RTV900 impressions after 2 days

[Boondox]

I was able to rent a rec model RTV with a dump bed and ATV tires, which were the essentials if this vehicle was going to be any use on my land. I have 155 acres on a forested hillside in northern Vermont, of which about half is accessible via my Honda Foreman 400 ATV. I rented the RTV to see if it would be able to handle harvesting firewood; moving sand, dirt and stone; and general cleanup of fallen limbs, mucking the sheep, etc. I have seven acres clear, with the upper and lower meadows separated by a wet spot that has been churned into muck by the weight of my L4630. To the north there is a dirt road leading to the high point of my property. The road is a 25% grade, and the upper portion is very muddy right now. To the south is a trail leading to the springhouse; it is mud under a thin layer of fallen leaves and spotty grass, but to reach it a rocky stream must be crossed.

First, the chores. The RTV had no trouble handling firewood, sand, and boulders uphill or down. The dump bed was a dream! Picking up and discarding fallen branches and stumps dug up earlier in the year has never been easier. My dogs love riding shotgun, but the RTV can only accomodate one dog at a time on the passenger seat.

Secondly, the handling. Loved the power steering! Speed and acceleration were good, that is to say much faster than the tractor. The RTV was no where near as nimble as the ATV, and because of its weight it had a bit of trouble with the mud. Where the ATV floats on top of most muck, the RTV sank right in and tore up some turf. Also, the OE ATV tires loaded up with clay quickly and spun with only marginal effectiveness in several sections of my property.

The RTV handled the steep dirt road very well until I reached the muddy sections. Just like a pickup, even in 4WD the rear end wandered noticably from side to side trying to get some traction. In the end it was loss of traction, not loss of power, that forced me to back down and turn around.

Ground clearance was also an issue. I was unable to cross the rocky stream to access the south end of my land because of a few boulders that made it lose traction. I might have been more adventurous if I had a winch, or if my tractor had the logging winch mounted, but it wasn't my RTV and I didn't want to risk damage by pressing on. To be fair, given an RTV and a summer of work I could easily make a bridge over the stream...

Summary: The RTV is a real workhorse, and for most properties would be a clear winner. I love the smoothness of the diesel, the familiarity of the hydrostatic tranny, the grunt toughness that lets it haul heavy loads without trouble, and that glorious dump bed. I didn't like the fact that it would be able to access so much LESS of my land than the ATV.

Maybe I should test ride one of the new Honda Rincon ATVs. With that much power I could pull one of those double axle dump trailers designed for use with ATVs. Ahem, decisions!

Pete

 

[psuedofarmer]

Maybe I should test ride one of the new Honda Rincon ATVs. With that much power I could pull one of those double axle dump trailers designed for use with ATVs. Ahem, decisions!

Pete

Thanks for the assessment on the RTV. I've been waiting to purchase one for a few years now..

I've been using my Honda Rubicon and a Yamaha Grizzly for firewood duty for over 6 years (10+ cords/yr). The ATVs will work great in your application (I'm in s/w NH on a large parcel with similar topography). The biggest drawback on a good dump trailer is axle height. My woods trails are clear, but many have a few rocks - easily cleared by the ATV but not a trailer.

Gonna go take another look @ the RTV this spring..

pf

 

[Boondox]

I've been using my Honda Rubicon and a Yamaha Grizzly for firewood duty for over 6 years (10+ cords/yr). The ATVs will work great in your application (I'm in s/w NH on a large parcel with similar topography). The biggest drawback on a good dump trailer is axle height. My woods trails are clear, but many have a few rocks - easily cleared by the ATV but not a trailer. pf

PF - I have an old Honda Foreman 400 but it just doesn't have enough power to handle a trailer laden with firewood unless I'm going downhill...and then it's a matter of clinging to the brakes all the way down the hill! I test rode a Rubicon this morning and was overall impressed, though the lack of a foot gear shift was VERY strange! I especially liked the low range, as it seemed likely to mate up well with a trailer hauling heavy loads.

Between the Rubicon and the Grizzly, which do you like and why? And what sort of dump trailer did you get? Any opinions on which brand of trailer is best for New England conditions?

TIA, Pete

 

[Dargo]

Hey Boondox, I drove all through Vermont this last weekend. What a beautiful state you live in! I'd never been there before. That Green Mountain coffee isn't bad either. Anyway, it looks as if you have terrain that is certainly hilly, rocky, and could have very marshy areas as well. (not that I'm now an expert on your state, but I noticed a lot of hills, rocks, and mud) A heavy UTV would be good for stability, but poor for sinking in mud. Since I have some really steep hills and some really muddy areas on my property, I put much larger, and much more aggressive, tires on my RTV along with a slight lift kit so the tires would clear. I think you'd find that 26" or 27" Maxxis Bighorns would work well for you if you by chance decided to get an RTV. You'd have a huge amount more traction, more flotation, and still not have a tire that destroys lawns much. By not having a permanently locked rear differential it is still easy on the turf if you get a big enough tire to spread the ground pressure some.

 

[psuedofarmer]

Between the Rubicon and the Grizzly, which do you like and why? And what sort of dump trailer did you get? Any opinions on which brand of trailer is best for New England conditions?

TIA, Pete

The Grizzly has more power. In addition, the clearance is also higher (a HUGE plus). Not sure what brand tires on are on, but when I purchased it from a friend it came with an extra set of very large AGI-type tires. They raise the ATV another 2", and the tread is VERY aggressive (think AG tires on your tractor); tall, skinny tires that dig.

I typically use a Woods trailer (smaller, bathtub-like shape made of plastic) with turf tires. The capacity stinks, but i can take it anywhere, and over anything.. the one drawback to this setup is the hitch on the Yamaha is not designed to pull all that extra weight. I used the Honda for 5 years, and NEVER broke the trailer hitch bolts. On the Yamaha, I've gone through 10 sets of bolts this year - the engine has more power than the lower hitch can tolerate.

I rarely get either machine stuck (but it does happen - the winch is a must).. I find that if i'm sticking to the trails where machine clearance is not an issue, I use the Honda. But if i'm pulling a huge load in some tigher areas, I'll use the Yamaha.

Not sure what brand the larger dump trailer is.. I borrowed it from my neighbor and have only used it twice. Great machine, neither ATV has any trouble pulling a full load (although I should note that the Grizzly does it much easier!)

It amazes me how useful the ATVs have been on the farm. I'm quickly learning that no one machine can do everything I need, so I'm constantly filling the barn with what my wife calls 'toys'.

Then again, she does the splitting, and not the skidding!

pf

 

[Boondox]

Hey Boondox, I drove all through Vermont this last weekend. What a beautiful state you live in! I'd never been there before. That Green Mountain coffee isn't bad either. Anyway, it looks as if you have terrain that is certainly hilly, rocky, and could have very marshy areas as well. (not that I'm now an expert on your state, but I noticed a lot of hills, rocks, and mud) A heavy UTV would be good for stability, but poor for sinking in mud. Since I have some really steep hills and some really muddy areas on my property, I put much larger, and much more aggressive, tires on my RTV along with a slight lift kit so the tires would clear. I think you'd find that 26" or 27" Maxxis Bighorns would work well for you if you by chance decided to get an RTV. You'd have a huge amount more traction, more flotation, and still not have a tire that destroys lawns much. By not having a permanently locked rear differential it is still easy on the turf if you get a big enough tire to spread the ground pressure some.

Dargo, I thought about a lift kit but with all the angles on my land am worried about raising the center of gravity. Also, it would be very easy for an RTV to become a money pit if I get the modification bug.

Pete