Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Yamaha Rhino BEST????

I posted this on a reply but wanted to make it a new subject, sorry
I am considering a Yamaha side by side 4X4 ATV. I am 68 years old with one bad knee and the other has been replaced. I probabaly won't be climbing any steep hills that the machine could raise up the front wheels, but I want something capable of crawling down some canyons to retrieve game, and climb over logs.

My Quadrunner is too uncomfortable since my knee replacement.
Are the side by side models too wide or too long for off road use compared to conventional atv's?
Also the Yamaha has some kind of push button drive lock advertised. Is this unreliable as some Chevy Z71 dash mounted 4wd systems were. Or is it a positive manual slide lock?
I am asking all these questions because I can't leave the house right now as the wife is very ill, thus haven't even seen one.

What about carbuerator or efi. I know EFI would be better. I live in Zavalla,TX. Near Lake Sam Rayburn. I would be hunting in Colorado between 8,000 and 10,000 FT.
In y'alls opinion is Yamaha the best machine to purchase.
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Red Leader

I can answer one question you bring up, the Rhino is built on the Grizzly frame and chassis. This makes this machine the same wheelbase as a four wheeler and it can fit in the back of a pickup. Yamahas are very dependable machines and the Rhino and the Ranger are IMHO the two best side by sides available. The Rhino is faster and more manueverable than the Ranger but cannot haul nearly as much weight. The Ranger can haul more weight and is nearly as fast as the Rhino.

Work or play I guess is the big question. I have a Polaris Ranger XP that I bought for my Dad (and me) to use on his land. Rugged workhorse. A bit more Ox-like, but plenty maneuverable and ride is awesome. Iadded bed side extenders and stacked a LOT of firewod in it without issue. True workhorse with a bit of play in it. Easy in and out. I think the loks of the Rhino may have you sitting in rather than sitting on the seat. Try climbing in to see if it's comfortable.

You have to remember there's a lot of marketing going on, but Polaris has some videos in their Ranger roundup on their web site. They also have a new sport unit.

The Rhino and the Grizzly ARE NOT BUILT ON THE SAME FRAME AND CHASSIS. The chassis resembles the Grizzly but is longer, and wider. That being said, there are many similarities like using the same engine, transmission, front and rear differential and locking 4WD.

I bought the Rhino 660 last year and love mine. We use ours for hunting, fishing, and general riding around / exploring. After trying both the ranger and the rhino, it was the comfort of the bucket seats in the rhino vs. the bench seat in the ranger that sold me on it.

I haven�t had any problems with my 4WD, and I use it a lot on tundra, beach, swamp, and steep inclines/declines on rocky terrain. The Ultramatic transmission has also been great and has super smooth shifting. I�ve also done a bunch of creek/river crossings with no slipping.

One thing I can say is for what I do the stock tires aren�t going to cut it. Great on hard surfaces, but when I get in the muck, they suck. The stock tires on the Ranger (rawhides I think) look way better. I�m going to change my tires out this year. You should also factor in the cost of a good winch.

If you�re looking for a dedicated hunting rig, I�d take a serious look at the ranger. Lots of power and size, and huge carrying capacity. When I was hunting last fall there were times I wished I had the Ranger 6x6. The Rhino was very capable and got the job done, but there may have been a better tool for the job.

Try as many as you can before you buy and find out what�s right for you. The quality of the polaris and the yamaha seem to be comparable.

We use a Ranger XP as well. Less sporty then the Rhino, but just as capable, if not more. It will go anywhere a regular ATV will if you don't mind a few scratches.

Family goes to Colorado every year for 4-wheeling in the mountains. Gpa came this year with a Rhino, and by all means it went everywhere the 4 wheelers went. We are talking rough terrain also. Couple of times the roll bars got in the way when driving at an angle, but the thing was very impressive. We went on 30 to 80 miles of trails a day.

These are not flat road trails either. Big rocks, steep slopes, etc. The Rhino is my next purchase. Love my Bombardier, but with a growing family it is the way to go. Jeep seat fits directly in the back of the bed.