Utv

[wslayer]

Which would be your choice of side x side, Polaris Ranger 900 or Honda Pioneer 1000 ?
Would be used for mainly ice fishing, hunting and some summer yard work. Cab and heater, and possibly tracks would be needed.
Shaft drive vs. belt drive ?
Polaris at this time has more accessories available.

 

[Tritonman]

I have a pioneer 1000 with cab heater etc. cabs are much nicer on the Polaris and the heaters are better. I really like the gear shifting on the pioneer though. It is pretty quiet and tremendous on gas idling along. I have mattracks ez tracks on it. Highly recommend them. If you are around Jamestown you can take it for a spin.

 

[Wild and Free]

Kubota RTV 1100.

 

[all4eyes]

Of the 2 mentioned Honda would be my choice. Better built all around and the fact that there is no belts to mess with on the Honda makes it that much more appealing. May be more accessories for the Polaris, but I like to fab up my own due to cost of the Polaris name.

 

[lostinnd]

Polaris for sure, way more options for accessories. Don't go with kubota, my god they are slow/underpowered as of a couple years ago. Polaris just has the best accessories and is the biggest player in the side by side game.

 

[Allen]

Screw Polaris. They are far more "sexy" than the Honda, but I don't like frigging walking back from places the UTV carried me.

Hence, we have had Rangers on the farm (they haven't stood the test of time) and when it goes down again for a broken belt that takes out the seals in the tranny, the Honda Pioneer I own will be back up on the farm pulling calves and checking cows.

I'd buy the Honda simply for its dependability over the Ranger. You can adapt whatever dang accessory from a Polaris over to the Honda if you have a welder and a little skill. Can't adapt Honda's quality over to Polaris with any tool.

 

[raider]

fun and a little work - polaris...

work and a little fun - honda...

 

[NDbowman]

I have a Polaris 900 and I agree the Honda is way more durable. Never been around a Yamaha but their atvs are bulletproof like a Honda. Polaris does have one of the nicest cabs but Curtis Cabs makes models for all brands and their pretty nice. I would miss the electric windows in the Polaris but wouldn't miss the jerky shifting tranny and all the piddly maintance on a Polaris. Haven't burned a belt yet with 8000 miles but have had a hub wear out, front shocks go bad, had to change all the bushings front and rear, and U joints go out once a year in the driveshaft probably from how jerky it is when you first take off.

 

[5575]

I'd look at a Can-Am Defender.

http://can-am.brp.com/off-road/defender.html

John at Platinum Motor sports in Dickinson is great to deal with as well if your out west.

http://platinummotorsportsnd.com/

 

[ndskeeter]

If it comes down to strictly the Honda or the Polaris I would take the ranger 900 any day. The Honda is nice but the luxury features that you can get with the Polaris are leaps and bounds ahead of Honda. I have some friends that are service techs at a dealership that deals both and they would choose Polaris for the same reasons. Better cab system, more options and if you are looking for a crew there is no comparison. I was shopping all the major brands and I chose the ranger and couldn't be happier. I use this for ice fishing, hunting and soon to be the farm.

 

[bigv]

How about buy a pickup? Dang near same price of good used 4x4. Yet you can take 4x4 cross country if needed.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I keep wanting a UTV but then I realize for the money I can buy a decent Jeep and have way more luxury cab than any UTV out there, size isn't much different and can still get tracks if wanted for it. If I had a choice between UTV I would probably go with a Honda or maybe give Artic Cat a good look, for some reason I'm just not a Polaris fan myself. Good luck on the ongoing head scratching a person can get into over ATV/UTV's

 

[huffranger]

I keep wanting a UTV but then I realize for the money I can buy a decent Jeep and have way more luxury cab than any UTV out there, size isn't much different and can still get tracks if wanted for it. If I had a choice between UTV I would probably go with a Honda or maybe give Artic Cat a good look, for some reason I'm just not a Polaris fan myself. Good luck on the ongoing head scratching a person can get into over ATV/UTV's

100% agree, I chose a cheaper route and found this for 12K less than half what a side by side with cab,heater,tracks would have cost...



Plus the tracks can be used on any rig that is less than 5000#s jeep, toyota exct....

 

[Enslow]

I owned a set of those tracks on my tacoma. They were complete dogshit. The front end would bust through the crust of the snow. They also eat power steering pumps like mad once they are stuck. I could see though on a vehicle like that with a shorter wheel base they could be better than my tacoma. Another issue with tracking a pickup is the need for a custom car trailer as the tracks are too wide for your average car trailer. A utv with tracks is a much better option. Im still licking my wounds from dealing with mattracks.

 

[huffranger]

Not a custom trailer, 84" wide between the fenders.



Enslow I have about 10 miles on this rig so my experience is limited but I knew before I bought the rig that if you were not moving you were not steering.

I hope I don't have to lick any wounds...

 

[FightingSioux]

If you want the most reliable rig go with the Honda . If you wanna take the chance and be let down some day then go with a Polaris. Who cares about bells and whistles when you are broke down.....

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Yeah my experience with mat Trax on a Kubota 900 diesel with hydrostatic transmission was not good with my old company. You wanna find the most over priced pile of worthlessness that is your huckleberry. Heavy slow underpowered wheels or tracks and definitely not a winter rig.

 

[Tritonman]

If you want the most reliable rig go with the Honda . If you wanna take the chance and be let down some day then go with a Polaris. Who cares about bells and whistles when you are broke down.....

 

[remm]

Tritonman, that looks like something I would be interested in looking into. Haven't seen too many of the Honda's with a hard cab on them, that one looks pretty sharp.

How's the turning on those? When I was looking at them a year or 2 ago, I found some people not recommending them with tracks because no power steering. Ballpark, how much $$ you have into a setup just like that?

 

[wslayer]

It is certainly a head scratcher. Have the Honda Rubicon with tracks now. Bulletproof, as the Honda name goes.Very nice rigs those that posted.Thought about the vehicle route with tracks, but early ice would be delayed slightly. Already UTV vs. ATV weight is a concern.CanAm belt ? Haven't researched them.