Which ATV to buy?

[azzclwn]

I've got an 05 arctic cat 500, got it in November, great price.

So far so good, runs smooth plenty of power. Had it out on the ice today, me and two buddys, one sittin on the front rack and one on the back, and pullin a portable. Handled it no problem, it paid for itself today.

good luck

[AlexHeihn]

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Looks like I have a lot of good ATV's to choose from. Is there any that I should shy away from? Any models that had quirks/problems?

Thanks,

Corey Bechtold

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I was doing a lot of research this fall on this subject. The only machines I was advised to stay away from was the '03 Grizzly.... and Polaris in general. I know a lot of folks love their Sportsmans but I kind of got a bad taste after one I was looking at over heated. I did find a really nice '04 Arctic Cat 500 for sale. Very nice but very stripped down. The rack system is awesome. But once I rode the Grizzly 660 I couldn't get on anything else without comparing the ride to that. It RIPS!! and it pulls a Fish Trap Through a foot of snow without a problem. Weighs under 600 lbs... which is what most of the 400's weigh... and it has the locking front diff. With the Griz in 4 low, dif locked, and 25' Mud Lites you can go anywhere. Mine has aftermarket hand and thumb warmers which are awesome too. Im a bigger guy and didn't really like the size of the 400's. So I agree with alot of the advice here. Take a ride on whatever you plan to buy. Ride older models, brand new models, slightly used models, big ones, little ones, then decide.

[AlexHeihn]

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I would also like to add a question. I am looking at some type of ATV vehicle. I will be using it strictly for ice fishing. My question is, is there a better choice for cold starting? I live on a lake and would leave it down on the ice so I would like it to start when it is very cold. How about the new EFi's. DO they start better? Thanks for any help?

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I will say this for Polaris. A buddy of mine has 2 Sportsman 400's that I rode for a weekend. The temps were sub zero... as cold as -30 wind chill. We left them out one the ice and they started right up thte next day... My Grizzly 660 has been a little tough to start even at 15-20 degrees. But Ive never had it not start.

[cold one sd]

I have an 2005 Artic Cat 400 auto and just spent three days on the ice pulling my trailer behind with my portable and gear on it. No problems getting around with it. The snow was about 8" deep with a crust on it and slush under the snow. It took a bit of clawing to get around, but everyone pulling a trailer had the same problem no matter what type of ATV they had. It starts fine no matter what the temperature has been. Yesterday my buddy turned the lights on the ATV on when it wasn't running and when we went to leave I had a dead battery. Two pulls and it was running.

[Jaypo]

Thanks to all who commented and shared their perspective here! I was looking for a used machine, but it is a thin market. Ended up following many peoples advice and purchased a '06 Yamaha 450 Kodiak. Sweet machine at a good price.

Bring on the muddin' season!

[PierBridge]

Sweet....how much any extra's........extended warranty?

Pier

[Jaypo]

Machine was $5399 ($6299 is MSRP) with a Warn winch and mount kit added for $399 and a drop down extended rack for $139. I skipped the extended warranty ($900) which would have covered maintenance visits. I'm not planning on being too hard on it, so I felt it was worth the risk to cover repairs out of pocket if they happen. Still has the 6 month factory warranty. They push hard on the warranties! Few people use them. Those that do are glad they have them. More people don't which makes it profit for the dealer.

[PierBridge]

Nice, I rode 2003 Kodiak tonight what great ride.

Thanks and Good luck!!!

[gonfishn]

How does everyone like the Kawasaki Prarie 700?

[stumper]

My outlander 330 with my yukon in back

My outy with the shack I built for it

[JohnMickish]

How about a little more info on that shack? That looks kind of cool. Is it hard to set up and take down?

[stumper]

Its about a 1 minute set up.Its a bit heavy but works good on level ground,just no inclines or the front end wants to lift.Im working on a lighter design. Mounts to the hitch and rack.The hitch supports the weight and the rack mounts are just for stability.Will only work with IRS .It will stand alone ,so you can unhook it from the quad and run back to the truck or whatever.It is 4' x 5 ' and 6 ft tall.

any more questions?

stump

[Big D 1]

Here is my $.02.

I owned a polaris once...loved it, no problems, plenty of power.

My father in law swears by Yamaha, he is on his 3rd one, but says if he had to buy another one, and the yamaha plant burned down, he would go with Polaris.

All that said, i just had my new Honda Rubicon delivered Saturday...hee hee.

If you take good care of any machine, it will outlast expectations, in my opinion.

[kdawg]

Had a 95 polaris 300 for ten years and NOT one problem. Pulled deer out of woods, all sorts of hauling and work. Have been on rides with multiple friends w/500, 600, 700cc engines and never had an instance when I couldn't go through what they went through. Just bought an 06 polaris 450 and couldn't be happier. My main point is for the most part, you don't need a big motor to do 99.9 percent of the things you're gonna do. Good luck.

[rappin jack]

POLARIS all the way,Ive had six polaris and never had a problem . Ihave a 700 efi the it is the way to go!!!

my 2 cents

[kevfish]

Yamaha all the way-=--i just owned one and no need to ever buy another. no problems at all