PF SxS/side by side/UTV thread

[LittleLebowski]

Name your favorite, your experience with it, and what you would do different.

[HeavyDuty]

Are we talking shotguns here?

[ccmdfd]

Purchased a Polaris Ranger 500 back in 2019 and have been pleased with it so far. Had a lot of experience with Polaris before that because of a family member who owned them for many many years and I would ride with him.

For doing chores on our little piece of property it's perfect. However if you're looking at riding for a longer period of time, operating on a bigger piece of land than one of the bigger models with power steering may come in more handy.

Going to be interesting however. The person who got me into polaris, the family member I mentioned above, has decided he's done with Polaris and is bought a Honda just a few weeks ago. Hasn't actually taken delivery of it yet. Can't wait to see how well it works in comparison.

[Cory]

I worked at an off road dealer for awhile. I fork lifted them out of trucks, helped assemble them, test drove them, washed them, photo'd them and marketed them online. Dealer for Polaris and Honda. We took all kinds of stuff in on trade though. I also test drove repaired vehicles for the service department.

Polaris is faster. Honestly, they'd be my preference if I was buying. Regardless if it was a Ranger for utility work or a RZR for fun. Although sport SxS aren't really my thing, the RZR Turbo S is insane. I hit 70MPH on a trail with one in nothing flat. Really don't care for the Dynamix suspension. It feels less consistent and it's harder to tell how close you are to a roll over if turning with counter steering at speed. I put a RXR Turbo on two wheels at around 35MPH and put it back down with no issue. I watched an inexperienced salesman roll over a RZR Turbo too. The RZR Turbo will burn to the ground if you leave it running in any kind of roll over. While I worked at the dealer for 2.5 years we had 3 come in. Polaris reps show up, keep it hush hush, and then take it home to study. The owner gets a new ride under warranty. If you're a mudblogger the belt drive can slip off and be a pain in the ass. Bogging was never really my thing either, seemed like asking to ruin expensive stuff. Regardless any brand with a huge lift kit and oversized tires will have a turn radius that becomes nearly unusable.

Honestly, if I was buying today I would only buy a Polaris. Not from the place I worked, but a Polaris none the less.

Honda is driveshaft and more water resistant. Their utility oriented stuff shifts like shit. It will go do what you want, but generally speaking they shift odd and there isn't a fix I'm aware of. The sport stuff isn't as fast as the Polaris, but handles smooth and feels consistent. I distinctly remember the first Honda Talon I forklifted out of a trailer and helped assemble. They are awesome machines, and while not as fast as the RZR they are competing against, they are honestly great machines. It's odd that the Talons can shift so well when the Honda Pioneers are so shitty. No idea. There was some talk about people trying to turbo charge the Talon, but the Honda Red Level Mechanic we had told me he thought that was stupid. It could be done, but he didn't think the machines would handle it well. Overall, he scared the absolute shit out of me showing me what the Launch mode Talon could do.

Other brands I drove were used, and most really were not as nice as the Polaris and Honda stuff. Even when they were brand new trades. Can-am sucks in particular. They came in for repair all the time. Yamaha stuff came in too, but not as often. They were never up to the Polaris quality in my mind.

If I had land, a Polaris Ranger 1000 would be my pick.

[Joe in PNG]

We've got a Kubota diesel UTV for our center maintenance guys. Not the fastest thing, but it works.

[Borderland]

Are we talking shotguns here?

Nope. If we were I'd be all over that. As it is, I'll hide and watch.

[entropy]

I know very little on them but needed one for utility work. Bought an Intimidator from a local place to me. 2023 close out model. Basic. Put a plow on it this winter. Tossed on a light bar. Now a gun rack (see new post). Dog likes it. Wife can drive it. That’s about my extent of knowledge base. Around here there’s all kinds...Honda’s, Yamahas, diesel Kubotas (pricey) CanAms (I’ve seen his on a trailer a few times). I tried doing research over the years and it read like a “Ford/Chevy/Dodge debate”. I just ended up rolling the dice with a local dealer who promised and has given good support.

Interested in what everyone has to say and keeping my fingers crossed...lol

[1911Nut]

Polaris Ranger for work/utility/. Polaris RZR for fun/adventure.

Yamaha makes good stuff and so does Kawasaki. Honda used to be leading edge but today impresses me as grandpa's rig (and I'm 76 years old).

[EMC]

Yamaha wolverine X4 XTR in 850cc. Have had it since 2021. I bought it because of the reputation for being the quietest UTV on the market and the short wheelbase, and the Yamaha quality reputation.

Even being known as quiet you have to understand that UTVs are inherently loud machines at higher speeds/rpms because the motor sits right by you or under you only separated by plastic.

The machine fits in the garage or on my 12 foot trailer with room to spare and also can carry 4 full size adults on trails where only ATVs typically fit. I understand they are good for eastern states with tighter wooded trails even though I'm a Utah high desert dweller.

Have had zero issues taking it everywhere I dare to go with the exception of extreme rock crawling or super steep long sand dune climbs as it's no turbo rzr. But for a family trail truckster it has been fantastic.

If there is one hated item I have it is the short maintenance interval for the ultramatic CVT transmission. You have to dig in and clean, grease and inspect the clutch sheaves every 1600 miles or bad things will happen if neglected. Otherwise pretty solid engineering. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240214/085ad314f311569acf46e04b26890361.jpg

[Borderland]

I know very little on them but needed one for utility work. Bought an Intimidator from a local place to me. 2023 close out model. Basic. Put a plow on it this winter. Tossed on a light bar. Now a gun rack (see new post). Dog likes it. Wife can drive it. That’s about my extent of knowledge base. Around here there’s all kinds...Honda’s, Yamahas, diesel Kubotas (pricey) CanAms (I’ve seen his on a trailer a few times). I tried doing research over the years and it read like a “Ford/Chevy/Dodge debate”. I just ended up rolling the dice with a local dealer who promised and has given good support.

Interested in what everyone has to say and keeping my fingers crossed...lol

That's how I buy stuff that costs more than a mortgage payment. It's really nice if the guy you bought it from goes to the same church that you do. ;)

[CSW]

'19 Can Am commander 800. We use it for everything, including snow plowing. Great vehicle.

I use a Kubota RTV1100 diesel at work. [orange]

[entropy]

115164

Currently what’s in the barn. May not win a ton of style points, but view it as a tool.

Tossed on the light bar, mirrors, and a single gun rack. Stock headlights were pitiful and were blocked by plow.

115165

[LittleLebowski]

How’s snow plowing with one of these for a driveway, say.

[CSW]

How’s snow plowing with one of these for a driveway, say.


If you understand how to plow, and that it is NOT A TRUCK, and has limitations, it works great.... So much so, that my wife who's never operated a snow plow before, uses it to tend to the property while I am at work.

Mine has no heat, no wipers, but we do fine in it.

That Pic above was 3 large snowfalls, all done with the can am.

[entropy]

How’s snow plowing with one of these for a driveway, say.

Like a champ. I have about 400’x25’ of packed gravel, along with an area around a barn with a similar surface. Plus, I’ve used it to clear around the house (dirt and grass) during ongoing construction. Plenty of power and maneuverability. I opted for a manual adjustment for blade angle per the dealer with the ability of adding an electric adjustment later if I wanted. So far, I’ve just tilted the blade right and left it. I’m still a beginner tho. I had originally sourced a self powered auger made by Rammy in Finland but missed the seasonal order window. Dealer set me up with the plow. My intention was to order the auger but honestly think I may hold off for another season and see.

The only mod I’ve done is to affix a section of 1 1/2” black PVC (not sure what the exact type of plastic) to the bottom edge of blade to act as a shoe. Basically I ran it lengthwise thru the table saw and made a groove. Tapped the pipe onto the bottom of the blade with a rubber mallet. Very secure, seems to be wearing well, and prevents the blade from digging into gravel/dirt. It just rides across the surface, leaving a thin layer. There’s a zillion YouTube vids on this. I’ll find the one I used and link.

Edit to add: The only other additions to help with the plowing have been a soft side cab cover (I’m a whimp and the radiant heat from the engine seems to work fine.) and a light bar. The plow blade blocks the already barely-sufficient headlights. For $60 off Amazon, I light the driveway like it’s noon in July.

[CSW]

Did someone say snow?

3 inches today.
As with entropy, packed gravel underneath.
300'x 25', in a circular.

115198

[LittleLebowski]

I have been successfully marketed to :cool: (didn't buy it, super interested, love the ad)


https://youtu.be/Vpg2xfdbP8E

[LittleLebowski]

Nice place, CSW I’ve got something like that I’m moving into.

115939

[CSW]

Nice place, CSW I’ve got something like that I’m moving into.

115939

Thank you sir.
A labor of love if you will;
Been here since 2009.

Just an acre, but we may eventually relocate.

NH has a law that if you have a "farm" you can have a registered farm vehicle.
Since we have a rather large garden, a small Grove of fruit trees and 18 chickens, we have a farm
It allows us to register the quad for over the road use, up to 20 miles from home. Supposed to be for farm use, so we use it to make trips to the transfer station, with trash, and non compostable vegetation.
Sometimes I drive it to work as well, on days when I have to fuel it up.

[LittleLebowski]

I’ve got 19 acres, but got my eye on more. Ordering a plate rack very soon :cool:

[CSW]

2 22 caliber dueling posts.

[entropy]

Nice spread! Mother Nature has called an official end to winter by us I guess. The maple sap is running, the ground is definitely thawing, and the air has that moist “it’s spring” feel. Not much of a winter for plowing tho. I’m glad I didn’t buy the auger as I’d be REALLY pissed about now. Lol. Only “complaint” I have so far is that the overly aggressive tread on the tires makes it feel like I’m driving on a cobblestone street. The the ground is soft, obviously not-so-much but concrete, asphalt or hard gravel shakes my teeth. Maybe look at getting an additional set of rims and less aggressive tires for summer. Only so much M1 supply to go around tho...

[LittleLebowski]

Test drove a Polaris and a CanAm, comparable models.

Drove a 21 CanAm Defender Max HD10 home (legally, just stay off of the interstate) today. More quiet, way more luxurious, and more power.

116642

[GJM]

All side by side info. Outfitter I have hunted elk with six years also has a big cattle ranch. They said Polaris doesn't hold up to their level of abuse. For a number of years they used Yamaha and said they were very durable. Last year or two they switched to CanAm and swear by them. 90 year old grand pa there has had a Honda for years. I have a Polaris at our remote cabin but haven't put enough miles on it to say much.

I have a 15 and 25 year old Honda ATV that each have had zero problems.

[LittleLebowski]

All side by side info. Outfitter I have hunted elk with six years also has a big cattle ranch. They said Polaris doesn't hold up to their level of abuse. For a number of years they used Yamaha and said they were very durable. Last year or two they switched to CanAm and swear by them. 90 year old grand pa there has had a Honda for years. I have a Polaris at our remote cabin but haven't put enough miles on it to say much.

I have a 15 and 25 year old Honda ATV that each have had zero problems.

I’m totally on the lookout for an old Honda ATV, any time. Cash money ready 😁

[LittleLebowski]

I have a Polaris at our remote cabin but haven't put enough miles on it to say much.


To be fair, I asked my cousin whom owns 140k acres of working Wyoming cattle ranch which SxS to get and he said “just get a Polaris”.

[CSW]

Does Can-am still use the two key system?

Mine has a key for reduced power, and one for full power.

[LittleLebowski]

Does Can-am still use the two key system?

Mine has a key for reduced power, and one for full power.

Not on my 2021.

[CSW]

On my '19, the previous owner described it as a "kid key" for adolescent boys to stay out of trouble, and a "big boy" key, for adults to get in trouble.

[CleverNickname]

On my '19, the previous owner described it as a "kid key" for adolescent boys to stay out of trouble
As a former adolescent boy, I would've taken that as a challenge.