ATV use on the farm?
 

We've never owned an ATV, so really don't know a thing about them. Our 60 acres is like a bowl, with gradual to pretty steep slopes all the way around, nice and flat in the center at the bottom, perhaps 10 acres or so of flat ground. That's all the land we intend to "use". Our house and gardens will be down there.

We bought this unique piece because of the total privacy it affords. Most of it outside the bottom is too steep to get around on a tractor. We're considering an ATV for getting around the place on, to check fences, go fetch the mail, cut wood and haul it back down, etc. Can an ATV navigate wooded land (we want to eventually add trails) with fairly steep hills? What size? We were looking at the Honda 500cc's, but would go smaller if they'll do the job. We only want it to get around the land on, no joy riding, but it would need to do some work too (like hauling wood out). We know we'd need 4wd because of the slopes.

Suggestions?
Thanks :)

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

we have several but the nicest one is our honda rancher 350 it is 2 wheel drive but does everything i have ever asked it to do. the 500's are nice but if it is just to get around your place and through the woods that is alot of machine. Its hard to go wrong with Honda ATV's they are very reliable.

yes, that's what I use .Honda 2-wheel. use it to pull a cart around for soil etc. no problems gettin through the woods. that old thing has been going strong for 20 years. Georgia.

We use two:
Honda Rubicon 4wd 500cc automatic - the big work horse.
Kawasaki Bayou 2wd 288cc 5 speed - more bouncy and agile.

We have a winch and snow plow for the Rubicon. We'd like to get a dump cart one day.

We use them to check the mail, go up to the bee hives, pull out old fencing, haul T-posts, see if the neighbor's cow is in our field, haul hay or straw... seriously when you have one available you just find yourself using it all the time.

They can pull a VERY steep hill but you need to go straight up or straight down the hill. If you try to go across the hillside they can tip/roll.

There is one called "Bombadier" that has many GARDENING ATTACHMENTS available for it, such as a tiller. It would be a good one to take a look at.

Bombardier has been bought by Can Am they are great machines but expensive!

Very good tip ....Dont ask me how I know.

The Honda Rubicon was actually the one we were thinking about. However, we intend to buy a tractor as well for the heavy chores, so really only want the ATV to run around on, and hauling things (wood, fence posts, stuff like that).

If we could get by with a much smaller one, like 350cc's or so, they're much less expensive and we'd prefer that. The tractor is more important and we'd rather spend more on it, than implements for the ATV.

Here in the campground, the owner is a farmer, and runs around on his ATV all the time. He recommended Honda as a work horse, and suggested we not go smaller than 500cc's... but I'm not really sure why we'd need that much. That's why I thought I'd get some opinions :).

Oh... I should add that we'll likely double up on it. I know they're not legal for 2 riders, but like I said, we're not going to go hot rodding around on it, but whatever we get, sometimes we'll both be on it.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

The larger sizes tend to be more comfortable, but most any size will get you around easily. I have 2 Polaris 400's and one Polaris 500, and we use them daily. If you get a larger one youll find its more convienient for a lot of things than a tractor will be.

Youll also find youll quickly tire of riding double, so you may want to consider 2 smaller ones instead of one big one. Check out Polaris here:
http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-US/Atv/

The optimum machine IMHO is the 2006 TRX350 ES 4X4 RANCHER Only $4483.00 at www.southernhonda.com I have an equivelent machine that is ridden daily for miles and it is 17 years old and has given absolutely stellar service.

we have both also we just got a new tractor to replace my old 9n...what a difference a new machine makes! i too live here in the ozarks and my property is both open and woods with steep hills. i have never had an issue with the 350 not being able to pull me and usually my daughter (14) around. i would recommend that whatever brand tractor you get that you look for a 4x4. it is like added horse power and is very useful.

Thanks guys, I'm really glad I asked. I like the idea of the 350cc price tag much better! The Honda dealer here in Russellville is getting ready to move to their new location, and might have some good sales going on. I'm going to go check tomorrow. Knowing that a 350cc is big enough gives me more bargaining power, I won't get sucked into the big machine. :p

We figured we could just leave it in the back of our pickup... and when we can run home, we'll have it get around on the land til we get a road in.

4wd tractor is a must. We'll just be replacing the one we had previously, it was stolen off the dealer's lot where we'd put it on consignment when we sold our farm. We'll get either a NH 40DA or 45DA, that worked out pretty well for us before. But kind of big to go running around in the woods.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

Since you have hills, make sure you get 4x4 ATV.

Maybe I should qualify that answer. I have 3 quads (ATVs). One is all time 4WD. One can be changed from 2WD to 4WD with a lever. The third one is only 2WD. The two with 4WD can go many places that the 2WD just can't go. It will just spin the back wheels on a pretty good hill. Now it is not an issue of power with the 2WD. It has 660cc and probably twice the HP of the other ones. It just can't get all that power to the ground.

Go with 4WD.

We ask around before buying ours.

We wanted it for an all around farm tractor.

We were told that two strokes will not hold up if driven slow very much and for pulling a mower and tiller and such we needed a 4x4 4 stroke.

We have only had one ATV and it is a Polaris 400. I am 65 and DH is 70 and we love it and trust it anywhere on our property.

I especially like the self breaking engine. I have come off the meadow hill way more quickly than I was comfortable with on our riding mower. The breaks just wouldn't hold on the hill.

I don't use breaks on the Polaris. I just drive down the hill. It does not speed up.

You will find that you use it for everything on the farm and will rarely use a regular tractor.

Our Polaris was expensive as far as ATVs go but cheep compared to a tractor that might get us killed on these hills.

We use it to haul stuff, pull a trailer full of stuff, move trailers around.
Say we went and got a load of hay. It is easy to put the big trailer back in its parking place with the Polaris. We pull boat trailers out to the drive to be hooked up to the truck with it. It is just a wonderful tool to have.

I have spent money on equipment for the farm that I now realize was a waste of money but the Polaris is worth every penny.

Everyone seems to think they are well worth the money. If our land were flat and not so wooded, I wouldn't bother. But... it's not :p I don't see them as a tractor replacement however. Part of our retirement strategy is a greenhouse, large gardens and an orchard, and bees. We'll definitely need a tractor to do the work. But the ATV would be a great asset as well.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I feel better about our decision to purchase one, as we weren't really sure they were worth the money. Glad to hear they're worth their weight.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

We have a Yamaha Kodiak 450 4x4 and like it much better then the Honda. Just a hint though when going down the steep hills put it in 4x4 low gear and you won't need to use the brakes. We looked around extensively before we bought ours for the same reason as yours and dollar for dollar the Kodiak was by far the best. The only thing we use the tractor for and not the ATV is mowing and tilling up the garden. Otherwise for hauling everything including the chicken food up the hill to the coop we use the ATV. I wasn't sure at first about an ATV but am glad now that we invested the money in it.

We have a Polaris Sportman's 500. Six years now. Awesome machine. Has done everything I ask it to. We make our own poles for buildings out of cedar trees, big ones. We can pull them from anywhere, up any hill. Great for deer hunting. We have 80 acres and I can get around the place in 5 minutes. Nice for keeping an eye on things. I have a deep basket on the back with sort of a back pack full of useful pockets that hold all sorts of tools, water, etc. I am sixty and have had a knee replaced, wouldn't be without one.

We have a gas powered golf cart & LOVE it! Neighbors have 2 ATVs & 1 broke down so they bought one of those little yamaha dump trucks. What is so nice is the 2 of you can go together. That's what we like about our cart, too. & the neighbors LOVE their little 2 seater. It's not really a truck, can't think what you call 'em. (Gator?)

Patty

We use a John Deere Gator 4x6, this is the most used tool on the farm.
It's nice to have two seats, and a place to put stuff in the back. We don't use the hydraulic dump like we thought we would.
Ours can pull a trailer or cart and I feel safe with 6 wheels.
So far so good. :dance:
TEE

I like the idea of a 2 seater as well, but a golf cart definitely is not getting around our land. One of those UTV's probably could just fine, but I think the size of it might defeat the purpose of the ATV's size and manueverability for us.

I'm stopping at Honda today to see what I can learn, and if they've any killer sales. They are down to 3 weeks until move date, and I noticed on their sign they have some awesome motorcycle sales.

Reputation is part of the reason I'm starting with Honda, but price is definitly my motivation point on an ATV. I will compare the other brands if no good sales are available, but I was primarily hoping to "make out like a bandit" with their moving sale.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

We have a honda 350 its does all we need. It is 4 wheel drive. We haul a large cart with manure at times . It will even pull a loaded hay wagon.

Patty

"...will even pull a loaded hay wagon.."? Do you mean a wagon full of 100 or so small square bales? If so, wow.
Will they pull a trailer with, say, a cord of hardwood? (by trailer I mean an old manure spreader)

I went and looked at the Honda's this morning. Lots of info to digest for someone who's never owned one!

I probably picked their poor brains for 2 hours. But I think I've narrowed it down to either the Foreman 4x4 (475cc's, air cooled, carbuerator, standard shift) or the Rancher 4x4 (420cc's, liquid cooled, fuel injected, standard shift).

Way too many options! Of course, DH will go over my research, go back and test drive, and make the final choice, but we usually work pretty well together that way.

Power steering was an option I felt unecessary. There's no power steering on a tractor, and that handles just fine. I thought a standard shift would be better since we have very little flat ground. I would prefer the fuel injection over the carb, but am fine with either.

Hand down, I'd rather have liquid cooling over air, but we'll have to consider the pro's and con's of both. Perhaps a front radiator isn't a great idea, but I surely like the idea of the covered engine in the leg area, especially in the summer.

I had them demo (I was too chicken to try it myself) a 350, and the above 420 and 475 cc models on a rock hill. I thought perhaps the 350 wasn't quite enough, but I'll still have DH see what he thinks. 500 and up, I ruled out. More power than we need, and more than we want to spend.

Actually, I was a bit suprised at the prices, they were all more than we want to spend. The Rancher is $5285 and the Foreman $6085. I do believe we can claim it for farm use at the time of purchase and not pay sales tax?

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

The NH tractors have power steering for sure...not that that is an issue necessairly with the ATV. Good luck in your search.

We have a Foreman and a Rancher. The Rancher is easier to steer for me than the Foreman. They are both great machines though and we get a lot of use out of them.

That would explain why our 2003 NH45D was so much easier to handle than our 1946 Farmall MD was eh? :p

I think I'm pretty much opting for the Rancher (and it's cheaper). I'm waiting to see which one hubby chooses.

Does anyone have one of the molded seats with storage that you can add to the back? I'd want to put one of those on it. Unless of course the feedback is awful.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

I have a foreman. It is an older one and is only 400cc. But it is a 10 year old machine and doesn't give me a lick of trouble. Solid as a rock. I'd be confident in saying that whichever one you get, you will be happy.

BTW, the MSRP on the 4x4 rancher is $5299 according to the Honda web site. Sounds like your $5285 price is not that hot of a deal.

http://powersports.honda.com/atvs/ut...elId=TRX420FM7

What kind of gas millage do they get??

Some people are getting them here & licensing for street use...

And another BTW for you CJ, just over in Fort Smith there is a used one for $2250. Something to think about.

http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/mcy/327856082.html

That was full retail yes. I didn't do any negotiating since hubby still needs to go see them. They did have a couple of really good bargains, but I didn't think they were the right ATV for us.

The bargains for the moving sale were actually pretty decent, they had several 2005 and 2006 models, but they were the 350 ranchers, and I ruled them out.

They had a one Rincon at $1800 off, making it a darn good deal, but I don't think it's the right tool for what we want. It's huge.

And last, they have 2 of the Foreman 475cc's with power steering, for $6000, which is a $1k off retail, and that's a decent bargain, but I'm not sure we want to spend an extra grand, just for power steering, unless someone can convince me otherwise.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

Dont even consider a 2 wheel drive. We have a 4x4 Kawasaki mule that can shift into 2 wheel. Once the rear tires got worn it hardly goes even on a small slope (in 4 wheel it goes almost anywhere). I also have a Honda rancher and love it. Of the 2 I use my Mule more due to the hauling capacity and the ability to carry 2-3 of us. The dump bed is an added bonus. The newer ones are thinner in profile and go anywhere a ATV can. Oh did I mention I have had my Mule since 1983 and have NEVER had any work done to it? Talk about reliable.

We also ave a hinda rancher 350 but ours is 4x4. We have pretty steep hills also and it does the job.

We also have a Kabota RTV 900. with a dump bed. With 4x4 or 2 wheel. Easy to drive easy to dump but won't come close to the atv for steep hills but it does a great job.

I got a fourwheeler. I have the trailer that I tow it on usually behind it. On the fourwheeler I made the garden gates big enough to get it and the trailer through. I use it for hauling dirt, wood,water barrels, old stuff to the burn pile. Also it's a sawhorse, ladder, drags anything I need somewhere's else,and when I feel extra lazy I don't walk I ride it.
I "found" three plastic mild crates. They fit just right on the back rack. I haul just about anything in them.

Just go ahead and buy one, you will find new uses for it everyday.

Have a 1996 Suzuki, only 250 cc, but has a heck of a gearbox.
High, low, granny low/2 wheel/4wheel/differencial lock.
Land very hilly.

Used it for ten years pulling a pull behind mower (48"). beat the snot out of both and still going. Have the tractor for mowing now, but still use the quad for trails.

Also have a snow blade, so is used in the winter for plowing.
A trailer round out the attactments, Athough with a ball hitch, I used the trailer it rides on as a larger trailer behind for haulling brush etc.

I have a Suzuki too. King Quad probably about the same year but I think mine is 330cc. Very cool transmission. I think there are like 36 combinations. I like 2wd/high for riding the logging roads since you can really slide the rear end out on curves - can't do this on a 4WD. But then if you really need to climb something tough switch to superlow/diff lock/4wd and golly it will climb anything. And the reverse is the easiest I have seen, just pull back a lever.

Nice machines.

The King Quad was the bigger one, mine is a Quad Runner, still going, after 11 years.
They don't make those with the gear box any more.

Won an Arctic Cat 500 in our Ducks Unlimited Raffle, has the auto shift on the fender, nice, but not even close to the old Suzuki.

We may go in Saturday and pick one up. On paper, we've agreed that the Honda Rancher, 420cc 4x4 unit is the one we want. It makes the best sense to us. Of course, DH will test drive them and look at them, and make a final decision.

I really appreciate all the advice and suggestions. You guys are great!

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

I went around and around on how big to go and ended up with a Honda Rancher 350.

I have pulled big "widow-makers" down with it and have skidded out some impressive logs with the "little" 350.

Not to mention moving tons of snow over the last 7 years.

If I were doing it again I would go with the same rig. It fits in the back of the pick-up between the wheel wells and I can close the tailgate.

In the woods I have much better maneuverability then my friends with their big 500's and 650's and can leave them behind in any situation other then on the road.

The only thing I do not like about my Rancher is it is full time 4x4 although I could buy a conversion kit for under a hundred bucks. I think the newer Ranchers can be switched from 2 to 4x4.

The little 350 has been up to every task I have asked of it so far.

It's here!
 

We picked up the ATV today. We did end up with the Honda Rancher Fourtrax 4x4, hubby and I were in complete agreement on everything. The only thing that we like on paper but not in testing, was the manual shift. We realized my mom would not be able to operate it (you'd have know my mom). So we bought the electric shift instead.

The only accessory we bought was the seat and feet rest for me (or a passenger). Took it for a spin on the gravel road behind the campground, rides great! We'll have it here in the campground for about a month, then we'll be leaving it with my folks for them to use while we're away, and of course when we go home, we'll take it over to our place.

http://www.wanderingquilter.com/stor...da-Rancher.jpg


The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

"The only accessory we bought was the seat and feet rest for me (or a passenger)."

The NEXT accessory you need to buy is a big cable or chain and a TOUGH lock. ATV's are very tempting targets, and quite easy to move if not secured