UTV buying advice

[TexasRedNeck]

So, I'm about to put the fifth wheel up for sale and I'm contemplating what to do next.

I'm liking the idea of a UTV for some adventure riding with the family. But realized I don't know much about the crowded space of UTVs.

Don maybe a dedicated UTV forum?

So I'm looking for advice on new vs used and which ones would fit my criteria.

Not looking for a racer. I'm looking for utility. 4 seater with a bed that can be used around the range and hunting and adventure trail riding. 

Reliability and ease of maintenance and parts is important too.

What say ye?


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[Farmer Jon]

We don't have one on the farm yet. We have done a lot  of research. When we do purchase one it will be the Kawasaki with a foldable back seat. It lays down when you need bed space. Folds up when you need seating. I believe it will seat 6.

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[Mrwoody]

My dad has the kubota RTV 900. tough and reliable.  Wet brakes mean mud does not bother them.  No belt. Hydrostat drive.  Small diesel, dump bed, and it has power steering.   It will only go 25 but he has pulled wagons or trees around.   For the four seater you will have to go to the 1100
Kinda pricey but it works good

[Nate]

so why are you getting rid of the 5th wheel?  and are you getting rid of the dually as well?

[Flyin6]

So, I'm about to put the fifth wheel up for sale and I'm contemplating what to do next.

I'm liking the idea of a UTV for some adventure riding with the family. But realized I don't know much about the crowded space of UTVs.

Don maybe a dedicated UTV forum?

So I'm looking for advice on new vs used and which ones would fit my criteria.

Not looking for a racer. I'm looking for utility. 4 seater with a bed that can be used around the range and hunting and adventure trail riding. 

Reliability and ease of maintenance and parts is important too.

What say ye?


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RN, As you wish...

You know the deal!

You ask for it, you get to work it!

It's yours, go ahead and move this thread over there and stir up the pot some

Have fun! ;-)

[CHEVSILVER1500]

Polaris ranger crew. Room for the whole family and plenty of room and power for working. Rides like a Cadillac. Dad has a 2014 crew 800. We've had it loaded down with 4 folks, a golden retriever, tools and more tools, 800 pounds of deer corn, all while pulling a small utility trailer loaded with 30 60# sacks of quickrete. Never missed a beat and did not struggle at all making driving through the lease out around garner state park.

I know some folks have a sour taste in their mouth about the belt drive, but if you follow owners manual recommendations and use low range when towing or in heavy load situations you will have zero issues.

I'm currently considering purchasing the Polaris general myself just because it is a tad more sporty than the ranger, but not as sport/play oriented as the rzr. Not quite as much payload capacity as the ranger but you have to give a little to get a little I suppose.

[TexasRedNeck]

so why are you getting rid of the 5th wheel?  and are you getting rid of the dually as well?

Nate, not using the trailer much now that we have our weekend place.  Banks will only finance until they are 5 years old so I want to get rid of it now before it gets any older.  I'm paying $150 a month to store it in a covered location.  I doubt I'll get rid of the dually.  Love my dually.  Unless I sell both trucks and by a F450 Platinum.....rofl.  I think I'd get more family time with a pontoon boat so I may go that route.  Eventually we'll get another RV but probably a smaller bumper pull that I can keep at the weekend place.  When the kids are gone, we hope to have a small diesel pusher for retirement and spend summers up north.

i had heard something about the CVT.  What problems are people having?  I'm looking at the kawasaki too.
Polaris ranger crew. Room for the whole family and plenty of room and power for working. Rides like a Cadillac. Dad has a 2014 crew 800. We've had it loaded down with 4 folks, a golden retriever, tools and more tools, 800 pounds of deer corn, all while pulling a small utility trailer loaded with 30 60# sacks of quickrete. Never missed a beat and did not struggle at all making driving through the lease out around garner state park.

I know some folks have a sour taste in their mouth about the belt drive, but if you follow owners manual recommendations and use low range when towing or in heavy load situations you will have zero issues.

I'm currently considering purchasing the Polaris general myself just because it is a tad more sporty than the ranger, but not as sport/play oriented as the rzr. Not quite as much payload capacity as the ranger but you have to give a little to get a little I suppose.

I heard about the CVT.  What problems are people having?  I'm also looking at the kawasaki

[Bear9350]

I don't know much about UTV's but we make the JD Gators here in Horicon at the same location as the riding mowers I work on.  I know our Gators got some pretty good marks when compared to others by some offraoding groups.

[KensAuto]

There's a reason Polaris is #1 in the utv world, just sayin'. Do they have issues? well, depends on how they're used. The gators, mules, etc. definately have their place, and may be more durable in some cases, but for a smooth ride with on highway capabilities, a ranger is the way to go IMO.
In my little circle, we have 7 rangers, one RZR, and 2 can ams (probably better than the rangers, but also more pricey).

If you go looking at a ranger crew, try to go for a 14 or newer if you want to be able to accelerate without having to add a turbo. lol

[CHEVSILVER1500]

Biggest issue people have with the CVT is the belt. Lots of folks "burn" belts left and right, but it's because they don't use low and high range like they should or they have tires installed that would make square d's tires look like something off a Kia. Any time climbing or pulling, or even ar speeds under say 10mph low range should be used. Stating the obvious here, but low range is geared lower thus making it easier to get the tires rolling under stress and putting less wear and heat on the belt.

All it takes is a little glaze to form on the outside edges of the belt to cause it to become more and more succeptible to slippage, but use the right gear and you should never get that far. On my 2008 sportsman I've burnt one belt over the years and it was from some of that misuse I mentioned before along with a little adult beverage involvement. Other than that zero issues out of it.

[KensAuto]

^^^exactly. My buddies don't ever use low....and they're some "heavy" built guys. Nothing like the smell of burnt rubber!

[TexasRedNeck]

How hard is it to change a belt?

Do I really need 68 hp?

Do I need power steering?

Is diesel a worthwhile consideration ?




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[Sammconn]

How hard is it to change a belt?
Somewhat.
Do I really need 68 hp?
Not really, but with any amount of load its appreciated
Do I need power steering?
Same as above.
Is diesel a worthwhile consideration ?
I can't comment.


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Bear my answers with a grain of salt as I don't own one, just have been in and around several.
You can't replace the extra power, just ask Ken.

[Flyin6]

68 HP??? I had 50 and was always wanting for more

As for powered steering: Absolutely YES...The electric steering works pretty well.

[CHEVSILVER1500]

How hard is it to change a belt?
Not terrible on the ranger as it's easier to get to than my sportsman. Maybe an hours work and can easily be done on the trail if need be.
Do I really need 68 hp?
More power=better. Not sure the hp rating on the 800 we have but it's sufficient but certainly wouldn't argue with more
Do I need power steering?
Ranger we have does not have it but I have driven one with it and would not buy another without
Is diesel a worthwhile consideration ?
Zero experience driving one but from what I've heard they are noisier and slower no firsthand experience though



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[moto123]

Yes the electric power steering is highly recommended.  We have one of each and it makes a huge difference.  We bought our 2013 Polaris ranger 800 xp eps brand new and the belt just started slipping at 120 hours.  Pretty good I thought considering I was admittedly really hard on it, you know, to see how well it would hold up.  And also doing donuts is quite fun.  New OEM belt and its running fine again.  The actual changing of the belt is less than 5 minutes as long as you have strong hands and arms.  The removal of the cover to access the belt however, took me 30 minutes.  Kind of annoying.  We had driven all the available UTV's at that time.  The Polaris had the best mix of performance, soft ride and utility capability.  The gator was better at hauling weight but the 620i engine is no fun at all, suspension too stiff and short stroke, and the seats sucked.  And that's hard to admit, I have 3 family members and a few friends that work for Deere.  But I have heard the new gators have improved greatly.  So can't comment on those.

[TexasRedNeck]

Thanks for all the comments and PMs. Keep them coming.

So far I can't find many UTVs that have the towing and hauling capacity, and speed and power that the ranger crew 1000 does. Met an EMS crew today that had one (900cc) and they raved about it after 5 years of use. I like the idea of a diesel since most equipment I have is diesel but they seem really under powered.


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[JR]

 

[KensAuto]

Yes you need 60+ hp Tex! Throw your wife, girls, and a heavy cooler in the back (2014+crews=900ci w/large bed...RZR 4 seater=1000ci and almost no bed fyi) and anything less than 60hp is a slug, unless your just hill climbing. As far as belt drive goes, if you drive like me, you don't even need to consider belt issues. (I still carry one on the trail just in case ).
Oh, P/S is a must...you won't regret it, especially on trails. Highway/graded roads not so much.

side note: I sure wished they had the General when I was shopping a few years ago. IMO it would be the perfect family cruiser for those that also like to haul butt now and then. (it's a cross between a RZR and a Ranger for those that don't know)

[TexasRedNeck]

Thanks Ken,

So the crew is now available in 1000 cc 80hp, essentially the same engine in the general and razor.

The box is smaller on the general, it has 2 inches better suspension travel, slightly larger tires, better seats.

Ranger has bigger box, larger payload and larger towing capacity.

Another interesting fact seems to be that the general weights more than the ranger which would seem to mean that the power/weight ratio would favor the ranger and perhaps acceleration also.

Of course, the 900 ranger crew has 68hp, which seems to be better than average. 

So $3000 for 12 hp?  not sure its worth it. 

Then I wonder if I need the capability of the ranger or the sportiness of the general.

[TexasRedNeck]

uh oh.  just found a web site for performance products for UTV.......

75mph 130 hp ranger crew???  WTH?

[Sammconn]

uh oh.  just found a web site for performance products for UTV.......

75mph 130 hp ranger crew???  WTH?

Son, now I sai....sai....said pardon!
Wow that's nuts.

[TexasRedNeck]

Almost as nuts as a $600 set of Carillo rods for a UTV

[Bob Smith]

Ifin you are wanten to play with the big boys you got to pay. Nice section Red, I am  not in the mood right now for a large quad but nice section just the same.

[KensAuto]

Sounds like you went from trying to find a used one to The Typical Charles and Ken Co. of Buying the Best and Most Expensive!! lol (I was thinking used, so didn't consider the '17 1000 crew)

Ill just leave this here:
Tex: Not looking for a racer. I'm looking for utility. 4 seater with a bed that can be used around the range and hunting and adventure trail riding.

Ranger 900 would be perfecto..no wait....you need a 570.

I will be so pissed if you get the 1000!!

[cudakidd53]

^^^^^Ken throwing some micro aggression there......or, working on the commission IF Charles goes with the 1000!

[TexasRedNeck]

Sounds like you went from trying to find a used one to The Typical Charles and Ken Co. of Buying the Best and Most Expensive!! lol (I was thinking used, so didn't consider the '17 1000 crew)

Ill just leave this here:
Tex: Not looking for a racer. I'm looking for utility. 4 seater with a bed that can be used around the range and hunting and adventure trail riding.

Ranger 900 would be perfecto..no wait....you need a 570.

I will be so pissed if you get the 1000!!

Friendly Fire!

Fair enough Ken.  I'm just exploring all the options.  People on CL seem to want to recoupe all their mod costs too.

Seems like the big tire and lift craze extends to UTVs too.  I would imagine that those mods are tough on a belt driven CVT?

This seems strangely like modifying my dually.  You can spend money on mods...but why make a big heavy pig try to do something it's not designed to do.....

[CHEVSILVER1500]

Would not buy a heavily modified used one around our parts TRN. (Houston area) there's a good chance it will have seen more than its share of abuse with the 2 big riding parks around Crosby. Mud and water deeper than necessary (brackish water at that). Buddy bought a used four wheeler that was heavily modified on initial inspection and ride,but turned out to be a piece of junk after further digging and riding. Bushings in a arms gone, axles seized in dif, broken front dif internals due to tires entirely too large and heavy.... and the list goes on.

[TexasRedNeck]

Good to know. Thanks.


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[longball]

How hard is it to change a belt?

Do I really need 68 hp?

Do I need power steering?

Is diesel a worthwhile consideration ?


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1. Belts are a breeze on the Polaris I have.
2. I've never wished I had less power.
3. It's nice but as far as I'm concerned it's not a necessity.
4. We have a diesel Kubota utv at my fire station. We use it for lost hikers and special events. I do not think it would fit the criteria you've specified.

Mahindra has a diesel machine I would like to drive but haven't had the opportunity yet.


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[TexasRedNeck]

Thanks. Good info. Had a little setback today. Mower malfunction.  Here went part of my UTV fund


.


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[Nate]

a malfunction or an upgrade.............

[KensAuto]

Well, I guess that means you'll have to pass on the Carrillo rods now.

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[TexasRedNeck]

a malfunction or an upgrade.............

Something broke loose on the deck or I ran over something. Either way there were some catastrophic parts failures.  Idler pulley broken, belt snapped, belt guard bent, motor drive pulley bent. And the transaxle is about on its last leg.  Won't pull a big hill. 


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[stlaser]

It still has the discharge chute on it, interesting. I don't think I ever installed mine.

[TexasRedNeck]

That's the way it came. And after my trimmer shattering the front door glass accident I think I'll keep it for now


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[Flyin6]

Ah, a Husky

What HP? Engine?

I hear those are really good. The trunions or bearings or both are really huge. I was comparing those to my Skagg. Def commercial quality

Good long term purchase

[Wilbur]

TRN If you need some break in time feel free to swing by. I'm about ready to get a baler for my front yard. Haha. That looks sweet!

[Sammconn]

Nice upgrade Charles.

Carnage pics from the other one??