Somebody please tell me why...

In Minnesota, you can get a DNR licence for it that lasts 3 years to allow some access to some roads. You can get a one-time lifetime licence to allow access to nearly all county or lesser roads to drive for farming use.

In reading the internet, most states have similar deals? I'd be very surprised if yours does not. I didn't know they were allowed either until we bought one....

For a while the tiny pickups from japan were popular for jobs like this - they were about $5000, and were a tiny snug pickup. However you cannot drive them on the road at all,and they have tiny skiny wheels that don't offer much traction.

The Ranger/Mule/Gator/UTV machines have come a long ways and are a lot more useful than an unlicence-able mini pickup or an old beater pickup.

--->Paul

I believe they are generally legal in IN, provided they use a "slow moving vehicle" sign, which is supposed to be restriced to under 25 mph, but many of these will to close to 40.

I bought a 4x4 ATV in 1994 and a large lawn cart for it in1997.We have areas at our deer camp you just can not cross with a 4x4 pick up nor a Jeep CJ 5,6 or7 with out investing about $1000. in wide tires and wheels.Then you get 10 inches of snow and your on shanks mare. We found the ATV Drawbacks when My hunting partner bought his UTV. No more trying to get confortable riding the ATV double to crossthe cramberry march to get to some hunting blinds. Much easier to raise the bed and slide a deer in the box than it is the trailer which has narrow tires and some times is skided tru muddy areas unlike the UTV. That UTV goes thru some mighty tight areas in the woods I garentee you will not even get a compact tractor thru with out a trail wideing sesstion.
I tried to drive the wifes YJ down the beach to my deer blind so I couldpick up the gear forthe trip home. GODI bet the tow bill to get me out of the sink hole I went in would have been near a $1000.00 ifone of the peopledown the road had not decided they could get it out with a couple of snach em straps hooked together and a good start.
My partner drives down the beach with his UTE all the time and picks up that flat shale rock we are useing to make the patio around the cabin.

We also have bees in out yards. I use the ATV in the early spring and late fall when the trails are wet and muddy and the land owners are not happy when my truck cuts the ruts in the mud. I have to trailer the ATV to the area where the bees are Unload it from the trailer,unload the lawn trailer then load the feed for the bees or the meds in the trailer and drive back to them. Every time I get to listen to the complains about the ride back there, even when Kare drives. How nice it would be to load the UTV with the equipment I need a then load it on the trailer to trans port it to the bee yard, unload it, get Kare in the seat and go.
I have the ATV which does work and is paid for. But today I would buy a UTV over a ATV every time.

Pick upsare nice for some work they are made for but expencive getting very poor fuel ecomeny when used to putts thru the woods> compact tractors are great too for what they were made for. they get much better fuel ecomeny than a pick up when puttsingaround in the woods but do cut rutts in the soft soil.
My partners UTE gets about 36 to 39 MPG when we are at Deer camp. Doesn't leave huge ruts in the soft marsh, hauls fire wood deer and water. He uses it at home with a 50 gallon tank to haul sap to the sugar shack.

Al

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Garden View Apiaries. Where the view is as sweet as the honey.
A member of SEMBA & MBA.

I used one at my job for several years, loved it. As someone else said, not good in really muddy areas, and I will add not good in snow. I mean, once you get into deeper snow the weight of the thing just drops it into the drift. But it's probably not meant for that anyhow. I'd get a 4 wheel drive version. You have to raise the bed to fill the gas tank, and we learned on our Mule that if you smelled gas, you were about to run out!

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“If I rest, I rust”

OK, found out it is OK if used for farm use, also 4-wheelers for farm use. I never knew racing up & down the road doing well over 25 mph was consdiered farm use. These are usually young kids. The guys that I know that farm actually do drive them sensibly. If they aren't licensed or insured, what would happen if you came around a turn driving normally & hit one? Who would be at fault? If they are to be used on the road then they should have a license & insurance like a vehicle. I haven't noticed any slow moving vehicle signs either. Lots of golf carts on the roads too. While not going fast, going too slow can be just as dangerous. If a vehicle crested a hill or came around a turn & was suddenly upon one of these slower vehicles, someone is going to get hurt.

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I can't believe I deleted it!

Thought the same thing, lots of money, but you only go around once. I was going to buy a 4 wheeler after the ice storm a couple of years back and I had to walk to the pond to break ice once or twice a day. Went to look at 3 wheeler and bought a Rhino. Love it and use it all the time when I need to go places on the place that I cannot get to in Pickup. I live where it is sandy and it is east to get stuck, even with my MF. I haul fencing stuff, deer, go get mail, grandkids at bus stop when cold or rainy. (close to 1/2 mile). Wife goes with me when I need help fencing or what ever. Really good to put great grandson to sleep on a short ride in the pasture. I have a cover on it and use it in the winter time (windshield) motor warms it up pretty good, Jeep would do the same thing. One of the little import truck will do pretty well in the sand in 4 wheel, but not in 2 wheel. I really don't know how I did without one, but I am sure that I could have and not even of know it. I already know I can't take anything with me when I leave this world, sooo, I try to enjoy it here. No, I don't have much money, but with gas the way it is today, you can save a lot on gas money. By the way, I can also drive it to some fishing places where I can't go in my pickup. I enjoy mine and you will also if you get one and can find enough reason to have one. I would recommend a brand name one. I know all of them have some drawbacks, but are all good. Just be careful and when you are getting old you will be more careful.

A lot of farmers in my area buy golf carts to get around on their farms and use them to attach weed sprayers and fertilizer sprayers on them. Some have 4 wheelers.
They use them to go down to the canals to turn the water on also. I guess it beats paying for gas and wear and tear on their trucks and walking.

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Debbie



Yahweh-Raah
The Lord My Shepherd

First the model pictured doesn't cost 10 grand. I just purchased one for the DW and it was 6800. They can have lots of add-on's like a hard cover, heat, radio, etc. But a basic 4x4 model isn't much more than a small quad and much more useful. They can have all kinds of equipment attached. From mowers to snow throwers and everything in between.

Why is a pickup is a pain. They are heavy and make deep ruts. They need about 9 ft of clearance in the woods, unless you like scratches or worse. They also need a huge area to turn around in. Free of stumps and large rocks (do you have this in your woods naturally? I sure don't. Ever blow a tire on a small stump you didn't see? I sure have. Can a pickup carry more cargo. Sure. But how often are you just carrying you and your tool belt or chain saw?

Is it a tractor? No. But my wife can strap the 3 year old in and he can go with, to do chores. Can't do that safely on a tractor. It can carry feed, hay, manure, water in buckets. It does it with out all the bouncing and jarring of a tractor. The noise level is not even in the same... Can you have a conversation while riding on your tractor?




So they sure aren't a tractor and don't carry as much as a pickup. Course here it gets used every day. The tractor and the truck are sitting. You tell me what's what.

We have one, and I agree 100% with this. I also use mine to seed the pasture, I can pull the seeder and carry another 500lbs of seed and do alot of seeding w/o having to go back to reload with seed, could pull the seeder with a 4-wheeler, but couldn't with a truck. Fencing was another big thing I got it for. I weighed the options of one and a 4-wheeler with a trailer, but for a few 1000 more, I can take my DD4 out with me safely, or another person when I have help.