UTVs, side by sides, etc

[Jordan Budd]

I have a Honda Pioneer 700 and my dad has the 500. We love them and use them pretty hard, they've stood up well. One thing about the Honda's I really like was the transmission instead of belt driven. The belts are a pain in the ass. I have family members who used to run Polaris Rangers and the money they had to constantly put into belts and belt work drove them crazy. Another plus to the Honda's is that motor will run forever.

 

[Riplip]

Love my CAN AM Max 4 Seater, perfect combo of off road capability, seating and hauling. Rides much better than our Polaris Ranger, with less maintenance.

 

[cuerro viejo]

With the Honda you get a shaft drive, not a belt. There's a pretty significant difference.

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I know some previous owners that aren’t real keen on the Honda tranny anymore, pretty documented issue. With that said I know a couple ranches with Pro FXT’s with 20k.

Op the mule is a work horse, but it’s wide. If you have width restrictive trails you be better off looking at Polaris and Cam Am.

The after market is stronger for Polaris, and Kawasaki above all other brands, can am is picking up quickly, especially since BRP announced the Texas move.

Personally I’m fan of Mule pro, With next in line being a flip of the coin between The HD10 and Ranger 1000. I do like the HD10 layout better then the Ranger. Polaris has gotten better over the last few years but I felt like it was always some issue going on with it.

Only down fall to the mule pro is no front locker but feel like thats not a deal breaker for fast majority of people.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Surprised no one has mentioned a John Deere gator.

 

[Neverenoughhntn]

I know some previous owners that aren’t real keen on the Honda tranny anymore, pretty documented issue. With that said I know a couple ranches with Pro FXT’s with 20k.

Just to clarify, some of the early models of the pioneer 1k had some clutch issues. Honda promptly addressed the issue by providing a free clutch update to all potentially affected models, whether they were experiencing issues or not. So in my mind, its a non-issue at this point in time. Honda seems to have all the minor glitches worked out by this point.

I'm with Jordan on this. Belts are a PITA. They are a wear item. Its not a matter of "IF" its a matter of "WHEN" you'll have to replace a belt. Maybe I'm just a wuss, but I'd rather not have to deal with a belt 20 miles from a truck, in inclement weather (especially if I'm trying to get to a trailhead and pack up the mountain to be somewhere by daylight)..... I guess, running snowmobiles has left me with a little disdain for anything belt driven.

 

[MtGomer]

I’m leery of anything with a centrifugal clutch that costs 25k.

 

[Praxeus]

I live in Spokane but run the trails of N idaho every summer. Used to be a ATV nut....now its all UTVs. Go with the Polaris Rzr..."60 model. They are the S or sport models. I have a 900 and a 1000. Forget what you here about having to have a 50" model....they are tippy and my 60" is squatty, solid and hugs the trail. There is more than enough room in the back storage area to haul your elk quarters. Place a winch on it and you are good to go. Nothing against Can-am as they are the only ones that make a great ATV IMO....but forget their UTV's....the design places the engine housing very close to the middle console and when they get hot, makes riding in one unbearable. Polaris RZR S is the perfect choice. My friend and I used one this last Sept.....got us on point and then the hike begins....solid and superior.

 

[Wrench]

I've hauled exactly one bull on a rzr. You couldn't pay me to do that again. On the flip side, it's nothing to haul 2 at once in the mule.

 

[BadDogPSD]

I've been very happy with our Ranger XP900. Added the steel roof, front & back glass, and half doors from ProArmor. If I had to do it again, I would have installed the tilt windshield to help control dust better.

 

[SlimWhitman]

For those of you that have a mule, what does it take to change a belt?


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[Wrench]

For those of you that have a mule, what does it take to change a belt?


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Mine is 20 years old and still on the original. It's never slipped or done anything odd.

 

[jmez]

Haven't had to change mine. Should be a you tube video on how to do it.

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[Wrathchild]

Been very happy with my Honda pioneer 1000-5 Lots of hard miles hunting fishing and trapping. Threw a small lift and 28” roctanes and it’s unstoppable. Winch, mattracks and basic recovery skills and I’ve never been stranded. In general, people that have issues with the trans, didn’t bother to understand how a DCT works. Honda has since addressed and improved the failure point.

 

[Ranch Fairy]

All hunting. Mostly 2 people but I’d rather not be limited to 2 people. Just something reliable that will get me places easier than my 2500.


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Howdy from Texas.
I have had 3 Polaris Rangers, and now own a Mule. Our family place has multiple users of these side by sides with different skill levels and quite honestly "give a crap factor". I am the Ranch Fairy who keeps them running along with A/C, heat, plumbing, deer stands, etc. Our 2014 Trans Mule has been fantastic.

Of Note - You'll see comments through out these threads in regard to noise, "add a muffler so you don't blow out the animals for 10 miles, etc." The kawasaki Mule I have has a quiet "blub blub" sound as you drive it. The Polaris' all had snowmobile engines and "Ping Ping ZINNNGG" sound like a dirt bike or racing quad.

The difference, on our ranch, seeing game relatively calm has been absolutely night and day. We drive up on a lot more animals with the Mule. We aren't road hunting them, but when you drive a machine to do work and fix Ranch Fairy stuff, fill feeders etc. its nice to see the animals just behave or maybe slowly run off.

With the Polaris, lots of white flags and fewer animals. Plus if you've ever been on the other side of the canyon, you can hear the ZING ZING ZING....forever.
Not everyone's experience will be the same. But I've run this place for 25 years. Trust me. Its a huge difference.
Totally reliable, great 3 year warranty, easy to work on.

The downside is the ride (Again mine is a 2014 with 580 hours on it). The new mules are supposed to be much better. Polaris you can run 40 with a cup of coffee in your hand. You may not see any animals and you will scare off critters for miles, pissiing off the Rokslide folks across the canyon. Plus you'll look cool because Polaris is the brand to say you're cool - you also need a $80K Truck (no scratchs and please nothing older than 2017 or you're lame) Oh, don't forget a HUGE TRAILER - preferably a goose neck.
Sorry, let's be practical.
At least you didn't spill coffee on your $700 outfit.
Holy crap, thank goodness the ride is so smooth. I hate carrying ozonics hooked to a solar panel my backpack while stalking. "Hopefully we see something today, its been kinda slow"

Mule is my choice

 

[coues32]

2018 Kawasaki mule pro fxt,previous Polaris ranger owner. Got tired of changing bushings, ball joints.
Go compare the quality of the running gear, simplicity of tailgate, glove box ect on the mules. 3 year warranty

Only small gripe I have is they have the engine detuned, mostly the mid speed. Super smooth running,starts great.Plenty of power on trails and goes 45 mph

I went with Highlifter forward high clearence
A arms instead of a lift. More money but keeps cv axles at stock angle.
Running 30 tires if using any of them off road you will need some extra clearence.

In crew cab mode, can fit Pelican style hard case and 4 large packs no problem. With the Honda you lose cargo room if hauling extra people. In 3 seater mode bed is huge.

That was a big seller for me with three kids but didn't want a length of a full size crew cab. Comfort ,reliability , you don't see alot of them for sale used.
Bought mine in The summer, clearing out 2018s saved alot. just wanted the power steering because I would be changing wheels and tires and adding custom top.

 

[coues32]

 

[bhowren]

I have a Can-Am Commander. I don't hunt at all off of it, but my wife drops me off and I hunt all day. Then she picks me up. It works awesome for hauling meat afterwards. Also has a winch I can move from the front to the back. Very convenient. I have never had to change a belt or burned up a belt on it. Can-Ams are very reliable! That said, we may be switching up for fun. Getting rid of both 4wheelers and the Commander. and getting an X3 Turbo XRC! So much fun to ride, and Amazing suspension. I am sure I can still tie meat to it, and have fun in the meantime!

 

[3sdad]

For those of you that have a mule, what does it take to change a belt?


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For a mule pro fxt. Torque wrench, impact gun, 2 grade 8 bolts or metric equivalent, long wrench as a brake, a few sockets and about 45 minutes. And probably gonna need some patience for the go back. YouTube epi spring for the mule. Good luck

 

[KoolBreeze]

The pictures of animals being hauled reminds me of a trip my dad and I went on back in the fall of '88. We were DIY elk hunting in the White River north of Rifle, CO and he had a brand spanking new Honda Foreman 350D. I killed a big bodied 6x6 bull across a valley from where our camp was and we loaded it up on the Foreman and attempted to get it back to camp that way. It was a sight to see. The Foreman didn't like it much and I just knew we'd blow the engine. Ultimately, we were successful after we hooked our friends Suzuki atv to it. Us dumb southerners, having done the same with whitetails for years, didn't know any better at the time. Haha!

Believe it of not, I still have the Foreman and it's still going strong. One tough machine.

 

[163bc]

I have a 2013 Polaris Ranger XP900. I have worked the absolute snot out of it. I take good care of it maintenance wise but I expect it to work and don’t baby it. I do a lot of spraying with a 100 gal tank so it’s usually got 800-1000 lb load on the back. I’m going to be in the market for a new one soon and will be looking hard at a new Ranger XP 1000. The only other one I’m even considering is a Honda Pioneer 1000.