UTV Price Justification

I really like them. I know they are super useful and I'd love to have one on my place. Guess I'm just too much of a cheapskate and not willing to borrow one from the bank for a few years. 10-15k for 1000cc or less utv thats a couple years or more old? Dispoable income must be crazy out there as I see a ton of them on trailers going down the road. Either that or every one and there dog is knee deep in debt. Going to hold out as long as I can but man I want one! Guess a CJ,samurai or an old toyota pickup just wouldnt be the same although it would save 5-10 grand.

Shop used. Another member here just scored a very nice 2017 Mule FTX for $9000 in Tennessee.

I bought a new RZR Turbo S 4 in January because the new price was cheaper than a used 2020 or 2021 right now.

This is how I justify it. 2 days after I bought it I used it to show a 118 acre “ranch” and now it’s a tax write off.

Yep, got them used (first one was almost used up) and do ALL work on them myself.
I keep wire, pliers, post driver, axe, etc. in front boot and at least one bag of cattle cubes in the bed so they are farm vehicles and will get written off just like a tractor.

The CanAm has spoiled me as far as ride goes. Driving the Bronco around feels like what a buckboard must have felt like on that ground. Now later this week, in the cold and the rain, that Bronco's heater just might come in handy. 🥶

Used market there are some deals if you pay attention. Just watch hours/miles. I just missed a great deal on a 17’ mule fx with 1500 miles for 8k

I can relate on buying something like that new, to me it's almost like a toy ... but I use my Kubota RTV for lots of work around multiple ranches and the house. I bought it used and upgraded little things I needed (not wanted), yes it would be nice to have something nicer, faster, smoother riding etc. but it does what I need it to do.

If you are even half way mechanically inclined, you should be able to find a decent used side by side that might need a few little things done for a much cheaper price.

One of my side hobbies is heavy equipment auctions and finding particular items for my friends & clients, mainly tractors, trailers, implements, etc. but I am kinda out of that game lately as I don't have anyone looking for something particular. If you aren't in a rush, I could likely find something for a reasonable price at one of the sales I used to frequent around central Texas. I lean heavily to the Kubota side as these units are very reliable and fairly easy to work on when needed.

Im sure they are neat. And for some im sure they are practical. For me i dont see the value. They are louder than a truck, expensive, and really dont do anything i want or need them to do. Our property is relatively flat smooth and small enough that we walk most places instead of driving to keep noise etc. down.

Im sure you can find them for significantly less money but they wont run 60 mph and dont have sparkly rims etc.

I put roughly 1000 miles on mine first year. One ranch I hunt, if it sprinkles you aren't allowed to drive truck on ranch roads, UTV only, other ranch I hunt you can't hunt 2/3 of ranch out of a truck, unless you had foam filled or tracks..

Overall that's 1000 rough miles for most part. Figure 300-400 per truck tire, it adds up. My radiator is leaking in my F250, I'm 99% positive I bounced it way to much in NM. Since I blew a front shock too. Should of took mule there

It's definitely a lot more ranch road friendly

I have owned 3 polaris's and then switched to Kubota and just bought my third one of those. In south texas they are invaluable to me - saves from scratching up or messing up my Ford truck - the Kubota with full cab is just like driving a truck but can go many more places

Our Kubota RTV900 must be at least 12 years old. Never have had any problem with it mechanically. I did notice yesterday that the right tail light is out. Yes, it is loud and won’t go 30 mph, and it rides rough, but if you want a work vehicle, it can’t be beat. Steel cargo bed. Hydraulic lift bed dump. A work machine, not a fun machine.

Im not arguing that. Some folks have a good use, i dont. I think many more folks buy them because they like them than have a need for one, and im ok with that, they can do what they want with their money.

Never needed one but I can sure see the uses for a UTV.

What I don’t get is the ROXOR. Why not just get a used Jeep CJ you can drive on the road and be done with it? Or a UTV you can go more places in?

Life is too short to worry about if something you want to buy is justified. If you like something and can afford it buy it.

Love hearing all the opinions. I filled feeders with my truck for years before I got just a simple ATV out here on my place. The ATV has maded not only feeder filling but hunting and even some trapping a lot easier. Mama wants to ride around the place with me so thats yet another variable for wanting/needing one. LOL. Guess I need to stop being so tight.

You're done. Count your blessings. Buy the dam thing. And, let her drive it some.

If I let Wifeypoo drive, she would get lost. Our place is a perfect quadrangle.

yep, I did similar with my truck for years when I bought the first RTV900 for cheap when no one would start the bid at a heavy equipment auction and I thought I done screwed up since no one raised the bid. I drove 45 miles to borrow a 6x10 trailer from a friend, so I didn't have to drive another hour home to get one of mine. It was a wild drive home as the RTV weight sat behind the trailer axle and anything above about 40 mph caused my 3/4 ton truck to sway like a pirate flag in a hurricane. Anyway, once I got it home, my wife was not happy but after using it around the house moving rocks, dirt, sod, etc., she was even sold on its usefulness. I later upgraded to one with the hydraulic bed (used also) and sold the original one to a friend for his ranch (he still has it, '06 model). The hydraulic bed makes it even more useful as I can use my FEL on my tractor to fill up the bed with garden soil, mulch, gravel, etc. to get back into places my tractor won't fit, dump and get another load.

My son has a CanAm Defender that is purely awesome, ride, speed, quiet, etc. but those puppies are way more expensive than I have a need or desire for.

Good deal!!

I use mine for work.

I got by for years showing ranches in a 1/2 ton truck but I broke down an bought one for a particularly rough listing I had in the hill country. From one end to the other it was over an hour by truck in the UTV it was 20 min

I enjoy using it for work and it’s certainly a handy tool. For my place I would argue a UTV is a necessity but I don’t need a defender max, a 2 seater mule 610 would be plenty

I always was a “ hunt outta the truck “ guy. I agree with RedChevy about most people buy them because they think they need them, not because they actually do. But there are plenty of us out there that do need them. Hill country ranches in particular they are much better than driving a truck.

They are expensive and make sure you really need one before you pull the trigger. My neighborhood is full of people with $20k can ams that have never left the pavement.

OnX maps app

I couldn't make it to half of my lease if I didn't have one, and the half I can make it to in my 3/4 ton will take the fillings out of your teeth if you aren't doing less than 5 mph. I flat out need the SxS. That said, I would love to have an enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning -- I can't say that I NEED that though.

Could I live without the Mule, yes, but it would be a pain not to have it on my place. Purchased it new in 2014 and I bet it has paid for itself - simply because I no longer put my pickup through the abuse of driving through the woods (scratches), and crossing mesquite filled (flats) or water logged (stuck) pastures. It has been at least 3 years since I drove my pickup past my house onto property and that time I only did it because I had some stuff in the bed that I didn't want to unload and then reload into the Mule. I have a tractor, but if I have a choice of leaving it parked and instead using the Mule for projects, I go with the Mule. Just easier...

Well, Heck........I guess I just wasted $20,000 on a SxS when I could have had a $800 Lincoln.

you finally upgrade your old Mule?

No......I would never do that. I've got way too much invested in duck tape holding it together to ever get rid of it.........I was just joking.
Besides, being a 2005 model, I barely got it broken in.

THANK YOU! That was AWESOME!

Mine's a 2001 550, just turned over 1,500 hours... which is alot for a 10HP engine. granted it does have new gaskets and seals & new standard size rings.
the body is pretty good shape, bed started to rust but i got it killed off and coated. it will server me well for more years to come i hope.

Just keep an eye out in the future They will be a lot for sale when these people living off these govt give outs. Have to go back to work and don’t have time to ride them. Everybody in our sub division has one now

When I was looking for a vehicle for the lease, I looked at several of the UTV offerings, new and used. Just couldn’t wrap my head around the price for what I was getting. So, for less than $4.5K, I have a very reliable and simple Suzuki Samurai. Lots of parts available for it, even though it was built in 88. As a bonus, it is heated, and is street legal to drive into town when or if I want to. Money well spent in my opinion.

Silly G, you can’t “profile” in a Samurai.

I like GNTX’s approach.

Sammys are great on wide open property’s but suck for hunting around or in timber. I’d still be hunting in one otherwise.

I do hunt out in the Big Country so it’s rocky and full of mesquite and cedar trees. I just enjoy driving that tough little buggy. I only wish the prior owner hadn’t yanked all the AC components out of it. AC was a dealer installed option never offered by the factory. Someday I may do the Toyota rear axle swap to gain the IRS which would tame the ride on those rocks quite a bit.

I’ve done it all at one time or another to a Sammy, up to the V6 swap. Toyo axles, twin stick, air lockers, If it can be done to one I’ve done to to at least one of the many I’ve owned. Unless your rock crawling it the axle swap is useless IMO as the ride help is very minimal,, do a gear reduction in The T Case and add lockers and call it good.

Or buy one used? I have a dinasour Polaris ranger from 2001. Only 500 hours and it’s the only reason I made it to the store today with all the ice. That thing should be in a museum at this point but it’s pretty reliable.

I couldn’t do without them. My land is ROUGH. Lots of washouts and rocky. One mile from front to back. My first ones, I guess 20 years ago , got stolen. So I replaced them with Honda’s that I’m not real impressed with but they are acceptable. Now I have a shipping container to store them.

For real work, I use my JDeere tractor with loader. It has 4wd that really makes sense.

1/2 the fun for my kids at the lease was getting to drive, but there was no way I was going to let a 6 and 8 year old drive my truck. Heck, I didn’t even like driving my truck in about 1/2 of the places on our lease. Especially when we were 4 hours from home. They could drive the RTV 900 without an issue and if they broke something, it would be a whole lot cheaper to fix than the Tundra. In the grand scheme of things over the past 10 years, the 8K I paid for a used RTV is tiny compared to lease fees, blinds, processor fees, corn, travel trailers ......

All our grandkids learned to drive on the Kubota, starting from the age that they could see out the windshield while standing up. I’d handle the accelerator and brake till they could do it.. Only one of them hit a tree. Bent that steel tubing front end guard a bit. No biggie...

Really? Be happy Mama wants a $12,000 utv. I'd jump on that in a heartbeat! My wife started clamoring about $25000 worth of wood floors this week. You know what happens when Mama ain't happy, right?

Heck, my ‘83 Toyota Celica had IRS. I didn’t do much rock crawling with it. Lol

Don’t really need the gear reduction or lockers. I can get anywhere I need to on the property, but there are a couple of spots where it just gets real rough from the large rocks on a steep hill.

So, have you ever done the VW Diesel engine swap to a Sammy?

I like the Sammy Idea but I think everyone has gotten wind of that. They seem few and far between.