Tell him to go spend the money on a coast valve. I want to say it was close to $150? but is worth every penny of it. We did it to my dad's rtv and we no longer get thrown through the windshield.

Super easy to install. Pull one big allen wrench plug, use a telescopic magnet to pull the old one out, put coast valve in, and put the plug back. done.

Are you tax evaders ignoring the posts on use tax?

I've owned two Mules and a Kubota RTV. I've had my Ranger since 2009 and have never done anything but maintenance. I wouldn't own the others again for various reasons, but I had no real problems with them either. Some people could tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer.

Statement of the Year...
Take care of things and do regular maintenance and no problems

Had a little trecker 4wd with a tiny Honda engine go over 1,000 hours and then sold it..

talk about a cheapy too lol it would hardly crawl a loading ramp

I'm a big fan of the Polaris 900.

That is on the old models - I have now owned two and neither one of them does that - they are awesome machines IMO -

I have owned three Polaris Rangers - first one was awesome and then the next two went downhill. Lots of repairs, issues, heat, and on and on. I switched to a Kubota 1100 - the new ones have a suspension very close to Polaris quality. Not as fast as a Ranger but fast enough (25 mph). Otherwise, no comparison IMO. The cab on Kubota is like your truck cab - airtight, dust proof, air conditioner (will freeze you out), heater, stereo, defroster, wipers, etc. The 1100 only comes with the full cab - if you put the same package of windshield, doors, cab, etc. on a Polaris the total cost comes out close to the Kubota 1100 cost. I use it on our lease and would not trade it.

Here is the inside of the cab

I've often we've come full circle with the evolution of hunting vehicles. When four-wheelers first came out, we loved them because they were so much smaller and easier to handle than the Ford Broncos, Jeeps, and 4WD trucks we "buried" in mud holes miles from the nearest paved road. Now it seems the UTV's are getting just as big and heavy as what we moved away from in the beginning.

I have use both Mules and Rangers on ranches for work. I have owned 2 Rangers. The older Mules were built like a tank and road like one. Really were great vehicles with minor repairs on one of them. I hunted out of a new Mule Pro-FXT for two weeks and can say they are day and night better to ride in. The ranch bought one to test about 2 yrs ago and then bought 4 more last year. One has 300-400 hrs on it and the others 150-200 hrs on them. None have needed any repairs at all in that time. They had the newer Polaris Rangers and said they had issues with all of them over their time owning them. I have owned one used 2008 Ranger for 2 yrs and bought a new 800 midsize single seat in Aug 2014. I have not had any major issues with either one and do my maintenance on schedule. The 2008 had a minor leak on a seal on the rear gear box. It has 800 or so hours on it.
If I had to buy over again, I would get the new Mule in a single seat. Tons more room and very smooth ride. Speed is fine what I need.

I hear you. But the older I get the less I want to freeze on a 4 wheeler. I have had just about every kind of hunting vehicle you can name including the jeeps, trucks, etc. For my use at the lease though the RTV approach is perfect - smaller, takes bumps better than jeeps and trucks, and I can get down senderos much easier. At any rate it is the the old Ford or Chevy discussion - different vehicles fit different folks

If he has a 900/1100/1140, he needs to get one of these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kubota-RTV-900-1100-1140-Coast-Valve-/182003695104?hash=item2a6043fe00:m:mGrFleFQzCY5nA5My5Is4vA

My 900 did the same thing when I first got it and it would actually lock up the wheels it braked so hard. Supposedly you can adjust the factory coast valve to make it less severe, but IMO, this $139 replacement is a whole lot easier. Completely gets rid of that auto-break that happens when you take your foot off the gas. This was the first and best upgrade I did to mine. Off the top of my head, I think I needed a 10mm allen wrench to open the cover and then I used a magnet to pull the old one out. The 10mm cover was on really tight, so I had to use a piece of pipe to get better leverage when I popped it open.

The 500's had the auto-break as well. However, it was nowhere as bad as the 900's.

Id keep away from adjusting the stock valve it can cause cavitation through the transmission.

Also the engine stops itself like this for a reason. just depends on what your using it for but being a utility vehicle most have some type of back pressure to help with controlled hauling... meaning its a 1500-1700lb machine and your towing in some up to 2k.. even on flat ground your going to run through brakes and in hilly situations or steep downhills etc this can get hairy without some extra help to stop.. say your going down hill with a big load and pop your breakline goes or lose pressure somehow.. nothing left to stop the machine other than actually hitting the gas... that's a bit extreme but just sayin.

now in the means of running around hardly ever towing and just wanting a nice ride yes the coast valve can be a good thing.

I just upgraded and got a new ranger. My last one was perfect and the only issue I had was replacing the cv joint on the back axel. I added a lift kit and knew it would eventually happen. Went 3 years before it wore out.

From my experience, most dealerships have very little profits to work with on the msrp and delivery costs. I researched many different places and went ahead and bought from the local dealership. They were only about $250 above Houffpair(sp) and still cheaper than most other places. Even the OK dealerships. The dealerships make their money in the extended warranties and add-ons. Bought a 3yr - 100% Maintenace warranty. It will cover all of the service and any technical issues. Well worth the price of $1500.

Been very happy with the Rangers and would highly recommend them.

The reason the Polaris and Can Ams are more prevalent is due to flashy, eye catching, design elements and products that are focused more on performance/appearance than durability/utility. Analogous to the market segmentation found in motorcycles, I.e. youngsters preferring crotch rockets vs old school Harley riders.

Products are designed and pitched to a specific demographic. Don't confuse effective potential market share with desirability due to perceived value. Old school riders wouldn't buy a Hayabusa for the same reasons a young man wouldn't necessarily buy a Kaw Mule when they can get a Can Am or Polaris.

There are a lot of Polaris and Can Am motor swaps and rebuilds on machines 4 or 5 years old. There are quite a few mules still going strong years after they were purchased. Flash at the expense of durability is nothing more than a matter of personal choice.

If we could only buy a new UTV for what those old "huntin" vehicles cost us.

Whatever you say...Big V.

That's funny.. If you think the mule pro won't have the same type of issues the ranger has... your blind.. Good machine yes but so is a ranger.. I don't sell them they are my competition in some aspects so why lie.. Between the pro and the ranger it's personal preference.. It's about you dealer support and how well you take care of the machine... If your talking bout an old style mule good luck getting it fired up under 30 degrees... it's all about what you need and how well you take care of equipment.... Lots of other good UTVS On the market today each have a special twist and ride to meet your needs.. Pic what fits your budget and feel best

Nothing like opening weekend watching all the hoods open ...been there done that, I have a Properly maintained UTV for a reason..

I have a couple of buddies with hunting trucks they usually keep at the ranch most of the year. We always have to make a trip out there to work on them before hunting season and sometimes haul them back so they can be worked on more. It's a lot easier hauling an ATV/UTV.

I agree on most of what you said. But you completely missed my point concerning utility vs performance.

I have a 2011 Sportsman 550 EFI in my garage and it's scary fast (for an old man). A neighbor's son, he's 15 and races quads. He has one with a 600cc engine that pulls my 800hp Hennessey Viper off the line (I catch him in 3-6 car lengths though, and he can't do 200mph :))...I've seen him catch insane air on his quad and run it in a manner that would get someone killed were they to try doing the same on my Sportsman. On the other hand, I can ride terrain he can't without getting stuck, the caveat being I won't do 100mph to catch 40 feet of air to cross a creek. I'll be doing low and slow through the creek and up the other side.

All other things being equal (year model, displacement, size, rider weight and ability, etc), which one puts the rider at a greater risk of injury and which one is more predisposed to sustaining significant component failure or damage?

I've known a lot of folks with mules, most used as farm or ranch vehicles. Not once have I seen someone in a Mule attempt a 50 foot jump at high speed. Last summer at Breckinridge, I saw several instances of guys driving Rangers doing something stupid and the result was they hurt themselves, their passengers, and their Ranger.

As many times as I've been to Breckinridge, not once have I seen someone in a mule total their ride. The propensity for damage or component failure being more a matter of function than design or build quality. (Though IMHO, the mule is sturdier, much beefier and the ranger, not as solidly built, flimsy with a lot of cheap plastic...... again, my opinion. That was my point. And yes, I wear glasses and am blind at times.

.....gotta get back to work

I did miss your point and apologize for the rude statement... yes the faster ones always have that tempting urge for speed in most drivers and can lead to trouble..

Bought a new 2008 Bushmaster UTV when I first bought out here (company since folded) couldn't get that thing stuck with Honda power. Had Detroit Lockers in axles. Rode like a cadillac. Didn't have power steering and a bear to turn. Traded it for a new 2010 Trans Mule 4010 use it everyday but no where near the Bushmaster for toughness or clearance. Have a Polaris Limited ATV with power steering and it's double tough. , Checked Hoffpauir (Goldwaithe) and Tommy Vaughn (Columbus area on I 10) Blew them out of the water on price on scooters.