New ATV

[jigginjim]

I thinking of getting a new ATV mainly for ice fishing. Not needing a big maschine. What do you guys think are the better units.

[rundrave]

pretty much every make and model will be a good choice. your only gonna get biased reviews with a loaded question like that.

go out and test drive as many as you can, and base your decision on what fits YOU best

good luck and have fun

[bigsandynorth1]

IMO Polaris or Honda, I would go Polaris.

[Roofer]

You are usually best to go top of the line. Sometimes manufacturers put all the best stuff on the top dog and the others get the older outdated things. This is beginning to change now with the 500 and 550 size machines. Many of them are very similar to the "big brother", but just have a smaller engine. For that size, your best bet and best deal will be a Sportsman 500. You can't show me any other new $5500 machine that will outdo a Sportsman 500 in any category.

Go look at them all. My guess, comparing price wise and apples to apples, you can't beat a Sp 500.

[SomethingFishy*]

pretty much every make and model will be a good choice. your only gonna get biased reviews with a loaded question like that.

go out and test drive as many as you can, and base your decision on what fits YOU best

good luck and have fun

Great post, very true.

[Dave S]

I agree with rundrave with test driving as many as you can. Once you're done driving them, go test a Polaris SP500.

With that being said, I also agree with Roofer. IMO, you won't find another machine for under $5k that gives you as much bang for your buck.

Look around and you'll find a new '08 SP500 with EFI listed for under 5 grand.

[MNexpoler]

Heres some things you'll want to look at:

Starts good in runs good in cold weather. I've found that Polaris's start good in winter, however the non-EFI Sportsman Twins are a pain to start.

Good ground clearance for going through deep snow. Get a IRS machine.

Power wise you'll need enough to pull a sled or ice house. I'd say at least a 500cc machine for pulling an ice shack.

A good 4WD system so you get the best traction on the ice and snow. Look for something with a locked differental, most models now a days have that but hondas dont.

So with that said I'd look at a Sportsman 500 EFI or Cam-Am 500. I think the Cam-Am would be a little bit more reliable but its more expensive than the Polaris.

[mozy]

I also agree with the Sportsman 500. Some people will tell you to stay away from Polaris', but to be honest they have come a long way, and the 500 is about as bullet proof as you could want. It's got good ground clearance, great ride, and true 4 wheel drive. You'll notice a tone of these things on the ice, and for good reason.

[jltimm]

I'd look into the Yamaha Grizzly (Kodiak) 450 or the Grizzly 550. They are a lighter more nimble machine than the popo, but probably cost more. As stated earlier if you have friends that have them see if you can get some seat time on each of them and go from there.

[opsirc]

I bought a Artic Cat 650 year ago and love it. Thought the same way wanted to stay small because of weight, but the difference between the 400 and 650 was only 50-60 lbs so opted for the bigger machine and have not regetted it. The CAT has a full 12" ground clearance, a 2 inch reciever hitch and a 6.5 gallon tank. The controlls for the 4WD and locking DIF are easy to reach.

O

[cold one sd]

I have an Arctic Cat 400 Auto and it has been great for me.

[Sandmannd]

I bought a '92 400 Grizzley last year for 1k and it's been a great machine so far.