Best engine braking UTV

johnk · Mar 31, 2012

I was wondering in real life experiences what UTV has great downhill braking ability using the engine to slow the vehicle without using the brakes? I am in the market for a UTV and have pretty steep hills to contend with. Your opinions are appreciated. I was looking at Polaris, Yamaha, Husqvarna etc but really don't have real time use of how they would work on the hills. I presently have a Honda rubicon atv and the engine braking on it is fantastic and was hoping to find a UTV with the same quality.

timswi · Mar 31, 2012

johnk said:
I was wondering in real life experiences what UTV has great downhill braking ability using the engine to slow the vehicle without using the brakes? I am in the market for a UTV and have pretty steep hills to contend with. Your opinions are appreciated. I was looking at Polaris, Yamaha, Husqvarna etc but really don't have real time use of how they would work on the hills. I presently have a Honda rubicon atv and the engine braking on it is fantastic and was hoping to find a UTV with the same quality.

Diesel Kubota RTV's have fantastic engine braking...So much so that some don't like it...I do though.

VA MTN MAN · Mar 31, 2012

The kubota rtv is hands down the best on hills, my place is in the Mountains with steep hills and my RTV is 8 years old with no problems, I would have gone broke replacing the brakes on some of the others. I think the Kubota is more a tractor and the others are more a 4 wheeler. If you want to haul and pull and use as a tool Buy the kubota. if you want to ride and go fast buy one of the others. Just my opinion and I had a Kawasaki mule and a friend has a Rino, neither did well on my steep terain.

nybirdman · Mar 31, 2012

We own three Yamahas,engine brakeing is the best in the business..

namesray · Mar 31, 2012

just as said before me, the kubota rtv's hands down have the best engine/transmission braking ability. i use my rtv 900 on the steep hills of north central pa and i just about only use the brakes to stop and change gear ranges. the transmission braking ability is so strong that in low gear, i can completely let off the throttle and not touch the brake pedal, and when fully loaded with half a face cord of firewood in the back, on a 15 degree plus hill, and it will only creep. i could actually get off and walk back to it, it is that good at engine/transmission braking. i do not recommend you actually do that, but it does an excellent job at holding itself. i actually think it is more in the vht transmission then the engine. although i am sure they work hand and hand.

johnk · Mar 31, 2012

Has anyone tried both the Yamaha and the Kubota and can give a comparison of 1 person who has ridden each on a steep hill for a comparison. Will the Yamaha keep it at 2 miles an hour or under on a 15% grade without hitting the brakes.. With my hills braking is the most important aspect of the RTV for me. Thanks.

treman · Mar 31, 2012

as mentioned If you plan on using it for work I would go Kubota. I feel that they do have way too much engine braking in my opinion but most of my use is on flat to slightly sloping ground. I think that it would be very nice on a steep hill however.

amirm · Apr 1, 2012

My Polaris LSV (electric) has excellent engine breaking in Low mode and good in High. This was super important to me and was a major deciding factor to go there.

What's cool is that I can change modes per above and vary the amount of engine breaking with just a flip of a button even on the run! Quite cool that way

.

nickel plate · Apr 1, 2012

I have a Kawasaki 3010 two cylinder diesel Trans Mule and it just might be the worst in downhill engine braking due to the transmission cutting loose at low engine rpm so I have to constantly feather the throttle in order to maintain engine/transmission engagement. My question: Not even sure if this is feasible with the Mule transmission but is there an after market "jake brake" (compression release) kit made for UTVs?

David_Kb7uns · Apr 2, 2012

Unless I am on a steep hill the Kubota RTV1100 will come to a complete stop using only the hydro. Only use the foot brake for shifting between gears.
My Polaris Ranger RZR S has very little and my CAN AM Outlander 800 has fairly good for a CVT driven quad.

David Kb7uns

DIXIEDOG · Apr 3, 2012

My Kubota RTV500 has great engine braking as well....pretty handy when I start moving my fiberglass bass boat around with it....it won't completely stop it but it engine brakes as well as my pickup with the boat on there.:thumbsup:

timswi · Apr 3, 2012

DIXIEDOG said:
My Kubota RTV500 has great engine braking as well....pretty handy when I start moving my fiberglass bass boat around with it....it won't completely stop it but it engine brakes as well as my pickup with the boat on there.:thumbsup:

Where you been?

namesray · Apr 4, 2012

just an update to my previous post, tonight i brought a load of firewood blocks down the hill, 1/2 face cord. the bed of my rtv 900 was FULL. i went down a pretty steep section of road and let off the throttle and did not touch the brake. i was in low gear the rtv barely moved and this is a steep section of road that i need 4wd to make it up empty. the rtv moved about 6 ft in about 20 seconds. that is how good the engine/hydro braking is! the section of road i did this little test on is steep enough that i could not drive "across" it with the rtv or it would tip over.

timswi · Apr 4, 2012

namesray said:
just an update to my previous post, tonight i brought a load of firewood blocks down the hill, 1/2 face cord. the bed of my rtv 900 was FULL. i went down a pretty steep section of road and let off the throttle and did not touch the brake. i was in low gear the rtv barely moved and this is a steep section of road that i need 4wd to make it up empty. the rtv moved about 6 ft in about 20 seconds. that is how good the engine/hydro braking is! the section of road i did this little test on is steep enough that i could not drive "across" it with the rtv or it would tip over.

That's exactly what I've found as well...My brakes should last forever...I hardly ever use them.

JOHNTHOMAS · Apr 5, 2012

My neighbor has a RTV900 and I have a RTV1140. He and I were talking a couple of days ago and he asked me about the brakes on my RTV. He said his didn't want to stop his and he was taking it in to the dealer to adjust them. I pondered for awhile and told him I didn't really know about mine because I never used them except when I changed gears. I always stop by using the forward or reverse pedal and just let off the pedal to stop.
Guess I'm another voice that the engine braking on a Kubota RTV is tops.:thumbsup:
PS I live on a hillside and my use is mostly on ging up or down some fairly steep areas.

amirm · Apr 5, 2012

We live on a hill and I honestly can't stand the engine breaking in my Kubota BX-24 tractor. If I let off the gas at all, it jolts me forward. It is very hard to modulate properly although I do have a decent feel for it now.

The Kubota RTV-500 that I drove had less severe braking than my tractor and it felt nice (on level ground that is). If the bigger boys are not, then I think it might be too much of a good thing

.

JOHNTHOMAS · Apr 6, 2012

amirm said:
We live on a hill and I honestly can't stand the engine breaking in my Kubota BX-24 tractor. If I let off the gas at all, it jolts me forward. It is very hard to modulate properly although I do have a decent feel for it now.

The Kubota RTV-500 that I drove had less severe braking than my tractor and it felt nice (on level ground that is). If the bigger boys are not, then I think it might be too much of a good thing .

The 50 series BXs (BX24) had a problem with the abrupt stopping that couldn't/wasn't fixed in that series. I bought one and traded it off pretty quick. I could do some feathering of the pedal but alas, it still had the "jerk" that the models I owned before and after didn't have. It was "wrong".
When I bought my RTV1140 and I "let off" the throttle (diesel fuel

) I had visions of my abrupt stopping BX2350 (diesel fuel

) but I can ease off the RTV throttle and it will stop smooth as silk which was never attainable with the 50 series tractors, they were made wrong. Not the same on the RTVs as the 50 series tractors. I've bought 13 Kubotas and there are some differences between each model/series.

amirm · Apr 6, 2012

Thanks for the explanation. I never got to drive the diesel RTVs. They don't stock them here in winter. The feel you mention very much matches the RTV 500 that I did drive. It was definitely better than my BX.

timswi · Apr 6, 2012

amirm said:
Thanks for the explanation. I never got to drive the diesel RTVs. They don't stock them here in winter. The feel you mention very much matches the RTV 500 that I did drive. It was definitely better than my BX.

The diesel RTV's have very forgiving engine braking...Takes only a few runs to get used to...Don't just pull your foot off the gas..Ease off the pedal..All is well that way..

johnk · Apr 10, 2012

Thanks for all the info. Now I need to look into the laws of the over 30 mph and under 30 mph. I want to cruise down the road w/ triangle and I believe it is illegal if they go over 30 MPH because they are no longer slow moving. I'm going to look at the Kubota 900 in camo. I got a few prices and the lowest was 13,499 in camo w/brushguard standard. I would like to buy out of state to save that 8.75% sales tax. The reason I need engine braking is I checked the grade on one of my trails and my Bushnell rangefinder put it at 17 degrees. It is pretty steep and gets a little hairy even on my quad.