[kart racer]

Does anyone have a polaris ranger or artic cat prowler?Hopefully,soon we'll be moving to the mountains and I want to buy one.

I'm open to all manufacturers,but these 2 kinda caught my eye.They would be mostly used for hauling wood,hay,deer..etc.along with just fun riding.

Any suggestions or real life experience?

[Kingcreek]

I have 2 friends with the Polaris Rangers (UTV). They both like them. For my uses, I prefer the ATV because I can easily ramp it into the back of the truck and go. It will also go places the UTV won't go in the timber. But if your use is more utility/hauling they are handy.

[jmorris]

I’ve used Kawasaki’s mule in both gas and diesel at our farm, both will go most places a 4 wheeler will go. The suspensions are not as plush and you can’t stand over ruff terrain, to let your legs take the bumps, so they are not well suited to “sport” riding. They are great for utility and can pull much more than they can stop.

[Steve H]

If you change your mind about the ranger take a look at the Polaris Sportsman. I have the 700 (2003 I think) and a small trailer that it fits in. IMHO it is much more useful.

[Jalexander]

Or you could just go plumb crazy and get one of these: http://www.tomcar.com/tomcar.html I really, really want one.

James

[MCgunner]

It is my understanding that Arctic Cat uses Suzuki power trains and, if so, that would give me the nod to Arctic Cat between the two. I'm a motorcycle mechanic and some of the biggest POSs I've ever seen were Polaris, couldn't GIVE me one much less make me waste money on it.:rolleyes:

Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha all market excellent 4x4 4 wheelers. I wouldn't even entertain the thought of a Polaris. I do prefer motorcycles/dirt and dual sport, to 4 wheelers, though. I got no real use for an ATV except down on my place and I'd have to drain it off season or douse it well with stabil. Sitting up is worse for a vehicle than running the dog out of it. I ride my little 200cc DP bike on the street and get 80 mpg when I'm not using it to haul out deer or equipment or haul feed to my feeders on my place. :D And, it don't take up as much space in my shop when I ain't ridin' it. Besides, I think my bike can go where no ATV could tread. If I DID stick it, I could just drag it out by hand, no need for winches and such. I routinely have it base gasket deep in water/mud. Of course, you have to be cool with it getting sideways on you. The average Joe with no MC dirt experience could hurt himself, not for the un-trained. But, I've been flat tracking and motorcycle road racing for 40 years, so I'm used to being sideways. :D It's actually FUN to get sideways.

[Kingcreek]

Many years ago when I started hunting, we used a silly little Honda "Trail 90" bike with racks. I remember my cousin with a buck deer- head and antlers over the handlebars, hind end lashed over the rear rack, and him straddling the whole thing and coming straight down the mountain. (We never figured out how he got it loaded and upright!) It had an automatic clutch and high-low tranny. We used the snot out of that thing and it would be fun to have another, but it wouldn't replace my ATV.

[kart racer]

Mc,

I know what ya mean I've ridden motorcycles for years and broke my back racing motorcross,so being sideways isn't a problem.:D
I've heard a fair # of people complain about polaris warranty problems.I was wanting something to use to haul hay,logs,deer,etc..that my inlaws could use too-they're in their 60's.

I'd love to find a decent old willy's army jeep as that is what I learned to drive with on the farm.Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone.

[MCgunner]

Many years ago when I started hunting, we used a silly little Honda "Trail 90" bike with racks. I remember my cousin with a buck deer- head and antlers over the handlebars, hind end lashed over the rear rack, and him straddling the whole thing and coming straight down the mountain. (We never figured out how he got it loaded and upright!) It had an automatic clutch and high-low tranny. We used the snot out of that thing and it would be fun to have another, but it wouldn't replace my ATV.

A 67 CT90 was my very first NEW motorcycle, was 14 years old and went everywhere on that thing. I got another one, in a barn resto job, but sold it. Was just a nostalgia trip rebuilding that thing. It was all rusted in the bore, locked up, put too much parts money into that thing, but it was fun. I hunted hogs off it before I sold it. My current bike has MUCH more suspension and clearance, bigger tires, better all around. That old CT couldn't handle ANY mud. My 200 eats it for breakfast. It will go where ATVs won't.

I'd love to find a decent old willy's army jeep as that is what I learned to drive with on the farm.Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone.

If you can find one, might be a project, but those little Suzuki Samurais are pretty nifty, not much motor, but sort of a big ATV. :D You can find the Suzukis pretty cheap in car trader/truck trader magazines. People down here like to use 'em for surf fishing/beach buggies and it's hard to find one that ain't ate completely up by the rust monster. I just sold an old Toyota 4x4 some time back. It still ran well, but needed the exhaust replaced and some work on the brakes and the floor board had big rust holes in it. LOL It was lookin' kinda sad, but with 177K on it, it was barely broke in! I got 1200 bucks for it.

My first driving experience, btw, was my uncle's 1950 Willys. It was a big carry all/suburban looking thing with three rows of seats in it and a place in the back for his pointers. He was into quail hunting and had a couple of dogs. That thing had a hole in the fire wall right at the accelerator and would bake your foot, so the kid got to drive it a lot cause no one else wanted to, LOL! Weren't too fast, about 45 mph flat out, but we were never going far when we needed to use it. Had an old flat head four banger might have made 30 horsepower, LOL!

Posted this before, a spike I hauled out this year. I shot an 8 point and didn't have help and it was 50 lbs heavier than that spike, so I got my "deer sleigher" out of the truck, a plastic slick sheet that you tied the deer down to and drag out. Worked great, though the rear tire kinda coated his head in mud. LOL! Got that "deer sleigher" at Cabela's, I think, wasn't but 20 bucks or so. Sure comes in handy for draggin' game with the bike, though, and takes up a lot less room than one of those hand karts, though I'm thinking about getting a kart.

http://imageigloo.com/images/3976PICT0070.JPG

[kart racer]

MC,

Looks like that would be a handful,but not as bad as that girl I always rode that wanted to lean the wrong way in the curves.:D

[Greybeard]

Quote: "It's actually FUN to get sideways."

You guys quit talking like that, please. This is a firearms forum. ;) Next thing we know, you'll be talkin' about 1/4 mile times, air-through-the-hair, bugs in the teeth, jumpin', or ridin' 'em on just one wheel. That's another addiction I gave up years ago. ' Made a promise to The Big Guy in the Sky back in '71 that if he'd let me live to walk another day, I'd never get back on another one. Y'all enjoy the rides.

[MCgunner]

Well, hospital stays are just part of the sport. :D I've broken some bones, but I'm still around to talk about it. Can't throw a baseball anymore, some things like that, but I can still hunt and shoot and fish and even ride. :D Some I've known weren't so lucky, though.

[Spinner]

Sounds like maybe you shoulld have a look at a John Deere gator.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/GC/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?pNbr=1924W&tM=GC

They're tough, they can carry a huge load, wider than a ATV so less likely to tip over, electric lift on the tray, 4x4 and 4x6 models, petrol and diesel.

Worth a look

Spinner