Work UTV ... narrow down some choices please

[Oldpath05]

My Rhino with 1.5" wheel spacers and 27" ITP589s is 58" wide. My stock RTV is 57" wide.

I believe the Rhino and/or the RTV will get around in tight quarters where the 6 passenger Intimidator cannot go. The Rhino is very capable in tight/difficult terrain. The RTV will haul the crap outta whatever you can pile on the bed.

No brand war intended. Just clarifying that each is built for a specific purpose.

27" tire's wow, you got some ground clearance there, the next best thing I guess would be those track things on all fours. There is one thing I really like about the RTV, the rear end will unlock making it easier to turn corners.

 

[timswi]

My Rhino with 1.5" wheel spacers and 27" ITP589s is 58" wide. My stock RTV is 57" wide.

I believe the Rhino and/or the RTV will get around in tight quarters where the 6 passenger Intimidator cannot go. The Rhino is very capable in tight/difficult terrain. The RTV will haul the crap outta whatever you can pile on the bed.

No brand war intended. Just clarifying that each is built for a specific purpose.

Totally agree with you...my neighbor's mule is fun to drive, fairly quick and handles well...My RTV is a pure worker like you said---I do like the cab in plowing season though. Wish I could have both, not sure the wife would appreciate that. I got away with a Sportsman 570 for toying around. Not gonna push my luck any further.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

As far as belt squealing, when I bought the Rhino I was under the impression by people I talked to, that Yamaha makes one of the best belt transmissions on the market, and I we'll find out for sure after 5 years of pulling my trailer.

You were told right, the Yamaha belt trans is the best in the business, BECAUSE it's only used for the transmission, and NOT used for the clutch, like other belt drives.

That means the belt stays under tension and last a long long time... Belt drives are NOT all created equal!

SR

 

[MF283]

I've been following this thread for a spell. I just got a JD 550XUV Saturday, demo with no hours a whole lot cheaper than a new one. While the bed is smaller than i initially wanted, i'll get by with it. I've ran it all over the farm, went up the few inclines i have w/o having to use 4X & i love the overall smaller size, easier getting around my fence rows than the tractor in the wooded areas.
My friend at the dealer gave me several owners to call & ask about their experiences with the same unit, other than little nick picking, all were pleased.
Hopefully, over time, i will be able to tell whether i'm pleased with it. While i looked at other brands, my JD dealer has always went out of the way to get my money:2cents: service mens a lot to me.

Ronnie

 

[RollingsFarms]

I love my Polaris Ranger 570 mid-size. This thing has a ton of power and super easy to get around in, steers effortlessly without power steering. My biggest gripe with it is how the transmission engages, when you take off it just feels like it snaps and goes. I'm told and have read that that's life with a Polaris and as long as you drive in the proper gear and don't get the belt wet you'll be fine. They've supposedly improved the clutching on the 570 but I'm not sure. I'd buy one again though, haven't had a single issue out of mine yet.

 

[ovrszd]

You were told right, the Yamaha belt trans is the best in the business, BECAUSE it's only used for the transmission, and NOT used for the clutch, like other belt drives.

That means the belt stays under tension and last a long long time... Belt drives are NOT all created equal!

SR

Yep, the Rhino uses a "wet centrifugal clutch" so when idling the belt pulleys aren't spinning. And when you apply throttle the wet clutch does the slipping to get movement started rather than the belt burning. It's still possible to burn the belt but you gotta really abuse it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Well, considering my mid 90's Yamaha Grizzly 600 has been used for HEAVY work and still has the "original" belt, that still works perfectly, i'd say they are VERY reliable.

I've NEVER had my belt slip, squeak or do anything but work perfectly...

SR

 

[Hermio]

That depends on the vehicle design. On a tractor, for example, the weight is on the axles, as there is no suspension. On a UTV, there is no weight on part of the axle, though there is weight on the stub axle that carries the wheel. But weight affects how much torque can be developed. The same vehicle, when heavily loaded, can develop more torque before the tires slip. The maximum possible torque is the lesser of the engine torque times the effective reduction ratio, the torque limit due to belt friction, or the total tire load times the coefficient of friction times the tire radius. With a light load, the latter torque is probably the smallest.

 

[Hermio]

I agree with that. I knew I was giving up some maneuverability to get a 6-passenger model. But I can make a couple of cuts and still go pretty much anywhere. The turning radius is 14 feet. Interestingly, it is about 10 feet on my Mahindra 5035 HST.

 

[Oldpath05]

You were told right, the Yamaha belt trans is the best in the business, BECAUSE it's only used for the transmission, and NOT used for the clutch, like other belt drives.

That means the belt stays under tension and last a long long time... Belt drives are NOT all created equal!

SR

I never had a Yamaha before now, so I was leery about buying one 2 years ago so I ask a guy at work who had a Yamaha ATV with 1500+ mi. on it, (Grizzly I think) and he said the same thing your saying. At the time I had a AC 650 with 500 mi. on it and some belt issues, and everytime him and his buddy's would go on these 1-200 mi. mud run rides, he couldn't wait to tell about some Artic Cats breaking down, while his Yamaha belt drive never gave him any problems, he's obviously a Yamaha fan.