IMO, I believe you get more power to the ground with a shaft drive compared to a belt drive but honestly, I don't think it's really that much of an issue. Only thing I worry about on belt drives is the belt getting wet as I travel through a good number of creeks and rivers up here.
If you don't do a lot of mud riding the RancherAT should be perfect for what you do, it's a comfy riding machine and has real snap when you hit the throttle. Fuel injection is the only way to go too, carbs can get finicky at times, especially in cold weather. Mine has carb heat on it so I don't too much of a problem but I much prefer the EFI.
