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Opinions on Make/Model Truck/4 Wheeler

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mytfarms

mytfarms

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Well, I prefer to have money in a market, a hay pile, or a nice set of cows that are any color except open. But, the Mrs. and I living right on the ranch now and getting a little bigger means we will have to have some sort of equipment. Dad has tractors taken care of for moving hay and snow in extreme weather. I'll lay out what I need each to do, then y'all might chime in with opinions/photos/experience.

Truck -

- Pull a 20ft steel trailer with some stock on board on rare occasions (don't care diesel or gas)
- Bounce the pastures with big square/round on board
- Be handy to move feed, haul various loads in the bed, handle up to 1 ton tote of feed
- Easy for the Mrs. to get used to and handle

4wheeler -

- Cheap and easy to repair at the home shop
- Lightweight for running fence and checking water, enough room to carry some wire/pliers and a couple salt blocks/bags
- Something that can drag a little light sled/trailer around the place

Thanks!
 
I would recommend a Honda Rancher. Manual shift with power steering. New about 5 grand. I will sell you a 2003 Chevy 3/4 ton. :)
 
Mike, that's about both what we can afford and what I am qualified to work on.

I have heard good things about the Rancher LazyWP. I'll look into them a little. Dad is a Gator fan, but you can expect to spend double that money for a newer, basic rig.
 
If you can't get a newer Honda Rancher, the older ones are rough riding. I have a Yamaha Grizzly (I think it's a Grizzly) that works great. That brand was highly recommended to us, but that was before the Honda's got smoother riding. We got ours new in 2009 and we've never had an ounce of problems with it. I think it is a 500 or 550cc.

For your Mrs. whatever you do, DO NOT GET ANYTHING WITHOUT POWER STEERING! :shock: :nod: :D
 
I have had Gators, and if you HAVE the MONEY, a side by side is the way to go, but... I always laughed at people that talked about their power steering on quads. I got this Rancher in January, and it turned over 1,000 miles yesterday. My shoulders don't ache near like they did with the other one.
As for pickups, the ranch has all GM, and I WILL NEVER own a Duramax after driving, waiting, and walking with this one. Our 03 is a 6.0 and if you put blinders on, and ear plugs in, it will almost keep up with my 2012 Dodge Cummins, going down the hiway with a 26'stock trailer.
I can NOT recommend a 2012 Dodge. My 06 was a running machine, and I could get 25MPG. The 2012, best I have ever gotten was 16, and hook a trailer on and its 11. I don't think it would have pulled with the 06, but man is she PURTY!!!!
 
25 mpg in a truck REALLY??? Must have been a unicorn. I'll go with others, Honda rancher manual shift hard to beat. As far as trucks they all have their downfalls, front ends aren't made for ranch abuse.
 
Honda Rancher or Foreman are great bikes. So is the Yamaha 450. I think that's a Grizzly in the States and a Kodiak up here. The belt drive has a lot of advantages. For one, if you are ever tempted to move a cow with a Honda and want to make a quick reverse you will hate the Honda instantly. I realize this is horse work, but you'd be amazed how you can move a cow off just by "holding the line" going from forward to reverse as necessary until she gives up and moves off. The Yamaha can change direction as quickly as the cow can.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions. More so I needed help on the off road info. I think it's pretty clear about the options and make it needs to be.

As far as trucks, Dad has a '95 manual F150 Sport 4x4 that is light and perfect for pasture work. Problem is, I need to haul things now and again, but not certain I want to sink $25k US into a diesel pickup. Around here that'll barely buy you one 6-7 years old.

BMR, on the Dodge trucks, you like the half ton with a diesel in it? I presume an older I6 5.9L
 
mytfarms said:
Thanks all for the suggestions. More so I needed help on the off road info. I think it's pretty clear about the options and make it needs to be.

As far as trucks, Dad has a '95 manual F150 Sport 4x4 that is light and perfect for pasture work. Problem is, I need to haul things now and again, but not certain I want to sink $25k US into a diesel pickup. Around here that'll barely buy you one 6-7 years old.

BMR, on the Dodge trucks, you like the half ton with a diesel in it? I presume an older I6 5.9L
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They didn't put a diesel in the 1500 until this little eco diesel they have now. I am curious about them but don't really want one that we use as a car. I just have the 5.9L in 2 trucks, A deck truck and one that stays hooked to the stock trailer. A 2500 with the Hemi will pull a trailer fine but they do use more fuel. depends on how much you haul as to whether it pays to buy the Cummins.
 
I have a 2001 Honda rancher electric shift with 21000 miles on it. I bought it new and it has paid for itself 20 times over. Those 21 thousand miles have been tough miles fencing, checking water, hunting, ect. The only repair I have made was to replace the electric thumb shift module and new wheel bearings in the front end. I love that 4 wheeler!
My 2001 Dodge 2500 has 308000 miles on it and I just lost the injector pump. Other than front end work, which Dodge is famous for, its been an amazing truck. I stopped at a truck dealer last weekend and about dropped when the sticker in the window on an F250 Ford read $68,000!!! That $1200 injector pump looks pretty good to me. Good luck to ya in whatever direction you decide to go. My only advice would be to not buy more truck and trailer than your budget will let ya. As fickle as the cow market has been, a 10 year truck payment plan is asking for trouble to me.
 
'04 Ford F250 with a V10 is my trailer-puller - cheaper than a diesel, just as bad on gas as my V8 Dodge was but with a little more power. Supposed to be good for 300,000 mi, I'm only a third of the way there.
'92 Toyota pickup is my side-by-side - and it has a heater & radio and I can drive it to town. Could own about 4 of them for what a new SxS costs.
'14 Honda Rancher AT is the atv. We've had Ranchers, Rubicons, and Foremans. I like this one the best I think. Just getting broke in though, about 6000 mi

The thing I've found is no matter the reputation of a certain engine/transmission/make/model there are no guarantees. I've had problems with all three that I didn't expect, but as was noted earlier, still much cheaper than buying a new one. Be patient and wait for a good deal - then you can afford to replace the head gasket 6 weeks later...
 
leanin' H said:
I have a 2001 Honda rancher electric shift with 21000 miles on it. I bought it new and it has paid for itself 20 times over. Those 21 thousand miles have been tough miles fencing, checking water, hunting, ect. The only repair I have made was to replace the electric thumb shift module and new wheel bearings in the front end. I love that 4 wheeler!
My 2001 Dodge 2500 has 308000 miles on it and I just lost the injector pump. Other than front end work, which Dodge is famous for, its been an amazing truck. I stopped at a truck dealer last weekend and about dropped when the sticker in the window on an F250 Ford read $68,000!!! That $1200 injector pump looks pretty good to me. Good luck to ya in whatever direction you decide to go. My only advice would be to not buy more truck and trailer than your budget will let ya. As fickle as the cow market has been, a 10 year truck payment plan is asking for trouble to me.
Click to expand...

10 year truck payment??? :shock: I didn't even know that was an option. Holy cow, that will get some people in trouble!!!
 
LCP said:
'04 Ford F250 with a V10 is my trailer-puller - cheaper than a diesel, just as bad on gas as my V8 Dodge was but with a little more power. Supposed to be good for 300,000 mi, I'm only a third of the way there.
'92 Toyota pickup is my side-by-side - and it has a heater & radio and I can drive it to town. Could own about 4 of them for what a new SxS costs.
'14 Honda Rancher AT is the atv. We've had Ranchers, Rubicons, and Foremans. I like this one the best I think. Just getting broke in though, about 6000 mi

The thing I've found is no matter the reputation of a certain engine/transmission/make/model there are no guarantees. I've had problems with all three that I didn't expect, but as was noted earlier, still much cheaper than buying a new one. Be patient and wait for a good deal - then you can afford to replace the head gasket 6 weeks later...
Click to expand...


I'd run fast from a v-10 cam broke in mine at 136,000. For my 09 they wanted over $6000 for a used motor. We are nearly done with a Cummins conversion . My v-10 would average 7 mpg but it was quite. I've got an 03 with a 5.4 3/4 ton gets about 12 average pulls a 20 trailer with ease.
 
Like others have said they all have their quirks and everybody has an opinion. I bought a 99 F250 V10 in October, with 150,000 miles and I absolutely love it, gave 6500 for it and built a flatbed with hydraulic spikes and feed cow's with it all winter. It saved a lot of wear and tear on a tractor. I also have 3 Honda's they are darn hard to beat.
 
4Diamond said:
25 mpg in a truck REALLY??? Must have been a unicorn. I'll go with others, Honda rancher manual shift hard to beat. As far as trucks they all have their downfalls, front ends aren't made for ranch abuse.
Click to expand...
get it on my 02 durmax when going east , never heading west
 
We've had, and still have, most every make of pickup ever made. They all break down and have their weak points. Get something comfortable that your Misses likes that's been maintained well.

Same way with ATVs. I personally don't like to spend hour after hour on a Honda, don't want one that shifts manually, or any "Shetland Pony" four wheeler. We've traded in some mechanically sound ATVs, that just looked a bit rough, and I know the dealer sold them to a salvage business. You might want to talk to some dealers and see if they have any "scratch and dent" specials. Personally, I like to ride a Polaris Sportsman. We've got one '15 850 with 12,000 miles on it that runs like new. Several with lower mileage, and a CanAm and Suzuki that have been good. Just got a Sportsman 1000 when calving started. Smile every time it fires up and it's a cattle sorting machine, but by the time you get to be a Grandpa you can be a little excessive. :D
 
My goodness! I love it when a post takes off. Makes my query feel less dumb.

Interesting stuff on the 4-wheeler side of things. Time being, that old Toyota might be the ticket for being the fence runner and snow day work vehicle.

I have been gone a minute because I just started a new "real" job with an excavation outfit that works south of Denver. Not much time to kill when you're running, and that is likewise a good way to make the income happen. Thanks all.
 

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