ATV advice

[blackdog2086]

Just watched this the other day. After having owned quite a few over the years I tend to mostly agree with the opinions on the video.

 

[nybirdman]

Having owned the top four;pretty much agree but Yamaha has the best transmission and four wheel drive system.
Currently own 2016 and 2020 Yamaha's.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Yamaha is the best to me from my 40+ years of owning, riding and with several friends having all the other brands.
Honda I rate #2.

Now with that said, CFMoto seems to be an up and coming brand. The local Yamaha/Honda/CFMoto dealer convinced me to try a barely used 2018 CFMoto 500S for my son and at about 400 miles, it has been near flawless.
It is a near clone to the wife's 2019 Yamaha Grizzly in function and operation. It doesn't turn as sharp or ride as smooth but it's close. Supposedly the 2020 and newer models are improved in those areas. For 2-3K less, they deserve a look.

 

[dfkrug]

Just watched this the other day. After having owned quite a few over the years I tend to mostly agree with the opinions on the video.

I don't have any problem with that ranking for reliability in that vid. I don't go by testimonials or news reports of problems; my own opinions are based on working on these brands.

There is also the key difference in use paradigms: tool or toy? I suspect that there are more ATVs used as tools on ranches, farms, and large off-road areas, vs. as toys riding trails or doing mud-bogs.

In the rare times that I have just rode long trails, I really prefer a light and powerful manual 2WD sporty quad, like Yam Warrior/Raptor, or a Honda TRX400, or the LTZ/KFZ/DVX400. Utility quads, not so much.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Shame, the Industry doesn't sort them out better (reclassify them) as for usage.

 

[ArlyA]

I operated atv's and utv's purely has work/tow machines for thousands of hours and worked them so hard, they were worn out in about 5 years. Having said that, doesn't seem like very many folks here use them for work.

 

[nybirdman]

I operated atv's and utv's purely has work/tow machines for thousands of hours and worked them so hard, they were worn out in about 5 years. Having said that, doesn't seem like very many folks here use them for work.

My Yamaha sidexsides are used 80% for my business,my ATV works as a snow-plow in winter,sprayer in spring + some plantings.

 

[Freep]

Having explored a bit further... the Honda Pioneer 500 seems pretty comparable to the Rancher and costs only $2k more. Would the extra 400 lbs of the UTV (1200lbs, with me on it, compared to 800lbs with me on the ATV) make a significant difference in terms of 'floating' on moist soil vs. digging in? It seems like it would, but I have no personal experience. Would be cool to take one of the kids with me, all things being equal.

 

[ArlyA]

If you'd like a cargo box and low PSI, you should look at a 6x6.

 

[blackdog2086]

Having explored a bit further... the Honda Pioneer 500 seems pretty comparable to the Rancher and costs only $2k more. Would the extra 400 lbs of the UTV (1200lbs, with me on it, compared to 800lbs with me on the ATV) make a significant difference in terms of 'floating' on moist soil vs. digging in? It seems like it would, but I have no personal experience. Would be cool to take one of the kids with me, all things being equal.

I would look at the new Honda Pioneer 520 over the 500. The biggest complaint people had with the 500 is there was no dump bed which is something the 520 corrected. It's pretty hard to go wrong with any of the Japanese brands when it comes to reliability. I currently have both a 2003 Rincon 650 atv and a 2016 Pioneer 1000 side by side. They've both been great and gotten lots of hard use. Biggest plus in my book for the Honda's are the gear transmissions rather than CVT belts.