WHICH TO BUY? AND WILL POLARIS IRS HANDLE PULLING ICE CASTLE

[mrjigger]

I am in the market for a new ATV. I will be buying a 400 or 500cc because those seem to be in my price range.

previously I had a Honda Rancher, but the ride sucked, think they have gone to IRS now though.

I am kind of leaning towards a polaris sportsman 500HO, but have heard the IRS will squat too much when pulling my ice castle fish house.

questions are...

Which 400 to 500cc ATV would you buy and why?

will an ATV with IRS be able to pull an Ice Castle fish house without squatting too much?

thanks

[gr8icefishinmind]

I would say that if that is the size machine you are going with to either stick with the honda line or go with a 500 can am or even an arctic cat!! I would rate them can am....honda...cat....popo!!

As far as the IRS and pulling a house, i am pretty sure they make something that eliminates the squating on those machines for pulling heavy loads!!

[PurpleFloyd]

As an owner of several Polaris models I am going to advise you to look very closely at the Can Am

[GatorBait]

As a owner of a Can-Am, I would advise you to buy one. They are 2nd highest in Towing Capacity next to Polaris but their IRS is next to none. I don't know, I know Castles are heavy, i've pulled my spearing shacks w/o a problem but they are definately lighter. Best option would be to do some dealer shopping and ask questions, test drive and so on.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Powerwise, the 500cc can am will be above all the other 500cc models!

[pulleye16]

Honda...it may ride rough, but it will ride rough FOREVER!!!

[KatoMike]

I would also consider the Yamaha Grizzly 450. It has power steering (I have a 700 with power steering and love the power steering). I also have a 2005 Kodiak 450 and it has been trouble free.

The 450 will also have a diff lock (which the Can Am, Polaris and Honda will not) - it is also rated to tow over 1300 lbs. (the Honda is rated somewhere around 800-900 lbs.). Can Am and Polaris can tow as much as the Yamaha.

Can Am also has frame issues - do a search for frame modification on Can Am.

[GatorBait]

I am not sold on this can am frame issue yet. I've tried to bust mine and it hasn't happened yet. Even speaking with my friend at the dealership, they have yet to see one come back with such issues. So either it's a lemon or someone hit something that they shouldn't have...

[rundrave]

The 450 will also have a diff lock (which the Can Am, Polaris and Honda will not)

The polaris doesnt have a differentail lock because unlike the others it actually has a true 4 wheel drive system. No nead to change gears, or hold a silly lever down to get 4wd. Simply select on or off with a switch and your set.

As far as what machine to get, I would throw out everything you hear from others and go ride and see what machine fits and feels the most comfortable to you. They are all good makes and models you just have to decide whats best for you and not what a bunch of people say on the internet.

[KatoMike]

You don't have to hold anything in on the Yamaha - just press a button...if that is too difficult you may want to stay home and knit..

[Riich]

You don't have to hold anything in on the Yamaha - just press a button...if that is too difficult you may want to stay home and knit..

I absolutely love my Grizzly.

[Jaypo]

We have CanAm, Popo, Yami, Honda, and Suzi in the family. The Yamaha Kodiak 450 is the favorite in towing and dependability. Push button 4x4 and Diff Lock makes a big difference. Caveat is the CanAm is Grandpa's and is protected with wax, soft music, massages, and every other pampering known to Man. Thing hasn't seen dirt!

Can Am does seem to outmuscle the others despite being a 400 though....

Just picked up a 2010 Grizz 700 for the same price as the 2011 Grizz 550. The 700 is a completely new experience from all the other 400-500 machines!

I'd look hard at a new previous year big bore for a bargain before settling to the 500 range based on price alone.

[mozy]

I would look into a 500 Sportsman or a 450 Grizzly. You can probably find the Polaris cheaper, I've seen them under $5k for carbed versions. Both should be pretty reliable. Polaris gets a lot of [PoorWordUsage] for being poor quality, but go to almost any lake during the winter and you'll see a ton of SP 500's. They are not as bad as people make them out to be.

[gr8icefishinmind]

You see so many cause they are so cheap!!

[titelines]

Won't get into the Ford/Chevy debate, but can advise you to go out and ride as many as possible before making a decision. The fact is EVERYONE makes a good machine in the category you're looking at and it's really up to you to decide which ride works/feels best for you.

Personally, I did a lot of research before I bought 4 years ago. I weighed all the options and ended up with a Polaris X2 500. I couldn't be happier with it and haven't had any problems. I tow a lot of very heavy stuff and haven't noticed any squatting (except when moving our 18' fiberglass boat around).

That being said, don't take my word for it and don't make a decision based on what people say on a discussion board. Do your homework..It's actually really fun to go out and see what your options are, and the best way to be assured you make the decision that's right for you. If you do that, you can't make a bad decision.

Have fun!

[Sutty]

Love my Sportsman 500, no towing issues for me.

I also don't think they are cheap. I think others are way overpriced. I know mine holds its re-sale well.

Speaking of overpriced, I was sent a can am promo video that showed different trials against the other manufacturers. They cherry picked which models were in each event. The sportsman 500 was comparable in all the events it was showed in (some it was slightly better or slightly worse but close) and I assume kicked its but in the ones they didn't show. And that was from Can Am

[gr8icefishinmind]

I agree that the can ams are overpriced but there are alot of good features on them compared to any machine. I would love to see that video. There really is NO comparison between can am and polaris and i am not even a can am guy! Except for maybe the smoother ride on the popo!

I shouldn't say polaris is a cheap machine, they are just priced to the quality they are built!

[JeffB]

I won't get into which is the best, but I'll tell you what I went with and why I went with it. I bought a honda rubicon just because I thought it looked the most trouble free. I like the transmission and the solid rear axle for towing fish house. Put a set of chains on the rear for pulling fish house and it does well. I recently decided to switch to a side x side machine and plan on putting it up for sale after deer hunting. Its a 2004 with about 500-600 miles. I'll probably post it on HSO when I get around to taking pics. The one thing I don't like about the rubicon is its cold blooded compared to some of the EFI models. You have to let it warm up with the choke on then with the choke half on for a bit before it will idle well.

[Sutty]

I do agree that the can ams have some cool features, I have also never ridden one. I'll see if I can find that dvd if I kept it.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I won't get into which is the best, but I'll tell you what I went with and why I went with it. I bought a honda rubicon just because I thought it looked the most trouble free. I like the transmission and the solid rear axle for towing fish house. Put a set of chains on the rear for pulling fish house and it does well. I recently decided to switch to a side x side machine and plan on putting it up for sale after deer hunting. Its a 2004 with about 500-600 miles. I'll probably post it on HSO when I get around to taking pics. The one thing I don't like about the rubicon is its cold blooded compared to some of the EFI models. You have to let it warm up with the choke on then with the choke half on for a bit before it will idle well.

I also wish i had EFI on my 650 brute force for the one reason that i hate having to mess with the carbs when there is a drastic change in temp, like when spring comes and when winter arrives, with the mods i have on mine! If it was EFI there would be no messing around!! Otherwise as far as warming up the machine, you should warm them up good whether EFI or not!

[gr8icefishinmind]

so what did ya buy??? pics???

[ryan p]

I put heavy duty springs in my Sportsman 600 and pull my Ice Castle out 2to3 miles. Put a 6 or 8 inch drop hitch up side down to get the tounge up and you wont have any problem. I have been pulling mine for 5 years that way, it works great.

[mrjigger]

Thanks guys for all the help. Sorry, things have been nuts lately, haven't had time to post much. I did end up buying a 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500HO. I was on a pretty tight budget, and the polaris models were in my price range. My previous atv was a honda Rancher, and I have to say, so far I like the Polaris better. Not sure if it is because the Polaris is heavier or something, but it just seems more stable and solid. The plastic on the polaris is way thicker than than my old honda. Honda makes a great ATV, but overall up to this point, I like the polaris.

I will try the hitch suggesions, and will definitely be buying the IRS lockout for pulling the Castle.

Thanks again.