UTILITY VEHICLE PRICING COMPARISON & ADVICE

[coobie]

I don't know if this helps, but I wanted to raise some points to be sure things are kept in perspective.

It sounds like in your situation, very steep grades are experienced, which is not everyone's situation. Both Gen1 and Gen2 RTVs have a low range that allows for extreme pulling. Once I had to pull a 1,000 lb trailer loaded with 1,600 pounds of hay through soft ground - so soft that the trailer wheels left 12 inch ruts. My bro-in-law's jaw was on the floor afterwards and he was boasting to everyone. Moral: if pulling or traversing steep inclines, use low range. The second part of that is to have good tires. Just like on a car, tires can be the difference between getting stuck or not, or climbing or spinning.

The factory puts on some OK tires. Not useful in all circumstances. When mine wore out, for both RTVs I have owned, I installed some slightly larger 26x12x12 tires, but much more aggressive. You would do that same with an ATV if you have challenging conditions. The ones I used behave like tractor tires: GBC AR1202. They give me more flotation and much greater traction.

The last issue is transmission. For both of the RTVs I purchased, they came from the dealer with bad transmission settings. #1 was stopping so fast that my passengers often put their hands on the dashboard. After 6 months I was about to dump the machine but with internet searches, I discovered and relaxed that setting. #2 was set so that the engine revs were not matched up with transmission output. Basically idle and revs were too high for the speed. On the contrary, the adjustments could be just the opposite, not allowing engine RPMs to be high enough to deliver enough torque for the ground speed. Again, I did my own discovery to adjust and correct mine, making it much more practical. Dealer mechanics or salesmen may not always know what options are available - they only follow instructions they are given.

I agree with the abrupt stopping.Installed a coast valve which smoothed out the stops.I also changed out my tires to more aggressive ones which also helped with mud/snow plowing..Low gear up a steep hill is the only way to go.Most folks want to stay in high gear and mash the gas pedal with the RTV that does not work.

 

[CaverDave]

Was in the same boat back in the summer... 88 acres and both my offroad 1972 Commando (broken since June) or 2004 F350 4x4 C&C w/ flatbed (too big and won't climb the hills) were "no-go's".

Didn't want a payment or "sport" model anything and on the advice of numerous folks (including the manager of a rental fleet in WV that couldn't keep their Polaris fleet out of the shop long enough to actually rent them) went with a 2016 Yamaha Viking... FI 700cc, pushbutton axle engagement, dump bed (combo steel lined/plastic clad) and seats 3 across (which was important to carry our mutts or visitors).
Installed a 5K# winch (for use + future snow plow), LED backup lights, seat covers, and a windshield (was a tossup as which I hated worse... cold/rain at any speed or spider webs across the face ).
Will haul as much as the bed will hold (dirt/gravel/firewood), but will squat to the ground (will install cheap PVC spring spacers to assist in the rear).
The only real drawback is the width... as wide as my Jeep, which just means I need to groom the vegetation back on the wooded trails.

 

[woodlandfarms]

The Polaris RZR is a sport machine. What was its problem on steep hills??

In a slower "farm application" (not trying to get up the hills quickly) the belts proved problematic. We switched to a variety of brands but they didn't engage very well. On top of it, the implementation of 4WD on the RZR is kind of garbage. Usually kicked in at the wrong moments.

 

[RancherGuy]

These high losses and low top speed, is why we won't get one and hydro transmissions failed in the world of snow grooming.

What have you tried and what do you use now? Personal or commercial use?

 

[ArlyA]

We own a cvt transmission machine which is a Polaris 6x6 and the grooming world who uses atv's and utv's are pretty much all CVT machines. I've operated these machines at work mostly. The'ye not perfect, but they do work.

 

[RancherGuy]

We own a cvt transmission machine which is a Polaris 6x6 and the grooming world who uses atv's and utv's are pretty much all CVT machines. I've operated these machines at work mostly. The'ye not perfect, but they do work.

... so you're saying that you've no experience with hydrostatic utility vehicles within the past 20 years? Just asking because your prior statements about power, exaggerated loss percentages and practicality of designs seem like it. If you prefer the machines you have used, then say so; no sense trying to put down other designs or other brands for imaginary reasons. I like the fact that I own a machine that may last me 20 years with little or no repair/replacement maintenance, and has a record of no downtime in the past 5 years of daily use. Money in the bank for me.

 

[ArlyA]

I

... so you're saying that you've no experience with hydrostatic utility vehicles within the past 20 years? Just asking because your prior statements about power, exaggerated loss percentages and practicality of designs seem like it. If you prefer the machines you have used, then say so; no sense trying to put down other designs or other brands for imaginary reasons. I like the fact that I own a machine that may last me 20 years with little or no repair/replacement maintenance, and has a record of no downtime in the past 5 years of daily use. Money in the bank for me.

I have operated Pisten Bully Paana, PB-100 and a trail bully 400 which are all hydrostatic. I was not tring to degrade any machine you might like.

 

[coobie]

... so you're saying that you've no experience with hydrostatic utility vehicles within the past 20 years? Just asking because your prior statements about power, exaggerated loss percentages and practicality of designs seem like it. If you prefer the machines you have used, then say so; no sense trying to put down other designs or other brands for imaginary reasons. I like the fact that I own a machine that may last me 20 years with little or no repair/replacement maintenance, and has a record of no downtime in the past 5 years of daily use. Money in the bank for me.

You know what they say about opinions.

 

[GE7EA]

Around here most find them too heavy and underpowered and I'm not sure if it's lack of engine hp vs weight, or power loss from the hydro? Maybe both? I think the stiffer work suspension impedes climbing as well. In 2018 the power company here made a deal with Kubota to buy 4 RTV's for various tasks including right of way maintenance. The units were run through the local Kubota/Polaris/Can Am dealer for PDI and delivery, the manager there said Kubota paid them $200 per unit. Within a few days the line foreman and and another representative from the power company were back saying the RTV's weren't working because they couldn't even make it up many of the same hills their previous ATV's did. A Kubota rep was brought in to go out with them along with the sales manager and both agreed. The RTV's didn't have enough speed to get a good run or power to maintain the speed they had when things got steep, adding to the problem their wheels hopped and lost traction on rough stuff.
Kubota took them back and the dealer sent out a Polaris Ranger to try. The Ranger worked fine and had no problem making it up the right of ways so the power company bought Rangers.
I'm not saying this is necessarily a hydrostatic problem because I imagine the power company would have had similar result had they tried Mule 4010, just not enough speed, power, and suspension, for climbing hills.

That's good to know. I actually went and looked at a Mule over the weekend. Didn't drive it, which my terrain would be hard to simulate anywhere near a dealership. Appreciate the feedback.

 

[GE7EA]

My 2cents. We have a Kubota RTVx900 and a Polaris RZR 900. I have to say I did NOT like the CVT on the RZR, and because of this we sold it. It was fun as heck to drive around, but had no practicality as a farm vehicle. Also the CVT was a problem. We live on steep property and it was a problem. The RTVx900 is a beast. It is heavy, and with the right tires pretty unstopable. But it has some huge problems that would make me not buy another one either. It is slow. Painfully slow. It will go up any hill you ask it, but it won't do it fast. We are talking 5mph slow. Its all due to the transmission (Hydrostatic) they put in the machine. Terrible choice. But it is diesel, we bough ours used from a flower farm and honestly we drove a brand new one around and couldn't tell the difference, they ar solid as a tank. If i were to buy another machine it would / will be the Honda Pioneer 1000-5. That said, the local dealer told me to come back in 2023.

I hear you on the come back in 2023. Went to a dealership to see if I could put my eyes on one this weekend and the four in the showroom had SOLD stickers on them. I was able to see a Kawasaki Mule 4010. Apparently the entire US has been stimulated to get outdoors......