Originally Posted by UncleHuck
Originally Posted by Semo
I had and sold a kubota RTV900 because my buddy bought the honda and keeps it at my place (can't beat that deal). Really miss it for doing real work, but the smaller Honda is affordable and has not had any performance issues, but it is a pain in the rear to keep clean. It flings mud everywhere and on the passengers and under the jump seats. The rubber mat helps keep non-liquids from coming through the bed, but it still sucks. He plans to sell it and get something else cause it is a pain. But mechanically it is pretty awesome and great to drive.

My experience with the new gators is that 2 guys that I know well that have had them sold them and bought Rangers. The way the floorboards are in the gators causes dust to rise up in the cab and cover everything. I had to totally take down my turkey gun to clean it after a day in it. They are also loud going downhill (kind of a hiss).

My uncle has had 2 mules and likes them. They are good on the farm, but I think that they handle about like a kubota and don't have all the benefits.

I have never seen a CanAM. Only city folk buy those in my part of the country. But I don't know anybody with a Toyota truck either, so take that for what its worth.

Everybody and their brother has a Ranger, so that info is out there. and as far as water goes that is what my waterfowl buddies all have and you just ride out to the pits in waders cause the water is up to the seat. Some have snorkels. It is amazing what those machines can do if you use low range when you are supposed to.

If I had the $$ I would go with the Viking. It rides great, takes serious abuse, and is a yamaha. My 95 kodiak still runs about the same as 25 years ago with only a couple carb jobs.

Though my old kubota could gravel roads, dump logs, and once had 4 bucks and a doe with three guys all over 220# and was still crawling up some steep hills for our 9 mile drive to the cabin. which surprisingly didn't take much longer than if it would have been empty. Those old ones were slow, slow, slow.


It isn't the floorboard in the Gator, it's whether or not it has a back window. Rangers without back windows are the same way in dusty conditions. After this trip, I will be adding one. There was also a Polaris Ranger at camp last week, and I have spent significant time driving multiple Rangers. I would rather have the Gator. I got over 13 MPG on this last trip.

On top of everything else, the Gator comes standard with 14" wheels and 27" tires, which are a pricey option on the Ranger.


These both had back windows that were glass and roofs. So, whatever it was it filled the cab full of dust. Friend made a box for the back to keep stuff in when riding around while he had it but eventually sold it.

Like I said, I would buy the viking. But the John Deere guys switched to Rangers.