Utv, Kei Truck or Other

[chris_the_wrench]

Ive been casually looking at a utv for chores around our place. Im not looking for a sporty SxS, I want something to earn its keep by saving my back and legs. Primarily it will be used on our hilly property for running trash down to the road, carrying brush to burn piles, hauling firewood(from felled trees to storage and storage to house) hauling small loads of gravel or building materials, etc. Plus it would be used on the forest service roads that run up into the mountains from my property(berry picking, mushrooming, hunting). 2 person, 4x4, locking dif would be nice, dump trailer would be nice. Ac, heat, stereo are not needed.

Ive briefly looked at kubota rtvs, mules and a few other units. New prices, are abit higher than I can stomach and the used units(Ive sealen) are beat.

When looking at a used unit on an auction site or private sale, what is a reasonable hour range for diesel or gas? Is motor hours my primary concern compared to obvious physical condition?

Ive also briefly looked at kei trucks as a more affordable option.

What other options should I consider:quad with a trailer?

We've got a 2500 and 5500 diesel trucks that are too big and heavy to get most places, but maybe something like an old 4x4 ford ranger??

Thoughts?

 

[jimh406]

I bought my 2017 Polaris Ranger Midsize 570 almost 7 years. Other than regular maintenance, it's required nothing with no trips to the dealer.

I have a roof, winch, bed rack, front and rear windshield, and soft doors. Due to the 4x4 system, it's very hard to not be able to go where I want to go. However, I do have chains for ice.

Besides what you listed, I also use mine to haul firewood, pull a small trailer, and snow plow.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

old JEEP CJ-5, maybe CJ-7..add a dump box to it ?
or similar beat up 'not road worthy' small 4x4

Nice thing compared to 'UTV', is parts will be a lot cheaper

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I bought my 2017 Polaris Ranger Midsize 570 almost 7 years. Other than regular maintenance, it's required nothing with no trips to the dealer.

In 7 years how many miles/hours have you put on it?

 

[jimh406]

In 7 years how many miles/hours have you put on it?

I'm not sure. I'll check next time I make to my upper shed. It would be obvious, but the hour meter etc is so small that I have to put reading glasses on which I don't wear when I'm out and about.

 

[GrizBota]

I don’t have a UTV. I use my ATV and a small trailer about 3’x4’ for the trash, firewood, small loads of gravel, building materials and exploring duties. I use my L with the grapple for the brush duty, although pallet forks will work too. I’ll use the L for gravel and building supplies in the FEL, or on rare occasions a 5’x10’ trailer, sometimes that for firewood as well. I hardly use the pick-ups at all for these things due to the tight tree spacing, steep ground and wet pastures. I suspect getting in and out of a UTV might get more convenient as I get less young. With an ATV, you can use some body English to control it. With an UTV, that’s not an option.

BTW, I’ve found that trail ridden ATVs in my area average about 10 mph lifetime average. For ATV on my property it’s probably closer to 6 or 7 mph, as I do let them idle for 5 minutes or so, but I’ll shut them off if longer than that. For the tractors, I pretty much let them idle as long as needed. Unless I’m going to BS the neighbor for a half hour or something.

Chinook Pass, is that on the east side of Mount Rainier in WA? If so, your terrain might be a sort of comparable to mine on the western foothills of the Cascades in SW Oregon.

 

[GibbyESS9]

I have a Polaris Ranger 570 Sp also mid size. Love it. Wood,brush stone you name it. I have a hilly 40 acres with a stream and it cant be stopped. They have more stock around now. I bought in 2020 when prices were crazy but I love it. Even take it to neighbors house up the hill for drinks and card games.

 

[hedgerow]

Chris the wrench. I will be the odd man out. I am probably the only farmer I know that doesn't have a side by side. You have a L3902 guessing with a loader? Make or buy you a carry all for the three point. Make it dump if you need to. I use my MX6000 for my side by side. Doesn't matter if I am picking up trash in road ditches, picking up rocks, cutting cedars out of pastures or CRP, spot spraying, fixing fence or lots of other jobs you would use a side by side for. My MX6000 with loader and carry all on three point is my go to rig. I will just keep my twenty to forty grand in the bank.

 

[Tughill Tom]

Can-am Defender, hands down the best ATV/UTV that I have owned. It checks all your boxes and then some. Loads of power and a good top end speed if you want it.

 

[Hkb82]

I use a utv for my business every day in the summers. For more or less the same things your looking at doing with it. Love my 2019 can-am defender hd10. Ive actually been pretty impressed with it skidding some huge logs when I have to use it for that. For the most part it’s property maintenance and fire wood.
I do like the Kubota utv and a bunch of friends have them at their business doing everything I use mine for. They love them however I will say they don’t stay looking nice for long. Seem to rust and age pretty quick from what I’ve seen. Not sure if it’s paint or hardware that starts the rust. could even be a thing of the past. They trade in every 3-4 years but for my business (about 1/4 their size) I can’t afford or to be honest want to do that. I also like the ability to have some fun with it something I wasn’t at first really concerned with.
I was going to buy a Polaris ranger 1000 but the local Polaris dealer was so bad I left feeling insulted. I was a cash in hand customer in need as my old utv had catastrophic issues and I needed it for my business. Easiest sale ever you’d think. I ended up driving 2hrs to can-am dealer that lots of friends use for rec Powersports. And I’ve also used for snowmobile stuff. Hour or two later I owned a defender hd10. Both the Polaris and can-am were around the same cost. Kubota was a little higher.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I don’t have a UTV. I use my ATV and a small trailer about 3’x4’ for the trash, firewood, small loads of gravel,

What size quad are you using? Yeah we are just east of mt rainier, so its probably similar to you. Just where pines and firs meet.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Make or buy you a carry all for the three point. Make it dump if you need to. I use my MX6000 for my side by side.

Ive been considering something like this:

https://www.palletforks.com/tractors/3-point/material-handling/10-cu.-ft-quick-hitch-dump-box-category-1-3-point/191506.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzoeuBhDqARIsAMdH14H-08yBK3JazkFAtyjH-CgwUC7rCJ-3HH1xse4_bmU8tWuny1NWUxUaAs6jEALw_wcB

Or a 4 wheeled trailer I could tow behind the tractor and drop when/where needed. Kinda like this:

https://www.northerntool.com/products/bannon-utility-trailer-1-600-lb-capacity-24-cu-ft-55289

 

[GrizBota]

What size quad are you using? Yeah we are just east of mt rainier, so its probably similar to you. Just where pines and firs meet.

I’ve got a Yamaha Grizzly, 700 4WD. Really similar to a Suzuki KingQuad 750, which I used in the past. I like both due to how the CVT works and isn’t slipping the belt the entire time the engine is running, like the Kawasaki, Polaris and CanAm units do. Just want to make sure there a low range and front differential lock (some of the Yamaha Kodiak units don't have diff lock).

 

[GrizBota]

Ive been considering something like this:

https://www.palletforks.com/tractors/3-point/material-handling/10-cu.-ft-quick-hitch-dump-box-category-1-3-point/191506.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzoeuBhDqARIsAMdH14H-08yBK3JazkFAtyjH-CgwUC7rCJ-3HH1xse4_bmU8tWuny1NWUxUaAs6jEALw_wcB

Or a 4 wheeled trailer I could tow behind the tractor and drop when/where needed. Kinda like this:

https://www.northerntool.com/products/bannon-utility-trailer-1-600-lb-capacity-24-cu-ft-55289

I like the concept of that box. But it’s a bit small. I think 5’ wide, 5 or 6’ long and 1.5’ deep. So it’d be like a short bed pick up box and more to scale of an L series tractor. Just have to be sure not to unload the front end. Might have to keep the box 4 or 4.5’ long.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I like the concept of that box. But it’s a bit small.

Dang, I dropped the wrong link in there. This is the model I was looking at:

https://www.palletforks.com/tractors/3-point/material-handling/30-cu.-ft-quick-hitch-hydraulic-dump-box-category-1-3-point/191509.html

Its basically 4'x4' internal.

 

[Hkb82]

Made a box for the loader to be able to dump wood and use for cleanup. It’s by no means a substitute for my utv though. Maybe due to the size of my tractor.

 

[GrizBota]

Dang, I dropped the wrong link in there. This is the model I was looking at:

https://www.palletforks.com/tractors/3-point/material-handling/30-cu.-ft-quick-hitch-hydraulic-dump-box-category-1-3-point/191509.html

Its basically 4'x4' internal.

More better.

 

[Botamon]

Another vote for a Can-am Defender.

I have two tractors that I've been using for chores around the place. Then a couple years ago I bought a Can-am Defender HD-10. That thing has turned out to be so handy that my tractors are being neglected. Amazing how many different things I could find to use that thing for. The big plus is when I want to take a ride up in the mountains...it is so much more nimble and the ride quality is much better than my Jeep. Just seems to float over rough terrain instead of pounding along. Put it in low range and lock the diff and it will climb slope at crawling speeds. And, unlike Polaris, it will provide super engine braking going down that slope.

Now I see that Can-am offers the Defender with a 6' long bed, in either a 4x4 or 4x6 configuration and I'm kind of wishing I had that long bed...

 

[Tughill Tom]

Another vote for a Can-am Defender.

I have two tractors that I've been using for chores around the place. Then a couple years ago I bought a Can-am Defender HD-10. That thing has turned out to be so handy that my tractors are being neglected. Amazing how many different things I could find to use that thing for. The big plus is when I want to take a ride up in the mountains...it is so much more nimble and the ride quality is much better than my Jeep. Just seems to float over rough terrain instead of pounding along. Put it in low range and lock the diff and it will climb slope at crawling speeds. And, unlike Polaris, it will provide super engine braking going down that slope.

Now I see that Can-am offers the Defender with a 6' long bed, in either a 4x4 or 4x6 configuration and I'm kind of wishing I had that long bed...
View attachment 121884

I pretty live in mine in the winter plowing and running around the up on The Hill. Its my 3rd Can-am the 1st being a Commander, a nice machine but just didn't fit my needs after I bought it, 2nd was a HD 10 Cab and loved it never any issues it was just getting into the high miles area for trade in value, 3rd is a HD10 Limited and i'm loving it, any complaint with the 19 was corrected just hard to find anything to bitch about in this one.
Got it in Sept and have going on 500 miles so far.

 

[Hkb82]

i think the year after mine was the first year with that 6 foot box and I have thought it would be sweet to have also. Then I find myself in a tight spot in the woods and glad I’m not any longer than I am. If it wasn’t for getting into those tight spots I’d probably go with the 6 foot next time.