Polaris 500 - Observations

[AMR]

Well, in my other thread I was asking about machines and Polaris did not rank very high, that is pretty consistent with a lot of the research I did with local dealers. Needless to say, I ended up buying a 2004.5 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. It had stuff I was looking for, IRS, 500 CC, and lots of ground clearance, so for $4,000 out the door I got the machine with just under 20 hours and it included a warn winch and back seat thingy with fender things and pegs, included service before it left the dealer.

I put 4 hours on it this weekend, without much experience to compare it to I can still say that I had a blast! WOW, awesome, it rocks. I hammered around the yard with it making new trails, driving over saplings, going through mud that bottomed it out, crazy fun. I did not have trouble this weekend and hope I don't. I will keep you posted on my adventures with it when I can put some real time on it.

Like a lot have set it take a little to warm it up, Sunday it was about 32 F when I started it and it took a couple times to get it to run smooth.

A funny story, I got it home Saturday and sat in the bed of my truck trying to start it. It started and ran for about 3 minutes. I got on it and it stopped. I tried to start it for about a half hour, tried, tried, tried, tried. I was fired up ready to drive it back to the dealer, thinking yup, just like people said, then I realized, gas was off! I put about 300 hours worth of wear on the starter.

 

[kenmac]

Well, in my other thread I was asking about machines and Polaris did not rank very high, that is pretty consistent with a lot of the research I did with local dealers. Needless to say, I ended up buying a 2004.5 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. It had stuff I was looking for, IRS, 500 CC, and lots of ground clearance, so for $4,000 out the door I got the machine with just under 20 hours and it included a warn winch and back seat thingy with fender things and pegs, included service before it left the dealer.

I put 4 hours on it this weekend, without much experience to compare it to I can still say that I had a blast! WOW, awesome, it rocks. I hammered around the yard with it making new trails, driving over saplings, going through mud that bottomed it out, crazy fun. I did not have trouble this weekend and hope I don't. I will keep you posted on my adventures with it when I can put some real time on it.

Like a lot have set it take a little to warm it up, Sunday it was about 32 F when I started it and it took a couple times to get it to run smooth.

A funny story, I got it home Saturday and sat in the bed of my truck trying to start it. It started and ran for about 3 minutes. I got on it and it stopped. I tried to start it for about a half hour, tried, tried, tried, tried. I was fired up ready to drive it back to the dealer, thinking yup, just like people said, then I realized, gas was off! I put about 300 hours worth of wear on the starter.

My opinion , you didn't go wrong with polaris . My next atv will be another polaris.If polaris didn't/ don't rank very high , why are they still in business ? If you sell junk. You won't b in business very long. Remember, when you change oil polaris recommends for synthetic oil. I use Amsoil in both of mine. predator 500 & the sportsman 400

 

[wallace]

I have had 6 polaris machines and never had any major issues..
I just purchase 2 more this past winter, I got the new Sportsman 500 touring and I bought my daughter a little pink Preaditor.
My machines are mostly trail ridden even though I have a Scrambler 400 and 500 we just trail ride them.
If those who said they are not good maybe they are ridding beyond the limits of the machine.
I don't know.
One thing I do know is I will buy another Polaris again and again.
Very happy.

1999 scrambler 400
2001 scrambler 500
2008 preditor 250
2008 sportsman 500 touring
2005 Bush Hog 90 (scrambler clone)

 

[bake321]

I have a 98 that has been used and abused and just keeps going. Mine has done far more ranch work then trails. I am embarrassed to even mention the lack of maintenance. I will always buy Polaris.

Bake

 

[offroadr]

I have a 99 500 that I use for hunting and food plot work. I agree with Bake it just goes and goes, I use mine hard!

 

[RedDog]

I have to agree with the other posters. I purchased my Sportsman 500 new in 98, and will guarantee it will fire up.


I wouldn't mind selling it for a Ranger dump bed.

 

[Hammy]

I'm not sure why the research you read had Polaris ranked low. They always seem to do well in the magazine write ups. I have a 2005 Sportsman 800 and absolutely love it. Its a working machine. I've plowed my 1800' gravel driveway with it for the past 3 years. It takes a beating but doesn't skip a beat.

You'll love yours. If I were out looking for another machine tomorrow, it would be a Polaris.


Craig

 

[AMR]

Yup, I agree with all of your comments here, the Polaris has been a fantastic quad for me so far, I love it. I have been running it for only 2 weeks and a whopping total of 11 hours but it has started flawlessly and run flawlessly. I am not so timid as I was when I was first on it so I feel much more comfortable with it, that makes a big difference. One thing I have learned is that it requires NO choke to start, just turn the key at any temperature and off she goes.

 

[kenmac]

as I mentioned in your other post ( when you were askins about what to buy). To go with polaris. The others were talking about so many problems that they had heard that polaris had. I own 2 and have had no problems to mention & we ride through mud so deep that the racks get covered. I have replaced a CV boot once belt once. This is due to the mud ridding. The polaris all wheel drive can't be beat.


You won't be disappointed with your polaris 500

 

[johnk]

The only thing I didn't like about the older Polaris' is that they have so many grease fittings. The Honda I just sold w/ over 2000 miles didn't have any and I beat the livin heck out of it. If I went through a puddle with a Polaris I would worry that it needs grease. They may have changed from a few years ago. though. They are all good machines as long as they are a brand name. Can't beat technology I guess. My old Honda foreman 450ES...Bought a new Rubicon. I like the straight axle in the rear. I use mine mostly for working the heck out of them. The IRS traversing hills is scary to me. Lots of pics on my website of some great Quadding...


http://homepages.roadrunner.com/outdoorsman/

 

[john_bud]

Buddy bought a 400 polaris last year. Lots of power. He uses it to plow back to the 40 across about 3/4 mile of easement road.

jb

 

[Dargo]

If you sell junk. You won't b in business very long.

I dunno. Hardly Freight certainly sells junk and they are still in business.

I've never owned a Polaris so I cannot speak first hand about them. Two of my attorneys have had them and were extremely displeased with their reliability. One of the attorneys made Polaris buy one of them back. The other just took his beating and bought a Honda and has been happy ever since. To be honest, I got tired of hearing about their Polaris troubles each time I saw them. I'm glad they got different machines to make our friendship easier. I have no idea what the multitude of problems they had were and, for this thread, it would be a moot issue to open the proverbial can of worms and ask them.

 

[kenmac]

The only thing I didn't like about the older Polaris' is that they have so many grease fittings. The Honda I just sold w/ over 2000 miles didn't have any and I beat the livin heck out of it. If I went through a puddle with a Polaris I would worry that it needs grease. They may have changed from a few years ago. though. They are all good machines as long as they are a brand name. Can't beat technology I guess. My old Honda foreman 450ES...Bought a new Rubicon. I like the straight axle in the rear. I use mine mostly for working the heck out of them. The IRS traversing hills is scary to me. Lots of pics on my website of some great Quadding...


http://homepages.roadrunner.com/outdoorsman/

I believe my polaris has 4 grease fittings

 

[kenmac]

I dunno. Hardly Freight certainly sells junk and they are still in business.

I've never owned a Polaris so I cannot speak first hand about them. Two of my attorneys have had them and were extremely displeased with their reliability. One of the attorneys made Polaris buy one of them back. The other just took his beating and bought a Honda and has been happy ever since. To be honest, I got tired of hearing about their Polaris troubles each time I saw them. I'm glad they got different machines to make our friendship easier. I have no idea what the multitude of problems they had were and, for this thread, it would be a moot issue to open the proverbial can of worms and ask them.

That's Not fair. H.F. offers life time warranty on their tools . That's better than any A.T.V. manfacture. Dargo, I'll tell you the secret to keep a polaris trouble free..........AMSOIL........ I'll admit that, you can purchase a bad product from vehicles , to tractors to RTV'S, ATV'S,etc, Anything man/women made is subject to give problems

 

[Dargo]

That's Not fair. H.F. offers life time warranty on their tools . That's better than any A.T.V. manfacture. Dargo, I'll tell you the secret to keep a polaris trouble free..........AMSOIL..

With some people even using the word "Amsoil" sets them off on a temper tantrum spouting off about rigged test results, multi-level marketing, bla, bla. Personally, I think they make a darn good product. Now, with Horrible Freight, that's a different issue. Very, very few items I've purchased there that were not name brand items have lasted past their very first use. With me, my time is of some value to me. I have absolutely no intention of running back to H.F. twenty times a month and spending more on fuel than the stupid junk Chinese parts cost.

 

[johnk]

I believe my polaris has 4 grease fittings

If you have an older Sportsman you better find the other 34 or something will seize up.....

 

[kenmac]

If you have an older Sportsman you better find the other 34 or something will seize up.....

mine is an 05 mod.sportsman... Even my 05 Predator 500 only has about 4


guess I'am lucky

 

[johnk]

I'm thinking like the late 90's early 2000 Sportsmans had all those fittings.. The IRS is nice for certain kinds of riding but for traversing hills etc I'll take a straight back axle anyday. Kind of a personal preference thing like HST or gear tractor. The only thing I don't like about all the new stuff is how big and topheavy a lot of the utility quads are getting. I might as well try driving my Ford 250 through the woods..In a few more years you'll be seeing 1500 CC engines out there that the government will start putting a tax on becauise they use too much gas or pollute the enviroment. Thanks for letting me rant...

 

[kenmac]

The polaris is sure is heavy enough. I like the independent suspension for the mud ridding. When you go off in a large mud hole , You have no idea what you are getting into some times. A friend that just started ridding with all us polaris guys brought out a new kawasaki 700. The 1 st thing he did was turn it over in a large mud hole. I don't think his kawasaki is as stable as our polaris'.

 

[kenmac]

I forgot to add that what helps mine as far as being stable is the fact that I have 12'' wide mud tires