I've got a Kubota RTV 900 and for what I need it for, you can't get better. It's a 2000 pound workhorse for our little ranch. Steel dump bed, with hydraulic lift. Amazing machine. But...it's not the right vehicle for hunting uses. Too heavy for much use in the mud, and low ground clearance, and the hydrostatic transmission isn't good in mud, and the diesel engine is loud. I like the look of the new John Deere. My cousin has one, but his wife claimed it, so he's going to get another one. I think that I'd pick that over the Polaris for work and hunting. I'd go with the Rhino if it was just hunting and fun.

Hi, daniel1381

What about Rhinos? People say they have a heat problem because the engine is under seats. And its reduced bed capacity is an issue for me.

I'd have to go with the Polaris...Great ride and super durable

Hi, Navasot.

Yes, Gator 825i are new newcomers but Deere is several times older than Polaris.

HI, txjuggernaut.

What’s the low end issue? Please, tell me because I’m almost completely ignorant about this matter.

Your opinion is highly valuable because you bought a Polaris in spite of you first view. In your opinion, why so many people state claims on these forums about Polaris and, in lesser quantity, about Arctic Cat? Do they exaggerate what they demand to their machines and broke them?

On the other hand, looking among the few brands that state complete information, I realized the Gator 825i has the best payload/torque ratio, followed by Arctic Cat Prowler HDX 700, Honda Big Red, Bobcat 3400 gas, Club Car XRT 1550 gas, Gator 855D, Gator 625i, Bobcat 3400D and Kubota RTV900 in this order. It’s a most important spec to me because the terrain I told about in my first post.

Hi, 603country.

Yes, Kubota RTV900 is great, but is around 20% more expensive than Ranger 800, Prowler HDX 700 or Teryx 750, and much more than Big Red, Bobcat, Club Car and others. And, very important to me, they’re lower, as you said, and I need good ground clearance for those clayish hills. Finally, it has the worst payload/torque ratio among those I looked into.

I didn’t know Kubota’s hydrostatic tranny isn’t good in mud. Please, tell me a bit more.

Hi,WTGuide.

I doubt between Ranger 800 HO or Mid Size. What do you think about them?

The transmission in the big red is like a car if you smash on the gas it will go low if you ease on the gas it wants to go high it has I think three physical gears... A ranger has literally infinite gearing albeit you have a low and a high gearshift. In the terrain you mention the Honda tranny might work and it might not.

Rod1, yes the Kubota is expensive at around $14,000, but I got a just slightly used one for $10,000. The Kubota dealership owner wanted the new one with doors and heat/AC, which is about $17,000, so he put his up for sale to do the upgrade. I was all over that deal and bought it on the spot. I wanted the serious steel bed with hydraulic lift. It's more of a small work truck than anything else you could call it. And don't break out the front glass window, because a new one is about $700. My wife caused me to find out that ugly news.

As for life with the Kubota, the low ground clearance is only a problem in deep mud, but if you get into that deep stuff you risk getting the radiator mud covered and burning the engine up. You could pay and have the UTV jacked up a bit and put some serious mud tires on it, and I hear that works great. As for the transmission and use in mud, you have selectable 2WD/4WD, but the diesel engine won't spin the tires fast enough to suit me, and the tranny won't let you rock the Kubota to get loose from the mud. The rpm has to drop low enough for you to move it from a forward gear to reverse. That takes maybe 15 seconds if you have wound up the engine rpm pretty high.

Bottom line is that if you have the turf tires, like I do, you can get stuck in mud that my Yamaha Big Bear ATV would laugh at. I really like the Kubota for the purposes we bought it for, but it's a stretch to call it a mud capable machine or even a deer hunting machine. It's commercial machinery, like an itty bitty work truck, or an itty bitty dump truck. I can take the tractor and dump a load of dirt in that Kubota or I can fill it super deep in firewood and that thing doesn't even strain. The springs don't even squat. And then I can dump it effortlessly by pulling a lever. It'll do things that the John Deere, or Polaris, or Kawasaki or the rest of them can't dream of doing, but the others can do things (like mud) that the Kubota can't. I've had it for maybe 4 years, and by now I'm pretty sure of its positives and negatives. And top speed is 25 mile per hour. I'd buy the Kubota for work and something else for fun.

friend has a 08 rhino never had overheating issues.. or engine getting too hot issue.. bed space doesnt bother me. i looked at polaris,artic cat,rhino... i liked the rhino for my needs.think my top speed is 45 or 50.. fast enough for me.

I have a Kubota that I bought about a year and a half ago. I now have a little over 800 hours on it. Have never had any problems. It is a real workhorse. Built like a tank. Pull cattle trailers around the ranch without a problem. It all depends on if you want a machine to use for work or play on what you buy.

Older company yes...but they also do not make the gator..its made by a side company and then green paint is put on it. No?

Polaris does atv,utv,recreation uv type units only...

I wonder who does make the new Gator. I'm pretty sure, but not positive, that Deere used to make the previous versions of the Gator. I do know that they outsourced their ATV's for a time. Bombardier in Canada made them in green and with Deere decals for a while and then Deere (at least the stores that my brother ran) started selling Arctic Cat ATV's, which had Suzuki engines.

You can probably Google up the new UTV and see where it's made and by whom.

My Gator HPX has a Kawasaki motor and it's a workhorse. I had a Polaris atv once, spent as much money keeping it running as I did when I bought it new. I will never own another Polaris anything. Hope their Rangers are better.

John Deer by far

I am the cheapest guy I know and I looked for months at these UTVs. Everything from the Chinese knock offs to the lesser know New Hollands. Here it is in a nutshell.... Every claim about someones UTV starts with "for what I use it for".

You never see that preface placed on the comments of a Ranger owner. Im not a pro polaris guy but the XP does EVERYTHING and it does it fast! Even if you don't need to go fast why would you buy somethign that could? The suspension on the Ranger is cadillac, the motor is strong, the bench seet fits 3 people comfortably. The Ranger has a million accessories out their.

Here was the overall thing that was so reassuring about buying a Polaris Ranger.... Try finding a "cheap used one". They don't exist unless you want one that is nearly 10 years old. I bought mine 2 years used 2 years ago and could still sell it for nearly what I paid for it all day long even though mine is a 700XP and they have 900XPs now.

Good luck in your search but, I can honestly say you will never have regrets about buying a ranger.

What I use mine for is to haul stuff around the house, to relocat my 48 inch Johnny house, to hunt off it with a 48 inch dog box which goes all the way through the tailgate, and to load onto my pickup to hunt anywhere in texas.

You simply can't do that with a Ranger which has a 46 inch opening through the tailgate. You have to remove the bed, or make a really ugly dog box.

The Honda is a great machine. One thing I like to look at when judging a brand of fourwheeler or utv, is what brand do you normally see still in good working condition, that is ten to twenty years old. I've never seen anything other than a Honda or yamaha fourwheeler that was made before the year 2000, that is still running.

Yamaha are solid!

Hey Bill,

Polaris listened! The 2013's are 5" wider.

http://www.utvunderground.com/shakedown-2013-polaris-ranger-xp900-2814.html

It's about time. I've seen some real ugly dog boxes in a few of them.

New deere is bad to the bone!

Why doesnt anybody ask or talk about arctic cat prowlers. I have HDX version and I love mine. I feel it cam easily compete with a gator or ranger.

I have a 1996 Polaris 400 4x4 2 stroke. It runs perfectly and is fast! IMO the Polaris auto transmission is the best out there and they always have great ground clearance.

I have the cheap Chino (sells under Coleman name at Cabelas now). I like it becuase it rides a lot smoother than most of the beefier UTV's on the market today. Its downfall is that it is made cheaper, but since I take care of mine and don't haul 1000lbs or tow that much, it is fine for me. Everyone that rides in it always compliments me on how it feels.

If I needed something for the farm, I would definately go with Kubota, Deere or Polaris.

For a third of the money many are spending on these 4/5 passenger UTV's, you can buy a used jeep that is 20x more powerful and sturdier.