UTVs pros and cons - your pick?

[Sytes]

We are looking at a UTV to replace our ATVs with the expectation I keep the 4 wheels grounded at all times.
Uses: plow, minor grating/dragging, transport feed/landscape and recreation.
These are the ones we are looking at currently ~
Trying to keep the price range between 8-12k and 2012/2013.
Polaris Ranger 800
Good dump size, good space, larger plow width.

RZR 570
Individual seat positioning great for 5' and 6'1. small though usable rear haul, legal width for atv trails.

John Deere XUV 550 (NO 2012's crappy downhill disengage issue)
Pretty much same as the Ranger.

Others?

 

[Summitthunting]

A rancher took us around on his 6 wheeled Polaris, that thing could go up, over and down anything. They comfortably sit three adults and two dead antelope.

 

[Blacktailbc]

Take a look at the kawasaki teryx. Only slightly bigger than a yamaha rhino, but with a decent bed, and more powerful 750 v-twin engine. You can get a 2012, new for 10.5k-11k

 

[spook12]

Which one has the nearest dealership to you?

They all require periodic maintenance, it sure would be nice to have a dealer handy.

 

[MThuntr]

We have a Polaris 800HD at work. They are powerful and handy for our surveying but wide enough that traveling 2 tracks is not that much fun even scary if rutted. It is super squirrely at going down the road at speed.

 

[Foxtrot1]

I use a Polaris ranger 800 crew at work. It is stable, fast, and has good power. We use it to carry a 65 gallon pump unit, and it handles the weight well. We did have to replace the factory skid plate with an aluminum plate. I would also look at the Honda big red. Drive them and pick the one you like the best.

 

[noharleyyet]

Polaris or Can Am Sytes...not the darters, the workers...I lean Can Am..

 

[BiggWimm]

My family all use Polaris rangers in AK. We have no problem fitting camp and a moose in them. Nice rigs!

 

[Muleyfanatic]

I have a Polaris Ranger 500 that we use around the farm. Plenty of power and it fits in the bed of pickup; although it would be nice to have a bigger one at times. In-laws have a John Deere Gator Diesel that is nice; but it is very big and bulky. Definitely not near as maneuverable as the Polaris. Neighbor had a Honda Big Red that was in the shop all the time. The one thing I liked about the Honda was that it did not have the centrifugal clutch like the Polaris and Gators.

 

[Goldtip]

I would look at the Ranger 800, tried and true, the Rangers have been around a long time. Also have a much better/bigger cargo area. Razors are a ton of fun, but workhorses they are not. Can Am you will have a helluva hard time finding in your price range. My cousins have Rangers in AK, and she is 5'2" on a good day standing up straight and she has no problem driving it.

 

[Rat Fink]

Keep in mind that many designated ATV trails are having the rule that you must straddle the seat to ride on it adopted. That eliminates UTV's from those trails.

 

[idnative1948]

Went for a ride in a Ranger last year with a guy to help him cut some firewood. The ONLY thing I didn't like about it was the amount of dust coming into the cab. Ate way more dust that I would have on my ATV. Other than that would love to have one.

 

[dmserpa]

No one has mentioned the Kubota, maybe no dealers up there?, had one for 5 yrs without any maintenance problems. Sure has been trouble free, use it daily for feeding and orchard chores.

 

[MTELKHUNTER]

I have had a Mule, Rhino and now a Polaris Razor. the mule was a dog air cooled and slow. My Rhino was a work horse. but in Wyoming last year it let me down in high elevation non fuel injuction. I bought a 2012 Razor 570. I love that little beast. The 50 wide is a big plus. I will miss the dump box but I have a small trailor I can use to haul stuff around the yard. I have never run across a trail that said you must straddle your ride.

 

[sweetnectar]

The rangers are very smooth riding and good for fixing fence....easy to get in and out of. I think the razors have a bucket seat...harder to get in and out of...and are build for speed. I clocked a guy driving his razor along side me on the highway. I was doing 65 and he was keeping up bajahing through the ditch and jumping the hills. I about drove off the road when he jumped off the top of one hill that got him at least 10 feet of air between him and the ground and I don't know how far distance wise.

 

[rhomas]

I've considered a utv. at times, but down here anything much larger than my Yamaha Kodiac 400 will not make it on the trails due to being to wide to fit between the trees. Several guys I hunt with at our hunting club (where we drive deer with hounds), have the Polaris 800; but they have to park and walk to get into the swamps. Then many times if they kill a deer, they have to have someone with an atv go and haul the deer out, since the utv can't get into the area.

Considering the terrain, and all of the water we hunt in down here, I've often considered one of the ARGO 6x6 models with the tracks but the price has always been a major deterrent.