UTV Comparisons

[crazyal]

I ended up with a BigRed simply because it was a demo and I got it for $7000. The dealer was in the middle of a city and 90% of it's use was in their parking lot. I wouldn't say it's the best out there but for what I wanted, somewhere in the middle of work and play it fits well.

I like not having a belt but I would love to see Honda use a 5 speed transmission, maybe something like their electric shift over the 3 speed auto. Powerwise witht he stock tires it has impressed me, it is only a 670. I've had the bed loaded with green fire wood and a 4x5 trailer loaded to the hilt with wood while in the middle of the the woods (no solid trail) and it had no problems what so ever. But power is subjective.

 

[Milo]

Mule 610 XC
Pros: Price build quality. And much narrower, will fit where most ATV's do.
Cons: Although the tire size is bigger than the 610, the suspension is still limited. Air cooling fan not protected well. Slow.

Good job on the comparison!

I just wanted to point out the fact that the Mule 610 is substantially narrower than all the others. This can be a huge advantage to some. For instance on our wooded trails which were originally cleared for an ATV our 610 has no problem. A Rhino may fit, the others simply would not.
Of course in more open terrain this wouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[timswi]

Good job on the comparison!

I just wanted to point out the fact that the Mule 610 is substantially narrower than all the others. This can be a huge advantage to some. For instance on our wooded trails which were originally cleared for an ATV our 610 has no problem. A Rhino may fit, the others simply would not.
Of course in more open terrain this wouldn't be an issue at all.

An RTV500 wil also fit on ATV trails. We have them all over the place around here and I rode with the quads and never got into a width issue...My 1100 is another story.

 

[Milo]

An RTV500 wil also fit on ATV trails. We have them all over the place around here and I rode with the quads and never got into a width issue...My 1100 is another story.

Good point. The 610 is 52" wide. The RTV 500 (not listed in this comparison) is only 54.7", less than the next narrowest, Rhino at 56.6".

 

[gauthier]

You can carry a 610 in the back of an 8 ft pickup bed,,and have learned because the wheel base[length] is pretty short,it will go over a pretty good hump with out bottoming out,,still you can haul two people and a pretty good load in back.

Never could figure out why any one,would want to go fast on a utv,,25 mph is plenty fast,,now if you was doing a lot of road riding or in desert or you was a teenager maybe,,but you average person who buys one of these is probably 40-50 years old and just uses it to put around on and maybe haul stuff around.

 

[BrianW]

I have thought of this also. The Ranger Rzr is also narrow at 50" wide, but I did not consider this. I want some work capability. Ranger 400 is fairly narrow at 56.5". It is very tempting because of the top speed, suspension travel, ground clearance, and price.

 

[grnspot110]

I'll stick with my 12 year old 550 Mule! Predecessor of the 610. No, it's not fast (18mph), if I want it to go fast, I'll put it on a trailer. No, it doesn't have the load capacity of the big ones, I'll just make more trips. No, it's not as wide as some, I can use it around the yard easier. And, it only cost me $5000-new & it does what I need it to do! ~~ grnspot110

I might add, at the time I bought it, John Deere & Kawasaki were the only brands available in this area. Even though I grew up with JD & now collect JD garden tractors, I just liked the features better on the Mule! If I were to buy a new one today, it would probably be a Mule!

 

[KentT]

One point that I didn't see discussed is the 4WD system. Based upon how and where you use it, this can be an important factor.

Is each axle open, or lockable? If lockable, how is it locked in -- manual or automatic?

For example, some of the sportier UTVs like a Rhino or Teryx have locked rear axles. You cannot open them. Others like the Mule or Ranger have a "turf mode" that allows you to unlock the rear axle. A locked rear axle not only increases at least the perceived turn radius, it also will really tear up your lawn as it tries to make sharp turns. On the other hand, if it is open and not lockable, one wheel will easily spin while the other does nothing.

The front axle has similar effect. Many of the sportier UTVs have an open front axle that can be fully locked in for short periods of time to pull you over a log or rock. The ones with manual control over this locking (such as the Teryx or Rhino) put the driver in complete control of this feature. Most of the more utility UTVs have an open front axle that either do not lock, or use some kind of automatic locking function. Some of the sportier ones have an automatic-locking front axle, which while easier to use, gives the driver less control over it.

Your needs and intended use will determine how you evaluate and give value to these features.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

You can carry a 610 in the back of an 8 ft pickup bed,,and have learned because the wheel base[length] is pretty short,it will go over a pretty good hump with out bottoming out,,still you can haul two people and a pretty good load in back.

Never could figure out why any one,would want to go fast on a utv,,25 mph is plenty fast,,now if you was doing a lot of road riding or in desert or you was a teenager maybe,,but you average person who buys one of these is probably 40-50 years old and just uses it to put around on and maybe haul stuff around.

Lol.

I bought the teryx for the farm mainly cause of the lack of performance of the glorified golf carts. The suspension, power, and comfort while feeding or checking fences as well as ... Airing it out at 50mph put it on my radar. The cab of the kubota was a rough one to pass up, but with both feet far from the grave at 38 I couldn't stand driving it.

 

[jcummins]

Lol.

I bought the teryx for the farm mainly cause of the lack of performance of the glorified golf carts. The suspension, power, and comfort while feeding or checking fences as well as ... Airing it out at 50mph put it on my radar. The cab of the kubota was a rough one to pass up, but with both feet far from the grave at 38 I couldn't stand driving it.

I'm 68....and I feel the same way...got 1800+ miles on it now mainly farm use. The others feel like a school bus.

 

[KentT]

I'm 68....and I feel the same way...got 1800+ miles on it now mainly farm use. The others feel like a school bus.

I'm 58, with a Rhino 450, and how found out that I have a blast riding the ATV trails with it. Climbing a bank, just because you can, can be fun sometimes! :thumbsup: I've put a few performance parts on it, and it'll run 41-42 MPH on smooth, relatively flat surfaces. Yet, I still take full advantage of its utility, dump bed, towing capacity, etc... I call it "my redneck golf cart"... :laughing:

 

[crazyal]

One point that I didn't see discussed is the 4WD system. Based upon how and where you use it, this can be an important factor.

Is each axle open, or lockable? If lockable, how is it locked in -- manual or automatic?

For example, some of the sportier UTVs like a Rhino or Teryx have locked rear axles. You cannot open them. Others like the Mule or Ranger have a "turf mode" that allows you to unlock the rear axle. A locked rear axle not only increases at least the perceived turn radius, it also will really tear up your lawn as it tries to make sharp turns. On the other hand, if it is open and not lockable, one wheel will easily spin while the other does nothing.

The front axle has similar effect. Many of the sportier UTVs have an open front axle that can be fully locked in for short periods of time to pull you over a log or rock. The ones with manual control over this locking (such as the Teryx or Rhino) put the driver in complete control of this feature. Most of the more utility UTVs have an open front axle that either do not lock, or use some kind of automatic locking function. Some of the sportier ones have an automatic-locking front axle, which while easier to use, gives the driver less control over it.

Your needs and intended use will determine how you evaluate and give value to these features.

The Big Red allows you to have an open rear axle, solid rear axle and open front axle, or both axles solid. I don't think I would buy a UTV if you couldn't have either an open rear or solid front.

Another thing I would look for is how fast in reverse. The BR is painfully slow with a rev limiter. I had to wire in an override to defeat it. With UTVs being as heavy as they are it's too easy to stick your front wheels into something a little deeper or softer than you would like. You need to really spin them wheels and clean the mud out of them to get yourself back out of it.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

if your gonna use the rhino for work i would beaf it up some. just got mine out the shop with both drivers side mounts broken. seems that they don't hold up to the engine torque all i put in it was a new belt and a epi clutch kit with the white spring it's called the mudders kit. i have some 26" outlaws that i use for mud and i run my 25"mudlite xl's for everyday. it won't hold much in the bed but it will pull a nice load just watch the mouts if you modifie the clutch.

 

[KentT]

Interestingly, I received an email link to a survey from Jon Emmett at PowersportsConnect this morning, asking for feedback on how we UTV owners use our machines and how important an unlocking rear diffential is to us...

 

[Milo]

To me at least, an unlocking rear is pretty important. In fact my Mule's diff is left unlocked practically all the time. It's nice that it can be locked though. The limited slip works just fine in the front.

 

[jcummins]

Interestingly, I received an email link to a survey from Jon Emmett at PowersportsConnect this morning, asking for feedback on how we UTV owners use our machines and how important an unlocking rear diffential is to us...

I have to admit there are times I wish this Teryx had the rear unlock. You can denude your yard in short order if not careful. On the ranch though, it's never an issue.