atv for ice

[jopes]

I got a old 88 Honda foreman.  Paid $800 for it.   It runs and tows my junk.   And if the unfortunate happens with it going swimming I am not out 6000+

[ice dawg]

Unsure when it started... Kymco built the entire 366 arctic cat quad line-up i beleive until 2013.  (Started in 2007 when cat dumped Suzuki entirely?)     The pre h1 line 700 was Suzuki...

I think the AC 650 H1became available in late 2004.

[iceslider]

Ice dog did you have any problems with the artic cat have an opportunity for a 2015 500 efi with 100 miles already set up for ice fishing. has plow,2 up seat with wrap around storage,led light bar,auger rack. asking because i've seen a lot of neg reviews but great reviews on snow machines. anyone else have an oppinion would be welcomed. Oh forgot price is 5000.

[ice dawg]

Ice dog did you have any problems with the artic cat have an opportunity for a 2015 500 efi with 100 miles already set up for ice fishing. has plow,2 up seat with wrap around storage,led light bar,auger rack. asking because i've seen a lot of neg reviews but great reviews on snow machines. anyone else have an oppinion would be welcomed. Oh forgot price is 5000.

The only problem I ever had was when the battery got old and it wouldn't start one cold winter morning. A new battery took care of that. I always ran 0-40 synthetic oil in it. You can see negative reviews about anything. The machine you are looking at should be a nice one for ice fishing.

[BFTSkunkedAgain]

Why so many haters of Polaris??? I've had them for years without much for issues, they have by far the best ride of any machine I've been around.  It's like you're riding a snowmobile through the powder snow when you ride one of them... except it digs through terrain like a tank... I'd say you won't get hurt with a Polaris in my experience anyway (I did get the carb gummed up with bad fuel)... I haven't been easy on my machines either, I farm and duck hunt through nasty marshes with them so they aren't pampered...

But one question I'd raise is weight of the machines... Was fishing last year on first ice and seen 3 bigger machines go through the ice, so that may be one thing you might want to keep in mind... As far as what do I use, well I go with the snowmobile because once the ice is thick enough out here, we usually have snow cover to go with it and it seems like it doesn't take long to get snow too deep to take a wheeler through, once they bottom out a wheeler isn't much good when they are high centered... Just my thoughts on the topic... J

[DLB]

Late to this but if its possible to do so, take a ride on as many brands as you can and let that make your decision.  Asking for what brand people like is opening a can of worms as everyone has their opinion.

[ice dawg]

Kind of like talking pickups or boats. I see more Polaris Rangers here because the Polaris dealership is larger than the others. I also see more Polaris commercials than other brands. Some people think you need a diesel pickup to pull a Ranger boat. I think it's testosterone talking. I pull a 32' fifth wheel with an 18 1/2' boat behind with a gasser. Never been short on power.
A friend had a Honda Rincon that wouldn't move until it was warmed up for quite a while. His may have been the only one with that problem.  Different areas have different preferences for machines.
My Lund boat developed a leak and I took it to a Crestliner dealer. The first thing the dealer blamed was the riveted hull on my Lund. I told him it started leaking after I had the bilge pump cartridge replaced. As it turned out, the bilge pump housing was cracked.
I have heard Arctic Cat called arctic crap. I have read that Polaris ATVs have maintenance problems. I have heard Can Am machines are hard to work on and parts are expensive. I looked at all of the local dealerships and bought the machine I liked best.

[Savage Brewer]

Shifting it into gear without the brakes on ticks me off. I think there is something with reverse too.

Last year I was out on a cold day in the middle of a lake and couldn't get it out of park. I didn't have the brake depressed enough. I am old, I hate safety crap.

         WS

Not sure what year yours is but I know the 2016-2019's do not have to depress the brake to shift in or out of gear.
What I do know is that if you have pressure on the tranny it can take a little rocking to shift.

[IceAddict87]

I agree with most people here except the Polaris haters. I too used to be a Polaris hater but after being a GPS soil tester for 5+ years and putting 600-1000 hours a year on an ATV I can tell you which ones I prefer and why. When we bought an ATV we would have to put aftermarket tires, cv boot guards and a few other things to handle the abuse of riding through corn stocks and soybean stubble.  The Honda Rancher Automatic with power steering and independent rear suspension was by far the best most reliable quad I used of all of them. The second was the Yamaha grizzly 550 with power steering, good machine but I only used it for 200 hours or less. I really liked the Polaris Sportsman 500, they had the best ride by far and got the job done. On the other hand the maintenance on them is much more than a geared ATV like the Honda.

[52isntbigenough]

I agree with most people here except the Polaris haters. I too used to be a Polaris hater but after being a GPS soil tester for 5+ years and putting 600-1000 hours a year on an ATV I can tell you which ones I prefer and why. When we bought an ATV we would have to put aftermarket tires, cv boot guards and a few other things to handle the abuse of riding through corn stocks and soybean stubble.  The Honda Rancher Automatic with power steering and independent rear suspension was by far the best most reliable quad I used of all of them. The second was the Yamaha grizzly 550 with power steering, good machine but I only used it for 200 hours or less. I really liked the Polaris Sportsman 500, they had the best ride by far and got the job done. On the other hand the maintenance on them is much more than a geared ATV like the Honda.

The only complaint I have on my Polaris 570 (ice only machine) is how difficult Polaris made it for the do-it-yourselfer to do maintenance. Getting at the oil plug and the transfer cases, especially the front, takes some major disassembly. Even the battery is a bit to get at. If it's snowed/iced over, forget about it.

[Light liner]

Belt drive, not a big fan.
Ride really nice though, and the engine brake is nice in the woods.

[52isntbigenough]

Belt drive, not a big fan.
Ride really nice though, and the engine brake is nice in the woods.

I've had mine in very wet conditions, deep slush especially and I was leery of the belt, but so far no issues.

[FISHFORPIKE]

I've had mine in very wet conditions, deep slush especially and I was leery of the belt, but so far no issues.

Same here, for my polaris.  I'll take the belt drive transmission any day.  If you have an issue,take the housing off and reinstall, sealing it with silicone; or do it as a preventive action.  Maintenance is key on any machine.
Every manufacturer has its own issues/idiosyncrocies,  In the end, I think, overall, Honda has the best reliability history.  Just look at the what most of the machines are that run in Alaska.

[Light liner]

Ive ran hondas for over 30 years. I have a few friends that run bombardier's.
Next time im looking a wheeler I will look at those.
Theyre all good and bad every brand.