I am looking to upgrade to a UTV for plowing snow and was wondering which one you guys thought was the best. It has to be fast enough to drive from job to job. I was looking a either a Polaris Ranger HD or a John Deere Gator 825i. I mainly do driveways in town but want to expand and do some comercial lots in the future. I would also like to use it to trail ride. Any input would be greatly apprciated.
best UTV
- Thread starter 05rammer
- Start date
- Views: 17357
devildog1
Veteran Member
Gee,
It would be nice for you to fill out your profile so members can see where your location is,and give you an honest answer based on where you live and amount of snow you receive.
DevilDog
It would be nice for you to fill out your profile so members can see where your location is,and give you an honest answer based on where you live and amount of snow you receive.
DevilDog
crazyal
Super Member
I can't answer about other brands but if you have questions about the Honda Big Red I can help you out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euHuBxA0Cgk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olf6JIabxbU&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcdCioN_lg&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euHuBxA0Cgk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olf6JIabxbU&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcdCioN_lg&feature=player_embedded
Markcuda
Veteran Member
Is the Yamaha Rhino a UTV?
You could go China:laughing:
You could go China:laughing:
jcmseven
Veteran Member
Rammer, I have had both. Last year, I had a Polaris 800 EPS LE. It was decked out. I used it to plow snow. I really liked the Polaris a lot. I have a John Deere tractor, and have had several of them. When it comes to farm equipment I am a John Deere guy. I decided, because I mostly work my UTV and use it less for recreation (though still wanted something sporty) to go back to JD with the 825i and sell my Ranger. I have the Powertach blade on mine, but would have gotten the Boss Power V had I not gotten a great deal and some built-in upgrades to the Power Tach that made it too good to pass up. I have not owned but have had experience with the Kubota RTV in this setting as my neighbor has one. There is simply no comparison between the Ranger and the Gator for plowing or any type of heavy work. The Gator plows snow much better. It is heavier, has more power in the mid-range and more usable torque. With equivalent tires it is the far better snow removal machine. And this information is coming from someone who has used essentially the latest renditions of both machines (not comparing a 2003 Ranger, for example, to a new Gator or vice versa). My neighbor really likes his Kubota and I would rate it to be also better than the Ranger for plowing snow. The only two issues the Kubota has is that it does not have a good power to weight ratio and thus does not handle our steep hills very well under load (i.e., it is much slower than my Gator) and it is not true four wheel drive. Therefore, when really slick and steep it can get stuck.
The Ranger has some nice qualities the Gator does not though. I preferred the operator station and seat on the Ranger, and I also preferred the brakes and the fact it had factory power steering. I added a Unisteer kit to my Gator, which is as good or better than the factory Polaris system and can deal with the cabin shortcomings to have the heavier construction, better powerplant, and better company backing and warranty. As I noted earlier, there simply is no comparison in this arena. It is true there are other offerings out there such as the Bobcat, etc., for UTV plowing but I do not suspect any of them are better than the new Gator or RTV Kubota. The Yamaha Rhino is a great off-roading side by side but a virtual toy in this setting. Like the Ranger it lacks the sprung weight to move a lot of snow (not to say it cannot do fine in many cases, though). One area of concern to bear in mind on the Gator is fuel usage. The 3 cylinder gas engine in the 825 is thirsty, especially under a load and I felt the Ranger did get marginally better economy when pushing but I could not push as much snow or push it as fast or access the same areas with it either, so it likely is a wash there. My vote: 825i with Boss Power V and Sno-Pro spreader (be sure to get the Bighorn tires if you can). If economy is important to you and you do not have steep hills consider the 855d or the RTV, though they are both also expensive and not nearly as fast in transport.
John M
The Ranger has some nice qualities the Gator does not though. I preferred the operator station and seat on the Ranger, and I also preferred the brakes and the fact it had factory power steering. I added a Unisteer kit to my Gator, which is as good or better than the factory Polaris system and can deal with the cabin shortcomings to have the heavier construction, better powerplant, and better company backing and warranty. As I noted earlier, there simply is no comparison in this arena. It is true there are other offerings out there such as the Bobcat, etc., for UTV plowing but I do not suspect any of them are better than the new Gator or RTV Kubota. The Yamaha Rhino is a great off-roading side by side but a virtual toy in this setting. Like the Ranger it lacks the sprung weight to move a lot of snow (not to say it cannot do fine in many cases, though). One area of concern to bear in mind on the Gator is fuel usage. The 3 cylinder gas engine in the 825 is thirsty, especially under a load and I felt the Ranger did get marginally better economy when pushing but I could not push as much snow or push it as fast or access the same areas with it either, so it likely is a wash there. My vote: 825i with Boss Power V and Sno-Pro spreader (be sure to get the Bighorn tires if you can). If economy is important to you and you do not have steep hills consider the 855d or the RTV, though they are both also expensive and not nearly as fast in transport.
John M
JohninCT
Platinum Member
This might seem like a dumb question, but is it common to do commercial snow plowing with a UTV? Is it legal to drive them from job to job on public streets? All of the plow guys around my area use pickup trucks.
schmism
Super Member
i suppose that depends on your town... you live in a rural town its not uncommon to see farm implements on the road with a SMV sign... i would think you can do the same with UTV.
and best UTV sounds like a ford vs chevy vs dodge question....
i think i would start with whats your budget? those bobcat tool cats look bad arse but cost 2 arms and a leg....
how about a mini-truck? they look fun and are inexpensive.
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jcmseven
Veteran Member
Me too, the local law just smiles and waves here. Toolcats are fine but they are pretty slow. A top end UTV is simply faster unless the snow is really heavy and even then I think it likely still is. Unlike the Ford/Chevy question, there are definitely some plowing favorites and non-favorites in this group.
John M
John M
RoyBrooks
Silver Member
Japanese mini truck with a plow Same size at a utv same or more horse power heated cab and road legal.
Markcuda
Veteran Member
I could be wrong but I don't think them little Jap trucks are street legal.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
timswi
Super Member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2008
- Messages
- 5,301
- Location
- Beaver County Pa
- Tractor
- Kubota BX23 TLB, Kubota RTV1100, Kubota Z724 & Polaris RZR 900 Trail
While not fast, my RTV1100 is a killer snow plower, heavy as a tank and plenty of power in M range. The heated cab and power angle is a real plus.
I do 10 diveways and a 700' right of way with mine.
I moved 3ft of snow with my previous RTV500 with no problems at all. The ATV's couldn't touch that snow storm.
I do 10 diveways and a 700' right of way with mine.
I moved 3ft of snow with my previous RTV500 with no problems at all. The ATV's couldn't touch that snow storm.
RoyBrooks
Silver Member
I know the little jap trucks are legal in Ontario but maybe not in your area. A couple of contractors use them around my area. There are a few youtube videos of them plowing. I think they would be good for driveways but for big parking lots I'd go to full size pickup.
Markcuda
Veteran Member
I have been in all the lower 48 states and I have never seen one on the road.
I think if they were street legal, I/we would see them driving around by the thousands.
I think if they were street legal, I/we would see them driving around by the thousands.
RoyBrooks
Silver Member
Illinois says allowed on roads posted 35mph with speed restriction of 25 mph. It looks kind of hit and miss if they are allowed on the roads, but if they allow a utv I can't see them saying no to a small truck?
i'm an owner of an older (2006) gator, and it is nothing like the new ones, but as far as i'm concerned, the size and weight make them better choices for work related tasks when compared to a rhino, mule, ranger, etc. i would put the rtv in the same class as the gator too.
since you're looking to do double duty - work and recreation - i'm not sure i can give a perfect answer, but i've always found the ranger, rhino & similar utvs to be superior to the gator and rtv in the recreation setting.
since you say you want to be able to do a little plowing commercially, and you are obviously looking at the utv because it is small enough to fit in tight areas, how would a jeep work? some of the utv plows run upwards of $5000, and you could buy a pretty fair condition jeep cj/tj/yj with a plow for that kind of money to do the plowing, and then buy a utv based more on recreation needs. a jeep is a little larger than a gator or rtv, but its not a lot larger, plus you are road legal, have a heated cab, radio, and all those nice extras.
since you're looking to do double duty - work and recreation - i'm not sure i can give a perfect answer, but i've always found the ranger, rhino & similar utvs to be superior to the gator and rtv in the recreation setting.
since you say you want to be able to do a little plowing commercially, and you are obviously looking at the utv because it is small enough to fit in tight areas, how would a jeep work? some of the utv plows run upwards of $5000, and you could buy a pretty fair condition jeep cj/tj/yj with a plow for that kind of money to do the plowing, and then buy a utv based more on recreation needs. a jeep is a little larger than a gator or rtv, but its not a lot larger, plus you are road legal, have a heated cab, radio, and all those nice extras.
gdh
Silver Member
lostcause,
I second the jeep.
I used to use a jeep wrangler with a plow. You are correct in every way. It did work very well and kept me warm.
I second the jeep.
I used to use a jeep wrangler with a plow. You are correct in every way. It did work very well and kept me warm.
jcmseven
Veteran Member
Not as good as a Gator diesel for this purpose.
John M
John M
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