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Can am defender #7241315 08/01/18 12:30 AM
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Still trying to decide what to buy. Have just about made up my mind to go mule pro. Got to use a defender for the weekend and liked it a lot. A lot of guys out west love them for hauling a$$ through the mountains . But don’t know of anybody that works with them. Also warranty is high on my list . Mule 3yr, can am not sure . Closest dealer to me is about hour 15, they were vague about it. Any first hand knowledge/experience with defender? Otherwise probably going mule

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7241317 08/01/18 12:34 AM
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I love my defender. To me a mule is a glorified golf cart. Not even in the same league as a defender. I have the HD8 crew. Had it to 54mph. Will climb hills I couldn’t walk up. Plenty of room and great 4wheel drive. Smooth and the features are great.

Call Hoffpauir in goldthwaite for the best deal


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7241916 08/01/18 04:30 PM
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Hd10 owner here, I use mine exclusively for deer lease work and just so happen to take it trail riding (nasty rock crawler type trails) on occasion. Works hard and never bats an eye. I had a loaner Mule pro-fx last season while the dealer had my can am for some crazy p/s issue...I liked it a lot and would get one if I didn't go trail riding.

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7241968 08/01/18 05:23 PM
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Thanks for the input. What the standard warranty on canam? Can’t seem to find info on it . Was told 3 years, but haven’t seen it in writing anywhere.

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7241990 08/01/18 05:48 PM
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The 2016's had a three year (first year for the defender), after that I believe it's the industry standard 6 months. Of course extended warranties are available. The Mule pro fx has a 3yr warranty and one would probably never need it as it is way overbuilt and underpowered to break anything on it. I liked my loaner but it was a strictly business type machine and no play...very Boring to drive, 44mph is all she wrote. The Can am at least has some power to get down and boogy if wanted. Whichever machine u get don't forget the windshield, roof and backglass (cuts down the dust inside). Any other questions, let me know. Have had a lot of seat time in both machines.

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7242165 08/01/18 08:19 PM
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Thanks for the info. I’ll probably stick with the mule. My life is pretty boring, and the pastures we work in, speed just ain’t gonna happen . This is strictly work machine, and have yet to hear anything bad about them . Really do appreciate the help. Only thing left to do is that whole pay for it part.....

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7243254 08/02/18 08:27 PM
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I was looking at the Mules a few months ago as well and after riding in a defender I changed my mind and purchased a defender max dh10 DPS. It came with a 2yr bumper to bumper warrantee. Not sure if that's standard or if my buddy hooked me up. I own a few acres and mainly use the vehicle for moving trailers around the house and feeding animals. Although I rarely go over 30mph I did test it to see what it was capable of and I was able to run 65mph. I'll probably never do it again but was curious about top speed. As far as work goes, took mine to the deer lease a couple weeks ago and worked it pretty hard. Pulled a trailer with it most of the weekend and erected a couple stands with it. I had a ranger before the can am and there is no comparison. Extremely impressive machine. The only recommendation I would make is spend the money (I think it was like $300) and buy some S3 coils to put on it. It'll give you about 2" of lift and make a huge difference on body roll and squatting with a trailer.
I think you'll be happy with either machine, both are built well and should last you a long time.
Hope this helps!

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7243590 08/03/18 01:24 AM
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It does help thank you. I did like the can am a lot. Was really impressed, smooth ride power ect. But I think at end of day it’s for work. A slower, heavier machine is better . For a long time I’ve kept the kubota. Employees have zero desire to hot rod . It’s impossible to go fast, and not be pissing blood at end of the day .

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7244346 08/03/18 08:24 PM
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Originally Posted By: Midwaytmm
It does help thank you. I did like the can am a lot. Was really impressed, smooth ride power ect. But I think at end of day it’s for work. A slower, heavier machine is better . For a long time I’ve kept the kubota. Employees have zero desire to hot rod . It’s impossible to go fast, and not be pissing blood at end of the day .


I think you answered your own question right there.
If you want to play toy, Can Am.
If you want a work vehicle, Mule.


Cheers,
Vern1
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Re: Can am defender [Re: Vern1] #7244354 08/03/18 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: Vern1
Originally Posted By: Midwaytmm
It does help thank you. I did like the can am a lot. Was really impressed, smooth ride power ect. But I think at end of day it’s for work. A slower, heavier machine is better . For a long time I’ve kept the kubota. Employees have zero desire to hot rod . It’s impossible to go fast, and not be pissing blood at end of the day .


I think you answered your own question right there.
If you want to play toy, Can Am.
If you want a work vehicle, Mule.



I don't think a mule is anymore a work vehicle than a can am, its just slower and smaller


The Kubota is the real workhorse of UTV's but it has the suspension on a shopping cart


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7244482 08/03/18 10:47 PM
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I beg to differ on the above comment on Kubotas. I have a 1140 Kubota and a Kawasaki Mule SX. As stated the Kubota is a true UTV that you can do damn near anything with. I have pulled stuck neighbors trunks out of ditches. I have hauled 50 bales of alfalfa on a trailer. I have pulled a self contained air compressor up a very steep hill with sharp turns. I have hauled hunters and would be buyers of Ibex around with it. It has never failed me. I also own the Mule SX which I use everyday for feeding. Mainly because it is quite a bit less expensive than the Kubota. Why wear out out a $15000 unit when for some jobs a $7000 unit will do the job. The big Kubota actually used less fuel than the Kawasaki. Even though diesel is more xpensive than gas it comes out way ahead. The Kubota is like driving a Lexus as compared to the Kawasaki feeling like your are on a dozer. And as before this are only my opinions so take it for what it is worth.

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7244663 08/04/18 01:46 AM
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I’m twitching to try a Mule diesel. The Pro DXT.


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Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7244910 08/04/18 11:50 AM
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I go back and forth between the Mule and the Honda. I’ve yet to buy either. Bombardier/can-am has always built machines that top the market in performance. Unfortunately their history reads like a race car. They have a short life span. The new products may be totally different. I can say I’ve never got on a running Can-Am that failed to wow me.

Re: Can am defender [Re: wp75169] #7244929 08/04/18 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted By: wp75169
I go back and forth between the Mule and the Honda. I’ve yet to buy either. Bombardier/can-am has always built machines that top the market in performance. Unfortunately their history reads like a race car. They have a short life span. The new products may be totally different. I can say I’ve never got on a running Can-Am that failed to wow me.


Those Honda’s have a true geared transmission that you can shift or you can let it shifts itself. That’s one perk for the Honda


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Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7244941 08/04/18 12:46 PM
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That’s the #1 reason I’m looking at Honda. That and it’s a Honda. I don’t particularly like anything else about the machine but they have my loyalty based on years of reliable equipment. Now if I could just nut up and buy one of their big inverters.

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7245026 08/04/18 02:34 PM
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And why I chose Honda. Not some but most of the 4800 miles on this bike were working miles. I did have to put a starter on it two years ago. The magnets crumbled.


Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7245045 08/04/18 02:47 PM
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I have a 2006 Honda 4wheeler that had 12k miles on it when the display screen gave up . I’ve put several starters on it, and lots of tires. Same with the bike before it .theyre both still here and used daily. Looked at pioneers first, got to work out of one for a weekend. Just wasn’t gonna be a good fit for me , unfortunately

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7247107 08/06/18 07:11 PM
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FWIW, I'm looking to buy a buggy here pretty soon myself and have looked pretty extensively at a few different brands. I looked at the mule pro fxt and the can am defender the most. I've heard horror stories about the Hondas transmissions and burning up the clutches in them, so I wasn't even considering one. Never been a Polaris fan due to seeing buddies rigs being a pile of junk.

I love everything about the mule pro except that tiny little bed. Yeah it can be converted to long bed, but then you lose the back 3 seats. Hauling a buggy full of hunters and a few dead animals in the back gets a little tight.

Next I looked at the can am defender. Pretty slick machine. I wasn't a huge fan of the plastic bed, but a lot of the buggies now days are swapping to plastic. I'm guessing to save weight?? To me, the fit and finish on the defender was much better than the mule, and I'm a huge kawi fan. I had my dad and my wife go sit in both and let me know what they felt was most comfortable, and the defender won. Everything just seems much beefier on the defender than the mule pro. Hagop that posted above let me drive his over the weekend. That thing is sweet! Great steering, those HD springs he has in them felt great around corners and large rocks. I haven't driven one without the HD springs, but I feel they would definitely need a set right out of the factory. The power was awesome, but the last buggy I had was an older 3010 mule, so it was lacking in that department . Pretty sure I'm sold on the defenders after driving Hagops!

Re: Can am defender [Re: Midwaytmm] #7247200 08/06/18 08:38 PM
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Mule Pro!!!!! You wont regret it.

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