2009 Polaris XP

[barneyrb]

I just bought a 2009 Polaris XP. So far I am very happy with this machine as it will be my primary hunting buggy and also for some light work. Any reports good or bad on this machine? Has anyone bought a top hard or soft? Windshield?

 

[bmac]

I picked up the same thing weekend before last to replace a 500 Sportsman. I think it will be a much more useful work vehicle around here. And, now my son doesn't complain about taking the garbage out to the street.

I used mine last weekend to help at a local high school band competition. We towed trailers loaded with band equipment from the staging area down to the field and back. On one trip, I had to laugh as the guy in front of me was pulling a trailer with a Gator. There was this little hill and the Gator could not make it up the incline. Some students had to get out and push. The Ranger made it up in One Wheel Drive with no trouble.

Now, I'm not bashing Gators or making any generalizations because of this one incident. He may have been towing a heavier trailer - I don't know. But, ladies at the top of the hill gave me a standing O for cruising up unassisted.

I'll be interested to read replies about cabs and windshields. I see potential for mucho $$$ in mods with these things.

 

[jcmseven]

Bmac,

What kind of Gator? I could see this with a 4x2 or a 6x4 but my XUV can pull a 3000# 22' 14K utility trailer up our rutted 300' driveway with a 20% pitch. I doubt the band equipment weighed more than this (nor do a recommend towing this much weight with either a Gator or a Ranger for safety reasons).

John M

 

[bmac]

Bmac,

What kind of Gator? I could see this with a 4x2 or a 6x4 but my XUV can pull a 3000# 22' 14K utility trailer up our rutted 300' driveway with a 20% pitch. I doubt the band equipment weighed more than this (nor do a recommend towing this much weight with either a Gator or a Ranger for safety reasons).

John M

John,

I'm not sure but I think it was a 4x2. Again, I was just offering what I thought was a humorous anecdote for this new Ranger owner to kind of pump him up about his new purchase. No disprespect to Gators or their owners. I always thought that Gators were more of a workhorse than the Ranger, Mule, Rhino, etc. I was surprised to see it labor under what I would call routine use.

 

[nmu98]

I picked up the same thing weekend before last to replace a 500 Sportsman. I think it will be a much more useful work vehicle around here. And, now my son doesn't complain about taking the garbage out to the street.

I used mine last weekend to help at a local high school band competition. We towed trailers loaded with band equipment from the staging area down to the field and back. On one trip, I had to laugh as the guy in front of me was pulling a trailer with a Gator. There was this little hill and the Gator could not make it up the incline. Some students had to get out and push. The Ranger made it up in One Wheel Drive with no trouble.

Now, I'm not bashing Gators or making any generalizations because of this one incident. He may have been towing a heavier trailer - I don't know. But, ladies at the top of the hill gave me a standing O for cruising up unassisted.

I'll be interested to read replies about cabs and windshields. I see potential for mucho $$$ in mods with these things.

OMG, your Ranger must have super powers to make it up a hill in one wheel drive that a Gator could not make it up at all. What color is it? Does it glow at night. Did you pound your chest when you made it up the hill. Did any of the ladies cheering throw themselves at you and offer up threesomes?

I have to get a ranger.....

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

yea that must have been a super power ranger like you said.lol even a 4x2 gator should have been able to pull a load up a hill. i seen ranger squat to the ground with a few ice chest in the bed and a few guys in the front seats and i pass by with almost 12 people packed into my hpx just a truckin on by. them rangers are nice but if you load them up they squat so low they nearly scrape the ground. i still would like to see one with a true 1klbs in the bed.

 

[barneyrb]

OMG, your Ranger must have super powers to make it up a hill in one wheel drive that a Gator could not make it up at all. What color is it? Does it glow at night. Did you pound your chest when you made it up the hill. Did any of the ladies cheering throw themselves at you and offer up threesomes?

I have to get a ranger.....

Dang, you mean that ladies will be throwing themselves at me now? Another added benifit of owning a Ranger

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i'm sure he was only joking.

 

[bmac]

This is really uncalled for, bmac isn't someone prone to provoking controversy just to cause a fight, if he said it happened it probably did.

Thanks for the kind words and support, turbo.

To TommyHPX4x4 and nmu98, I 'm sorry that you were offended by my little story. However, if you would actually read the entirity of both of my first two posts, you would have seen that I specifically stated that I was not making any generalizations about Gators in general, that I've always held Gators in high esteem as a work vehicle (more so than Rangers, etc), and that I was merely offering encouragement to a new Ranger owner.

However, the story is, indeed, true. I don't have an explanation for why, on this occassion, one of your beloved machines failed to perform as expected. But, it did. And were I a Gator owner, I don't think I'd lose much sleep over it.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i wasn't offended. there must have been something wronge with the gator for it to not be able to pull the load but why would that offend me?? mine pulls anything i hook to it my problem is traction if i get enough traction i can pull it other wise i spin the tires. i never burned a belt and i have 589's so i know the belt system is strong . better than 6klbs right here and it didn't even know it was back there.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Maybe the gator dude failed to put it in LOW range.

The old gators had smallish Briggs or Kohler engines if I recall. Maybe only a 10 HP?

Anyhow, post some pics of your new ranger bfore your son gets it really dirty.

 

[nmu98]

Dang, you mean that ladies will be throwing themselves at me now? Another added benifit of owning a Ranger

Dunno, but it sounds like your gonna need all the help you can get.

Thanks for the kind words and support, turbo.

To TommyHPX4x4 and nmu98, I 'm sorry that you were offended by my little story. However, if you would actually read the entirity of both of my first two posts, you would have seen that I specifically stated that I was not making any generalizations about Gators in general, that I've always held Gators in high esteem as a work vehicle (more so than Rangers, etc), and that I was merely offering encouragement to a new Ranger owner.

However, the story is, indeed, true. I don't have an explanation for why, on this occassion, one of your beloved machines failed to perform as expected. But, it did. And were I a Gator owner, I don't think I'd lose much sleep over it.

I read both your posts. I was not offended by your little story. I just think you have a weird way of offering encouragement to a new ranger owner. Most people would say how they too have one and really like it. your post would have been spot on, less you little story of how another brand failed in fromt of you and you walked right over it. There was nothing else to your little story than to try to get under someones skin, because it did not show any encouragement to anything.

I do like the fact that it brought a little life to the Utility Vehicle section. As i did not lose much sleep over my Gator that might not make it up a hill, I assumed you would not lose much sleep over my post, making fun of your screwy way of offering encouragement to your fellow ranger owner.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

yea it fired us up it was getting bored in here . thanks for makin us laugh.lol now go give that gator dude some drivin lessons.

 

[barneyrb]

Dunno, but it sounds like your gonna need all the help you can get.



Don't need help there... been married too long and it would be VERY EXPENSIVE to get rid of the one I have. Here in Louisiana it is supposed to be a 50/50 split in a divorce but my buddy thinks 90/10 is more accurate.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

man you in louisiana too? where you at man?? i'm way down here.

 

[bmac]

There was nothing else to your little story than to try to get under someones skin, because it did not show any encouragement to anything.

I assumed you would not lose much sleep over my post, making fun of your screwy way of offering encouragement to your fellow ranger owner.

One thing I've always appreciated about this forum is that there is very little bickering and most folks come here to learn, help one another, share life experiences, etc. Though not as active on this site as I used to be, I've been around for awhile and the tenor of the conversations have not changed much over the years - its a refreshing change from some of the sites I've participated in.

The forum has prospered over the years. Lots of folks have come aboard since I joined in 2002. Most I'm not familiar with due in large part because I don't spend as much time here as I used to and when I do visit, its mostly in the Rural Living section.

So, its no surprise, nmu98, that I don't know you. Accordingly, I took a few minutes to browse many of your recent posts to learn a little more about you. My conclusion, after this short review of yur posts, is that you know your stuff about tractors, you seem to be very helpful to those with questions, and it seems that you bleed John Deere Green. Again, conclusions made after reviewing some of your posts - nothing more. But, you seem like a good guy.

Similarly, you don't know me. So, for you to state that you know what my intentions were with my story (to try to get under someones skin) is just silly. You can't know my intentions because you don't know me. Feel free to review my posts - see if you can find one in which you feel I was trying to instigate something, to provoke an arguement, to disrespect someone or their property. I don't think you will come up with anything that would show a history or pattern of me trying to rile someone.

And, therefore, I'm not going to start now. You obviously have some sensitivities about the John Deere brand (or Gators specifically) and I don't want to say anything to inflame those. The next time, the story will read something to the the effect of " there was a utility vehicle of unspecified brand in front of me..."

Sleep well.

 

[nmu98]

One thing ...................

If I bleed green, its from too much Mountain Dew I own more International tractors than I do Deere ones. All the new ones, (the tiny ones) are green because of Dealers.

Long story short, I bought my gator xuv from a guy who was going to lose his house, and sold it dirt cheap. I really wanted a Polaris only because it has a bench seat. It would fit my wife and 2 kids, and the kids could be belted in.

If i was not on a farm, there would be no way I would buy a gator, because the fun factor I would like is not there. The polaris and others are faster and more nimble.

But, your "Story" was pretty hard to believe, and your comment on trying to encourage a fellow owner was off color... And i do not mean that it was not green


So at the end of this... I would love to see this section have more activity than a post a day... And you gave me a chance to mess around. Glad you did not take it personally, as I did not either, it was all fun, and no one got hurt.

Except Tommy, but he is a little slow... his gator only does 30

 

[Dargo]

Being that I like pretty well all of the side by side units but currently own only one, if you guys want to donate one of each to me I'll be glad to do unbiased tests and report the findings. Heck, I like them all so well that I'll even keep whichever unit seems to test out the worst.

 

[nmu98]

You drive a few hours north and you can take mine and put it through its paces...