Buying a quad

[504RP]

I don't think you would go wrong buying a Honda. I have the Honda 450 Foreman 4x4. I started to buy a Rancher but, had a friend who had owned Ranchers before he went with the Foreman 4x4. Said the Foreman 4x4 cost a little more but could pull a pretty good load compared to the Rancher.

I don't even know if Honda still makes the 450 anymore. Mine is a electric shift. I have got a ton of work out of that dude, It's been treated as ruff as ruff could be. Used daily runs as good as the day i bought it new. Probably 15 years old. Thought about buying another one but really no reason too with this one running as good as it does and as ruff as i am on one. I have a 6 x 8 tilt trailer that i use to unroll barb wire off of when building fence with oxygen and cytelin bottles. Hooked behind my Foreman right now. It's a work Horse. If I eventually ever wear the thing out ? Well I was going to say buy another one just like it. But I am getting long in the tooth. Don't know if i can wait until I wear it out to get a new one before the hour of the tiger arrives if you know what i mean ? Lol !!!

Mine is an electric shift too. Never have had any problems there either.

 

[Brute 23]

I like the Honda ranchers because they are extremely reliable but I would go manual shift.

As much as I like them it's amazing how much more usable a Brute Force or some of the other atvs are. The added power, diff locks, etc make them so much more capable.

If you can get by with a rancher... the terrain is not really that tough.

 

[Lucky]

I've had a rancher with electric shift since 2012 or 13. Been a great rig. The shifting did mess up one time but a $20 part and 30 minute job fixed it right up. Would definitely buy another one.

Edit: mine has the independent rear suspension. Not sure I'd go with straight or independent next time

 

[Atimm693]

I'm not sure what Honda's aversion to CVTs is about. The Rubicon had some sort of electronic Hydro, the Rincon with a 3 speed automatic like a car, their DCT, and the ESP manuals. Good designs, without a doubt, but expensive and complicated to repair, if you have an issue.

Other than a $50 belt every couple thousand miles, you'll rarely have trouble with a CVT, unless you try to speed shift them. They're king for a reason. We've got one with 5,000 miles on the original belt, an Arctic Cat 500 TBX, my personal favorite of the bunch.

I definitely wouldn't want one without IRS and selectable 4x4.

 

[Silver]

I've got a Kodiak with 11,000 kms on it, original belt. I love that bike. Power steering is also a must.

 

[Bigfoot]

My rule of thumb is the more buttons, switches, and extras something has is just that much more to have to fix later.

I ran a Honda foreman for years. Guy at the repair shop said it had the second most miles on it he'd ever seen (don't even remember how many it had). Replaced it with another foreman, and it has 14,000 miles now.

Bought a s x s for my dad about a year ago. Said I'd never have one. He wasn't getting along with it, and it ended back here. Love the thing. I'll never be without a s x s.

 

[Atimm693]

My rule of thumb is the more buttons, switches, and extras something has is just that much more to have to fix later.

I ran a Honda foreman for years. Guy at the repair shop said it had the second most miles on it he'd ever seen (don't even remember how many it had). Replaced it with another foreman, and it has 14,000 miles now.

Bought a s x s for my dad about a year ago. Said I'd never have one. He wasn't getting along with it, and it ended back here. Love the thing. I'll never be without a s x s.

Had a Mule 3010 in the shop a couple years ago. Got new CV axles, a tune up, valve adjustment, and just some general maintenance.

It had 4500 hours. Even at 5mph average, that is 22,500 miles. Still running well, and really still pretty tight with plenty of life left.

If you ever wanna test your mechanic skills, change a starter on one. It's wedged right in the middle of the engine and the CVT. Service info says to pull the whole CVT assembly. You can do it without, but it isn't fun.

The owner of that machine, and his help, have zero mechanical sympathy. It hasn't seen an easy day in it's life.

Meanwhile, our Ranger 700XP, has had an engine rebuild, multiple ECMs, several wiring repairs and pigtails (Polaris used wire that is too small, vibrations cause them to break inside the insulation), a fuel pump, a rear sway bar, all suspension bushings, a couple parking brake cables, a throttle cable, a TPS, a TBAP sensor, and a brake switch. Apparently now it is having an issue with the oil pressure relief valve, which is common. Causes them to over pressure the lifters and blow seals. All at under 2000 hours. I just want to strangle those engineers.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I have a '06 Yamaha 660 Grizzly, it's way too fast!! Haven't had any problems with it.

 

[A.J.]

I have an older Honda Rancher 350 manual shift and a Honda Foreman manual shift. I had a co-worker who had the electric shift only Rancher and had problems with shifting. Both of these so far have been about bullet proof. I took the starter off the Rancher and soldered new brushes in a couple years ago as the starter was getting dead spots from worn out brushes. I have had three Honda 300 TRXs, a Yamaha 225 Moto 4 and a Kawasaki 300 Bayou. All were pretty nice.

We've got that same Foreman, color and all. It's been a great, dependable machine for a long time. I hope to get many more years out of it before it has to be replaced.

 

[Dave]

If you can get by with a rancher... the terrain is not really that tough.

Here is a picture taken from the SW corner of my property looking out to the west and the BLM allotment. The terrain looks reasonably tough to me. I had a Rancher, the wife's bike is a Rancher, and the neighbors all have Ranchers.

 

[RDFF]

I've got a 450 Foreman. Looked at a Rancher before getting this one. Glad I got the bigger machine. Been very good. EPS tranny. However, didn't relish the idea of checking cattle through the winter without a cab and heater... ended up getting a little Geo Tracker. About every time I use it, I'm happy I got it instead of a SxS. I have to run down the road for a couple of miles, and occasionally use it to run to town etc. for part or something.... would never be able to reasonably do that with a SxS (about 20 miles one way). Had it up over 80 mph on the interstate just to see if it could do it, and it still had more in it yet. Cost me about 1/10th of what a new SxS does. Air, AM/FM/CD/Sirrius even (if I wasn't too cheap to pay the subscription). 1600cc motor, power steering and brakes. Full on 4WD (not AWD) with true high/low range transfer case. 15" wheels. Easily fits all my fencing tools in the back with the rear seat folded up. Will pull a trailer better than any Quad/SxS ever would, and... it's about 200# LIGHTER than a 2 row Polaris Ranger 1000! Probably not as "responsive" a suspension system though as the new SxS's have. I'd put it up against any of them though for "well built"... body on full frame chassis too.

 

[Little Joe]

Here is a picture taken from the SW corner of my property looking out to the west and the BLM allotment. The terrain looks reasonably tough to me. I had a Rancher, the wife's bike is a Rancher, and the neighbors all have Ranchers.

I'll be honest, that hill looks steeper than I'd want to drive anything on. Looking at that picture I have to ask, what do the cows find to eat there? Cattle here would starve to death on a place like that.

 

[1982vett]

My old quad was a 2004 Honda Rancher with an automatic transmission. They only made that transmission for 3 years because when that tranny went out the quad is toast. The mechanic said I got 3 times the miles most get but this winter ..... well it is toast and parked in the bone yard.
So I shopped for a quad. No more used quads for $2,000. Quads 15 years old are listed for $4,000-$6,000 on Craigslist and they are gone in 2 days. Calving season is here and during irrigation season I am on the quad everyday. So I am biting the bullet. A new Honda Rancher with electric shift it is costing $6,800. That is not much more than an old used one. And I do use them daily. But the old cheap skate in me is coming out. This hurts.

Driving by the Kawasaki place a few days ago I noticed their lot was empty excep for a couple in for service. Normally have 40 - 50 new and used setting around for sale. Polaris place in College Station had only a couple available. The said it's because of covid. They can't get them in. May get hard to find what you want.

I've been looking for a "new" used 3/4 ton truck. Just about anything with under 100,000 miles is $$40 - $50,000. One of the nearby dealers website doesn't even have a new 20 or 21 3/4 ton on the lot. Plenty of half tons to be had but at outrageous prices.

 

[Brute 23]

Here is a picture taken from the SW corner of my property looking out to the west and the BLM allotment. The terrain looks reasonably tough to me. I had a Rancher, the wife's bike is a Rancher, and the neighbors all have Ranchers.

I believe it. That's pretty easy terrain for most atvs/ utvs. IRS would be nice there if it's rough. A SXS would be even better. They are much more stable and capable wouldn't wear you down like an atv.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

My rule of thumb is the more buttons, switches, and extras something has is just that much more to have to fix later.

I ran a Honda foreman for years. Guy at the repair shop said it had the second most miles on it he'd ever seen (don't even remember how many it had). Replaced it with another foreman, and it has 14,000 miles now.

Bought a s x s for my dad about a year ago. Said I'd never have one. He wasn't getting along with it, and it ended back here. Love the thing. I'll never be without a s x s.

You found a side by side you can fit in? What model?

 

[Dave]

Here is a picture on my new Japanese quarter horse. I figured I better get a picture while it is still nice and shiny. In a couple hours I need to check cows. It won't be as clean after that.

 

[Bigfoot]

You found a side by side you can fit in? What model?

It's an old chuckwagon. Very roomy.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Here is a picture taken from the SW corner of my property looking out to the west and the BLM allotment. The terrain looks reasonably tough to me. I had a Rancher, the wife's bike is a Rancher, and the neighbors all have Ranchers.

That looks like a fine place to ride a SxS. Not too steep and no trees to ride around.

 

[cfpinz]

I have a '06 Yamaha 660 Grizzly, it's way too fast!! Haven't had any problems with it.

I had the exact same bike and year, and agree it was geared way too fast - even in low range. FWIW, you can catch a whitetail deer with one in an open field...

That was the most top heavy quad I've ever been on, can't tell you how many times I laid it over. Add a 25 gallon sprayer to the back and it was comical, I used to strap a 2' section of railroad rail to the front rack when spraying.