General wheeler question

[Fishermen]

I like the independent rear suspension so that you're not dragging the axle on the foreman through the snow my Rubicon has a 2 inch lift 26 inch tires 15 inch or ground clearance it will eat a 18in snow drift and has a front differential Locker

[Flagging]

I have a 2015 Polaris Sportsman 570.  What I don't like about the Polaris is the "racks" are essentially flat plastic with holes for proprietary Polaris accessories, not very helpful when you're using it for ice fishing, IMO.  I would much rather have a traditional rack/grate.  As for getting stuck, which I've gotten myself a fair number of times, it's always due to clearance and the machine getting stuck on top of the snow/slush where the underbody is sitting on the snow and the tires are just spinning in the snow/slush column.  Like a sled, in those times you want to be able to get the machine running again on top of the snow.  If you get into that situation, the best thing that works is digging out the machine and hitting the gas as you stand next to it and jumping on after the machine gets running on top of the snow.   Those can be long days.   With that said, my guess is the heavier the machine, the more problematic getting on top is going to be.

[lowaccord66]

Dont get me wrong, i like the Can Am and never had a problem with it. I like to 2 up feature as does my wife, comfortable ride for us both going across the lake. i dont use it for anything else other than ice fishing.

From what i've seen with the Honda ATV's they can take on just about anything dished out for it to handle. I also think that "Honda" is synonymous with quality or at least thats my perception. I have several Honda products from LawnMower, Power Washers to a couple of Outboard motors to an Accord and they all start up easy with little to no maintenance issues.

I do like Honda products.

Honda is incredible with their engineering.  I used to be a zealot thus the Low Accord SN.  Id say its less preception though jiggin...they do a good job with their engineering! 

I thought about a quad for this season...but wonder if a snow machine is a better choice fir ice fishing overall?

[iceman260]

I have a honda 450es , it's a 2001 model that I bought to plow my private rd. and use for ice fishing. That machine has proven to be bullet proof as I have used it for eighteen years with no break downs. Every year it gets an oil and filter change, a new spark plug every three years, and a new battery as needed. The only other repair was a new choke cable this summer. You can't beat that for reliability.

[jethro]

The Hondas are obviously the ones that people like because they are harder to find. Can find 30 Polaris wheelers online where the Hondas are fewer and father between.

[Roccus]

I have a 2015 Polaris Sportsman 570.  What I don't like about the Polaris is the "racks" are essentially flat plastic with holes for proprietary Polaris accessories, not very helpful when you're using it for ice fishing, IMO.  I would much rather have a traditional rack/grate.  As for getting stuck, which I've gotten myself a fair number of times, it's always due to clearance and the machine getting stuck on top of the snow/slush where the underbody is sitting on the snow and the tires are just spinning in the snow/slush column.  Like a sled, in those times you want to be able to get the machine running again on top of the snow.  If you get into that situation, the best thing that works is digging out the machine and hitting the gas as you stand next to it and jumping on after the machine gets running on top of the snow.   Those can be long days.   With that said, my guess is the heavier the machine, the more problematic getting on top is going to be.

I'm surprised you don't like the Polaris racks.. other than being made out of plastic ( pretty durable plastic I might add) I find them quite useful... before adding the Polaris dry box to the back I had a series of milk crates and boxes mounted( straps only) on the back that worked quite well... I make a spiffy auger and electronics mount for the front that utilizes the notches with home made disconnects... I've heard people complain about the belt drive system and the customer service but never that rack system... I'm curious as to if you have chains on yours... because short of totally burying mine to the floor boards  in slush it is unstoppable.....the only time I had issues( and I still made it through the day) I fished the derby when 2' of snow was on the ice... and 12" of that was slush... that day even the snow machines had issues.

[NH piker]

I have a 2015 Polaris Xp 1000.  I get a bit nervous on first ice being so heavy but it has so much power with rear chains I've never had an issue getting around.  I would probably go smaller/lighter if I had a do over. 

[Fishermen]

I have a 450s model I might be willing to part with if interested needs a little love but she's a beast

[jethro]

Temporary hold on my wheeler purchase by buying a 4 stroke sled to sit along my 2 stroke. Have to see what all the hype is about. I guess I'll just hope we get a lot of snow.

[Flagging]

I'm surprised you don't like the Polaris racks.. other than being made out of plastic ( pretty durable plastic I might add) I find them quite useful... before adding the Polaris dry box to the back I had a series of milk crates and boxes mounted( straps only) on the back that worked quite well... I make a spiffy auger and electronics mount for the front that utilizes the notches with home made disconnects... I've heard people complain about the belt drive system and the customer service but never that rack system... I'm curious as to if you have chains on yours... because short of totally burying mine to the floor boards  in slush it is unstoppable.....the only time I had issues( and I still made it through the day) I fished the derby when 2' of snow was on the ice... and 12" of that was slush... that day even the snow machines had issues.

Not sure your exact setup but I can't get any of my ratchet strap hooks through  those couple of bars on the back side and the plastic is not strong enough to strap directly to on the sides, it pulls up with pressure.  So it means threading the straps through and hooking elsewhere and I'd rather just be able to hook to any given bar.  Pretty sure there is nothing to hook to or thread through up front either, I know that's been frustrating a bunch of times.  Perhaps I'm just missing that simple solution though, definitely feel free to tell me if I am, I'd love to make those racks work better for me.
 I'd love to see your homemade quick disconnect,  that would definitely be handy. 
No chains, I plow with mine all winter so don't want to be running those on my driveway.  When I've gotten stuck it's in conditions like you describe, deeper snow with slush on bottom.  The tires aren't even getting on ice so chains wouldn't matter (right?), they're just spinning as the underbelly is resting on aforementioned snow/slush.  It's definitely all about clearance then, IMO. 

[DERBIS]

Not sure your exact setup but I can't get any of my ratchet strap hooks through  those couple of bars on the back side and the plastic is not strong enough to strap directly to on the sides, it pulls up with pressure.  So it means threading the straps through and hooking elsewhere and I'd rather just be able to hook to any given bar.  Pretty sure there is nothing to hook to or thread through up front either, I know that's been frustrating a bunch of times.  Perhaps I'm just missing that simple solution though, definitely feel free to tell me if I am, I'd love to make those racks work better for me.
 I'd love to see your homemade quick disconnect,  that would definitely be handy. 
No chains, I plow with mine all winter so don't want to be running those on my driveway.  When I've gotten stuck it's in conditions like you describe, deeper snow with slush on bottom.  The tires aren't even getting on ice so chains wouldn't matter (right?), they're just spinning as the underbelly is resting on aforementioned snow/slush.  It's definitely all about clearance then, IMO.

I agree with you on the newer Polaris racks. They are semi-proprietary, unless you get creative. My 2000 Sportsman's racks are hole rich but I think the metal frame racks similar to Honda's are best for customizing attachments.
I think chains would have helped you BEFORE you got stuck. They are handy in the deep stuff, similar to paddle tires for sand.
I haven't been out on a pond or lake in too much snow for my wheeler, but ground clearance has been an issue for me at smaller ponds where access is sometimes over a plowed snowbank at a launch. Sometimes you just gotta send it and sometimes you have to do some digging.

[clamshack]

anything 4x4 will work. don't worry about brand or motor size get what you can.... I have a 1000 for trail riding and I use a 500 on the ice. it does not really matter unless you are talking deep snow. my buddy is 300lbs and he uses a 400.

[DERBIS]

I think where displacement mostly helps is in automatic belt driven machines. In a shifting wheeler, you are more limited by the gear ratios themselves, you can always downshift.
On a flat lake, your tires are going to spin however fast your gears are turning. In a belt drive machine, your tires are going to spin however fast the clutches let them. My sportsman 500 does fantastic at whatever I throw at it which is mostly trail riding, but I feel like its limited when I put a big load on it like towing.

[Hess]

I would recommend a Polaris Sportsman 450 or 570 'Utility' Edition -- with the new Utility models, they come with a much more versatile rack system, which is even designed to carry a couple 5 gallon buckets -- the 570 model also comes standard with power steering (EPS) and a geared-down work/tow mode option -- both models are fuel injected and have 4-way fully independent suspensions -- I would add a 2500lb winch and a set of V-Bar tire chains to the rear tires -- possibly a tall windshield if you are traveling longer distances across the ice -- the 450 utility model you can get into for under $6,000 with the current Polaris rebates...!!

[NH_RED]

I think having both a sled and wheeler is essential if you fish allot. Nothing worse than getting a wheeler stuck good. A foot or more of snow and throw  in some slush the sled will make for a much more relaxing fishing day! 

[jethro]

Ive only had a sled for fishing for the past 20 years, looks like this year will be the same. Now I have two sleds... still no wheeler. Maybe next year.

[xjma]

Surprised to see so many Honda fans. Used to have Honda’s but the rincon tranny leaves a lot to be desired. Nice ride and such. Cc for cc, underpowered motors but they last if the tranny doesn’t die.


We are currently running Polaris ATVs, I’m a skidoo sled man but their quads don’t handle as well as Polaris, my neighbors with can am ATVs agree with this fact.  500cc range is plenty of power unless you’re planning tracks, which is a whole different discussion.

If the plastic racks don’t do it for you get the metal on top. The front container on Polaris is awesome for storage.

[bassboat]

I've got a '96 400 Foreman and a couple sleds. With the snow we've had in the bottom part of the state, 4X4 is usually the right tool. With mud tires and full time 4WD, no problem getting around. The Polaris ride (my kids got a 500) is much, much more plush, the tradeoff being high cost of ownership (cluster and tranny.. could be how he rides it too).

[Roccus]

 My beast...

[smitty]

I have two 2003/2004 Yamaha 450 Kodiak's. Love these machine they are a beast. I do lots of trail riding,logging etc... in Maine and use them for ice fishing and plowing never had any problems getting stuck.
They are little tricky in the winter months to start. I do take the batteries out and keep them inside on a trickle charge.

smitty

[lowaccord66]

Thats a sweet machine Joe.  I need to get in the game...although I do love the break from towing...

[oldsCOOL]

This is my solution to getting high centered. Push it out of the way and ya shouldn't get stuck. Hahaha jk you can get really really stuck ! Life is an adventure. I come prepared with my diamond pattern studded chains and extra stuff to get unstuck but it does happen and my first trip out this year proved it. I didn't notice the ice heaves covered by snow at the ramp and high centered us straight away. We got off by locking in our 4 wheel drive and getting off and giving it a little push. I have had sleds but I prefer the versatility of the atv. Fun riding around town going to pick up the kids or drop them off, ice fishing,  hunting, using it to drag deer and to hang them  up and of course the main reason I bought it. to push snow ...wink wink

[Roccus]

Thats a sweet machine Joe.  I need to get in the game...although I do love the break from towing...

..front tires have 100 carbide studs each...they help steering. .I added heated grips and a thumb warmer...I equipped it with a 3500 lb warn winch and over sized battery...I also have an eagle 50"v plow for it... I carry a 15 " length of 1 " conduit with a length of 3/8 chain that forms a triangle...a quick hole and that length of pipe makes a great winch point.

[NHGunowner]

I own a CanAm Outlander Max (2up), 1000.
I bought it exclusively because it is the power king. And power it has! Most everything else about it does not impress me. I find the suspension and handling poor, extremely difficult and not user friendly to work on, factory accessories are terrible. The power steering overheats constantly with my tracks on.
I had a Yamaha Grizzly before it and liked it better overall.
For snow you get way more ground clearance with independent rear suspension.
Lots of my buddies have Foreman's, they are very durable, a bit slow for my taste. And solid rear axle. They get stuck more. I view them geared a bit more toward "utility" than "sport". They probably have IRS models I'm not aware of.

[lowaccord66]

..front tires have 100 carbide studs each...they help steering. .I added heated grips and a thumb warmer...I equipped it with a 3500 lb warn winch and over sized battery...I also have an eagle 50"v plow for it... I carry a 15 " length of 1 " conduit with a length of 3/8 chain that forms a triangle...a quick hole and that length of pipe makes a great winch point.

Thats well equipped I'd say! 

[green shack]

2002 Polaris Sportsman 400, chains front and rear. no major issues with it ever.  I tow my ice house 8x10 with it off the ice in slush.  I find if it is going to get stuck, every other atv is stuck as well.  Roccus talked about the hole and winch trick .  That works well.