Side x Side (UTV) Brands
- Thread starter Lash746
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Rifleman97
Well-Known Member
My family has owned a decent amount of side by sides. We now avoid polaris like the plague. Had pretty good luck with Honda and Can-Am. Right now all we've got is Can-Am's but wouldn't hesitate on a Honda.
Never used a Kawasaki so I don't want to tarnish their brand by saying bad about it, heard some good things but never experienced them myself. Polaris was the worst though, with John Deer being up there for a mix of unreliability and anti consumer BS that makes it so you can't work on your own property.
Never used a Kawasaki so I don't want to tarnish their brand by saying bad about it, heard some good things but never experienced them myself. Polaris was the worst though, with John Deer being up there for a mix of unreliability and anti consumer BS that makes it so you can't work on your own property.
I had a Kawasaki Teryx that was a great machine but changing the belt on it was a tough all day job. Not something that could be done in the field and required stripping down a bunch of the cab and required some specialty tools that I had to rent. I just did my CanAm and took me about 2 hours. A clutch tool which is very compact came in the toolkit for the Defender I have. Whatever machine you buy ask questions about the ease of access for servicing it yourself. The average person wouldn't have wanted to do the belt job on my old Teryx. Some of the machines have easy access to most everything and then some the access to critical service stuff is a PITA.
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alnpar
Well-Known Member
I have a 2007 Arctic Cat 650 XL H1. It is loud compared to the Pioneer my friend has. Parts are hard to come by here in Arizona. But I found parts on line a lot cheaper than the dealer. Which Polaris, Kawaski, won't work on other brands. I like the mule but a little small for a guy like me. (270 pounds) My arctic cat is built tough. But 35MPH seems like it is pushing the limit, but I have seen 50 MPH. I would not want to drive trails with others trying to keep up. I added a $275 windshield, and made my own vinyl top. I would not buy one without these. Just replace the clutches and belt. Thinking of selling and looking for the Honda 1000.
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ken158
Well-Known Member
In all the replies you received, nobody answered your question… I currently have a Kubota 850 and have had Polaris and Kawasaki SxS's. Before I got the Kubota, I was dead set on an electric for hunting and general fence line riding. Called all the Polaris dealers in my area and none had an electric in stock but offered to order. Went to a shop I had bought from before and the owner said "take a walk with me to the shop". Well, there were 5 electric SxS's getting serviced or parked waiting on parts. His comments were if you use the machine at least weekly then you may be ok but expect batteries to last 3 to 5 years. The charging system process has not been perfected and depending on make and model you either hook up under the hood, in the glove box or a side plug. Another comment was if your use is for business where machines are used inside large buildings then that would be the best deal but if someone forgets to plug up then you could be down until you get a fresh charge. 2 WD is best for working time and 4 WD uses a lot of your charge. Oh - an owner of one of the machines in the shop stopped by checking on his and he offered to sell it to me…. At the end of the day, I bought a gas Kubota.
NotLongRange
Well-Known Member
I think everyone answered his question. The OP didn't mention a thing about electric UTVs however…
There's a lot of conflicting opinions, go to the Polaris forums and see what problems people are having. Do the same with the other make/models you are looking at and use that info to decide. I had a Kawasaki Brute Force 650i before my Polaris Ranger. It was a beast and despite being abused by the first two owners was a great ATV. I will no longer buy an ATV, they are harder to work on in my opinion due to all the body work hiding the engine. For the most part, I can lift the bed on my Ranger and get to the engine. Also, the older I get, the easier a side by side is to get in and out of and it rides better.
jfloyd
Well-Known Member
I would steer clear of the 2011+ Polaris Ranger. You might get a good one at a killer price but you might not. I did not and I bought it new… Many wiring problems, I've replaced at least 4 different harnesses that go to various sensors, one twice. If in any doubt, check out the harness upgrades for all other brands and then, only then, check out the Polaris offerings. The harnesses had about 4 hair thin wires in the insulation, stretched way too tight with no wiggle room in a high vibration environment. Should be fine…. right?!? Upgraded harnesses are all this company does. https://otbpowersports.com/wiring-repair-harnesses/
Been a great machine after all the wiring repairs and it never left me stranded so not all bad and it has hauled a ton of seed, fertilizer, deer, beer and friends. Just know you might need to get comfortable with electrical diag and repair.
Been a great machine after all the wiring repairs and it never left me stranded so not all bad and it has hauled a ton of seed, fertilizer, deer, beer and friends. Just know you might need to get comfortable with electrical diag and repair.
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I haven't read this whole thread but the Kawasaki Teyrx 800 are a heck of a platform
Zeke-BE
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I have a 24 Can Am defender limited. Fully enclosed. Ive hunted in AZ going to hunt sites dark in January 10 degree weather and Mexico. October heat fronts at 105 degrees with an old Yamaha Rhino. Life sucked being exposed. The fully enclosed and power windows are awesome with heat and AC. Two years ago in Mexico with huge rain storms in the morning was wonderful. A nice heated cab was great. Javalina hunts in Feb the kids didn't want to get out. Remind you I was on a horrible rocky road that took 30 min of drive time and it would of been an 1-1/2 for a truck. Completely enclosed and warm. Scouting days in September Coues deer units with 100-105 degrees is so nice with AC
I have a 2017 honda pioneer 700-4. Love the back seat option for my grandkids. Wish more companies made a rear seat without having a machine 14 ft long. Never had any trouble but it is rattly and noisy, if your driving faster than 20 to 25 mph you should wear hearing protection. It only has 2600 miles, burns no oil but i change regularily and use amsoil in it. Just wish it was not so noisy. Does anyone know if new ones are less noisy, i have not test drove anything new. One brand i would look close at if CF Moto if i look to replace the pioneer. I think they are worth a close look. Can't go wrong with the 5 yr warranty that CF Moto has.
