Quad suggestions

[Kyle]

I'm looking into purchasing a a new or slightly used quad. It will be used for camping/icefishing/hunting. Biggest load it will carry will be a 5x8 decoy trailer and probably only 500 yards out in the field (aka. not much).

I went to the local Honda dealer and they had some pretty good pricing on the basic Honda 420's. Wondering if the extra features (power steering, independent rear suspension, automatic transmission) are worth the dough. Or jumping up to the foreman.

As well if anyone has suggestions on brands or brands to stay away from, I'd be all ears! I'm located in south Calgary so any good dealerships would be helpful as well.

[Redneck Renagade]

If you like the Honda 420 then get that one. They are the best for the money IMO. You won't be disappointed.

[fordtruckin]

Yup a Honda ATV's never let me down. Can't say the same for Polaris....

[riden]

Originally Posted by Kyle

I'm looking into purchasing a a new or slightly used quad. It will be used for camping/icefishing/hunting. Biggest load it will carry will be a 5x8 decoy trailer and probably only 500 yards out in the field (aka. not much).

I went to the local Honda dealer and they had some pretty good pricing on the basic Honda 420's. Wondering if the extra features (power steering, independent rear suspension, automatic transmission) are worth the dough. Or jumping up to the foreman.

As well if anyone has suggestions on brands or brands to stay away from, I'd be all ears! I'm located in south Calgary so any good dealerships would be helpful as well.

When I was a young buck, I didn't know what a rough ride was. Now that I am a grampa, independent suspension is a necessity.

It makes the ride a lot smoother and does leave you with a lot more energy at the end of the day.

The Honda 420 is a great machine and so is the Yami 450. The Honda is tougher and teh Yami is more fun to ride.

[thundergrey]

My buddie has a Honda and it wouldn't be my choice. But I probably want different things out of it. I find his slow, poor shifting automatic trans, a loud single cylinder and poor clearance in the suspension.

I bought a Can-Am and it is smooth and unlimited power, great handeling, no gears and you cant beat the Viso-Loc locking 4x4.

I have had no issues for the 3 years I have ran my Can-Am and he has had none either so... I ride my quad hard and I want performance and not just something to putt through the bush. But Hondas will go forever... You will just be in last place haha

[CoreyPR]

I got the 2011 Honda Rincon and absolutely looove the suspension. It has enough power to get thru the thick stuff, havent had anything break unlike my fellow Polaris riders, and is just all around a nice looking quad. It is a tad bit pricey IMO for a 680 but you get what you pay for and a Honda you pay for a bike that doesnt quit.

[dcf]

I had a Can-Am outlander 400xt, and it would whip the s#!t out of my brother in laws Polaris Sportsman 500. Mud, snow, pavement, dirt anything. I worked the heck out of it (plowing snow, dragging harrows, small trailer, lawn sweep, deep mud, hunting) and never had any problems with it. Only reason I sold it was b/c it was too good of a deal to pass up.

My step-dad uses honda quads on the ranch, and they operate no problems. Slower and rougher than the can-am. But also cheaper and maybe tougher.

Brother-in-laws polaris was a total P.O.S. nothing but problems. Always broke down, ate up belts, melted the pastic from the muffler, hard starting, slow heavy etc. I would never touch one.

Independant suspension is very very very nice. Power steering would be awesome. Auto transmission is very nice step up, even over the thumb shift.

[Vigilante]

I have a Polaris that has ran for a total of 6 min this summer, waiting on more parts....

Do Not buy a Polaris

[pickrel pat]

No yammy lovers? If dependability is your priority, go with a bullet proof Honda. Performance...... Canam. A bit of everything....... Yamaha.

[jim summit]

I'll stand for Yamaha, 450 Kodiak, my best machine i have owned so far. Never left out in the bush yet. Diff lock, independent suspension, auto trans, snappy motor. Reliable.

[martinbns]

I don't have one at the moment.

I have had a Suzuki before independant rear suspension, great Quad, very reliable never got stuck in the muskeg, it got a little tough on the back if you road a long way.

I had a Polaris 600 that I did nothing but get stuck in, it was great for riding groomed trails but pretty sucked for everything else.

I had an Arctic Cat with independant rear suspension that was good, but both it at the polaris were just such big heavy machines I lost interest.

I wish I had never sold the little Suzuki Eiger 400.

[slivers86]

Polaris 550 sportsman = win

[Mike_W]

I'm a can-am guy and IMO they are the best by a long shot however they are the most expensive. If you are going to get a quad I would want one that I can take hunting and pull a big moose with as well as go to the mountains and go trail riding all day.
Whatever you get make sure it has independent suspension and a selectable low a high gear.
Low gear is really important when towing and in any sort of soft stuff and independent suspension makes it not only body saver but much safer trail riding and side hilling.

IMO there are three good brand options out there Kawasaki brute force, Yamaha grizzly and Can-Am outlander

[jryley]

I have a 2 year old foreman and the thing is great. The only
Money ive had to put into it is the new tires its due for next spring. With that being said, aside from hunting my area (which is all flat farmland) I also do two quad / fishing trips every year out on the trunkroad. On the quadding trip im always really happy i went with the foreman. But if your mainly going to utilize it for failry straight forward riding, which it sounds like you are, then the lighter model would be bang on! When goose hunting and deer hunting we use my buddies ES over my foreman just because of the slight edge in transportability over my foreman! But definitely get a winch mounted on it. Whether it be pulling deadfall out of the bush for a fire, getting yourself or others unstuck, or pulling out a big deer....the winch has proven to be my best investment.

[jryley]

Might add my brother in law uses the honda ES model on those same wuad
Trips....and he hauls ***** on that thing! So unless youre positive youll need that little extra unff, id say go with the less expensive model

[Rocky7]

My .02:

I've had about 6-7 Yamahas and only one ever broke down - that magneto thingy on a Grizzly 700 EFI. It was a weak spot on an 08 model; I think they made a correction and put an oil channel in there now. Hope so, 'cause I have a '12 Rhino 700.

I would not buy a Honda myself. I've ridden them and find they have less power. Don't like the transmissions, either.

The Yamahas will sputter if you drive into deep water and the drive belt gets wet but I've never had to get off and I've never had to drain the belt housing and I've been into water to about the top of the tires....I wouldn't say those things are impossible, though. If you're going to be in a lot of deep water, a belt drive might not be for you. Maybe a submarine.

I've pulled loads over spec with Yamahas from 350 to 700 - watch your engine temperature and they'll pull for you. You might not think you're going to pull much with your quad but I find that I often come up new ways of doing things when I buy a new machine. Gas consumption is stingy, the EFI starts like a dream and the wheels almost always turn. That's all I want.

I've driven the CanAm models and they are faster, might ride a tad better and have a grabby clutch. I don't go very fast where I ride, anyway. Some friends have spent a lot of money in the shop with their CanAms. Not me.

I now have an all terrain golf cart and would not go back to a quad.

[Twisted Canuck]

x4 on the Can Am. I just got a CanAm 400 XT (2010) because the deal was too good to pass up on. I'm a first time quad owner with limited riding experience, so I wanted something 'manageable' for me (ie no 800s and such). I'm really happy with it, done some fun in the mud and climbing with it, but I'm pretty cautious and don't push as hard as many do. It has loads of power for me, and the repuation was a big factor for me in getting it. 2 others in my hunting group own the same machine, and nobody has had any issues to date with them.

[jeff5316]

I've had great luck with Arctic Cat and Yamaha. If I was to buy one it would be another Arctic Cat first and Yamaha second. Both are great machines

[thundergrey]

we left a hunting partner behind because his 1 year old Yamaha wouldn't start at -20C... Both my Can Am and other buddies Kawi started no problem. EFI is the way to go.

[honda450]

Don't get your hopes up to high boys on those Can Ams. Seen 2, 800's being towed out of the bush last month. Yup and both being towed by a Polaris. Now how ironic is that. I towed one of em. hehehe

[honda450]

Originally Posted by thundergrey

we left a hunting partner behind because his 1 year old Yamaha wouldn't start at -20C... Both my Can Am and other buddies Kawi started no problem. EFI is the way to go.

My Honda will start anytime anywhere its a 1998, same with my Suzuki. He probably had battery problems. No EFI on any of my 4 quads.

[dschmitt77]

For what you want to do, I would go with what you feel comfortable in spending. I own a 2012 Can Am 800XT but I am not going to tell you that is the perfect machine for you. If you like Honda's I would go with the Honda Foreman 500. Plenty of pulling power and a 5 speed transmission to a straight axle which is a good combination for what you want. What ever you go with I am sure you will be happy because a new toy is a new toy!

[sparky660]

Originally Posted by thundergrey

we left a hunting partner behind because his 1 year old Yamaha wouldn't start at -20C... Both my Can Am and other buddies Kawi started no problem. EFI is the way to go.

Tell your buddy to switch to full sythetic like your Can-am and it will start. -35 and my high compression 660 would start with in 2 revolutions. My current 700 starts even better. Got to use some common sense with these things if you want them to start in cold weather no matter the brand.

If you want a machine that will last you forever get any of the following: Foreman 450-500 series, sportsman 500 or a Yamaha 450,550 or 700. Anyone of these will last you forever.

[skidderman]

Changed the belt on a Polaris for a friend of mine this summer. What a pintas if you get my drift. Could not imagine doing it in the bush without a shop load of tools. Spent an hour getting one bolt that had lodged itself in the double layer floorboard. Finally had to drill it out. It has lots of power and rides nice but that belt would not be my first choice. I have a Honda 500 Rubicon. Yes I wish it had more power. My next choice will likely be a Rincon. My son had a Can Am 800 Extreme. It lasted 6 hours and the crankshaft broke. Took 3 mths to get it fixed on warranty and he was so fed up he sold it at half price. By the way the crankshaft on a Can Am is made overseas in a third world country. So much for Canadian made. Not in my garage, ever! Your choice though.

[NSRfishing]

King quad

[Mistagin]

Originally Posted by skidderman

Changed the belt on a Polaris for a friend of mine this summer. What a pintas if you get my drift. Could not imagine doing it in the bush without a shop load of tools. Spent an hour getting one bolt that had lodged itself in the double layer floorboard. Finally had to drill it out. It has lots of power and rides nice but that belt would not be my first choice. I have a Honda 500 Rubicon. Yes I wish it had more power. My next choice will likely be a Rincon. My son had a Can Am 800 Extreme. It lasted 6 hours and the crankshaft broke. Took 3 mths to get it fixed on warranty and he was so fed up he sold it at half price. By the way the crankshaft on a Can Am is made overseas in a third world country. So much for Canadian made. Not in my garage, ever! Your choice though.

Are Hondas built in Canada? Didn't think so

Before buying my used 2006 Can Am Outlander 400 Max I looked at Polaris machines. Noticed a few things that turned me away. Note: I wanted a machine with 2-up seating so my wife could come along. That limited my choices. We're happy with our machine, even thought it can be a bit of a 'pita' to change the belt on it too! Just did mine in the garage, and learned that if I want to be prepared to do it in the bush I need to pack a few more tools along than are in the basic tool kit!

No matter what manufacturer there can and always be exceptions. I worked for a marine / skidoo dealer some years ago. We sold Evinrude but repaired all kinds of outboards, inboards, snowmobile and ATV's. Every brand had the odd manufacturers defect in new engines and other parts on machines.

I remember one customer who bought a new snow machine - top of the line SkiDoo 440 free air cooled machine (I did say I worked for the dealer some years ago ). 1st weekend he used it he blew the engine. We replaced it under warranty and got his machine back to him, after all, it could have had a faulty part in the engine. A week later he brought it back again, madder than anything. He blew the engine again. He called that machine, the manufacturer, us, everything nasty he could think of. The dealer gave him his money back. We replaced the engine again and rebuilt the machine. I got to ride it extensively to make sure it was good. We tested it extensively - no problems. Sold it to another customer as a slightly used machine and he was happy with it.

We later found out from a buddy of the first owner, who had also bought an identical machine, that the guy 'abused' the machine - ran it full throttle right from the 'get go' without doing any kind of breaking in routine; and those particular machines required an extensive breaking in regimen - which we did part of before releasing them to customers. When it overheated he just kept on going - of course it blew - twice!

NOTE: I'm not suggesting your son did anything like that, but there's often more to the story.

Also, you do realize that the Rotax engines are German engineered and many are built in Austria as well as in Mexico at the BRP plant there (since 2007). My '06 machine has an Austrian engine. I'm pretty sure parts may be manufactured in other plants in other countries, but that goes for all of the manufacturers. The odd time a faulty part with a defect gets through quality control. Sucks when it happens to you, but to write off an entire company as a result is a bit 'over the top' don't ya think.

I've got a 2002 15 HP Johnson outboard, build by Suzuki, excellent engine, excellent reputation. Noticed a problem after using it a couple of times - water squirting out where it shouldn't have been. Faulty part in a brand new engine. Took it back, part replaced on the spot. Been good ever since . No sense trashing Suzuki or BRP or Evinrude for it.

[scrapper]

I had the Honda 420, it's an OK machine, I now have an AC/TC 1000 twin. The bad thing about the small cc quads is resale you have to find someone not looking for power.....and....everyone is looking for more power it seems. If you want to drive bigger tires, pull more, push more, carry more then get a big bore. I would not buy anything less than 600 absolute minimum. Can't argue with the Can Am guys those are good quads, but for my money the Thunder cat is a great machine as well

[jim summit]

Originally Posted by skidderman

Changed the belt on a Polaris for a friend of mine this summer. What a pintas if you get my drift. Could not imagine doing it in the bush without a shop load of tools. Spent an hour getting one bolt that had lodged itself in the double layer floorboard. Finally had to drill it out. It has lots of power and rides nice but that belt would not be my first choice. I have a Honda 500 Rubicon. Yes I wish it had more power. My next choice will likely be a Rincon. My son had a Can Am 800 Extreme. It lasted 6 hours and the crankshaft broke. Took 3 mths to get it fixed on warranty and he was so fed up he sold it at half price. By the way the crankshaft on a Can Am is made overseas in a third world country. So much for Canadian made. Not in my garage, ever! Your choice though.

Actually the whole engine is made by Rotax, The only company that makes quad/snowmobile engines as well certified Aircraft engines.

[brendan's dad]

My sister inlaw has the honda 420 model and my wife and I have a 500 Rubicons and a 500 Foreman. The only real disadvantage that I have experienced going with the 420 in that the seat is quite a bit smaller. You will have a tough time riding double even with a young child. For the use you described either quad would be overkill since you would get the job done with an old 350. But of course the foreman is going to have more pulling power.. but speed will be about the same for the 2. My honda's are 2005 and 2006 and have been bullet proof and problem free; they don't have all the upgrades that are now available in the newer honda models, so i can't comment on whether the newer foreman offer a superior ride over the 420's that would justify the dollars.

[trapshooter]

Honda!!!!