Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's What gives with Polaris? Is it a POS?

I just got through hunting Axis with WTO in W TX. He has an '01 500 model as well with a few less hours on it and it just won't quit. He hunts in some very, very tough country, for sheep especially.

recently talked to a guy here in Podunk

'11 Ranger....claims 25K miles on the farm

That's a lot of fuggin miles/hrs

does his own repairs...nuthin major....

All these machines are good to a sense......

Features....warranty....pricing...

I just spent 75 miles on my '18 Teryx today..

More 4x4 low range....than Hi 2.......rocks....more fuggin rocks

Trail was up hill both ways.......go figure.......

actually down hill can be worse......Kawi has engine brake that really helps

bring your Polaris to Utah

We enjoy ATV rides, but there are not any groomed trails here in Alaska I am aware of. Our machines are mostly used for hunting and berry picking and rarely go over 15 mph. Most of the time the trails are so bad we can't do 10 mph with out jarring our teeth loose. I a run the Polaris Big Boss 6x6, a 2011 model and ran a 1996 for 13 years with little problems. I prefer it as it will haul moose and pull trailers and buck brush better then any 4 wheeler I have seen. For many years we would hunt out of a wall tent for about 3 weeks in the fall at a camp about 15 tough trail miles from the highway.

We sold the wife's 2001 Sportsman 500 a few years ago and only replaced a stater in it. In 2014 bought a Polaris Razor LE 570 for her and i think I had to replace a starter solenoid. I also think it is safer for her. Now that we have reached the age of 70 we don't venture out for as long or far as we used to with out a younger guy along, if something happened to me way back on a trail it would put my wife in a tough spot. That is why we use machines that are easily capable of carrying two riders and some gear and Otto the Mini Schnauzer.

As far as the best machine, ya got me and I personally believe none of them are as reliable as a car. The short limited warranties speaks volumes. I am surprised at how long they run considering what they are used for. I think one of the reasons we have had good luck with our machines is we take care of them and ride slow, change engine fluids regularly and grease them.

The old Honda 300 4-wheeler and the 3 wheeler's they made are the most bullet prof models I am aware of. If you go to any remote Alaskan village there will be several old Honda's zipping along with riders barely out of their diapers. They don't baby those old Honda's and many of them have been exposed to sandy ocean beaches for mos of their life.. LOL

I doubt I will ever get another ATV and my old Big Boss is handy on my property. If I was richer, I would look at one of those fancy Can Am side by sides like my buddy spent about 25 grand on.

That describes many of the 'groomed' trails here in so. Idaho. They remove the rocks and logs that nothing can get over and call it a trail. Some get pretty hairy.

Had to repair a lot of stuff on the Polaris ATV I had, but it never stranded me. Brand spanking new Kawasaki’s have stranded me twice. Won’t happen again. I love Honda’s, but Yamahas have been even better....I’ve brutalized two Big Bears, and couldn’t kill them. Suzuki’s have intrigued me, but never owned one. All my experience is 10yrs old or so, and ATVs only....so not trying to tell anyone what’s what these days. Just enjoying the conversation and pics. I’ll have to have one again before too long. I’ve ridden in and driven most of the new UTV stuff these days, not owned. but I’d always buy another Honda or Yamaha. The Kubota I was in TOD had cool features and a nice ride, but was more a tractor than a sport vehicle, and was loud AF.

Here's an interesting article about the RZR/Ranger front differential, comparing it to Can-Am's Visco-lok. I don't know what models of Polaris this refers to or if's in any of the ATVs. I do know that when my RZR's in nasty stuff, it just keep pulling. If it has 1 wheel on the ground, it's moving. I can't feel any slipping or shifting in or out. It just keeps going.

POLARIS DIFFERENTIAL

I have had three Polaris ATV's. I now have a Yamaha Kodiak. The Polaris models have a lot of mechanical issues.

"Now I have a Yamaha Kodiak" speaks volumes. Our Polaris Sportsman 400 gets minimal usage, but just getting to that battery to change it out every couple of years sure gives me pause about how the rest of it was engineered.

The Trackers are made by Textron the company that Now owns Artic Cat ....They also make Beechcraft and Cessna air craft and Bell Helicopters.....I have a 2017 Textron Stampede 900..... That has been flawless at 150 hrs and 400 miles of rough terrain.....Smooth and quiet rattle free The suspension and components are very well built.... it will run in the 60s ....It is the basically the same machine as the Tracker 1000 SXS......Mine was built in GA...I thank the current Trackers are made in Minnesota....

Can't help myself. I have to say dandy buck.

two words: satellite phone

Happy Polaris owner...Just lucky I guess.

Last year I had an oil pressure relief valve freeze up on my '12 Razor. It let the pressure build up to several times normal and the engine wouldn't even turn over. It was just a $10 part...that required dismantling the entire engine to put it in.

It went to our local shop to buy a polaris sxs, the 570, ended up with the honda 700. They sale way more polaris but like they told me, if you trade in every few years, get a polaris, if you dont, get a honda. My 03 honda rancher, can't kill the thing.

Between my father an I, all our ATVs are Honda and the newest is a dozen years old. They are indeed hard to kill. Not perfect, but tough. As I have said before, most of the oil-field guys here run the Honda 500 and 700 SxS rigs these days, and they seem happy with the reliability and longevity. Many were less than happy with Polaris for that role.

I'll add another thing, when folks start modified them for bigger tires than they can handle, portals, etc....and then install homemade snorkel systems and treat them like submarines, no wonder any have issues. The biggest complain I've heard about the polaris sxs is they are belt driven and have had issues with catching on fire more easily than others.

That's interesting. Dawson Geophysical has probably 100 Rangers in their yard right now, and have been using them for years. I will admit it's hard to go wrong with Honda though.

Polaris ATV's and UTV's are pure junk for any sort of hard use. They do ride nice. Any of the Japanese brands are better by a significant margin.

It's probably safe to say that Polaris has turned out some "winner" model and some "losers", like many other manufacturers. Some that are great designs and some that have chronic problems.