What's a good 4x4 ATV
 

I've been thinking lately about getting a 4x4 ATV ,but I know nothing about them. I had some dirt bikes when I was younger and had loads of fun with them. Now that I'm older I think I'm more into something practicle than something that can jump a house. I need something I can use around the "farm" or take hunting or play in the mud. Any suggestions on what a good size and or brand would be appreciated?????

i have polaris 500ho 4x4 is great lots of power to pull trailers and fling mud and u can switch from 2 and 4 wheeldrive and its posi in 4wd all for turn mud

I have a 03' Polaris 500 H.O. as well. The "true" 4 wheel drive is what sold me when I bought it new. Others are either 3 wheel drive or have a handle to pull to lock the front diff ( at least a few years ago). My 500 has more power , acceleration and top speed than my buddies new Arctic Cat 500. I've never had any problems other than holes poked in the rubber boot on the axle CV joint. Not hard to replace. Next one I buy will be another Polaris. :-X04

I'm pretty partial to my 06 Cat 650H1, fits 28's bone stock, has a cable operated selectable locker in the front(new ones have gone electric) and with a K&N and jet kit, it has more than enough power, and being a 650CC 1 lunger, it's very torquey. I have around 4000 miles on it now, and have broken a front axle, but, I ride it VERY hard.
I've ridden most other brands, and personal preference leans me towards the Cat chassis for most of how I ride, but, for some stuff I would like to have a Renegade or a full blown sport quad...

I had an '02 Polaris 500HO 4x4. The quad was damn good. Bought it with aftermarket bumpers, a winch, some things to hook on to carry hunting gear, a set of mud tires along with the stockers.

Got a good deal, but it spent most of the time broken. I don't know, maybe I was just hard on it.. but really, what good is a quad if you can't jump it?

In the time I owned it I had to:
Rebuild the Carb.
Put a new drive belt on it.
Replace some part of the rear suspension.
Replace a whole mess on the front end. (Axle snapped, broke a lot of stuff.)

After I fixed the axle (Which was about $300 to do MYSELF.) I decided to sell it before I broke anything else. Sold it to my cousin and he managed to roll it off an embankment and twist the frame to hell.

If you want a nice little quad that your not going to be rough with then get the Polaris 500ho.

I've had better luck with my Suzuki LTZ-250. (Its not a 4x4, its a sport quad.)
I have to admit though, the Polaris did handle A LOT better in the mud LOL.

I had a buddy in high school who owned a 250 suzuki Quad. One time he took it down to the cruise strip in downtown Anchorage, Alaska and was racing cars with it. That was until the cops got wind of it. That thing was so fast nobody had a chance, not even the cops. lol
I'm on a budget of $3000, give or take a few $$$$. So I'm not getting anything too shiny. I did some craigslist surfing to check out what is out there. My problem is I don't know what I'm looking at is a good price or what. Is there such a thing as a kelley blue book for atv's???

STAY AWAY FROM THE MANCO TALON!!!THE WIRING SUCKS AND THE RUBBER PARTS BREAK DOWN REAL QUICK!!!REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE HIGHER THAN THE SR71 BLACKBIRD!!

I know....I have one. Put a little more money into a japanese made ATV.

i have a sportsman 500 and the thing just plane goes. ive had to replace a few things, but thats expected on a 10 yr old toy. replacement parts are expensive. 100$ for a clutch cover and 290$ for a replacement speedo. right now i have the factory tires on it and the fronts are almost bald, but the thing does not get stuck. ive had the thing on its side and it was still pulling. the independant rearend is super nice, trail bumps dont beat you up, and the low range is fantastic. it will pull anything. on hillclimbs, it will go up the steepest hills covered in slimey mud, and in mud holes, you bog down, you just get in it more and all 4 tires really dig. the only complaint i have about it is that i have bald fronts on it. if i had good tires on the front i wouldnt have to punch it as hard as i do. i have jumped the thing, but these are so heavy that there isnt much point.

I've never even heard of a Manco Talon lol. Sounds like Chinese garbage.

And to answer your question, yes there is another website like KBB. Its called NADA.
NADA ATV PRICE GUIDES

Good luck and happy hunting. :-X10

i've never heard of a manco talon either. i tend to avoid no-name stuff because the popular stuff usually is so for a reason. nobody is able to sell a ton of a junk product after word gets out.

They are made by the Linhai Corporation....either China or Korea. They marketed/sold predominatly by Tractor Supply.

i have had alot of atvs and in my opinion the kawasaki brute force 750 is the best tons of power and very reliable

I have never owned an ATV myself, but I have riden a good many of them. I have to say IMO the toughest best overall quad out there would have to be be the old Honda Fourtrax 300 4x4. Yeah it's a baby compared to the big ones they build today, not as fast or powerful. A buddy of mine has two of them and we beat the ever living crap out of them. We've completely submerged em, flipped em, jumped em, hit stuff, pulled things that we shouldn't have. We've revved em and revved em and revved em to the moon, it's just insane what those little guys can take... they're tough as nails.:-jammin

i own a 01 yamaha grizzly 600 it is a tank, i ride a lot in the river, and don't get stuck, and i also found out that if i keep the wheels turning in four wheel drive it will float with me on it. I have friends with Kawaski Brute forces both 650 and 750, and my parents have 3 polaris'. The Brute Force 650 with independent rear suspension is my favorite, the motor can pop the front wheels off the ground and the ride is better then the polaris. But i wouldn't get rid of mine either. I think now a days with all the technology most brand name quads are good machines.

I agree about those 300 fourtrax's. They gotta be the toughest atv's ever made. Ive seen a few put through hell but they keep on goin. I currently have a 2007 honda rancher 420. Its fuel injected, and i dont have one single complaint about it. Its has amazing power for its size and its light and easy to manuever.