best bang for the buck?

[polemite.productions]

hi all. i've never been into atv's before, but now i'm starting to come around to them. but i have no idea what to look for. i'm hoping that i can just list some criteria, and you guys can help fill in the blanks with the best choice for what i'm looking for.

-first off, i don't want to buy new. can't afford it. approx. $4000 is probably my limit.
-i want to use it for cruising the bush, slashing some trails, hauling some gear around, and plowing the driveway. it should also be easy for the wife to ride in case she wants to use it.
-which is typically the most reliable?
-if i have to do any repairs, which is easiest to work on, and which is the cheapest to buy parts for?
-what sort of potential problems should i be looking for when viewing an atv?
-are there any machines to definitely stay away from?

thanks.

 

[troy]

I have a old 500 polaris had it from new in 1998 'good old bike bullet proof just like the old honda bikes but a better ride IT is about a 4000 dollar ride

 

[polemite.productions]

so you can't judge polaris by their snowmobiles eh? good to know. haha.

 

[TheMuffinMan]

For your needs and budget, look for a Honda foreman or fourtrax (350) with a foot shift. You won't find anything truly reliable for under 4 grand except one of those Hondas, and they are by far the cheapest to buy parts for you can make one brand new again for less than a grand. The only problem they have are the brakes: weak, squeaky and you have to adjust them almost daily but they do work. Those quads have strong enough engine braking you hardly need brakes anyways. If you decide to go with something else all I can say is do not buy a Polaris sportsman that's more than 3 years old and don't even think about an arctic cat of any kind even brand new they are less reliable than a 15 year old Honda.

 

[dodgeguy]

Nothing wrong with the old Cats at all. Pre-2001 (depends on model) all engines and drivetrains were provided by Suzuki and Artic cat had different frames. Have had 2 AC's and both were/are extremely reliable. Nothing wrong with the old Hondas either, or Suzuki's, Yamaha's, Kawasaki's, all good machines IMO just gotta make sure you take it for a good run before you buy, as usual! Low mileage, with stock tires is my search criteria to make sure it wasn't abused too hard.
As usual it's gonna be up to personal preference, Good Luck and Have Fun!!

 

[polemite.productions]

thanks guys. are there any common issues that a guy should be looking for when testing out any machine? things to look at? sounds to listen for? certain vibrations when doing certain things?

is a 350 really enough? sounds pretty small, but like i said i don't know much about these things. i don't want to be left in the dust, or stuck climbing a hill or something.

 

[Polarblu]

If you want something a little sporty the poo scramblers are under 3 grand you can put a rack on the back and have that bullet proof 500 engine. I got a 04 for 2 g and love that little thing. They are a no brainer for drive train, chain in the back shaft to the front, 1 gear.

 

[DaveB]

Not gonna plow snow with a Scrambler though....no low range.

For what you want, go with muffinman's suggestion....an ol Honda. Not fast, not smooth, not super-powerful....but very reliable and will run forever. You'll catch the bug, then drop 8 to 10k for your next machine. LOL.

 

[fat tire]

hi all. i've never been into atv's before, but now i'm starting to come around to them. but i have no idea what to look for. i'm hoping that i can just list some criteria, and you guys can help fill in the blanks with the best choice for what i'm looking for.

-first off, i don't want to buy new. can't afford it. approx. $4000 is probably my limit.
-i want to use it for cruising the bush, slashing some trails, hauling some gear around, and plowing the driveway. it should also be easy for the wife to ride in case she wants to use it.
-which is typically the most reliable?
-if i have to do any repairs, which is easiest to work on, and which is the cheapest to buy parts for?
-what sort of potential problems should i be looking for when viewing an atv?
-are there any machines to definitely stay away from?

thanks.

I sold an 2004 honda 4 trax 400, 4x4 about a year and a half ago for 4200 bucks it was mint with only 1000km..... automatic or a choice to use the electric shift..... I thought that was reasonable.......you could find the same machine for that price..... keep looking* and yes the hondas are* reliable and would be a good bike for you. keep in mind there not the fastest or most powerful but for your first quad you should consider one.

 

[TheMuffinMan]

thanks guys. are there any common issues that a guy should be looking for when testing out any machine? things to look at? sounds to listen for? certain vibrations when doing certain things?

is a 350 really enough? sounds pretty small, but like i said i don't know much about these things. i don't want to be left in the dust, or stuck climbing a hill or something.

Be sure and test ride it. Don't be too concerned with any squeaks in the suspension that's an easy fix. Do some sharp 4WD turns in both directions and listen for any clicking noises as that would be a sign of a bad CV joint. Check the oil; if it looks brand new then beware he probably just changed it before you got there. Smell the oil too; if it smells like burnt tires then the wet clutch (if equipped) is probably cooked...not a cheap fix. Give all the wheels a good shake (grab the top of the tire and pull it side to side) especially the fronts and listen for any clunking noise, if there is any the wheel bearings are shot. Be sure and have him run the machine for a good 5 minutes to get it up to operating temperature, then give the throttle a few blips and listen for any popping noises and see if the idle comes down right away when you let off the throttle. If you hear any pops or the idle hangs high for a few seconds before coming back down then either the valves are out of spec or there is an air leak somewhere...could be a cheap fix, could cost a lot of time and money to fix you never know. Look in the airbox for engine oil; if there is any then the piston rings are probably shot. Finally, if the machine has a winch be sure to wind it out at least 20 feet and bring it back in to give it a good test. Squealing noises or shudders would mean the winch needs a rebuild.

And despite what some people will tell you, a 350 will take you anywhere short of a competition mud bog. Get on some tight trails with one and you'll be the guy leaving the 800's in the dust as they stop to make a few 3 point turns. They weigh about 200 or more pounds less than these high-output beasts so you can pick them up and move them if you get stuck plus they rock in the muskeg...you don't need 30 inch tires if you aren't sinking in the first place. And the first gear is so low you won't be powering out on the hills, it may not climb quickly but it will climb anything. Hope this helps.

 

[polemite.productions]

thanks again guys, great info. muffinman- exactly the kinds of things i needed to know. thanks.

yeah, i'm not interested at all in mud bogging. i hate mud (one reason i love sledding so much). and no muskeg around here thankfully. i'm more interested in getting up to the snowmobile cabins in the summer to cut some firewood and slash some trails. scout out new areas. maybe set the atv up for the wife and kid to ride on while i ride my dirtbike. stuff like that. yeah, and plowing the driveway would be nice.

 

[dodgeguy]

If I were you I'd be on the look out for an old Honda Foreman 400, dead reliable, totally simple. IMO, No electric shift as the first "ES" models were troublesome. Just a foot shifter and gobs of Honda Torque, as I like to call it. No problems at all with snowplowin with Honda Super Low 1st Gear. Quite inexpensive to fix IF you ever have to do anything, and if you are mechanically inclined you can do it yourself and save even more money. Other than that what 'muffinman' said to check over are very good guidelines. However don't be to scared away as it's an old machine and not many are going to be 100% perfect. As far as costs go, axles will be the biggest cost for the most part as far as drivelines go, wheel bearings for my old Cat are only retail $45 a piece, but an axle for it retail are $350 a piece. Whatever machine you are looking at, if there are things that need replacing call up the local dealer and get parts prices right there on the spot...makes for GREAT haggling leverage. Just an FYI!!
Just keep in mind that doing a full maintenance on any machine you decide to buy is the best insurance policy, spark plug, oil change, diffy gear oil change, a good carb cleaning, run a good small engine fuel conditioner in your first tank of fuel, and a general over all clean up of the chassis.

Good Luck and Have Fun....BTW did I mention the nice cushy ride those old Foremans have...yep no back breaking there!!

 

[eoo]

my first quad which i still have ia a honda 350 es 2004. other than regular maintenance i haven't had to put any money into it. approx 1400k on the quad. the electric shift is nice.

 

[hadster]

Yep another vote for a 400 Honda for the types of things you are looking for. However you might be able to find a decent Yamaha 450 or 660 for that price point as well, they are also reliable as well. And if you could find the 660 Grizz at that price you would get 4 wheel indepentant suspension, a very nice feature. Haven't shopped around not sure if they are around in that price point.
Good luck

 

[jncmcat]

Look for an older Susuki Vinson 500, great starter quad, tough and dependable quad, rides better than the foreman

 

[byronkentgraham]

I have an 2006 Honda 350 ES and it's great. It will take you anywhere and with a set of little Bearclaws chews extremely well for a little machine. If wife/kids are riding it try to get an ES foot shifters SUCK and usually don't have full floorboards(as far as I can remember on the older ones)

 

[byronkentgraham]

Check starter connections. Check the starter connections. If it looks like they have been worked on it could have starter problems. Some of those Hondas don't like starters