Rancher OR Foreman???

[SGMGSG9]

This is my first post here, nice to meet you all. I'm the submariner my little brother's speaking about when it comes to Jeeps & ATV's. I appreciate all the Input you folks have contributed to this post. As you all know anytime you part with this kind of cash, you do your home work first. My philosophy has always been keep it simple, rugged, & reliable. ES (electronic shifting) is nice I'm sure, but as RECONRANGER puts it, "my foot works just fine too." If I remember right, the four wheeler I rode last time was a automatic. You shifted with your foot up & down range & it had a thumb throttle. I don't remember clutching like on my little bro's 400EX, i.e. with the left hand clutch lever. None the less I was comfortable on the borrowed four wheeler. It looks like I'm leaning towards the Honda Rancher 4X4 420cc (None ES) model after LOWCOUNTRYDAVE gets married next week end. Thanks again folks for the input keep it coming, I'm still open to suggestions.


Sincerely, SGMGSG9


P.S. What do you guys know & think about Polaris's Sportsman as compared to the Honda Rancher?

[TheNewn]

Can i ask why you're limiting yourself to the foreman and the rancher?

Really should consider other brands as well. take a good look at the Grizzly 450. A very nice machine with all the features of the big bores.

Originally posted by TheNewn
Can i ask why you're limiting yourself to the foreman and the rancher?

Really should consider other brands as well. take a good look at the Grizzly 450. A very nice machine with all the features of the big bores.

Haha you make me giggle.

[SGMGSG9]

Well, TheNewn I'm new to the ATV seine. So my base of knowledge is limited to what I've read & seen. I know about Honda's reputation for quality & parts availability. So that's why Honda's the front runner at this point. This will be my first ATV/four wheeler purchase, so I want to do it rite. I'm not the track racer type, I'm more of an explorer, trail rider guy. That's why a utility is more my style. In my mind I don't need power steering, GPS, or electronic shifting, or do I? I don't want to limit my self to only Foreman or Ranchers, that's why I'm asking the questions. This is the sixty four million dollar question: WHAT & WHO WILL GIVE ME, THE BEST QUALITY, RUGGED RELIABILITY, & SERVICE. All & any input is welcome & appreciated.

[TheNewn]

Before you plop down 5+K on a quad, you really should do your research on everything there is out there.

The grizzly 450 is a great quad. It has IRS, CVT with high and low range, reliable liquid cooled motor, and a locking front differential. No it doesn't have power steering or GPS or electronic shifting.

Brand loyalty is really a dumb thing in my opinion, a lot of honda fans claim they're quad is better because it says HONDA on the side. It will just get you less for your money in a lot of cases if you only look at one brand.

As for you buying your first quad, i'd approach it trying to find the best quad i could that i'd want to KEEP for years to come. A lot of people buy a starter quad, get bored with it after a year, and sell it to get another one. Leaving them out more money in the end.

As for service, you really should find a good DEALER who wont screw you on warranty work. A lot of people might claim that Honda warranty sucks, or yamaha warranty sucks, when its really the dealer themselves who are just being pricks.

ANYWAY, the Rancher is a great quad, but i'd look into the Grizzly. No matter what quad you buy, buy it from a dealer you like and you'd think isnt out to just get every last cent from you.

[MX#9]

I had a 1987 TRX 250 utility. I was the third owner...but i knew the other 2 owners pretty well. The guy who bought it new is a guy from work,he then sold it to my Dad....who I think rode it one time. I used it the entire time my dad had it....then my dad wanted me to sell it for him.
I told him that I can't be without it.....so i bought it from him.

I just sold it this spring and totally pi$$ed off my 3 girls. i hauled them around on it and i guess they had some kind of sentimental attachment to it. Women!!!! geez!

Anyway...i told them I wanted to update it anyway,so we went shopping for a new one.
I was just going to get a 2 wheel drive Rancher but my wife thought I should get a 4x4.
Everyone seemed to like the Foreman 500...as did i as well.

I called the main mechanic at my dealer as him and I are friends and we used to travel to the nationals and race together.

I told him I wanted to pick his brain about the ES and the power steering. He can come of a bit abrasive and he said "You can't work on it".
I told him i did not want to work on it....I want to know how it holds up.
he told me the power steering has been flawless and that he would not buy a 4X4 without it. He also asked me who would be riding it the most and what type of riding.
I told him i would ride it the most and do work around the property as well as some trail riding.
He told me just get the foot shift since i know how to ride anyway and it is easier to pick my shift points.
he said the ES tends to lurch and clunk into gear. he told me that,mechanically they have not been problematic,but it uses electronic motors to do what i can do better with my foot.
he also suggested i stay away from the Rubicon and the Rincon because the trannys on them have had some issues and they are a ba$tard to work on.

I have had the machine a little over a month....barely 100 miles and so far....no issues. i like it and the family likes it.

Will it last 21 Years like the old 250 did, without any issues? I really have my doubts....because it is more complicated.
Also because of the little things....like those little black push pin type fasteners. Those things just dont hold up to years of vibration without egging out the holes. When this happens i will likely just get some stove bolts....and keep on riding.

I geuss i am pretty brand loyal. Only because the brand has been very loyal to me....especially long term.

[Honda4lyphe]

Get the rancher. I had a 00 model for 7 years, i rode the piss out of it and all it asked from me is an oil change and a new spark plug and oil filter and a cleaned air filter here and there. There was a recall for the 00-01 models for something making the gears stick, so i took mine in and they fixed it, thats all i know though. Every since then, not one problem at all. I can HONESTLY say the rancher 350 is just as, or extremly close to reliable as the fourtrax 300. These are the true hondas. The rancher 420 es, i havnt seen much on them, just that they have bigger engines. Im not sure how reliable those are..but if its the same as the good ole 350 then im definetly considering buying it.

[steffen_ex]

my dad has a 02 rancher es 4X4 that is pushin just over 8000 miles, we do all the maintainence on our quads, and the only thing that it asked for was oil changes, brakes, spark plugs, and tires, we liked the quad so much (yes, even the es) that we bought a 06 500 foreman es, we have 2000 miles on it, we never had any problems with either of them, and i know that other brands are good, but why go different if you are happy with what you got and like how they work, i have a 400ex because of the reliability of honda and love it, but as curious as i am i bought a 660 raptor and it runs great and i love it but i wouldnt trade my 400 for it anyday!

[donwon37]

For what it's worth.I know these are only opinions,but i just bought a 2008 foreman 500 4 wheel drive electric shift in the camo.edition and i'm very happy with it.My cousin is a Honda mechanic and told me that these things are bullet proof.....I owned a 97 300 also and this is the reason i went back with Honda because we put that atv through the mill and it ran perfect when i sold it.Just my 2 cents.

[dukee66]

go with the formen 500 s dont go with that es bull **** its a pain