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Posted by: ftwflh
THe ATP is a 500 Sportsman with the bedand it is as dependable as they get.I would go for the Polaris over the Griz for hard work.And you dont need a dif lock on a Polaris because it is TRUE 4x4 .
Posted by: Specta
I would buy the Polaris. Won&39;t Park a Yamaha in my garage. I believe Yamaha makes a great ATV, very capable and very reliable, but I don't believe the company stands behind their products. 01 Raptor trans, heat kits, and new Grizz axles. If you are out of warranty you are out of luck. These are known problems by Yamaha (corrected in later production units) and in the Yamaha forums I have read of too many people repairing them out of their pocket when the ATV is out of warranty. In my own opinion, good ATV, bad company. And no, you can't change my mind.
Posted by: Specta
Allot of the friends we ride with have 01, 02, and 03 Polaris's and they all seem to be quite trouble free. 500 Magnums, 500HO, 600HO, Scrambler HO(?). Really no troubles to speak of. Only one new Yamaha, a grizz, it only has a few miles on it so no one knows yet. There will probably never be a Polaris in our garage either, but I think Polaris has done a good job addressing the "old unreliable" issue quite well. Maybe a Bomb, but I don't care for the french either.
Posted by: Specta
Both good ATV's. Never owned either one. I would get the Polaris only because I believe the manufacture stands behind them better. I also consider who gets the $.
Posted by: JohnO
I use a quad on my farm quite a bit (nothing but horse farms near me - you in Kentucky?), here's a few things I've learned.
Pulling power - pretty lame compared to a tractor. Don't expect miracles. It's more a function of traction than power - with my 500cc/650 pound quad, I run out of traction long before I run out of power, and it's nowhere near my JD 1050 in pulling power. You can increase traction with mud tires, but they tear the ground up. Not so good if it's your land that you ride on. Tractors have mud tires, but they don't go 30mph - that's when the damage happens.
A quad can move a wagon load of hay, but that's pushing it, especially if you have a belt transmission. I went with a manual transmission, because I pull trailer loads of hardwood and didn't want to worry about a belt slipping and burning out. Hasn't let me down yet. Keep in mind that quads were designed for the load of a single rider, even the big ones. They can pull a 2000 pound load of hay, but if you do it every day, they will start breaking parts.
Both the grizz and sportsman place the emphasis on sport more than utility/work. If you're serious about using a quad for farmwork, you may want to look at the workhorse quads - Arctic Cat and Bombardier. Not as fast on the top end, but better low end torque, which gives you better control of a heavy load. I use a Cat 500i with 5 speed manual, terrific machine, has yet to break anything in 600 miles/1.5 years of farm work. Like the Polaris ATP, Cat makes a 500 with a dump bed. I tried one, but I found that a fat tired utility trailer works better than a dump bed, doesn't unbalance the machine with a heavy load. I haul trailer loads of hardwood back to the house, probably 600-700 pound loads, hate to have that sort of load up high on a quad when the going gets rough.
The workhorse quads are still fun on a trail, so don't overlook them because you think they might be boring. They aren't. My Cat has IRS and 12" ground clearance, it crawls over some pretty rough terrain without even scratching the skidplate.
And get a winch - very handy to have. On the farm, I don't winch the quad as much as I chain the quad to a tree and winch all sorts of things. It makes a terrific wire stretcher if you're fencing... a neighbor used one to pull a calf one night (get it out of a cow that was having trouble calving, to you city boys), he said the precision of the winch was a lot easier on the cow than just hooking up a tractor.
Overall, the quad has been a very handy thing to have on the farm. Uses less fuel than a truck or tractor, doesn't tear the ground up as much, goes a lot more places, hauls you and your tools to where you need to be. Not much in the pulling department, compared to a truck or tractor, but there are plenty of jobs that depend on you and your tools being in the right place at the right time.
Posted by: JohnO
Same here, I've hauled some serious heavy loads on my Cat, no stability problems, and it really didn't sag that much. Unless you are sport riding only, IRS is the way to go - vastly superior ride, better GC, looks really cool to the person following you...
Posted by: vhcat400i
If you want a third choice check out the Arctic Cat 500 Automatic TBX.It can hold 300lbs on the rear rack and 100 on the front.Just wanted to give you another option.
Posted by: Yeller500HO
How quick the Yamaha mind forgets about Yamaha problems, really sad. If your going to claim that Polaris in not reliable at least put the picture into focus.
The Griz has had a lot of problems. Boiling gas, sputtering on steep hills, breaking the weak axles, customer service is a joke. If your going to get a Griz wait a see how the 04 is doing.
Polaris has had problem pre 2001. Leaky belt covers etc.... I will say Polaris has come a long way. If you want a pulling monster get a Polaris. The Polaris will out pull every machine out there, not all the time but most of the time.
I've had the bench mark utility quad for over two years, the Sportsman 500HO with over 1500 miles and have had only one problem which could have kept me off the trail. One of the lower a-arm bolt cracked and had to be replaced. The 700 had a water pump seal issue and as far as I know the 600 has not had any major stuff to go wrong over a wide group of owners.
Keep it real Yammi lovers, don't hate.
Posted by: Yeller500HO
I've loaded my Polaris down with 6 50lbs plus feed bags during hunting season. I pulled loaded down dump trailers full of gravel and never felt unstable. I've heard people say this before and it's really confussing. I wish some people would back up their statements with facts before they start talking about something they heard on the internet or from a cousin's friend who heard it from their uncle.
IRS machines are the most comfortable machines to ride and are as sure-footed as any srs axle out there on off camber stuff. SRS might be better in the corners to power slide and do donuts, but when it comes to ruff trails I know who will be in the rear bouncing around like a ragdoll.
Posted by: trailburner
Go with the Grizz! My in-laws have a polaris and they can't keep it out of the shop long enuff to actually ride it. Every year they take it to the shop just before the hunt so that it will run well durring the hunt, and every year it breaks down some time durring the opening day of the hunt. Last year it broke down not more than 100 yards from camp on opening morning. Those of us with yamahas and Kawi's had to give the the others rides so we could get to our area in time.
Posted by: blackballed
Yamaha Rhino with the Grizz engine/tranny and the (much bigger) 400# hydraulic box!
Posted by: blackballed
I agree that it "costs" more...........but do you know of anything in this world which gives you more enjoyment and flexibility than what might be presently offered...............that "doesn't"?
Posted by: Predator03
Yeah, the grizz is perfect. Well, except for the boiling gas, the tippiness on off camber, and the lack of low end power. Hey, maybe it ain't....The Sportsman is a fine machine. We have three of them and I wouldn't trade any of them for any other utility. By the way, we have raced a grizz with a 700 Sportsman, it was no contest. So if that's important to you, take it for what it's worth.
Posted by: MnFriesen
it is really hard to say...Polaris has been really dependable for us, but the ATP is a first year production...my uncle has a grizzle 600 and that has been dependable also but it has no where near been through much punishment. the only way you can find out which suits you best is to ride both of them
Posted by: suzuki4ever
one thing that you should think about is that anytime you put a heavy load on an atv with irs they can be very unstable. You may want to think about a prairie 700, or suzuki vinson, these machines have solid rear axels. I use a vinson 5 speed to launch and pull power boats at the marina I work at. The machine has made it through a whole season without any problems. Thats saying alot when you think the average 18-24' power boat weighs about 3 times more than the machine is rated to pull, and it is asked to do this all day long, day in and day out. Thats more work than most atvs are asked to do in a life time. I also own my own vinson and can say that it is a blast out on the trail, and also very, very capable off the beaten trail, what ever that entails. The solid rearend keeps the machine level even with an outragous load on the racks, and its a blast to power slide around corners. The manual transmission is also better for towing and hauling than a belt type. One other alternitive to the belt drive is hondas 3 speed automotive style automatic transmission.
Posted by: luvthemud
driven a lot of polaris and yamahas and i have to say that I think that the grizzly is nicer. the ride seems better and driving a polaris always reminded me of driving a snowmobile, when i hit the gas i want to go not wait for the belt to catch. I think that yamaha did a great job with tranny on the grizz!! plus i think that polaris's dependability has really been in question the last couple of years! Yamaha is little bad with customer service but buy from a good dealer and you should never have to deal with them! just my 2 cents.
Posted by: Iszy
"Yamaha Rhino with the Grizz engine/tranny and the (much bigger) 400# hydraulic box!"
Not to mention the MUCH bigger price tag.
Posted by: RookWV
If cost isn't an object....a Polaris Ranger or the Rhino would be your best bet....the Rhino is a first year product built on a tested Grizzly platform...I think the Ranger is built on a specific platform
Posted by: gduck
always yamaha over polaris, just for reliability
Posted by: kawazuki400
polaris
Posted by: KodiakOwner
I like what you wrote range rover. A utility quad is not the cure all for farm work. It helps out ,but most farmers have a truck, or a tractor for a reason. One other thing I would like to add is this: some manufacturers are trying to make tractors out of quads. I read one posting where someone said it would be great if these bikes had PTO drives because everytime you by an attatchment, you have to buy a 300 dollar brigs and straton engine. Well it would depend on how much you use these attatchments, but you can buy smaller sized tractors with 4wd, that have PTO already built into them. It seems more and more people just want a tractor instead of quad.
Dont get me wrong, I love to ride quads and do work with them such as pulling a trailer with firewood guys, but sometimes It goes a little overboard.
Posted by: scue2
i was looking at getting a yamaha grizzly next year but i have just seen the new atv polaris has just put out. the polaris ATP (All terrain Pickup). It has more pulling power whih is good because i am always moving hay as i live on a horse facility. You can put 4 wheel drive on at any speed and it automatically comes on when u need it. It has a small bed that can hold an impressive 400 pounds thats a lot more than any other atv rack plus its got two storage holds in the atv body. The independant suspension looks really nice too. So what do you people think should i go for the 2004 Yamaha Grizzly or the polaris ATP?
Posted by: JWtrailblazer250
I would go with polaris
Posted by: NYC
Definitley POLARIS!
They Stand Behind there Product!!
Posted by: Chelios
Whatever you do... do not ..I repeat do not get an arctic cat...if they are anything like their sleds they will be the biggest steamy curler on the trail. As far as Polaris or Yamaha, I own products of both...Polaris makes awsome sleds....their 4 wheelers look like over sized power wheels for toddlers..plus all the plastic and still 150 pounds heavier than a grizz for the 700. You probably cannot go wrong with either... good luck.
Chaps
Posted by: maxxismudder
I'd get the grizz. Good power, good trail machine and a locking dif front when needed. 50% of the riders I know with polaris have had nothing but problems and the other 50% have had not a single problem. The new polaris seem to be a lot more reliable, herd many complain that the 700 polaris seems top heavy.
Posted by: crazycountryboy38
get the grizzly 660 it is a great work utility and very reliable
Posted by: OutlawRancher
I would get the Grizzly 660 4x4 . Because it has huge racks for space , good shocks , and a differental lock is you have to pull something through the woods . Plus it is more reliable than a polaris . Thats just what I would get . Hope I helped !!
OutlawRancher
Posted by: Spanxkx
Well I am a die hard Yamaha fan, and no you cant change my mind I think Polaris has come a long way, but I would still take a Grizz over ANY Polaris. The Grizz is VERY dependable, and will get any job done that you can give it. Also, on the weekends when you want to go have fun, you have a quad. If you like the Polaris for its large carrying capacity, just get a grizz and a trailor and you will be able to do much much more than the polaris.
Posted by: DC504
Go with the Griz, just because, in my opinion, Yamaha is way better than Polaris.
-----------------------
1986 Yamaha Moto-4 225
2003 z400
Want a z250...
Posted by: kawasaskirules
yamaha
Posted by: UGLY88
Well if the original poster is still looking he must have been very confused by all this. I love Yamaha but if I am looking for a work horse there are better quads out there for work. Can the Grizz do the work? Yes. Can it do the work better than some other Quads? No. I have to agree that Polaris and Arctic Cat will be Better work horses. The Bombardier was a good work horse, but I ado not think they make that model anymore?
Posted by: UGLY88
I did not mean that they did not make Bombardiers anymore i meant the real workhorse they had, I think it was the quest 650? I do not think they make that one anymore which was geared toward pure utility. It is the one that had the solid rear axle and twin coilover shocks in back.
Posted by: tyler711
I've had my Polaris for 7 months and 1000 hard miles, and no problems to date!
Posted by: tyler711
Well said!
Posted by: tyler711
Oso, this thread is a month and a half old, we don't need it brought back up again.
Posted by: 20045SP500HO
Polaris!
Posted by: jimmypsp700
POLARIS two years ago (thread) and still today!
Posted by: jimmypsp700
POLARIS!
The polaris sportsmans and ATP offeres so much more in rack and towing capacities, not to mention storage on the ATP and 05's!
Posted by: PolarisTheOnlyWayOut
Well in my mind their is absolutely positivily no comparison here...i mean a grizzly is an awsome machine but you guys are all comparing apples to oranges...he needs a work horse...the atp has so much more to offer when comes to work..storage...bed...higher towing capacity...i mean i love polaris and i like yamaha...but you won't be able to do as much with a grizzly as u can an ATP...You people are just telling him to go with the grizz bc u like it better...pay more attention to why he is buyin a 4-wheeler than tryin to create more yamaha fans...If he wanted a trail machine i would say dump tha atp and get the grzz but that is not wat he wants...my 2 cents
Posted by: DuneRider650
for utility quads i say go with the Yamaha also
Posted by: silverbullet2005
I love my Polaris and would recommend the Polaris brand to anyone looking for "the way out"
Posted by: SPORTSMAN70003
POLARIS
We have friend that has a grizzly way to tipsy been rolled 2 or 3 times and the last time finally killed it. Is sits over at his barn tore to pieces.
Posted by: MNWolverine01
I can't believe I read that whole thread, then realized it was 2 years old. Anyway you can't beat a Yamaha.
Posted by: Sean99TJ
Quote
Originally posted by: bulkdriverlp
niether, honda rincon, fluid filled tranny not big snomobile belt. traxter has gear to gear tranny also. polaris=pos
I don't understand your comment, if cvt is so bad how come the automotive world is shifting more vehicles to it every year? And I will tell you that I can replace a lot of belts and clutches for what one gear tranny costs if oil starvation occurs.
Additionally, I don't give a crap who's quad you buy...if you don't do your own maintenance and checks before and after every ride...you get what you deserve...(exercise walking). Develope a before and after ride check list and do them religiously, if you accept something a little wrong...don't B#$5h when it breaks. Keep up on repairs, lube schedules, filters etc.
If you are buying your first quad....ride them all. Narrow your choice down to 2 or three models/sizes. Then ask for the pro's and con's of each seperately. The way you worded yours will get you mostly answers from the bashers who really don't ever say anything good except about the pos they ride.
Posted by: BryceGTX
I have 2500 miles on each of my sled belts and still going strong. These sleds engines are 135 hp triples which is considerably more powerful than the belt driven quads. My quads are also cvt belts and I use one for plowing snow. I have not seen a problem with either quad. Like Sean99tj says, I can replace the clutch in a few minutes by replacing the belt. I have to rip an engine down to replace a wet clutch.
BryceGTX
Posted by: Gopher500
heh, i just realized it was 2 yrs old too...
as for yamaha vs polaris, ive owned both. i had an 02 kodiak, put 5200 miles on it, and even when it broke, i still loved that thing. it just didnt stop. whenever there was a new area, they always had me go first, and 95% of the time i went more places than the sportsmans in our group. well i wanted some more power with SRA, and i hated/hate the prarie... so i got a scrambler. honestly i wish i got the grizz. thnx to the polaris 4wd system, i might have just blown another CV joint. was spinning the rear end out, and the front left hub engaged (ive heard of this happening with a lot of people.). well since the rear was spinning out at high speeds, it jammed the front hub in hard. so now when i put it in 4wd, it makes some...unhealthy noises, yet 4wd still works. idk whats wrong with it, but ill look at it this afternoon after work and school.
the performance side of the scrambler is a blast. ill admit that, its fast as hell, goes anywhere, and just plain fun to ride...But, im not a fan of the chain drive, and next time im thinkin ill deal with IRS and get a grizz or kodiak. also with my scrambler, ive chewed up 2 belts already in pushing 2k miles by now, maybe higher (no speedo on scrammy . my kodiak went 5200 miles and was on original belt. the brakes on the polaris arent the best either... on all the sportsmans in our group, the rears wear out exceptionally quick...
out of my experiences with both, i say go with the yamaha
Posted by: 700polaris
ok guys i am not a basher we own both we have a 05 grizz and a 04 sportsman 700 we would use them around the house my sport greatly outpulls the grizz but her grizz has a sh!tload of power when we get out and drag race with the brothers prairie700 my polaris i have loaded 300 pounds of deercorn on the front and 300 on the back and drove trail for about 3 miles to the deer pasture and never had a problem her grizz would never handle it squats too bad i think they are both equals u need to ride both and get the one that feels comfortable too you
on another note to the person talking about honda better the rincon is a joke when it comes to power my dad has one and he can not even keep up with me or the grizz we drag race and my cousin's 500ho sport outruns him the only good honda is the rubicon cause that is the best pulling honda that they ever built
on another note the prarie 700 is a very nice machine also it is a hella of a machine just a little info
Posted by: sdbowhunter
I used to listen to people saying that polaris had alot of problems, finally I test drove one and bought it. Out of 5 four wheelers I have owned, I like the Polaris the best by far. Haven't had a problem in 700 miles. If you go test drive a Polaris, you will probably take it home.
Posted by: blamedrew01
i have a 04 atp and we love it. any kind of work around the yard, plowing, and hauling. it is a utility quad. we also haven't had any problems with at all and i've beat the crap out of it.
Posted by: blamedrew01
turf mode on the atp is nice. it takes it easy on the grass
Posted by: Oso
Quote
Originally posted by: MnFriesen
it is really hard to say...Polaris has been really dependable for us, but the ATP is a first year production...my uncle has a grizzle 600 and that has been dependable also but it has no where near been through much punishment. the only way you can find out which suits you best is to ride both of them
first year in an ATP, but not for the 500 engine running it
plus...buying a QUAD from a company that makes PIANOS?
Posted by: bulkdriverlp
niether, honda rincon, fluid filled tranny not big snomobile belt. traxter has gear to gear tranny also. polaris=pos
Posted by: BigShep
I have a polaris 500 H.O. I have two friends that i ride with almost every weekend and they both have grizzlys with large 589 tires. I have seen them get stuck tring to follow me threw the same mud deep water everything with 4x4 engaged and then i go threw the same hole and not get stuck. The polaris is like driving a fancy car its a real smooth ride and a very quick machine for its size it can keep up with a grizz and sometimes even out run one. I have seen them have belt problems with there grizzlys but who doesnt with a belt drivin atv. Grizzlys flip really easy and are a little top heavy and I have seen and heard of alot of carb problems with yamaha. I have drivin both and I use to hate polaris and i said i would never own one but you can let anyone climb on a 500 H.O. and they fall in love with the speed,ride, and the 4x4 shift on the fly which means anytime you want 4x4 you just flip a switch and its in at any speed, but i have seen first hand what a grizz can and cant do. Im not just sayin this cause i have a polaris but polaris is getting better every year, and all i can say about mine is the same other people say when they see it out work a grizz is wow!
Posted by: BigShep
hey they still make bombardier even the john deere buck is a bombardier with a bran new 4x4 system thats better than suzuki or honda.
Posted by: JJonJon
This forum is so old, but anyway after months of talking to my friend in college about which quad is better mudding, my 04' Sportsman 700 and his '05 Grizz 660 we finally went through all the tough deep nasty mud spots where we ride in Mobile, AL.. I killed him in top speed and in the mud, AWD is way better than Limited Slip + Diff Lock.. my friend got stuck 2 - 3 times because the diff lock takes too long to activate, and all that weight Polaris has helps weigh all 4 wheels to the ground for ultimate traction. Well we also switched quads for half of the day too and the Grizz is a very nice machine, but in the mud, its second place compared to the SP 700+
Posted by: JJonJon
I havnt driven the ATP, but if its a newer Polaris im sure you'll be trouble free
