Fecon FTX 90 /Pieces of an ASV 4810 / JD 440b skidder / JD 450b dozer / Bobcat T320 / Hydro Ax 311c
I haven't tried anything else, but my vote goes for the Polaris Ranger.
I bought an 06 500 this spring and I don't know how I got along without one before that. Durring fire season the land owner I'm working for said the only way I could work is if I could carry a 65 gallon water tank with a pump and spray nozzel around watching for fires. That's 546 lbs of water not counting the tank, pump, hose & reel, and the pallet I had it all sitting on, oh I can't forget about the 230 lb guy I hired to drive it. It climbed every hill it was asked to, and they were steep. My Ranger allowed me to work when other contractors were shut down for fire danger. I figure it paid for itself this summer.
I'd highly recommend test driving all models that are in the running --- at least the top four or five. I did this when looking for a sxs in 2007 like you are now and found the Polaris Ranger 700 XP was superior. When I decided to upgrade this year I tested several machines again and got a 2011 Polaris Ranger 800 XP with power steering. The only thing that came anywhere close to the Ranger was the 2011 John Deere 825i but in the end I went with another Ranger.
The 450's top speed is about 34mph,,,the 660/700 Rhinos about 36mph.Fast enough for me....on ATV tires.The are ways to make them go faster..but I am not interested.
Two years ago I was where you are now. I probably over think and over research most of my toy decisions, but feel much better when the choice is made. Important when considering the price tag on some of these machines.
After demoing the top five I boiled it down to JD, Kubota and Polaris. We live in the mountains of so it had to perform on steep slopes with a load, negotiate rough terrain, get from point A to point B relatively quick and of course be reliable.
The Polaris 800efi got my final vote and we have never looked back. It has done everything asked of it thus far with flying colors and will be outfitted with front blade to push snow this winter.
My best advice is to evaluate what YOUR top needs/uses are now and may be in the future, demo as many units as you can, consider dealer support after the sale and make an informed decision based on what you feel best suits your situation.
a few pictures of my 08 700.i run with some mud lights for everyday drivin but when i hit the mud holes i throw on my 26"outlaws.i like the wide outlaws because everyone is running skinnies on their atv's/utv's so when i get into their ruts my tires are a few inches wider and i have no troubles.another good thing is they have a wider contact with the ground giving you more traction.
I own a Kubota RTV 900R and I have compaired it to the Polaris and Mule. My opinion is The Kubota is the best, the Kubota diesel/Hyd Trans. can't be beat. I have worked on them all, and Kubota is the easiest to maintain. Haven't done any repairs to it in the six years I owned it. The others seem to go through axle boots, starter drives and electric fuel pumps. A guy I met just purchased a Mule, he paided $9700.00 and I saw a local dealer advertising a Kubota for $10,700.00 for the extra $1000.00 I just don't think there is a compairson. If your looking for speed then forget the Kubota max at 30mph, looking for something that will work like a tank, Kubota is it.
Nobody has mentioned the smaller Mule 610 XC. The XC has different gearing, larger off road tires, and a smaller steering wheel. It sips gas, fits in the back of a pick-up truck, has waterproof storage, and a great bench seat (important if your dog likes to ride!). The 4 wheel drive, and diff lock are also manual engagement, which is very reliable. It is also only about 7k brand spanking new.
I love mine, it isn't fast, but it will go absolutely anywhere.