Looking for the Best All around ATV 4x4

[Morrocco_Mole]

I am looking to get a machine but wanted to know which one would be best to get. I do not want to spend and arm / leg for one either so. I plan on using it in the summer on once in a while and in the winter to pull my gear to the ice since many lakes in PA don't allow them on lakes.

Thanks
Morrocco Mole 

[jeffd7766]

are you looking for new or used? And what price range are you thinking

[iluvcrappie]

the new Arctic Cat wheelers are great they have enough torque to do anything you want....my old man just picked up the new 700 with EFI and let me tell you something that 700 has got it............we have a plow on it and a winch..........greates t money the ol man ever spent..........it has a diff. lock so it is true 4 wheel drive not limited slip like most others and the wheeler doesnt weigh that much either I can pick it up roughly a foot or so off the ground without a problem......I figured ok yeah a 700 wheeler thats great heavy big a$$ thing not going to be able to do much with it but it sure surprised the hell outta me when I got on it hit the gas wide open and the darn thing did a wheelie..........scare d the crap outta me was not ready for all that...thats for sure...........the best thing you can look at is if the wheeler is chain drive or shaft drive..........the Cats are shaft drive..........and look to see what options are available for the machine.........i.e. handwarmers, windsheild, winch, plow anything that may help you out in your buying decision..........just my .02 but go with the Cat 700 or even the 500 but be sure to get chains for the tires they help out great.........

[pike4some]

I use the Honda Foreman Rubicon but they are on the upper price around 7300 new. I was able to get a good deal on a used one with a plow, winch, and cargo box and an extra warranty. You can switch from 2-4 wheel drive, Has auto shift or manual thumb shift, can put into low gear. Just an all around great machine. I picked it up on E-bay but was looking for a long time to find what I was looking for. The Honda Rancher may be lower in price and work great fore what you are looking for. I say Honda because I know a few that have them and have had no problem with them. They just keep going. Just do a search on the internet and see what may suit for your needs. When looking see what the miles are and see what the tires look like. If the tires are wore and has low miles it may have been beat on.

[dkfry]

Take a look at the Yamaha Big Bear 400.(MSRP $5800) Hopefully I'll be buying a new one next year.

[gamefisher]

Take a look at the Yamaha Big Bear 400.(MSRP $5800) Hopefully I'll be buying a new one next year.

Yes, and also the Suzuki Eiger 400.  I bought I left over 2-3 years ago for $4500, out the door w/ cover.  Plow my drive with it plus everything else I need, pleasantly surprised, did no research, just bought the cheapest and it worked out.

[ALASKANSS]

IF you want a good priced ,multi purpose, dependable,bullet proof ,super reliable ,4x4 ATV that is good on fuel and has the power to do most jobs, look for a HONDA TRX 300 4X4 from 1990 to 2000 oh,and they dont ride half bad either

[Cool Blue]

If your going new, heres a nice ride. The new polaris sporstman 850 xp. If your looking to go light and quick and practically anywhere in the winter except over 4 foot drifts..lol i'd get a used 350 wolverine 4x4 by yamaha. My brother has one and its one of the lightest sport 4x4's out there. ive seen some good priced ones in uncle henry's and couple on craigslist.

2009 xp

[blackhawks]

I agree with Gamefisher...Suzuki Eigers are very good machines.  I bought a used one last Decmeber (from a friend of a relative)...it was a 2005 with 325 miles on it.  Love it for ice fishing....never failed me....always started and ripped through deeper snow, etc.  There a lot of great machines....I don't think you go wrong with a Honda, Yamaha, or Kawasaki.  Can Am is a great machine but its price tag will open your eyes.  When I read about Polaris...some guys love them, others say they would never buy another.  I read a lot before I purchased my Eiger, especially on forums from various ATV web sites (users of the machines).  Make sure you ride the machine before you purchase.  I felt some of the machines were "too small" and not a comfortable fit, e.g., Honda 300.  If you buy used, there are some great web sites that have great information and things you need to check prior to purchasing.  Good luck.

[Lobes]

As you can see people are having good luck with all brands out there. Whatever you get just do the basic scheduled maintenance and you should be good to go. I'd at least recommend going 4WD and you can get by without chains. I have never had any trouble getting around on my 500 or 800 quads with no chains and I usually pull around over 100 lbs. of gear. I do like the 800 EFI better than my 500 with a carb. In coldest weather for me it starts and idles much better.
You should be able to find a good used unit for a good price right now. Later in the season used machines may be harder to come by.

                                           
NBG

[fish_finder]

I have a honda 350 4x4, its an older model but its a work horse, big enough to go through a lot of crap but not overly big, you should be able to get any used 4x4 fairly cheap if you do some lookin around, with 4x4 and good tires you shouldnt have any problems hauln gear as long as the snow isnt up to the fenders

[ICE_MONKEY]

I have a 2005 yamaha kodiak 450 4x4. It works great!!! I hooked to 3 other guys sleds and shanties plus the gear I was hauling for the group of 4 I was fishin with.on the way off the ice last year at the tourney on cuba lake. Had no problems!!! I use it all year long. I'm particular to yamaha!!!!!!!!

[iluvcrappie]

I love how you hear all this stuff about Honda, Polaris, Yamaha, and whatever else junk there is out there but you NEVER hear anything about an Arctic Cat.....why is that??  my guess is because none of the other manufacturers can even compete with them...LOL...........I see these t.v. programs that have a buncha diff. wheelers in a competition for pulling, speed, and whatever else and again NOTHING about an Arctic Cat.....back to my saying about the others to ashamed to even try to compete with Arctic Cat........just my .02 worth.........

[fish4walleye]

iluvcrappie,maybe AC knows they can't compete ,most mags ,rags, and tv shows contact the man. and see if they would be interested in be included,that being said,most all manufacturers put out a great,reliable product,I own a polaris but would not hesitate to purchase a ac, yamaha,suzuki,kawasaki,honda or other brand name if it's what I want and it fits my needs,just do the research and purchase what fits your needs,I wanted 4x4 with all 4 working when I locked in and also wanted liquid cooled,but maybe the next guy wants something else,My MC is a Honda 1100,also watercooled and shaft drive because that's my personal pref.,,It's no differant than the type of shanty,sonar or other products you use, :tipup:Mark

[Barleydog]

I hunt quite a bit out on the remote Alaskan trail systems in central interior Alaska, and I've noticed one thing that holds true...  MOST of the ATV's being run up here are Yamahas and Hondas.  You get a smattering of other rigs, but nothing holds up to the actual riggers of tundra, mountain, shale infested hills, potholes, steep slopes, and below zero evil weather like these 2 brands.  Granted there are those other bikes out there, but they are just not PROVEN tough enough for most of us up here.  Don't get me wrong!  I'd love to see an American or Canadian bike perform on a consistant basis like Yamis and Hondas but they just don't...  You can't screw around with bad elements and terrain that will kill you relying on a cool looking bike dressed in fancy plastic.  All bikes are good out of the box, but which one will still be running 15-20 years down the road?  I don't mean to insult anyones preference for an ATV, I'm just stating field proven facts.

[Exile]

I have owned a bunch of ATV's.  I must have bought 8 Polaris, 2 Honda, 1 Kaw, 2 Suz & 1 Yamaha.
The one with the best ride is Polaris
The most dependable is Yamaha - Honda - Suz
The easiest to drive in 4wd Polaris - 2wd is Yamaha  (but Yamaha turns sharper than Polaris)
The highest ground clearance is Articat (the cat sits way high so watch out if you lets kids ride, tip over easy) - Polaris
The best 4x4 is Yamaha with the dif lock
The best rack system Yamaha.
The bike with the most Accessories Polaris

These are from my experience.
If you are an average rider, using the bike for hauling, riding and plain old having fun.  I recommend a EFI (ice fishing), 4x4, nothing less then a 400 cc.  with a winch!!!!!!

[fish4walleye]

I think another factor is how good is your local dealer? makes a big difference,Barley funny you should mention that as I belong to a couple of atv boards,must say it's the first I've heard of yamaha being a top machine up there,most riders I communicate with from up yonder tend to ride Polaris or Hondas, must be local,that being said,Honda seems to get great reports from all areas of the country. But again it's no differant than say this icefishing site to another,one site most folks use Vex while another most may use Marcum,same with shantys,auger and the likes

[minnowdrowner]

IF you want a good priced ,multi purpose, dependable,bullet proof ,super reliable ,4x4 ATV that is good on fuel and has the power to do most jobs, look for a HONDA TRX 300 4X4 from 1990 to 2000 oh,and they dont ride half bad either

Hell ya- I've got three of them for fishing and fence mending ranging from '91-'96 and they all get rode hard and put up wet, only thing I have ever done as far as repairs aside from tires and straightening handlebars was the starter module on the '91 went out in 2002. Brought it into a mechanic in Gillette, WY and he wasn't supprised at all that it lasted as long as it did, said they usually go about 10 yrs or more w/o a problem.

[hammerhead]

Way bigger motors being recommended than necessary. I used to drive a Honda 250 at work. Never felt I needed more power, even though we used it for heavy heavy work, spraying weeds in a swamp. You need more gear options and less CCs. Even the ittle 250 would take us as fast as you could run a big one safely. I'ts at the low speeds that make a difference.

[boomdoggie]

Was it not Honda that brought them to market in the 70,s with those 3 wheelers . I would say they must have them perfected by now. Cannot beat a Honda engine but i hear the parts are expensive

[blackhawks]

Barleydog, since you're from Alaska, what kind of a quad does Sarah Palin cruise around on? 

[REEL DeiL]

definately the polaris sportsman lots of power and rack room for gear

[newbraintree]

If your going new, heres a nice ride. The new polaris sporstman 850 xp. If your looking to go light and quick and practically anywhere in the winter except over 4 foot drifts..lol i'd get a used 350 wolverine 4x4 by yamaha. My brother has one and its one of the lightest sport 4x4's out there. ive seen some good priced ones in uncle henry's and couple on craigslist.

2009 xp
(Image removed from quote.)

I have a 99 wolverine that is unstopable in the snow and is light to move around

[hot tuna]

Being an outfitter these machines are what I have found most reliable and best work horses
                                            YAMAHA

[Morrocco_Mole]

Thanks what are the sizes and years of the 4x4 Utilities?
MM 

[motorfisher]

You can get really good deals right now on 2007 and 2008 holdover ATV's from most any manufacturer right now.
For myself I personally like Arctic Cats. I've owned'em for years and I'm exceptional hard on them while trail riding and mudding in the warmer months and they've done nothing but good by me !

[howesfc]

I have a 1997 Honda 300 TRX 4x4 I bought new only problem so far new battery.
But snow plow and tires will need replaceing soon.

[Doug D]

I used to have a 94 Honda 300 4x4 my father bought new. We had this through my teenage years and boy did I ever beat the heke out of it. You could not kill it. It is still going strong. It always starts. Went great in the snow with out chains never tried it with chains. My father in law has it now so I still ride it from time to time. Other than lacking brakes it still goes good.

[lightningz]

I Looked for a long time and talked to a lot of riders and I ended up with a 05 Yamaha Wolverine. I've set it up with auger carrier, rear box, bucket holder and gps. I run a lot of lakes and I love this thing. It has made the sport a heck of a lot easier and more fun. I would definitely get 4 wheel drive if you don't want any hassles, but that's just my opinion. The best thing to do is talk to as many people as possible and I don't mean salesman, because what ever they sell is always the best. There are some great deals out there on used machines if you know what your looking for.

[jibbs]

i have a polaris 500 atp and i love the ability to carry gear in the dump body.......it also helps when transporting the dogs on to the ice.......its not too big, but has the power to get through heavy snow and other conditions.......i don't have a great picture, but here's a look........