New to ATV's.... overwhelmed! help!

So, I made the mistake of riding a friend's 4 wheeler with him one day while scouting our property. We hauled corn and put out a few cameras. I fell in love with the whole 4 wheeler concept. (I drive a powerwagon and don't like getting it all scratched up, driving around the camp, so I had been using an '85 4x4 jimmy to do my hunting.) Anway, I was so hooked, and not having any disposable cash, I traded the Jimmy for a 2001 Honda foreman. Now, I realize that I made a bad deal... this thing was screwed up after I got it home...It had been covered in mud (I know now that I DON"T want one that's been snorkeled!) I realize that I didn't know what I was doing. The guy sold the jimmy immediately and now I am still hooked on having a 4 wheeler.

So, I don't want to spend more than about 3,250$.... I will primarily use it for running to the hunting camp (12 mi round trip and putting out cameras and feeders).... I think the Honda recon's are a little small... I was leaning toward at least a 400 series with 4wd.... So, the real question is brand and mileage and years?

What say you, more experienced atv hunter guys? Is it better to get an 09 that looks immaculate and was garage kept, no rust, and little mileage or one that is a 15 with high mileage? Polaris seem to be cheaper... ? What should I be looking for and asking in my search (primarily Facebook Marketplace)? Any help or advice is appreciated.

Buy a Honda.

Buy a modern Honda.

I've always had Suzuki atvs. About a year ago I bought a Honda because they're always on sale. I wish I had paid more and bought another Suzuki.

I would save some money or finance and buy a new one.

Honda 420 rancher new always on sale I'd go with foot shift model instead of the es model

Take it from someone who uses a 4 wheeler as a tool on the rice farm. These things get used and abused everyday. They go thru things that 4 wheelers aren’t supposed to go thru. Especially when I put the tractor cleated tires and ride thru the dice fields getting the water out. We have tried them all and always went back to Honda. We own 7 hondas right now ranging from a 96 300 to a ‘14 420. The 2 300s that are at the camp had to have the frames changed because the grass roads over the years wore the frame out. I have a rancher 350 that I’m fixing to do a frame swap on. The engines and transmissions still work like the day we bought them. Honda is the only 4 wheelers that will hold up for us. Hell my everyday farm bike now is a 2003 foreman 450. The 2014 is my hunting and home work bike now. There will never be anything but Honda for my money.

Buy yourself a Honda.

Stay away from Polaris.

Am I understanding that you'll be riding a 4 wheeler on a public road for 12 miles each trip?

Times two staying away from Polaris

What’s wrong with the foreman you have now? They are great atvs! I’d just fix it and roll on!

Never buy a 4wheeler with a snorkel or any kind of tires other than stock.
Never buy a truck with a lift kit.
Never buy anything from anyone under 40 years old.

Sage advice Outback...

And never buy one that came from a SW Louisiana rice farm.

Some good advice right here.

of course the jew knows about something being on sale wait until AUStan sees this I do agree though base model foot shift 4x4 Honda rancher most dependable 4 wheeler around once you start getting electric shift and power steering thats just more money upfront for a repair later on.

From what people say it’s hard to go wrong with a Honda. I’m partial to Yamaha myself.

Marshmud, how much dang riding you have to do to wear out the frames?

OP - Is it so bad you’re giving it away?

Honda. Nuff said

Honda

Another vote for a foot-shift Honda.

I go around every field everyday from early March till July and ride every field levee every other day. And do all that again while growing the second rice crop. I would have the bottom part of the frame gone in about 3yrs. Frame completely gone in about 6yrs. It’s not as bad now that we are only planting 1/3 of what we were planting a couple years ago. I was tending to 1500ac if rice then. Only 600ac now.

yall ever looked into installing solid aluminum skid plates they sell whole pans that protect the entire underside seems like it would be cheaper/easier to replace the plate every so often instead of swapping frames

The newer Honda’s come with a heavy plastic skid plate under them. That’s the first thing I removed because lots of mud,sticks and grass gets held up in there and there is no way to wash it out. It rusts out all the metal parts against the skid plate. Once you remove the skid plate and the mud and debris can fall thru. I have cut out worn fram and welded on solid cold roll on an old bike. You ain’t waring that out.

so its the rust that gets them not actually being scuffed up worn out just rusting out I could see that driving around in a rice patty

No Sir. When we bought the 420s, they came with the skid plate. From talking to other farmers that had them prior to us, they told us about the rusting issues. That’s why we remove the skid plate. The older models have exposed frames under the engine which is where we wear them out from the constant travel around and thru the fields.

Sounds like y'all need to cut some grass every once in a while. 😃

Don’t be coming up in here making sense.
Most of the fields I just have enough room to pass with the 4 wheeler. I do try to keep it sprayed but I found out gly causes cancer so now I’m screwed.

Of course lol

Why not mount some strips of HDPE board. Wouldn’t hold mud and would protect the frame.

Gots to watch out for that gly

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I appreciate it.

Honda an i dont even think there is a decently close second anymore..manual foot shift an ride it till the wheels fall off..which will be awhile..also im 25 an i take good care of my stuff cause i cant afford to get anothern if i break what i got😁

Foot shift Honda



You were 8-9 yrs old when I joined this site. Lol

I was 9😁

I am still using one that is Older than you are
1986 Honda Big Red 250
It only has 3 wheels though

Heyyy😀We had a couple 3 wheelers pass through when i was a little feller...i still remember some of my family huntin withem before they got 4 wheelers. They was easy to flip if you got a little foolish onem😁