Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Utility Vehicle...

Since I seem to find all sorts of information on this site, and since pretty much everyone is a land owner, I thought I might as well ask about this... I'm about to purchase a new toy -- a side-by-side utility vehicle. I'm torn between the Polaris Ranger and the Kawasaki Trans-Mule (has a second row seat). And of course, you can't go wrong with a John Deere Gator. Any comments, reviews, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I'm really pumped -- should make work around the lake a whole lot easier...

F Dan...
this has been on "maybe someday" dream list. Ebay will getcha nutz! I have a pal that is in pretty deep with the motorcycle industry, so I asked him for a run-down. The side-by-sides are a hot industry segment. You will see alot of growth in the accessory and after-market supply in the coming months/years, so don't be too scared if an option or accessory is not readily available for the product you are considering. He did not have a recommendation but said that manufacturers are still going thru growth pains, working out the bugs. I essence, he said that waiting the 2 or 3 years that I will likely have to will be a good thing for me.

Fishman,

Can't help you with your question directly (my utility vehicle is a tractor) but this site may offer up some advice.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/atv

Fishman Dan - you can't go wrong with this one.
Kawasawki Mule 610 side by side - 4-wheel drive

George Glazener
N.E. Texas 2acre and 1/4 acre ponds

Nice toy, George! You might consider working in the red theme a little more.
(v nice!)

Fisherman Dan, I have a 3010 Mule as well as a new trans mule. Went quail hunting last week and another guy brought his Polaris Ranger. Only difference is The ranger is a lot faster. Nobody needs to go any faster than a mule(apprx 24mph) if he has any brains at all. I have never had any problems with the Kawasaki mule and have owned 4 of them since 1998. Just my opinion. Cody

I have a Club Car electric golf cart that has been heavily modified. A local cart dealer who sells a lot of vehicles to hunters buys used Club Cars then modifies them with Polaris 4 wd drive "innards", lift kit, tires. Comfort and functionality!

I like the quietness for hunting. The 4 WD has allowed me to go anywhere I want on my property.

See pics at http://www.frankpinkston.com/haddock/sept4index.htm

Frank

Very nice Frank! That's what I've been hoping for someday.

We use Polaris Ranger 6x6's for all of our pond work.

Pros:
- stability (side to side and front to rear)
- traction (the thing is a tank...it'll go anywhere)
- load carrying capacity (2000lbs in the bed and 2000 towing)
- 41 mph max speed
- the reliability of the polaris products

Cons:
- it'll tear up some turf in a hurry if you're not careful about your turns (all 4 wheels in the back are locked full time)

It's a great machine and highly recommended. Most of the time, our 6x6's carry a 800lb skid sprayer with 50 gallons of herbicide mix.

If you have any more questions about them , let me know. I can e-mail you pics of our "Pond Tanks"!

Fish Man, I have a Kawasaki 3010 Mule and I could not be happier. I have owned mine for about 2 years and have had no problems other than normal maintenance. I would recommend the four wheel drive, these things will go anywhere. Polaris makes a great product also but I do not want a vehicle of this type going 40-45 MPH out on the farm. The Mule's top speed is 25 MPH. Our farm is in an area that is thick with mesquite trees. I bought some heavy duty kevlar tires and put that "green stuff" in the tires and I have not had one flat tire. You may want to look at essexmfg.com this company sells accessories for mules and is located in Southlake, TX. I think you are smart for looking at the Trans Mule, that will be my next purchase.

Fish Man,

In our Fire Department we use a Polaris 6x6. We just two days ago extracted a logger who a tree hit him in the back. Honda 400 and a Kawi Mule could not make it up the hill.

The 6x6 crused up a 45 deg. slope pulling a trailer with a stokes basket and the patient. I'm sold on this equipment.

Trent is right about it tearing up turf though. It does burn through tires too if you are on the pavement much like ours is during fairs and town events.

Cary,
Very interesting and informative field test. I realize that this occurred under duress and more vehicle specifics are likely not available, but I'm gonna ask anway. I presume that the Honda unit is approx 400 cc engine? Any idea on the engine size of the Mule and also your Ranger (Ranger = 660?) Was the hill-climbing issue power, traction, or combo?

Brettski,

The Polaris is a 40hp 700cc, Eletronic Fule Injection model. The Mule I do not know what size it was. It was the logger's Mule.

The Mule and the Honda 400 both had problems with not enough motor (HP) and traction. The Honda would not keep the front end down.

The advantage of the Honda over any other is going back down a steep slope. All of the other types require a great deal of labor. The Honda you can put it in 1st gear and just about take your hands off the handle bars.

The polaris 6x6 is all about the traction and gearing.

Here are some pics of one of ours (mainly pics of the sprayer in the bed).

My two cents in this discussion, I bought a Kawasaki Mule 610 4wd a year ago and I am very pleased with it.

My wife loves to run around the place in it and it almost makes picking up branches to go to the burn pile kind of fun instead of drudgery. I looked at the gator and rhino, but liked the mule.

And the upshot of it is that my wife had been hounding me for years to buy her a horse (which I have had several in a previous life), so instead I got her a mule, and She's happy and I'm happy.

So that's my two cents.

FWIW & IMHO the Kawasaki 610 4wd Mule is ideal for the small pondmeister -
filling fish feeders – hauling stuff and fun for my Lady and I getting around from pond to pond.

Now if you need for emergencies and hauling commercial equipment, then it’s a different story.

Like Tom, I’ve had mine for a year and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

George Glazener

Hauling them back and forth can be a pain. However, they are vulnerable to thieves if hidden on the land. Eastland had 2 stolen from his property.

I've left mine covered and hidden for years. Last week, I went and got them and a lot of other stuff and hauled them back to the metroplex. Too many big range fires. However, last night some butthead stole my custom built 4 wheeler trailer. My brother and I built it, on nights and weekends, over the course of a month. No way I can replace it.

How maneuverable are the 6x6s? After busting the rack brace on my Yamaha Wolverine hauling too much, I'm starting to think that a mule type vehicle may be more practical for me. I hate to give up the ease in riding trails and maneuvering between trees.

I feel your pain Dave. I experienced a break in recently.
It would probably be best if I never catch someone stealing from me. He would pay the price for all the other butholes that have stolen in the past!

I use a small wheeled trailer that I pull behind my 400 cc Yamaha for working. It has 14 inch wheels with good ground clearance. Bought it used for $50.00. For just hauling tackle boxes, tools, etc., I use the fiberglass soft drink boxes. They come in a couple of sizes and I use tie wraps to keep them on.

Ric, I feel violated as I'm sure you do. I built this one myself and did it right. No wood anywhere. I just don't think I have it in me to build another one. I'll buy one. However, I'll never feel the pride that I did have.

I am about 80% satisfied with my mule.

Onl problem is it starts hard and dies easy. It takes forever to warm up enough so that you don't have to choke it just to keep it running.

I bought it new and after 5 - 6 months took it back in. They rebuilt carb., etc. and it didn't help.

I'd lost like for it to shift more easily. You have to really idle it to shift without grinding. Just doesn't seem smooth enough shifting for an item that is that $$$.

Rangersedge,

The 6x6's are very maneuverable. The turning radius on the 6x6 is a about 42" larger (186" versus 148"), but I have not noticed problems getting around in the woods.

It's a trade off...larger turning radius, but much more stability and traction.

Remember, though, all 4 wheels are turning at the same rate (always locked), so you can burn through some tires and tear up some turf quick if you're making a bunch of turns.

Of course, you might take everything I say about the 6x6 with a grain of salt...I'm really sold on the machine. We started out using ATV's in our business but they were too undersized and unstable around ponds. Then we used Kawasaki Mules for awhile, but they did not have the power to pull the airboat out of the lakes. So we landed on the 6x6 and haven't looked back. It performs well on steep slopes (front to back AND side to side). It's geared to pull HEAVY loads. It has been in some really muddy, nasty places and never (knock on wood) gotten stuck.

Is a 6x6 the right machine for everyone? Probably not. Is it the right machine for us? Absolutely.

I bought the transmule in October and have been very impressed with its ability to pull heavy loads up a steep grade in low gear. I use it to launch a bass tracker in and out of my pond and it can pull the boat out of the water and up a steep grade without too much of a problem. However, it is hard to start and shift gears. But when I bought mine it was the only one with two rows of seats and with three kids and my wife it was the only one we could all sit in. The dealer told me that it has a governor on it that keeps it from going over 25mph. He also said it could be removed if I ever wanted to go faster but so far 25mph seems to be fast enough. It gets the job done but it seems like the engine could be made to start and run better.

James & Bing, My mule was also very hard to start and keep running smoothly, especially when it was cold. A guy at the dealership told me when starting the mule, be sure you hold the choke out with your left hand and hold it out until the mule starts. Once it starts let go of the choke, do not push the choke back in, just let it go back in and adjust on it's own. This really helped me get it started quickly, once it is warm there is no need to choke. The other thing he suggested was that I adjust the idle screw slightly so it would idle a little bit faster, I found instructions for this in the owners manual. Hope this helps!

Don't know if it would help but I've ridden dirt bikes and motorcycles since I was a kid. Every machine I ever had that was cold blooded, that is hard to start and always needed choke for a while after starting, was totally fixed by installing a set of special spark plugs. They are plugs that have a groove in the curved negative spark plug electrode rather than just being flat metal. The last ones I bought were made by Nippon Denso and sold under the name of "Hot U" I think. The theory is that the groove in the electrode creates a larger volume of space for the fuel air mixture, when it comes to starting a cold engine the volume of fuel/air engulfed by the spark is the main factor in whether it fires well. If you can find them try them, they really helped. I had bikes that never had to have the choke left on again after using these plugs. They didn't last quite as long but so what.