UTILITY VEHICLE PRICING COMPARISON & ADVICE

[ArlyA]

I hear you on the come back in 2023. Went to a dealership to see if I could put my eyes on one this weekend and the four in the showroom had SOLD stickers on them. I was able to see a Kawasaki Mule 4010. Apparently the entire US has been stimulated to get outdoors......

This past spring I was at our can-am dealership for parts and found that even the 6x6's were sold out. I would guess that this spring sales will have moderated. We are still knee deep in snow here.

 

[coobie]

My dealer had 6 Kubota RTV 1100c cab models 2nd week in Feb.I purchased one then.Dealer stated the other 5 sold in 1 week time frame.Kubota told them they might not see any more units until late fall or 2022.Glad I purchased mine when I did..

 

[MoKelly]

My dealer had 6 Kubota RTV 1100c cab models 2nd week in Feb.I purchased one then.Dealer stated the other 5 sold in 1 week time frame.Kubota told them they might not see any more units until late fall or 2022.Glad I purchased mine when I did..

How can a dealer make any money if they get no product from the manufacturer for almost 9 months?

MoKelly

 

[FTG-05]

My 2006 RTV900 is in the shop right now. Power and "can't go up a hill problems". I'm not all that confident that it will not come back with some +$2k repair bill. Hence, I'm planning on replacing it with a new RTV900.

I'm going to keep the tires though!

 

[ElSueno Farms]

Have a new Kubota 900, on our second Kubota RTV500, and had A Honda Pioneer for a while. Honda was a great product, just could never get accustom to the fully automatic shifting or the paddle shifters, traded it for 2 Honda Rancher ATV. Kubota 500’s are great for lots of farm chores, not a fast ride, but quieter and very economical. Have not had the Kubota 900 long enough to get comfortable with it, bought it on recommendations of it being a workhorse, I believe we will like it fine for many years. I also use a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 5 speed for chores and running to town for supplies.
have a neighbor that has Kawasaki 2 seater, loves it but it is used for hunting and very casual activities.

 

[finn1]

No complaints with my Kawasaki Teryx. It’s on about seven or eight years old, with no issues other than one spark plug.

The mule would be a better fit for you though. We use ours for yard work, exploring the trail network, and commuting to the shop, a mile from the house.

Mostly for hauling tools, parts, material, and firewood.

 

[coobie]

My 2006 RTV900 is in the shop right now. Power and "can't go up a hill problems". I'm not all that confident that it will not come back with some +$2k repair bill. Hence, I'm planning on replacing it with a new RTV900.

I'm going to keep the tires though!

View attachment 691490. Have you CLEANED your spark arrestor?I removed mine..

 

[Borgf15]

I'll be the odd man out here. Bought an electric UTV last year. Wasn't planning on it but it really turned out to be a great purchase for us on our 55acre farm. After driving almost every other gas model, it impressed us the most for our simple needs. It's a hisun, so yes, made in china. Wasn't planning on buying foreign either, but with the pandemic and all there were zero US models anywhere near us for sale. Now this thing isn't going to be a great all day trail rider, and if you want to go up hills with lot's of speed, better stick with big CC liquid fuel powered. That said, with the insane torque, it'll climb almost anything really. The batteries located low really puts the center of gravity low allowing some steep sidehilling. It doesn't need gas or oil changes, no exhaust to smell, no warm up time--instant on, and when travelling you only hear the tires on the dirt. We've never ran out of juice, and we've put it through it's paces for sure. Oh yeah...one other drawback... some of the zerks were placed by someone who has never had to grease a vehicle before. Always have to make sure nobody can hear the cussing while i'm greasing.

 

[the old grind]

The old box-body Chevy/GMC 4WD pickups have a plugged lower ball-joint grease fitting so the outer u-joint can clear it. You remove it and put in a Zerk, grease and replace the plug. Fun times with those torquing a preload on the upper BJ taper to pre-load it before torquing & keying the nut.

IMO golf carts, STRs, & SxSs, are easy to grease up, not that oil changes always are.

 

[RancherGuy]

... I'm going to keep the tires though!

Nice aggressive tires. I wish that anyone saying they can't get traction would recognize that is the tires that make the difference. Take ATVs as an example - how many people keep the OEM tires? Same goes for UTVs. It's just not worth waiting until they wear out before replacing with something that is tailored to what you want out of your vehicle. Someone on craigslist will want what you don't.

 

[RancherGuy]

... I'm planning on replacing it with a new RTV900.

If dealer stock is what others are suggesting, don't take your time making the commitment. I expect you'll really like the update.

 

[ArlyA]

Well, we just finally wore the nubs off our tires (2014 year) but have zero intention of ever replacing them. They seem to have good traction. That goes for all the 6+ machines we had at work as well.

 

[FTG-05]

Coobie,

Since I found the plugged fuel filter with black gunk and a huge piece of bio-slime in the fuel tank, I've done the following:

- Replaced all fluids and filters (SUDT and Kubota filters)
- Cleaned the fuel tank
- Replaced all fuel lines with SAE J30R9 FIH
- Bypassed the mechanical fuel pump with a yanmar electric fuel pump (now it starts at least)
- Removed the spark arrestor (the guy I bought it from said he had already done it - liar)

It's not got any better. The local dealer hopes that the bio slime didn't take out the injection pump.

 

[FTG-05]

If dealer stock is what others are suggesting, don't take your time making the commitment. I expect you'll really like the update.

Yea, my local dealer hasn't had an in-stock RTV for several weeks. Then got four of them a couple days ago.

BTW, I'm now looking at getting the RTV-XG850 Sidekick crossover-type RTV instead of the -900. I am so over the molasses slow -900 acceleration and speed.

 

[coobie]

Yea, my local dealer hasn't had an in-stock RTV for several weeks. Then got four of them a couple days ago.

BTW, I'm now looking at getting the RTV-XG850 Sidekick crossover-type RTV instead of the -900. I am so over the molasses slow -900 acceleration and speed

Yea, my local dealer hasn't had an in-stock RTV for several weeks. Then got four of them a couple days ago.

BTW, I'm now looking at getting the RTV-XG850 Sidekick crossover-type RTV instead of the -900. I am so over the molasses slow -900 acceleration and speed.

Thanks for the update.My new 2021 RTV 1100 has a little more get up and go verses my 2006 RTV 900 I just sold.Keep us posted on your RTV XG850 if you decide to purchase.

 

[FTG-05]

Thanks for the update.My new 2021 RTV 1100 has a little more get up and go verses my 2006 RTV 900 I just sold.Keep us posted on your RTV XG850 if you decide to purchase.

How much more get up and go? My biggest concern with the XG is the CVT. It's payload and towing numbers plus the fact that the bed is the same size (15.2 cu ft) are huge pluses. Cost is a wash, so I could be talked into either one right now.

 

[coobie]

How much more get up and go? My biggest concern with the XG is the CVT. It's payload and towing numbers plus the fact that the bed is the same size (15.2 cu ft) are huge pluses. Cost is a wash, so I could be talked into either one right now.

Not head snapping power by any means but noticeable verses my 2006 RTV 900.I also looked at the 850 but did not like the idea of the CVT tranny verses the hydro tranny in the 1100c.We use our RTV for snowplowing a 2 mile road and garden/farm chores around our house.Full factory enclosed cab was another must for us.A little more power in the new RTV is a win for us.Have you test drove both models yet ?? That might be the decision maker.Both models at dealers around these parts are far and few.Good luck on whatever you choose..

 

[ArlyA]

CVT transmissions have been around a long, long time and proven reliable. Most snow plowing via atv and utv is done by machines with them. They work fine for that, are more simple, can be serviced by any power sports shop and energy lost in them is quite small. Hydrostatic trans can not state the same.

 

[coobie]

CVT transmissions have been around a long, long time and proven reliable. Most snow plowing via atv and utv is done by machines with them. They work fine for that, are more simple, can be serviced by any power sports shop and energy lost in them is quite small. Hydrostatic trans can not state the same.

Funny stuff you don't give up.Bring your rig down here and we will have a pull off your CVT verses my hydro. NO ONE is putting down a CVT tranny it is CALLED personal preference NO more NO less.Get over it.

 

[FTG-05]

Not head snapping power by any means but noticeable verses my 2006 RTV 900.I also looked at the 850 but did not like the idea of the CVT tranny verses the hydro tranny in the 1100c.We use our RTV for snowplowing a 2 mile road and garden/farm chores around our house.Full factory enclosed cab was another must for us.A little more power in the new RTV is a win for us.Have you test drove both models yet ?? That might be the decision maker.Both models at dealers around these parts are far and few.Good luck on whatever you choose..View attachment 692213

No test drives yet. My dealer hasn't had RTVs for several weeks if not months. They got four last Wed or Thursday. Only one was in the que to get assembled (it was an 850, which is why we got talking about it) when I was there last Friday.

I plan to talk to him tomorrow and see if they will let me test drive both.

Thanks