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How do you like your utility vehicle ?

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efb

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I notice Soapweed has a Polaris ranger. I am thinking about getting a UTV. I want one with a bench seat . Have been looking at Polaris, Kawasaki , Kubota and John Deere. What do some of you guys have and how do you like yours ?
 
Most of the ranchers out here have a Kawasaki. But may because the have a large dealer right here in town. There was rancher had a bull roll his around last week when he was trying to pen them. He told us thank God for the roll cage and the doors he had his seat belt. :shock:
 
We like the Ranger because it has the most power and handles our rough terrain well. There has been longevity issues with some of the CV U joints and I busted a tie rod end the other day. Prompted me to look around again but it still appears the Polaris is at least as substantial as the best of the rest. The back axle does not provide enough clearance in tough conditions and I would consider and 4 wheel version for that and easier steering. How good the various dealers are should probably be the deciding factor. Of course Polaris is an American outfit as well

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I really like the Polaris Ranger. They have the bench seat so three people can ride if need be. I can put 20 sacks of salt and mineral in it to go to the pastures, if two sacks are put on the seat beside me. The outfit goes as fast as you want, maybe a little faster than you should go. It is very smooth riding. It works great for checking cows. Just plug a big spotlight in the power outlet and you can flash it in all directions. I think the Polaris is smoother riding than its competition, and is priced competetively.

Our first Polaris was a used six wheeler. We traded it for a new four-wheeler, and like the versatility and easier steering of the four-wheeler better. The cab would be nice, but it is also convenient to not have doors a lot of the time. On the really cold days, I still use a pickup. :wink:
 
Soap, this one has a heater but the door comes off in about 5 seconds. During calving or when it is not too cold I usually have only the passenger door on to keep the breeze from flowing through.
 
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The Kubota's cab and AC are nice. Especially appreciate the heater calving during a storm, radio is good, weather channel is nice, hydraulic lines that raise the box can be unplugged and could run a chute or something else hydraulic. Has a pretty good payload and uses fuel frugally.

It could use some more speed (have followed it at 27mph), rides rough when empty.

If you have some kids your trying to keep safe until they develop more sense, this is a good outfit, as it has one helluva frame and rops.
 
Some kids brought in several of their four wheelers to the school shop if they can not ruin one no one can.
The ATV Polaris side by side when they were working are them are the poorest built of all other brands makes and models.
I have heard of serious wrecks involving narrow built SUV watch out for Yamaha
 
Very nice. We have chatted about a utility vehicle but are still horse and truck only at our place. I have successfully rolled both of these (more than once) and feel a lot safer on the horse. (at least there is usually one functioning brain in the horse scenario - and occasionally 2).
Problem with an SUV at our place (aside from slopes) is bush. By the time you get off and walk a cow out of the bush, she will be right back in by the time you return to your mechanical horse. I know a few guys that rope off an SUV but they are a lot braver (???) than I will ever intend to be.
My son would like a Toolcat, but they don't seem fast enough to me. If we do get a utility it would have to go fast enough to really bugger stuff up.
 
There's literally 1,000's of those things up here between recreation,outfitters,loggers and farmers and ranchers-three big RV dealers in our hometown-90 percent of them are Yamaha's-Polaris aren't reliable enough to take in the bush-very comfortable but.... Honda's are workhorses but are crude and mankillers after a long day-you put 100 miles on a Honda on bush trails packing hunters its like you've been in a UFC ring. UVs are great workhorses for fencing,packing salt, quick pasture checks but they have NO place handling cattle-I've seen too damn many wrecks and had to handle to many quad spoiled cattle to think otherwise. In fact a neighbor that has three of them told me I was soo smart for just having horses for the kids-it was more poverty that intelligence lol. I would like one for packing bear bait and dragging out moose but unfirtunately I've seen how good they are at causing funerals so I'll probably pass-we bury at least one kid a year up here from quad accidents.
 
Those Toolcats look handy but I wonder if they would be. They won't do the work of a skid steer and they won't do the work of a tractor. And they don't cover the ground like a ATV. Maybe pushing snow off a driveway or parking lot. How many post hole do you dig and how many times do you haul 2 square bales. :???:
 
NR - i agree quad raised cows are a totally different breed than horse raised cows. In the event of trouble of any kind, I much prefer a horse.

We generally have at least 1 quad related funeral here a year as well, and some people that are just damn lucky.
I said my son would like a toolcat, i never said we were getting one. Have you ever priced one of those things? Yikes.
I know our horses eat a bit of hay, but I have never seen a quad lay down and have another quad (or cross a creek with 6 foot cutbanks, or bust a cow over on her back, or pull a calf with a lariat, or walk behind you through the bush, or refuse to enter somewhere that you really shouldn't go, etc.)
On the fliip side, I have never seen a quad take out for home when you got off and weren't paying attention.
 
RSL said:
NR - i agree quad raised cows are a totally different breed than horse raised cows. In the event of trouble of any kind, I much prefer a horse.

We generally have at least 1 quad related funeral here a year as well, and some people that are just damn lucky.
I said my son would like a toolcat, i never said we were getting one. Have you ever priced one of those things? Yikes.
I know our horses eat a bit of hay, but I have never seen a quad lay down and have another quad (or cross a creek with 6 foot cutbanks, or bust a cow over on her back, or pull a calf with a lariat, or walk behind you through the bush, or refuse to enter somewhere that you really shouldn't go, etc.)
On the fliip side, I have never seen a quad take out for home when you got off and weren't paying attention.
Click to expand...

MY son like lots of thing as as well, we don't usually get them. :D
 
Thanks for all the information. Does anyone have a Gator? They look like they are well built, but underpowered and slow.
Also what about carburetor vs. efi. I may need to take mine to higher elevations in WYO. Would a carbureated Mule work up there ??
 

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