Ranger VS Gator XUV

[aesanders]

we used Polaris Sportsman 500's, and a newer '04 Ranger. We used these to the extreme over rough terrain (often times worked ground), and in the dead of winter when the ground was frozen. We were constantly taking the 500's in for repair & service.

And that is the problem with this scenario. You base everything on one set of experiences without having something to compare it with.

Say you had a John Deere gator instead of the Ranger. It too may have had issues under the extreme conditions you were using these under. Or maybe no body would have wanted to use it since it took twice as long to do the work. Unless you having something else in the same situation that outperformed tgheother product it is all speculation.

Ny the way, my brother has had a Polaris for 10+ years that he works on his farm pretty hard. never any issues. So as with any company you have some machines with issues and some without.

 

[gordon21]

OK guys, who is Polaris?? I did a quick Google search using the words Polaris and UTV and nothing came up that sent me in any direction to find the company. I vaguely remember them making 2nd tier snowmobiles years ago but that is it. There were a couple links to people selling accessories and that was it.

Is the company actually named Polaris??? I went on line to see if there was a web site and where the nearest dealer might be.

The only UTV brands I have seen around here being sold are Kawasaki, JD, Yamaha and Bristors. It seems to be almost 90% Mules and Gators.

 

[Skipholiday]

OK guys, who is Polaris?? I did a quick Google search using the words Polaris and UTV and nothing came up that sent me in any direction to find the company.
Is the company actually named Polaris???

Keyword Polaris #1, 2, and 3 in list

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

I dont have any problem DUDE. I am not starting any trouble, are you a moderator? What defects are you talking about? Have you driven an xuv, how can you make judgements by looking at something? It seems that you had trouble on this forum before with other people. I am here to learn from people. Just because I just joined doesnt mean I cant say what I think.

i have 15 years welding and fitting experience most of my welds are x-rayd for pipe line (b-31) i built offshore cranes / offshore boats crew boats . drilling rigs . i have been a foreman and pushed welding crews converting a ship over to a oil driilling srip for diamond offshore oil company at atlantic marine in tilmans corner in alabama . i built offshore platforms too for production platforms and drilling platforms . so i would say yes i am pretty qualified to look at something and say it's "weak" or say the welds aren't done right. after all i was a welding foreman and a fitting foreman .. so you asked how can i make judements by looking at something thats how . you can say what you think that is what we all do but don't say that i said something i didn't say.and don't try to say you went back and read my old post because if you did you would have known that i was a welder/fitter for alot of years .i'm certified to weld with everything but heiliarc. i was messing around with it when i got injured but never got certified in it. but everything else like short arc/ fluxcore/ 90 k2 /stick/ i got my papers on all them.now i like john deere and i. like the hpx but i will still stick by what i say about the xuv when i say that the lower rearend is to weak for the rest of the frame and all them welds should have been sealed instead of just tacked on the top and bottom . when the mud gets in there it's gonna rust from the inside out not to mention it's gonna add a few more pounds to the rearend too when all the tubing gets filed with mud .if anyone was smart they would take and run a bead of weld around the tubes and seal them off or if they don't wanna weld it run a bead of sylicone . but them thigns being not sela is bad news.oh i forgot i built offshore cranes too thats when i got hurt. lol remember i live next to the gulf so alot of my work was offshore or had to do with the water.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

Keyword Polaris #1, 2, and 3 in list

das a good one skip .i usaualy just pop in polaris atvs

 

[gordon21]

I found the site. Thanks. The nearest dealers are an hour or more away and from a quick glance the Ranger appears to be more of a Rhino clone than a Gator clone. Their website offers direct comparisons to other UTV's except JD. That's kinda surprising since they would beat JD on speed and HP. You would think they would play that up for their brand.

I was curious since I have never seen one, nor has anyone in my area mentioned owning one. Since the dealers are far away, that explains it. Most people will buy something less than an hours drive if there are other choices. The list prices seem to be the same as JD.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i would like to see a ranger and a xuv or hpx hooked up together and see who could drag who. i know the hpx can drag the rhino but i wonder about the ranger??it would be interesting. does anyone have some buddies with one??

 

[Skipholiday]

Their website offers direct comparisons to other UTV's except JD. That's kinda surprising since they would beat JD on speed and HP. You would think they would play that up for their brand.

I found that strange as well.

Rangers are nice vehicles. If a dealer was closer I would have considered one b4 I went with the xuv. They seem very close in comparison~!

 

[jcmseven]

Marshall,

I did not unintentially prove any point. I like Polaris. I bought my father a Polaris ATV. I am not involved in any brand war, nor am I blinded to a machine which is not my primary brand but is a quality machine. I do not feel Polaris makes a substandard product, quite the contrary, I think Polaris makes a fine product--in most cases. Perhaps I have been jaded slightly by the Polaris units I have seen. Of the ones I tested, three (of seven) had what I considered major cosmetic or workmanship issues. These issues would not have affected performance much and or longevity, but I expected more out of such an expensive machine. I think the Liberty engine is a nice powerplant and the Polaris is a powerful and nice machine. I am thinking of getting my father one to replace his ATV. I felt for my usage the Gator was a better choice. It has an improved four wheel drive system, better load hauling capacity (even though rated for 1,500 lbs. the Polaris has some heavy hauling issues), and more stout construction. It is the target UTV for 2007, all categories considered. Next year, who knows. I will say I have never been disappointed in any JD product I have owned, and they have a loyal customer by providing me with good machines that have high build quality. I might buy a Polaris myself in the upcoming months, but I, for one, would like to see the details mastered a bit better first.

John M

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

yea they are nice i looked at them a few times and i still look at them now the frames are not as well built as the john deere but they can go through some mud.loli seen them haul some nice loads they did squat with the load in the bed but they did haul them with no problem from what i seen they have a really soft suspension with alot of travel they have some serious power(700xp) the donw side of them are they don't come with a real "rops" and they have a belt problem after 200 plus hours but from what i read the belt is easy to change and if it's like the hpx belt it's really cheap (28.00) so i figure it really ain't a belt problem if deere recomends you change thier belt at the 200 hour mark too . so if you was to change the belt every 200 hours i don't think the belt would be a problem i think the biggest problem would be finding enough mud to ride in . i seen a 6x6 doin about 40mph at the clay shoot this year that was impressive.loland it was dominated by 700xp's last year there was a wide range of utv's but this year there wasn't that many other utv's one or two rhino's and a few mules and one bota the rest was ranger's. i don't know how the bed would hold up to my abuse .lol i go to the back bayou and dump and load up with bricks and big lime stone rocks and my son we don't set them down in the bed easy we drop them or throw the bricks now the gator holds up good with the all metal bed but that ranger with the mostley fiber bed i think it will break up.thats one reason i went with the hpx it's built like a tank.

 

[aesanders]

I found the site. Thanks. The nearest dealers are an hour or more away and from a quick glance the Ranger appears to be more of a Rhino clone than a Gator clone. Their website offers direct comparisons to other UTV's except JD. That's kinda surprising since they would beat JD on speed and HP. You would think they would play that up for their brand.

I was curious since I have never seen one, nor has anyone in my area mentioned owning one. Since the dealers are far away, that explains it. Most people will buy something less than an hours drive if there are other choices. The list prices seem to be the same as JD.

I bet Polaris smokes John Deere in sales of UTV's, probably 2 or 3 to 1. Polaris is not some fly by night company. They have a huge dealer network and have developed a great reputation for atv's and utv's. More so than John Deere in this market. Polaris did have a comparison to John Deere's HPX awhile back. I imagine the reason a comparison to the XUV is not up now is that they haven't completed a test yet. And the Ranger is definately more comparable to the XUV than the Rhino in size and capability.

By the way I checked the Polaris website and they have a dealer in Hendersonville NC which shows that it is only 20 miles away. Not sure where you live near Lake lure but that doesn't seem so bad. The Deere dealers in the area cover about the same range. In fact most areas that have a Deere dealer also have a Polaris dealer. I bet if you start looking a little more closely, some of those Mules you are seeing are actually Rangers.

 

[Skipholiday]

I will say I have never been disappointed in any JD product I have owned, and they have a loyal customer by providing me with good machines that have high build quality.

John M

I couldn't agree more. JD stands behind everything they build.

Also it's not fair to compare your xuv John! It's been tweaked~!

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

I bet Polaris smokes John Deere in sales of UTV's, probably 2 or 3 to 1. Polaris is not some fly by night company. They have a huge dealer network and have developed a great reputation for atv's and utv's. More so than John Deere in this market. Polaris did have a comparison to John Deere's HPX awhile back. I imagine the reason a comparison to the XUV is not up now is that they haven't completed a test yet.

By the way I checked the Polaris website and they have a dealer in Hendersonville NC which shows that it is only 20 miles away. Not sure where you live near Lake lure but that doesn't seem so bad. The Deere dealers in the area cover about the same range. In fact most areas that have a Deere dealer also have a Polaris dealer. I bet if you start looking a little more closely, some of those Mules you are seeing are actually Rangers.

polaris is a do all utv and the john deere is a do most of all utv . but i agree with you on the sales thing i see alot of rangers around.but hey that test they done with that ranger and the hpx on the polaris sight had the turf tires on it.lol my hpx would go through that little mud hole in 2 wheel drive. they should get some independent people to test these things and not some man made mud pit with a bottom to it .i never had to turn around but one time but that was cause the water was 3' deep other than that the hpx got me through it or pulled it . man if i keep talking i might get a ranger just to try it for a year i better check into the resale value of them first i know the gators sell quik.so where is all the ranger owners in here??didn't we have a few didn't tractor4u have a 700xp with some 27"589's

 

[aesanders]

LOL....Those tests are a little skewed in favor to the Ranger.

Deere does the same with their tractors though. I guess it works since I own a Deere tractor.

 

[darkday]

That video was also of a 05 model without all the neat little upgrades the 06 had.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

That video was also of a 05 model without all the neat little upgrades the 06 had.

what a better driver??lol they should take them things and bring them to me and give me one of each and at the end of lets say a month i'll tell them what ai think the only problem with that is i would like them all because like it was said before where one lacks the other makes up . i don't think there would ever be a perfect utv as soon as one gets close they other one comes out with something new and puts his out above the others but then the one that is on top is always lacking one or two things that the other's have . it's a never ending battle i bet if polaris and john deere got together and made one it would be pretty close to perfect it would be called a poleereis 700 xp or a deererolaris 700xp.

 

[Tractors4u]

OK guys, who is Polaris?? I did a quick Google search using the words Polaris and UTV and nothing came up that sent me in any direction to find the company. I vaguely remember them making 2nd tier snowmobiles years ago but that is it. There were a couple links to people selling accessories and that was it.

Not everyone uses the term UTV. I have tried searching with Google for different brands of UTVs and didn't have any luck. Your search is not just a Polaris thing. Polaris has not been in the ATV and motorcycle business as long as the other brands, but they are main stream now. I wouldn't exactly call their snowmobiles 2nd tier. They got their start in snow mobiles. In fact it was their experience with the variable clutch system that got them into ATVs.

Is the company actually named Polaris??? I went on line to see if there was a web site and where the nearest dealer might be.

The only UTV brands I have seen around here being sold are Kawasaki, JD, Yamaha and Bristors. It seems to be almost 90% Mules and Gators.

Yes, the companies name is Polaris. Their website is Polaris : International Portal : Home .

 

[jandefirewood]

I own 2 polaris rangers. One is a 2004 4x4 with 350 hours. the other is a 2006 xp 4x4 with 150 hours. I own 2500 achrs of land in illinois and i am a farmer. The ranger is a work horse no questions asked. never have i gotten it stuck, high centered, rolled over, or had it bread down on me, either of them. getting across 2500 achers of land isn't easy and this isn't wasy land. with the ranger it makes getting anyware a joke. bumpy fields just ger soaked up by the suspention, mud who cares go right through it. there was a storm over the summer and it rained over 10 inches!!! thats a lot of mud. it just made me happy because i could try to get my ranger stuck. i always have wanted to just to see what it takes. the **** thing swam through the foot and a half of mud. it is so lightweight that even if there is mud up to the floor boards all you have to do is use your powerfull 700 efi engine and paddle through it. it has never ever given up.
I am the kind of guy that is skeptical of everything. will it last, hold up, get stuck break ect. never with the ranger.

I actually can compare the ranger to a jd gator 6x6 model that i drove at a buddies farm. we got stuck on a limb 6 inches in diameter. I have never laughed so hard. it was a joke. i run over limbs that big with my ranger going 15 mph at least.

I thought the gator would be more heavy duty, It sure looks like it. it really wasn't. the whole thing felt like it was going to break and thats what ended up hapening with it.

My uncle ownes a hunting outfit near me and they have had more than 8 polaris ranger at one time all logging over 800 hours on the meter. Never with all 8 has one broke. all he does is load up the gear, the hunters ect and go out to the hunting are and then drives back. no problem.

A GATOR JUST DOES NOT COMPARE TO A POLARIS RANGER. TRUST ME

I WOULD KNOW

THAT WAS LONG BUT I needed to tell you the facts
i got many more stories if you want to hear them

thanks

EVan

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

I own 2 polaris rangers. One is a 2004 4x4 with 350 hours. the other is a 2006 xp 4x4 with 150 hours. I own 2500 achrs of land in illinois and i am a farmer. The ranger is a work horse no questions asked. never have i gotten it stuck, high centered, rolled over, or had it bread down on me, either of them. getting across 2500 achers of land isn't easy and this isn't wasy land. with the ranger it makes getting anyware a joke. bumpy fields just ger soaked up by the suspention, mud who cares go right through it. there was a storm over the summer and it rained over 10 inches!!! thats a lot of mud. it just made me happy because i could try to get my ranger stuck. i always have wanted to just to see what it takes. the **** thing swam through the foot and a half of mud. it is so lightweight that even if there is mud up to the floor boards all you have to do is use your powerfull 700 efi engine and paddle through it. it has never ever given up.
I am the kind of guy that is skeptical of everything. will it last, hold up, get stuck break ect. never with the ranger.

I actually can compare the ranger to a jd gator 6x6 model that i drove at a buddies farm. we got stuck on a limb 6 inches in diameter. I have never laughed so hard. it was a joke. i run over limbs that big with my ranger going 15 mph at least.

I thought the gator would be more heavy duty, It sure looks like it. it really wasn't. the whole thing felt like it was going to break and thats what ended up hapening with it.

My uncle ownes a hunting outfit near me and they have had more than 8 polaris ranger at one time all logging over 800 hours on the meter. Never with all 8 has one broke. all he does is load up the gear, the hunters ect and go out to the hunting are and then drives back. no problem.

A GATOR JUST DOES NOT COMPARE TO A POLARIS RANGER. TRUST ME

I WOULD KNOW

THAT WAS LONG BUT I needed to tell you the facts
i got many more stories if you want to hear them

thanks

EVan

now wait a minute your saying you are comparing the ranger to the gator 6x6??? if so your gonna get a really big one sideed outcome . the ranger will win hands down. the 6x6 has a 18hp and is chain drive. put that ranger up to the hpx or the xuv and the outcome will be alot diferent.not saying the hpx or xuv whould win or the ranger would win i think they would win in some area and the other would win in the other areas. but it would be a close comparison.

 

[claykin22]

You own 2500 acres (I believe is what you were trying to spell) in Illinois! at say an average of $4500 per acre...you would have a net worth of approximately $11.25 million...you should just buy them all and compare!! That is what I would do to settle this debate!!!