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Which ATV for ice?
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03-09-2005, 04:19 AM
Thinking of buying a 4 wheeler for hunting and fishing. I know there are several of you out there with machines that frequent the berry. My question is which one has the best clearance and reliability for snow and ice from your experience?
Jeff [signature]
03-09-2005, 06:03 AM
A snowmobile[
 ] I bought a old one for 500,works great.Four wheelers work at the beginning of the season,but when the snow gets deep,they bog down.The ones that work the best have the highest clearance.[signature]
03-09-2005, 06:14 AM
A 4 wheeler that you can put the snowmobile tracks on. they had a ploaris and a honda with these tracks on all 4 "wheels" they looked sweet adn they seemed to do alright when they were playing in the snow with them
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03-09-2005, 01:08 PM
Those tracks are pretty cool, but they will set you back about 4 large! And that doesn't include the machine! Ouch!
I'd stick with Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Arctic Cat, or Polaris if you want the most clearance. The Arctic Cat engine and tranny are made by Suzuki, so reliability isn't an issue with those. Polaris's are known for their service trips, but they sure are comfy to ride. [signature]
03-09-2005, 02:59 PM
I have owned a Polaris Sportsman 500 since 1999 (I bought the 2000 model early) and have never had a problem with it. From my ice fishing exprience they are the best because of their power and clearance. I have on numerous occasions pushed stuck Hondas off the ice because of their limited clearance.
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03-09-2005, 04:00 PM
We own a '95 Sportsman 400 (Polaris) that has more miles on it than most vehicles......It's a sweet machine. The only times we have ever taken it to the repair shop, was for regular maintenance (oil changes, greasings, etc.). We also own 3 other newer Sportsmans. Never had an issue with any of them.
I hear lots of rumors about the reliability (or, lack there of) of Polaris machines, but I think all those rumors come from owners of other machines.... I remember one year at Fish Lake; my buddies had their Honda's and me and my brother had our Polaris machines. We zipped everywhere we wanted. The Honda's could only go when me and my brother were pushing them....they couldn't go in the snow.... I'll never buy anything but Polaris... [signature]
03-09-2005, 05:52 PM
[cool]I guess I'd better put a good word in here for the honda owners out there. If you plan on putting much of a load on your atv you'de better consider a solid rear axle. Its been my experience that the machines with independent rear suspensions are "tippy", especially with much of a load on the back. Indy rear suspensions offer a nice ride, however a cushy ride isn't why I bought a four wheeler. For me, clearance has never been an issue. My uncle and cousin are both good riders and own polaris machines. Two years back, we were negotiating a tight uphill turn over a dead tree. The polaris' were a little to high a profile and once they got a little "sideways on the hill and on top of the log, over they both went. Its kinda hard for a polaris to push a honda when its on its back. I was able to crawl right over the log with all four tires on the ground. I guess the best choice when considering which atv is right for you, take a look at the entended use. I have found that any atv will experience difficulty with becoming high centered when the snow gets deep enough. They only thing that helps is a taller bike, which mean higher profile and easier to roll. But at a certain point, the only thing that does well in the snow is a snowmobile.
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03-09-2005, 06:07 PM
I bought an Arctic Cat 500 last fall, mostly for hunting, not fishing, but it has served me very well. In the real ruff stuff, like big boulders, fallen trees, etc. my 14" clearance gets me over things that my friends (who have a honda and a polaris) get high-centered on. Plus, can't beat the 2-year warranty they offer.
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03-09-2005, 06:51 PM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Those new Arctic Cat 650 machines are sweet! They have racks and rack boxes and they're all modular. What a set up! I checked them out at Bass Pro Shop in Las Vegas and again at the dealer in Logan and they have tons of clearance. They also have a nice sticker price... My only objection is their size. They are pretty big.[/size][/black][/font]
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03-09-2005, 08:03 PM
If you are looking for an unbias opinion of ATV's, go to [url "http://www.atvtv.com"]www.atvtv.com[/url].
They have reviews of the different machines. [signature]
03-09-2005, 08:21 PM
[cool]Parden my ignorence here, Bee, but when you say 4 largies, you mean 400, or 4g's, right? There's a big difference in the two, that's why I'm asking. I've never seen these track things before, but I'm not an ATV owner, but will be in the future. In your experience did you find those track things to work very well, as in almost as good as a snowmo? I've always wondered if some day I'd have to get a snowmo for when the snow gets deep at the berry to get out to a decent uncrowded spot, but if you can get some of these track things for the ATV, then that would save me a bunch of money not having to shell out for a snowmo. Your comments would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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03-09-2005, 10:27 PM
I wish they were only $400, but they will set you back $4,000! You can get a pretty nice sled for that price. There was a review of the 3 available in one of the recent (1-3) Field and Stream or Outdoor Life mags. They perform well for lower speed, low traction areas. They increase the width and the wheelbase of your machine as well. They also mentioned that they are difficult to steer unless you are on soft terrain.
I personally don't have any serious gripes about Polaris bikes, heck I used to have one. But when I was looking to get my new machine I had narrowed the choices down to 4 bikes, one was the Sportsman. I asked the dealer, who was a Polaris Dealer, which of the bikes he would personally own. I also asked him about reliability of the 4 bikes I wanted. He said that the Polaris bikes had the highest service rate out of all the major brands. I had heard this in the past, and I figured it was from people who didn't own Polaris bikes. But since it came from a dealer who sold Polaris bikes, I figured I could believe him. I also agree that Honda, which are by no means bad bikes, have some pretty limited ground clearance. I like BLM can dig with the Arctic Cats and their mongo clearance. The bottom line is if the snow gets too deep, you need a sled. The depth varies with the type of bike you own, but the principle is the same. [signature]
03-09-2005, 11:48 PM
Pretty good site. Looks like Polaris doesn't stack up to well according to this place. All this info is great! I think the arctic cat looks good, what's the price tag on those babies?
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03-10-2005, 02:00 AM
I haven't priced the cats in a few years, but they used to be a little less expensive than the other bikes. I know a couple poeple that have cats, and they seem to like them. Good luck in your decision making, you'll have to let us know what you decide on.
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