What's really the best ATV 4X4 for Alaska?

[LuJon]

I like my 700 AC but if I was strictly going to be practical on a budget then the Yamaha big bear would be the hands down winner. If I were to trade up it would be for a new PoPo 6x6. As far as the Ferry trail, I heard it burned to the ground this year and if true your rig will be 10 years old before the moose get back in there thick.

[Wet eNuf]

you ask an open ended question about wich atv it best for alaska and knock out 4 brands of machines in one swoop. ... You want to know what people think about grizzlys and can-ams thats it

It's difficult to take the title of the thread seriously. I also had great expectations to learn what ATV is truly the best, although the reasons may be certainly subjective and the Ferry area is only one location in Alaska. Aren't the narrower ATV's a bit tipsy? (Example: Yamaha side by sides) but may satisfy his refined requirements.

In my experience, one can buy things once or buy things twice, and so on until they buy what they should have bought originally. Since he's familiar with buying/selling ATV's, its time for a new one (or a repeating of the same experiences). Perhaps he just wants something that will plow snow from his driveway or look pretty on a trailer, or resale on Craig's list later.

[bklausman]

So after ripping on Honda's, Argo, and Polaris, you ask which ATV 4x4 is the best for Alaska? I've heard good things from friends in the military about John Deere's Gator.

Here are a 3 things i noticed about the new gators when i went to look at one that turned me away from them unless they redo them. The air inlet and the tranny and diff vents are all way too low and i see alot of problems with water even without deep mud. The second major concern i found was that they weigh 1630 lbs dry (JD rates "dry" as truely dry, no oil or fluids of any kind). Add fuel, oil, coolant, a winch, a tool kit, survival gear, and misc gear, and 2 riders and you can easily be over a ton. with this much weight on 4 tires i see it getting stuck alot. the third thing i noticed is it is VERY wide, their stated width is 62 inches which could cause problems on atv trails that are just not trimmed for something that wide. to me there are better machines out there for my needs. i hope these observations helped

[rimfirematt]

Sounds like you need a rokon! Also if you think about used prices up here on craigs list, they kinda of do you a favor when it comes time to resale your machine. You get top dollar up here. Me I like that. Who wants to buy a four wheeler then sell it for half price a year later? not me.

[Wet eNuf]

There is an ATV rally (open to the public) towards Petersville (a parking lot that is about 11.5 to 12 miles from the Parks Highway on the Petersville Road) this weekend with overnight camping and BBQ. They scheduled to meet at the parking lot Saturday morning at 9am and return on Sunday. Look for a group of ATV's and a few ARGO's also. If you want to see how the various machines compare against each other, then bring your favorite ATV and have some fun.

[jpost]

Honda!!!!!

[AKsoldier]

Honda reliability can't be beat. It can be matched though, and is - by Yamaha. I have almost 3500 VERY hard miles on an '08 Grizzly 700. Buy one of those and you'll get tired of riding it before anything breaks on it. Do NOT buy anything made by AC. They are garbage. Every last one of them. I've had too many rides cut short by friends' broken cats. Same goes for polaris. Suzuki and Kawasaki hold a much smaller slice of the pie than Honda and Yamaha, but I'd take either one over cats or po-pos.

[jpost]

AKSOLDIER: I was mostly being a Smart arse to the original poster. I have a Rancher 350, but use it mostly for utility around the place. I know Hondas are behind the times when it comes to ground clearance, suspension, and diff locks. I've been keeping my eyes open on Fbks Craigslist for a grizzly 700

[northway]

Just like any machine with multiple brands, you will get differing opinions. I don't think you can go wrong with Yamaha's, can-ams, polaris, suzuki, or honda's. That is in no particular order. My personal favorite will be the new polaris 6x6. My dad has a Yamaha 700 and It is a really nice machine.

[fishingyoda]

Honda reliability can't be beat. It can be matched though, and is - by Yamaha. I have almost 3500 VERY hard miles on an '08 Grizzly 700. Buy one of those and you'll get tired of riding it before anything breaks on it. Do NOT buy anything made by AC. They are garbage. Every last one of them. I've had too many rides cut short by friends' broken cats. Same goes for polaris. Suzuki and Kawasaki hold a much smaller slice of the pie than Honda and Yamaha, but I'd take either one over cats or po-pos.

I've had very similar experiences I had an arctic cat that I bought new gavee tons of problems buddy had 2 different polariases and boss had 2 also all crap. Constant problems parts wearing out and or breaking. Bought a grizzly and my only complaint is it has no parking brake.

[Shoedawg]

I would have to agree with the other posters about AC quads. We use them here at work and I have buddies who own them. They are always having problems with them on the trail, resulting in less riding time. The ones at work are used for snow plowing and search/rescue exercises and just plain riding for fun but always have some issue with them. Are Polaris 6 wheeler is the best in the quad fleet that we use at work, and its used for wild land fires and control burns. I will never own an AC just from my experiences alone with them. Others may have good results with them, but not this guy.

[littleman81]

I think you have to figure out what you plan to do with the wheeler, then figure out what you really want for features on it, how much you want to spend, etc., then go get one! I have owned Polaris and Yamaha wheelers. I have had very good experiences with both. I do think some are better than others, but really you have to decide what is right for you. Some brands may be better, but even the "most reliable" (according to some) have issues. For instance, a couple weekends ago we had to wait at the top of Monument because a group was towing a dead newer Honda up (they actually were towing with one wheeler, pushing with another). I have an older Big Bear and I have only had to do maintenance/accessory installation on. I also tend to do research on things before I buy them and an evening with Google can get you just about all the information you need to know. It is a good place to find chronic "weaknesses" with a certain brand/model. Is there a perfect Alaska ATV? Is there a perfect Alaska woman? You bet. But it is unlikely everyone will agree what that perfect specimen is. For me, I would take features/accessories as well as reliability heavily into account and actual brand as less important. I am not advocating Polaris and Yamaha or dissing Honda, just sharing my personal experience.

[redale]

Yamaha 700 efi and electric steering. Just like the first post said. They are great. I have two of the first year models one with almost 2000 and one with 1000 and no trouble with either and they are much stronger than the arctic cats of which I have ha one and never another one. Managed to break both a front axel and a back axel. Have not had any problems with he Yamaha's and they have gone the same places at about the same times of the year and in about the same conditions and loads. Just my two cents.

[Tenmm]

My experience with AC wheelers has been very good, no problems at all. Defiantly look into something with power steering, otherwise I think you won't go wrong with any of the major manufactures.

[Branr1]

The older King Quad 300's are bullet proof. Also with there gearing makes the smaller 300cc engine do some very amazing things. I have one and I've pulled my Meat Wagon completely full of fire wood. Off the gravel road I use low range and in the woods getting to the tree I use Super Low. I've upgrade the tire size on my machine to 25 inch fronts and 26 inch rears. You can find them pretty cheap on Craigslist. I believe at one point they were the most popular wheelers in Alaska.