# atv recommendation



## crsimao (Dec 21, 2009)

Hey all i was looking for some recommendations for a good atv to use as a snow plow. I have looked around and have found some suzuki and kawasaki and one arctic cat dealer. Any ideas about a manuel plow or an automatic one as well 

thanks


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

honda with a winch, yes you will pay more but it will last longer and be more reliable


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## BruteForce750 (Nov 20, 2009)

How big is the driveway you're looking to plow?
Is there a specific blade size your looking to push? 
How high is your budget?
Purchasing brand new or used?
Is it solely going to be used to plow?


By manual plow, you mean the lift it yourself vs winch.... .go winch, they're relatively inexpensive and a great investment.


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## crsimao (Dec 21, 2009)

thanks for the replies... to answer your questions 
How big is the driveway you're looking to plow? it would be used to plow about 4 driveways 3 about 200 feet while the last one is larger. 
Is there a specific blade size your looking to push? i was not sure what size to get yet. 
How high is your budget? i was looking to spend some where between 5-7 k 
Purchasing brand new or used? i was looking brand new because i have not found any used yet. 
Is it solely going to be used to plow? yea it would mainly be to plow 

thanks again.


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## BruteForce750 (Nov 20, 2009)

Given the fact that your looking to plow more than one driveway, I'd point you towards the 60" blade. You'll find most people who have them are satisfied with their size and actually look to make them bigger. The only reason I'd steer you away from the 60" would be if your looking to plow sidewalks as well...

With the 60" blade, I'd recommend a machine of 500cc or larger. Any of the known manufacturers (Yamaha, Arctic Cat, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Polaris) make suitable quads for plowing. Truth be told, you'd be hard pressed to chose a "bad" quad for plowing from any one of them (so long as its a utility quad). 

With your given budget of 5-7K, you fall in the used or new price range. Obviously used will allow you to be in the lower spectrum and new will be in the higher. For finding a used quad, I'd recommend you browse craigslist for your given area. BE CAREFUL AND WATCH FOR SCAMS THO! Remember, if its too good to be true, it probably is! If your not sure if its a scam or not, post it up here and have others take a look...

If you decide to go the new route, go to your local dealers and try them all. Take them for a test ride and see which one you feel most comfortable on. If your going to be out there for any length of time plowing, being comfortable comes in to play.

:waving:


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

also what is your snow fall you'll be pushing?

say 10 snows of 4" or less and then 2 big snow's of 6" plus?

or are most snow fall's over 6" every time?

the amount of snow you'll be pushing on avg each time can go a long way towards the type of blade to get and the size of quad to go behind it.


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## BruteForce750 (Nov 20, 2009)

sublime68charge;919918 said:


> also what is your snow fall you'll be pushing?
> 
> say 10 snows of 4" or less and then 2 big snow's of 6" plus?
> 
> ...


good points... and just to add, are you willing and most likely to plow WITH the storm or are you most likely to wait till the end?

I know sometimes you cant help but wait due to obligations such as working, but for the most part...with the storm, or at the end?


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## Reb (Feb 8, 2008)

I have 2 ATV’s I use, a Kawasaki Prairie 360 and a Bombardier Traxter 500. While both work well the P360 is my go to machine due to speed, both forward and reverse, and ease in handling. My situation requires that I back up almost as much as I push forward so the reverse override is important in my case. While the smaller machine works fine I would tend to go a 500 or larger if pushing commercially.

The P360 is a belt drive machine while the Traxter is gear drive. Again, the belt drive will be faster and have better carry through due to not needing to shift gears but the belt drive system needs more maintenance than a gear drive. It isn’t a big deal but if you let the primary clutch go too long it won’t be rebuildable. I just spent $800 due to not paying as much attention to the clutch as I should have.

As far as snowplows, everyone has their favorites. I have both Warn and Cycle Country 60” plows and both work fine. The Warn is roughly 6 or 7 years old and is mounted on the Traxter so it only gets used in the real deep and/or wet snow. The only problem with it was I was putting so much pressure on it I would bend the push tubes so I just put angle iron splints on it which took care of the problem. The CC plow is only a couple years old and it mounted on the P360. It has received the majority of use since I bought it and has worked fine. The advantage of the CC is also you can get the down pressure system which I won’t run without. Years ago when I bought the Warn I made a down pressure system for it but with a CC you can get it ready made. Also, unless there is some reason you just can’t go with the wider blade, get the 60” or you will be disappointed.

For an operating system I only use a winch. I would suggest a winch that operates at the speed of a Warn 2500 lb. I have used smaller and slower winches and found I was waiting on the winch a lot of the time but the 2500 seems to be about right for speed. The problem with the winch is you will ruin the cable. A lot of the guys use the short lengths of synthetic rope. Myself, years ago I figured out how to attach the synthetic rope so I ended up with 4 lines coming off the drum. Since then I have never broken a rope.


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I personaly like Arctic Cat. You should get a an Arctic Cat 500 with a 60" plow IMO. But you are going to get lots of diferent opinions.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

I vote for a 400CC machine at least and I like the Moose Blades, 

Honda also but that's just me.

Honda Foreman 500 and 60" Moose blade would be my macihine I'd look at.

though you'll get lots of opion's on things.

also due you want a front mount blade or a Mid Mount?

both have there Plus and Minus that has been talked about.

good luck with your search.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

and the hondas have it ,

thread closed hahahahahahahahahahaa


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## skamaniac (Aug 24, 2009)

dIf you're looking used, Bombadier Traxters or John Deere Buck (same machine) are work horses. Next best thing to power steering.

Progressively locking front differential.

Visco-lok™, a progressively locking 4WD system, automatically delivers the correct amount of traction for every situation without compromising steering or maneuverability. It engages automatically without ever having to stop and push a button

Five speed constant mesh gear-on-gear transmission for added durability

Weighs in at 760 lbs. Lots of traction but don't get it stuck. You will need to winch it out.

Ain't the prettiest quad out there but they are a beast. Beauty wins out though. Is probably why they weren't as popular the the Outlander.


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## BruteForce750 (Nov 20, 2009)

If the Honda's had a locking differential or a true 4wd system they'd also get my vote. They have reliability down, but their 3wd is a huge turn off....for me at least...


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

yea that is one of honda's biggest shortcomings is the open front Diff which gives you the 3wd, when your stuck you can pump the front brakes sometimes to get the 4th wheel to spin to try and help get you out. sometimes it works other times it only makes it worse.

your right about the reliabilty part though I plowed with my 84 Big Red 3 wheeler last night and it started right up and did a great job for what it is. Also the Honda's will take a beating after beating and plowing snow is not a walk in the park by any mean's.

but most New quads are also built pretty stout these day's as well so what ever machine you pick your gonna be in good shape.

heck my dad runs a Kawasaki Prairie 360 with a 48" CC blade and its been a good machine for year's.
been through 3 belts on it 1 engine rebuild. but that quad gets alot of abuse is used for alot of log skidding and has plowed snow since day 1 with it.

just my rambling thoughts.

sublime out.


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## sparky2410 (Nov 26, 2009)

*This is what you want

http://www.plowsite.com/album.php?albumid=523&pictureid=3422*


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## BruteForce750 (Nov 20, 2009)

sparky2410;922202 said:


> *This is what you want
> 
> http://www.plowsite.com/album.php?albumid=523&pictureid=3422*


*

Heck, if you can get that for 5-7K, sign me up :bluebounc*


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## Reb (Feb 8, 2008)

Before I bought the Traxter I did a lot of checking on different machines. While the Honda's are good machines I had some concerns about them for my intended purpose. The 3 wheel drive wasn't a big concern but was a factor. Other factors were the Honda's turning radius was about 1/3 bigger than the Traxter and the Honda's were quite a bit harder to steer. Reverse on the Honda's was considerable slower than any other machine I tested which is a big factor for me when plowing. There were quite a few other factors I looked at before buying the Traxter but those factors weren't so much important for plowing as they were for running my ag. system on the back.

A big factor in choosing any machine is the dealership. Make sure they have a good reputation for taking care of the customer and equipment.


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