All purpose UTV for farm use?

[nybirdman]

With a S/S you have a bed and can haul a trailer and two people.I have both and my Rhino is used almost every day.I have had very good luck with Yamaha;the new Rhino has power steering,fuel injected and seat three across.Mine has 3500 miles with only spring oil changes and one tire change.

 

[Redneck in training]

What you need is UNIMOG. New will set you back about 100K but you can find used for about 10-15k. It beats UTV in everything, you can even plow with it. And it is highway legal.
https://www.google.com/search?q=UNI...xJ5DskAf7voC4Bg&ved=0CDkQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=784

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/1963-mercedes-benz-unimog-for-sale-on-ebay-47098.html

 

[Gary Fowler]

My brother in law has a Gator (gas ) with manual dump bed (almost useless for dumping unless you are King Kong) and I have the Kubota RTV 900. When trimming limbs, I load them up and just use the hydraulic dump bed to unload them, BIL has to manually unload. The RTV hauls a much heavier load than a Gator and with the hydraulics it dumps anything you put in it with ease. Fuel consumption is very good also with the diesel engine. In low range, it will pull a heavy load almost like a tractor and spin all 4 tires doing it. I wouldn't trade mine for anything else. It has receiver hitches front and rear and I keep ball hitches on each. The winch is really handy for pulling post, dragging out logs and stretching fence wire. I have never had to use it to winch out the buggy. I have the ATV tires on it and they do a good job in the mud. Likely would have been stuck a bunch it I had WS (worksite)tires. I also love the high ceiling of the cab. I always whack my head on the Gator when trying to get in due to the low clearance. The deck is a bit higher than the Gator but not difficult to get into.

 

[aczlan]

We have an RTV500 and like it. It complains a little if you try to pull a fully loaded haywagon (100-150 40-50# bales, so 4000-7500# plus at least 1500# of wagon) uphill in high range, but we love it. The bed is balanced well, so I can stack it with split wood taller than the cab, tie it down and then easily dump it by hand.

I wish the bed was a little bigger. The RTV500 replaced a Toro Workman 2100 (similar to the current Workman MD, picked it up for $1400, ran it for a year and sold it for $2000ish) and the only real loss was in bed size, the Toro had a huge bed on the back.

Aaron Z

 

[DeereMann]

I have a Yamaha Rhino 660 from their 1st model year, 2004. Traded in a Honda 400 Foretrax. This was the start of a true two-person UTV, and I love mine - but - I use it more for woods & field work, not farm. It is made more for the woods than a ranch.

I suggest looking more at the Gator-type or Kubota-type, as they are more suited for ranch work than hunting and backcountry work.

 

[Tkblacktail]

We have an RTV500 and like it. It complains a little if you try to pull a fully loaded haywagon (100-150 40-50# bales, so 4000-7500# plus at least 1500# of wagon) uphill in high range, but we love it. The bed is balanced well, so I can stack it with split wood taller than the cab, tie it down and then easily dump it by hand.

I wish the bed was a little bigger. The RTV500 replaced a Toro Workman 2100 (similar to the current Workman MD, picked it up for $1400, ran it for a year and sold it for $2000ish) and the only real loss was in bed size, the Toro had a huge bed on the back.

Aaron Z

That is amazing!

Our RTV 500 pulls our heaped 6'W 2'H X 12'L fire wood trailer up and down the hills without fail in 2L. The HST in 2L really eases it on the downhills and also pulls it up. The quantifiable aspect of my claim is that when properly-stacked; each trailer-load equals one cord+ of firewood. We get around the "short-bed complex" by using a bed extender which allows three 16" rows (buckboard to aft) of wood pieces. The extender and side boards make a hefty load (4'L X 40"H X 40W").

The RTV gets more valuable each year as I age.

I recently tore-out 6 steps made of 48"L RR crossing assemblies that were bolted together; I set all 6 on the bed of the RTV with my bucket-loader and was able to transport them (future dunnage) to where my firewood decks are located.

Recreation purposes; It is slow on the uphills but has all the speed I want on the flats and downhills.

Thanks to the generous and helpful people in this net, I was able to make the adjustments to the RPM and HST which optimized the performance. :thumbsup:

 

[Xfaxman]

As stated on a previous thread.. I'm just about to purchase a new tractor. That being said, I'm going to need an all purpose UTV for moving stuff. Hay bales, bags of whatever, ducks/chickens/turkeys/geese (wife's pets) when necessary, tree branches, firewood, tools.. You get the picture, haha. I don't plan on having to mill about the woods with it, I have ATVs for that. Strictly for moving stuff and attaching a small trailer to around the property. I don't plan on moving anything over 800-1000 lbs. I have a 10k budget but an extra 2-3k wouldn't make or break the deal. As always, I appreciate any and all responses and send my thanks in advance!

Have you considered one that doesn't use gas or diesel? There are several brands available, I got Polaris because the Dealer is close.

Rated to tow 1400 pounds.


Very stable on side hills and good articulation with the swaybar disconnected.


More info here: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/atvs-utility-vehicles/287792-electric-polaris-ranger.html

 

[Pharm]

What you need is UNIMOG. New will set you back about 100K but you can find used for about 10-15k. It beats UTV in everything, you can even plow with it. And it is highway legal.
https://www.google.com/search?q=UNI...xJ5DskAf7voC4Bg&ved=0CDkQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=784

1963 Mercedes Benz Unimog for Sale on eBay

Yep - that's what I need!

 

[9973720wb19]

An RTV900 is a great work machine. Not fast, but will do what you want and then some...No belt drive is a plus for grunt work.

Agree. Have a RTV900 and it has never not done what I asked it to do.

 

[jimgerken]

One factor that is often overlooked is the rear axle. Consider the implications of owning a machine that can weigh 2500 lbs loaded, with a solid rear axle. Since you are an ATV owner, you know the consequences of this (major turf and trail or driveway damage simply from turning a corner). Many UTVs have solid rear axles, even though they have independent rear suspension. There are a few that have open differentials which are lockable, and of course they are all four wheel drive so you can engage the front wheels too. The Gator 825i and 855 are two that have open and locakable rear differentials. I can drive my 825i around on the lawn all day with Big Horn tires and not do damage, even when cornering really sharp. Some other machines simply make a corner and leave a 1-2 inch deep trench from one or both rear wheels, because they have solid rear axles. Also, the differential equiped machines survive the use of tracks much better than solid rear axle machines, because of greatly reduced stress on the drivetrain.
Your choice, but now you are informed.