UTV at 8600 ft?

[Industrial Toys]

I don't think of any belt driven UTV as a serious condender for a work vehicle meaning snowplowing in particular or even regular towing. But maybe I should wait ten years and see how all these machines pan out.

 

[Motorboatin]

I don't think of any belt driven UTV as a serious condender for a work vehicle meaning snowplowing in particular or even regular towing. But maybe I should wait ten years and see how all these machines pan out.

Have you ever seen how the CVT system works? It's ultra simple and not much to break other than the belt. Years ago burnt belts was an issue but the new designs are much better. If you keep the trans in low while working you'll see that the belt lasts 1,000's of miles and most UTV's go over 20mph in low. Plus changing a belt takes less than 20min on a Polaris...other makes aren't as easy...so changing one if it does break is simple

My buddy has a Kubota UTV that is diesel and it doesn't do anything better than my Ranger and it's a slow turd to boot

 

[Industrial Toys]

Well, I never worked my Diesel Mule, and it had some very expensive, low hour, clutch repairs. THAT, I know, without a doubt. Belt replacment is a freaking nightmare too!

Give me a geared tranny, large wheels, good ground clearance. Did I mention, but some real wheels on it? I guess, that's asking too much.

A friend was a mechanic, a good common sense one at that, who worked on ski slopes in the winter. He had good things to say about their Honda UTVs, despite being used and abused.

 

[ArlyA]

JD has done well in the world of towing snow implements. Plus BRP Defender and we even ran a 700cc Rhino for 6 years but it was grossly under powered. No manufacturer is perfect but CVT systems in general work fine. We changed belts yearly.

Mind sharing which machines you are seeing that kind of reliability in?

 

[zmountaineer]

Might be an option, we have a few dealers. Anyone with a Pioneer with a cab and heat?

You will not have a problem with not enough heat in the p1k even without an auxiliary heater.

 

[Snobdds]

I would much rather have a CVT with a belt than Hydrostatic and geared in a UTV. These things have so much power coming out of these motors now, the only way to take advantage of that is CVT. The clutches are pretty much foolproof and the only item to break is the belt. A belt can be changed out in about 10 minutes.

I do hear the Honda has a traditional 6 spreed transmission now, maybe someone can confirm.

Yea about the need for a heater, I have never turned mine on, even in the winter. These things put a lot of heat into the cab. I did everything to heat proof the cab, but the engine heat soaks in regardless. Great for the long Wyoming winters, but summer it can get a bit much. I usually just take the hard doors off and put the nets back on. I like that cool breeze coming through.

 

[ruffdog]

When I bought my RTV900 years ago, I wanted a UTV that did "slow" EXTREMELY well. I never once wished it could go faster as I needed a work machine. I used it to plow snow, haul firewood, pull trailers full of wood, pull and position full hay wagons, pull the wood splitter. It had a real hydraulic dump bed that never failed to dump the heaviest loads. It had power steering that was welcome during full work days. If only they had a turbo on it for high altitude like where the OP lives.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I simply don't think a work machine is interchangeable with a fast/fun/transport type of vehicle. Buy one, buy the other or buy both.

 

[showcattle]

Might be an option, we have a few dealers. Anyone with a Pioneer with a cab and heat?

I just bought the Pioneer 700. I love it. The larger 1000 might be better for your needs. I don't have a cab, but am going to buy a "soft side cab" for it. Boss makes a nice plow set up for it. Can't beat the auto transmission that you can set to manual and shift with paddle shifters. It's fuel injected too.

Honda Pioneer 700 with Boss UTV plow system - YouTube

 

[zmountaineer]

The pioneer 1000 is a 6 speed auto dual clutch no belts that can be manually shifted with the paddles. Has hi and low range. Can lock all 4 together plus has a 1 wheel turf mode. The pioneer 700 is a 3 speed with a torque converter, I believe.

I will say that the 1000 is quite a good compromise between work and play. I may sound biased but I researched a lot before I made my purchase.