recently used it at my cousins house to tow a 16' flatbed trailer to get stall mats and barn panels from an area that was at the top of a hill and too muddy to get to with a full size truck. Everyone that was there was blown away by the rtv's capability. The trailer with the mats (100lbs ea.), and panels probably weighed around 3500 to 4000 lbs.

Yes it has it's quirks, but they are minor. If you pull your foot off the gas pedal it will stop as if you slammed on the brakes. You just have to realize that the gas pedal is not a gas pedal. With a hydrostatic trans. pulling your foot off the pedal is like shifting your car from 5th to first. I like the fact that I can have this thing loaded down with 1500 to 2000 lbs going down a steep hill and I never have to touch the brake pedal.

Shifting the trans. is the other problem. When you stop on flat ground and shift ranges it's not a problem because there is no load on the gears. When you stop on a hill and shift ranges you have to release the pressure from the gears to shift. Some have a hydro pressure release valve(I think 2006 on up), some people say to wait 10 seconds before you shift, some say to move the steering wheel to it's stop. I wish it shifted as easy as my hydro tractor, but my tractor also has a clutch.

I would by another in a heartbeat, or maybe I would by the new 4 seater with the extend-able bed. The rtv's aren't the fastest, not the smoothest, but I would bet they are the strongest.


Good Luck,
Gary T.

 

[MilesToEmpty]

What pushed him away? Was it the cheaper price, longer warranty, higher capacities, more standard options, cheaper parts or a front end loader control that's not 3ft away from you mounted on the dash instead of the rear fender?

For the OP, I love the Yamaha Rhino for it's off-road manners, great suspension, and Yamaha quality but if I were looking for a utility machine more than a recreational machine I would go for a Polaris Ranger instead. It has a higher bed capacity, lower gearing, and flat seats which make getting in and out much easier then the buckets on the Rhino.

Partly because the dealers didnt want anything to do with us. "Oh you want a 30hp tractor? They're over there..."
But again on our Kubota, we got the Heavy duty front loader vs the normal, and the heavier duty backhoe vs the normal as free upgrades, and had the dealer 10 miles from our place, willing to pickup and deliver the tractor for free. That did it for me Couldnt tell you about my father though.

Im so biased on the Rhino or the Ranger. Ranger owners are like get a ranger, rhino owners are like Rangers suck blah blah.

 

[Avondale]

I have a 2008 Ranger 700 XP and the bed is a composite material that stands up very well. I have overloaded it with stones and it shows no damage at all.

One thing I do like about the box is that it has a flat deck with ridges like a normal 1/2 ton truck bed to drain away water. Some UTV models have "humps" over the wheels which interferes with some loads (small pallets).

This machine also has an issue with throttle response when in low or reverse, it seems to want to launch you into motion rather than ease into motion. Can be very touchy, especially when backing up to hook up a trailer or squeeze into a tight spot. Takes some getting use to but not a show-stopper.

 

[MilesToEmpty]

Im not sure what I was looking at last night but the Ranger HD's were priced at almost 17k... Now I look today and they are 13k. I know Im not imagining things because my father mentioned how expensive that was.

I like the load leveling suspension on the HD... thats a nice feature but Im not sure we would benefit from it any.

Im interested in how good a job it does when there is 1k in the bed, and your trying to steer... How's the AWD system handle that? Our 6x4 simply doesnt steer when you have it fully loaded in the rear.

And how does the AWD system work for pulling trees, and stumps around. We do alot of backing up around our property where you need the traction on the front end.

And How dependable is it going to be. Most likely only used on the weekends but will have the crap used out of it.

 

[Avondale]

Im not sure what I was looking at last night but the Ranger HD's were priced at almost 17k... Now I look today and they are 13k. I know Im not imagining things because my father mentioned how expensive that was.

I like the load leveling suspension on the HD... thats a nice feature but Im not sure we would benefit from it any.

Im interested in how good a job it does when there is 1k in the bed, and your trying to steer... How's the AWD system handle that? Our 6x4 simply doesnt steer when you have it fully loaded in the rear.

And how does the AWD system work for pulling trees, and stumps around. We do alot of backing up around our property where you need the traction on the front end.

And How dependable is it going to be. Most likely only used on the weekends but will have the crap used out of it.

Hi

My 2008 Ranger 700 EFI XP does not have the assisted steering which is now standard on the 2009 models. It handles well fully loaded tho does need extra effort to steer. The AWD is great and for info, you are suppose to be in AWD when fully loaded (Owner manaual and a sticker in cargo bay).. I have not pulled any stumps, yet. I did need it and my DK 35 to pull my CIH 574 out of a mudhole (it had a major hyd burst and was without Hyd fluid).

I will also advise that it leaves some very deep ruts when slogging through the mud and other ATV's with a narrower tread width will have a problem following the UTV. My ATV's are very capable but the difference in width means one wheel is in rut and one is not quite in or out of it, putting the ATV on a squirrely path. It gets worse when towing a bush buggy trailer behind the ATV. Do-able but extra work. Also, the tread width is less than a normal 1/2 ton truck and normal road sized trailers. I have pulled a 1 ton trailer loaded with firewood without trouble even tho the trailer tires did not line up with the UTV ruts.

When the UTV box is full of stone, the ground clearance is significantly lower than stated but only becomes a problem (so far) when backing up to dump the stone. The trailer hitch receiver hits first and does not tend to glide over stumps or stones but tends to stop the progress immediately. When going forward, it does tend to slide over protrusions.

I got the multi-winch added and am very glad I did. May seem like a doo-dad at first but the day you use it, you will wonder why all work-horses don't have it.

My ATV's and UTV work for thier gas. They are tools more than toys and I am very happy with the Ranger's performance and durability, to date.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help with any specific questions.

Bob

 

[MilesToEmpty]

Thanks, thats good to know about the width.

We dont have any ATV's and this would replace and become our single UTV most likely.

Good to know about backing up... I would imagine some sort of curved skid would fix the problem of the hitch hitting things.

Im trying to decide if the power steering and height adjsuting rear shocks are worth the extra money.

The 700XP is appealing for almsot 2k cheaper the the XUV 850d and the Ranger HD.

Real heavy stuff its obvious that we would use our tractor to haul.

Im also wondering how it will handle a 30-45 degree hill with a good load in the back.

 

[rdbrumfield]

Mine works for it's gas too. for me, I think the all around utility of the quad works. Those utv look nice and I am sure very handy. Seems like a lot of money for that extra seat beside you though.

I have had this rincon for a couple of years, and it works well, I often wish it had a low range though.

I made this trailer for it. could have made a larger bed, but figured I would overload it so it is a built in safety feature lol. posted this before, so bear with me.

 

[Avondale]

I agree, my ATV's have some areas where they are the best option available to me. (pulling logs, etc). The AC 400 FIS is a real work horse and small enough to squeeze in between trees. The locking diff up front is great. The AC 500 TRV has a longer wheelbase and works very well in the snow plowing department as well as the liquid cooling is a must when harrowing in high heat conditions.

I looked at the Ranger HD when shopping for a UTV. Like many, could not justify the extra $$$$ for the trick suspension as I do not have any extreme slopes on my farm. The steering assist seemed nice but even my teenage girls can handle the 2008 Ranger when it is fully loaded. As the 2008 was new, end of line, it came with a full warranty and a significant savings over the shiney new 2009 models.