first atv/utv

Getting my first one

looking at 570 polaris or can am outlander L

I am leaning towards the two seaters...the X2 looks nice..

Any thoughts/suggestions

just my opinion but as much as the x2 or some of the various 570 models cost approx. 7-10k you might as well step up to UTV/Side by side. This is where I was in my buying process about a week ago. Check out the Can-AM commander 800r / all the performance you could want for Hunting plus the ability to actually haul or pull some pretty heavy stuff along with 2 people. Plus if you want the commander has a soft cab w/ door's & a aftermarket heater for winter time. I hunted off regular ATV and it gets really cold - I will be hunting in West Texas this year and the wind chill can get bad. Check out my post in this forum for : "Just picked up a new lease toy"

Personally, if I was in the mkt for an ATV, it would be a Yamaha Grizzly. On the UTV I'm not sure, since I haven't been on many of the new ones. If it was for work and not for play, I'd get the new version of what I have - a Kubota diesel. I just don't like stuff that breaks or otherwise needs work, and that usually leads me to Honda, Yamaha, and the Kubota UTV. I've had my Yamaha Big Bear for 16 years and all that's needed work was a carb rebuild, and I had to replace the left handlebar grip. I did just replace a headlight, but that was due to a grandkid. And a battery or two. That's it. On the Kubota, I've had a tuneup and replaced fluids, but nothing has broken (well, the wife took out the glass windshield, dang it, but I replaced it).

Low maintenance is a good thing.

And what hetman said about windchill is SO true. Usually it's my right thumb that freezes solid. Hurts.

Look at the Honda Big Red ( it has a new name but I can't remember it) for a UTV.

. I switched from Ranger to Kubota and will never go back. Kubota well built and the cab on them is off the charts the best out there

Don't think I want to go side by side. Primarily i will be the only one riding.


Why the grizzly? I have heard to stick with Polaris, Honda, or can am

Nothing wrong with Yamaha... id either get that or a Honda as far as a 4wheeler goes... iv demoed a can am.... meh.. drive it in muddy water for just a bit and your belt will be slipping engine reved up all the way but your moving about 1mph

A buddy of mine just bought that exact wheeler and likes it so far

Cleric, you asked why I went with Yamaha. Good question, since I had always been a Honda guy. You just can't kill a Honda, and I knew that, but decided to do a bit more homework. I went to a guy that repaired ATV's to discuss it. He said that Honda was always a good choice, but Yamaha was built even better and could handle tougher service. Hmmm, so I went and drove a bunch of ATV's and compared specs. I spent a lot of time in deep Louisiana mud, and had found out the hard way that ground clearance was very important. At that time, the Yamaha Big Bear had everything I needed (power, ground clearance, rack capacity), and something else I thought might be smart, which was that it had no coolant radiator. I wanted air cooled, which I thought would be lower maintenance. Well, so far, as decades pass, there has never been any downtime due to breakdown.

So, today, if I was looking for an ATV, I still want at least 9 inches of ground clearance. I want max rack capacity (in weight). I want plenty of power. I want 4 wheel drive. I want the best reliability that's available. You can get all of that, excluding the reliability, from Polaris and Can-Am. Historically, Honda didn't have great ground clearance or rack capacity, though that might have been corrected. Yamaha, specifically the Grizzly, offers it all.

My Yamaha has never, not one time, had to go back to the dealer. I did take it to a carb guy for some work once. I work it hard, and have never been disappointed. Next time...the Grizzly.

tlk has the sissy Kubota, with full cab and AC and heat. I'm kidding tlk cause I'm envious. The Kubota is a serious machine. Steel bed with hydraulic dump. Amazing carrying capacity. It's commercial gear and built like a tank. If you want a work machine, there isn't anything better. If you just want to ride around for fun, however, that wouldn't be my choice, in that it won't go fast (25mph Max). Do get the Kubota in camouflage. The standard Orange is a bit too bright for me.

Thanks for the feed back everyone.

Primarily I will be using around the deer lease...

Lots of good feedback here

Stopped by Richardson Motorsport today and was less than impressed with the dealership

Need to find a decent dealership to talk to

One main reason I switched from polaris (had three of them) is their customer service is horrible. If you ever have an issue good luck. They are outsourcing many of their parts now - they are not the machine they were a few years back.

So stopped by another dealership and had a good experience yesterday.

I wanted a two person ATV but i don't understand the price structure. I can buy 2 small ATVs or a side by side for the cost of a decent 2 person ATV

All my ATV's are often times 2 person ATV's, even though they weren't advertised as such. I finally bought the wife her own little ATV (Suzuki Ozark 250 - she demanded a yellow ATV and only Suzuki had one at that time) so that I could have mine back when I wanted it. Rather than buy a big ATV that is actually for 2 people, I'd get a side by side. If for fun, maybe a Yamaha Rhino.

Ha ha - if getting into my "sissy" Kubota when it is 110 degrees and turning on my AC is sissy then I am all in! Same when it is 20 degrees and my toasty heater warms me up. Truthfully the best feature about the cab is that it is air tight - I get no dust inside. Those of you who have owned ATV/RTV's know that dust can ruin the ride

Cleric, I owned a Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV for about 7 years before buying the Honda Big Red UTV. I purchased a used Grizzly and was NEVER disappointed in it, with the capability of true 4 wheel drive it will go almost every where, just remember as has already been said ground clearance is a major concern, name doesn't mean anything when the tires are not touching the ground. I had to use the winch more that once but my age & health prevents me from rocking & pushing like the younger generations can do. I did pull out of many mud holes with the differential lock that other machines had to be pulled out by me or other hunters. Best of luck

i didn't think buying an atv would be this hard...i emailed a few dealers and not one responded to me...

I had better luck calling and having them email me their best OTD price then using that against other dealers, etc...

Good luck getting a great deal anyway. I expect the prices of various machines won't vary much. You might try buying one in Louisiana and trailering it home. That might yield a slightly better deal.

Stick with Honda or Yamaha. Add Kubota to the list if looking at side by sides.

But don't let anybody tell you a side by side can go the same places a 4-wheeler can go. Trust me it aint so!

you know - no matter what 4 wheeler, atv, rtv you have it is all good fun - when I get to our lease and hop in buggy and cruise the ranch it is all stress gone - turn on tunes, grab a cool one, and ride the place is as good as it gets. Real similar to jumping in a boat and hitting the water -

life is good