4x4 ATV Logging

[GeneralStark]

I am shopping for a used 4x4 to use to do thinning in our sugarbush. I will be using it in conjunction with a small logging arch so I need something that has good traction and some power. I know basically nothing about atvs so I am looking for some advice on what to look for and what to avoid. I'm thinking of trying to find something in the 500cc or greater range. It looks like the Polaris Sportsman is one model that can be found pretty reasonably priced used as can the Honda Rancher.

I'm not at all concerned about speed, but rather power and traction and will like only use it on our property for logging, plowing, and other odd jobs. I am a skilled mechanic, but am really not familiar with what types of issues atvs typically have when they get older. Any advice would be appreciated from all you seasoned atv users.

[eagle lake sugar]

You can't go wrong with the Polaris. I have a 500 X2 and have beat the crap out of it. It just keeps on going. I have a logging arch and am amazed sometimes what it will pull. I have a Honda 300 as well, but the Polaris has required zero maintenance in five years.

[J. hutchins]

I have the polaris sportsman 800 ho and have a lot of over heating issues when pulling heavy loads. After looking into it a bit it seems like a common issue. Make sure it is a machine with torque not power.

[Super Sapper]

If you are using it for work I would highly recommend Honda. They are made to be a workhorse. They do not have as nice of a ride as Polaris but have a lot less maintenance issues. I am on my second one since 1989 and so far have only had to change the engine control module on the Rubicon I have now and my dad had the starter go out of his 1986 but no issues with his Rubicon now. My brother and nephews have Polaris and have spent a few grand in repairs over a lot less years.

[BreezyHill]

We only use Arctic caton our farm. Neigbors have had Honda and Polaris and they don't last doing the work we do on the farm. We haul 1/4 cord of 4' fire wood, 40 gal. of water in the TBX box on a 650 H1. The speed rack system is awesome if you will be carrying a chainsaw, rifle, hand tools, etc. There are several different carriers available. I made a mainline spinner and tubing spinners that will attach to the hitch and speed rack.

Mine is automatic on the 650 and the 500 is a 5 speed, both 4x4. Tracks are very good options if working in wet or snow conditions. The options that AC offer and the parts availability online and after market are great. AC after market sales offer a hydraulic pack that will operate your log arch if it has the hydraulic options otherwise you can use a winch in the TBX bed. The bed has tie down rails and work great.

My H1 is a 2007 and is used every day 2x most days. Some days for all day. 4x4 with lockable front differential. Built in front winch harness for a rear winch. Near bought this option.

Used several others doing snow trail maintance and everybody wants to drive my unit. The only thing I have seen that will compare is a side by side; but they are wider and don't have the options of my unit.

Over the last 15 years I have operate over a dozen different units...nothing runs and lasts like a cared for cat.

Ben

[n8hutch]

I may be able to shed some light on your question. 6 years ago I was certified to repair, Honda, Polaris, Can Am, Suzuki, and Arctic Cat. I went through each manufacturer's factory training program. They all have there benefits. Without a doubt Polaris and Arctic Cat have the best Rack systems & Load ratings. That being said they also have more maintenance issues than A Honda or Suzuki. If your really going to work it hard work I would recommend buying something with a manual or Fluid Drive Transmission. Belt Drives have gotten more reliable over the years but they still require more maintenance as A rule then a manual Transmission. In our family we have a Suzuki 700 king quad, Honda Rubicon , and a Can Am 400 Outlander & they have all been great machines. We Do have A logging Arch we use with The Honda. Can Am probably has the best differential. Hope this helps.Good luck.

[wiam]

I have had a Honda Rancher 420 for 6 years. It has been used hard and other than oil I have changed one front wheel bearing.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Well about 18 months ago (and I swear I'm not making this up) our son centered a 16" Red Pine with a Polaris Sportsman. He got airlifted to Burlington with a skull fracture but is now OK, the Polaris is back in service after about $3K in parts and the Red Pine is skinned a little but still there. So I would not recommend a Sportsman for logging -- a Husky or Stihl is much more effective.... :)
Seriously though we are very thankful for how it turned out and the Polaris is a tough machine -- you could look a lot further and still not be that much farther ahead.

[dblact38]

I have a 2002 Suzuki Eiger 400 4x4 What a work horse I pull logs, pull firewood uphill with a bush buggy, snow plow, brush hog foodplots and a lot more with no compliants just regular oil changes oh ya plus I pull about 20-30 gallons of sap out of the woods and carry about #100 of lime on the racks to the food plots iam very happy with it. Goodluck I hope this helps alittle

[DucFight]

If I were looking for something to use mainly for pulling I feel you can't go wrong with a manual transmission solid rear axle atv. No belts to slip/ burn up and no cv shafts to break in the rear end. Honda foreman 500 or Rancher. I had a Honda Rubicon with the Hondamatic, over 4,000 miles many of which were pulling wood without a log arch = dragging butt ends and catching rocks that stop you dead and the only thing I ever put into it was front wheel bearings. I have heard others with problems with these transmissions. Have also used a manual transmission Suzuki Vinson. Like the fact that it has a low range as opposed to the Honda manual shift. Yamaha Big Bear is also available in manual shift. I have a Can Am 800 as well but when it comes to WORKING, I always go for the manual tranny. Just my $.02

[Radnagel]

I would say that my yamaha 550 efi grizzly does the job extremely well I pull out 6 to 8ft ash elm and red elm logs out that average about 18inches round with nothing but a strap wrapped around them. And this Atv doesn't seem to be even bothered by it. The other day I pulled out a 24 inch round that was 6.5ft long and not a single problem. This machine is used year round plows snow, hauls water to the garden, hauls sap back to the sugar house. Goes ice fishing and hunting best money I ever spent. Oh yeah and the power steer is sweet as hell.

[adk1]

I have a 2001 honda 450 foreman. It's a hell of a workhorse, awesome low range and engine breaking.

[unc23win]

I have a 1994 Honda 2x4 and a 2010 Honda Rancher 4x4 both are manual 5 speeds. I have never had to replace anything other than a few plastic rivets that hold the fenders together and I put a new seat on the 94 after it finally started to weather and crack. Change the oil and filter.

When I bought the 2010 I wanted 4x4 with less maintenance than some of the other models and that's what I got. I hit a deer or should I say the deer hit me I was going maybe 40 on my way home at dusk. It knocked me of the road bruised my arms bent the bars on the quad and killed the doe. She had gotten up and made in the woods, but I found her dead the next morning. Someday I might replace the bars. I use my ATV every single day on the farm.

I know you said your looking for used there are often great deals on left over models this time of year.

[GeneralStark]

Thanks for all the tips! I am still looking around but have generally narrowed my focus to the Honda models with manual trannys. May go used, but may also go with a new machine. I will keep you posted.

I'm definitely going to go with a Logrite Fetching arch as they seem to be the most robust and trouble free. They can also be used as either a fetching arch or an atv arch.

[wiam]

I am very happy with my 2007 rancher 440. Mine is the bottom model. No speedometer. Makes it hard to schedule maintanance. I have put 2 starters and a front wheel bearing in it. It does get used all year. It has done all I asked. And I ask a lot!

[BreezyHill]

Wiam, get an hour meter and change oil on hourly schedule. Just be sure it is on only when the key is in on position.

For logging I would steer clear of manual tranney. The shifting of gears will be tough on the clutch with that kind of constant load pulling against the unit. For that kind of load I would suggest...if staying with the atv... the automatic tranney like on our 650 H1 Artic cat. Unit has seven years of a hard life. 4 wd independent suspension, front manual dif lock, auto rear dif lock, plus the TBX dump box is great for carrying tapping supplies. The Speed Rack can attach saw carriers, shovel/ tool rack, fuel carrier, etc. I strap on two milk crates on the front for tapping supplies, tubing reel in 2" hitch and laterial lines are in the

I would look there before buying anything else. When we do snow trail work it is the envy of everyone. Some day I want to put a set of tracks on her as the wife feeds her horses and show heifers in winter with it. Then she wont need to plow out trails to the different pastures when we get the three feet of snow.

[VT_K9]

My first fourwheeler was a Honda Foreman 400 with manual transmission. My father and I had a friend weld up a log arch using axles from an old snowmobile trailer. The arch had a manual winch on it to hold up the log. The machine had plenty of power. The arch would haul the logs, BUT you had to find the right size logs. There were several which would not fit inside the arch (we made the arch with wheels the same width as the ATV). The arch has been parked in our shed for at least 10 years. We moved to using a tractor. Now the tractor has a logging winch on it.

An ATV with arch is a good in expensive way to haul logs, but there are limits on size and it will take time. If you are just doing maintenance and not any major work you'll be just fine.

Mike

[wiam]

Wiam, get an hour meter and change oil on hourly schedule. Just be sure it is on only when the key is in on position.

I know Breezy. That has been on my to do list for 7 years. :rolleyes:

[GeneralStark]

We were considering a small tractor and winch, but it is more than we need for our property. We are actually having a pro come in and do some logging for us with a 90hp tractor to harvest some large Hemlock, Oak, and Ash for material for building our house next summer. He is also going to do a bit of thinning in the areas where he is harvesting timber so we can sell some firewood to help pay for the logging. About half of our property is moderately sloped and easy to work, but the other half is very ledgey and a tractor wouldn't be able to access it.

Once this logging job is done, I will keep chipping at some thinning in the steeper areas with the ATV and arch. The ATV will be a better tool for the job and it is all small trees that I will be removing. The largest may be 10" at the butt.

I did briefly contemplate investing in a tractor and doing the job myself, but it is just not worth the risk. I also wouldn't be able to be as fast or effective as a pro with many years of experience working in sugarbushes. He will be able to greatly reduce residual stand damage which is key for us. Our woods are overstocked in many areas with many nice crop trees.

Once again thanks for all the advice and I will keep you posted on what I find.

[BreezyHill]

Wiam,
Don't feel bad we all have those low priority lists that just sit n sit n sit. And then one day we sell that piece of equipment.

[maple flats]

I have an 04 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O., it is belt drive/2 ranges, 4x4. I regularly pull trees up to about 8" at the butt, and full length (dragging on the ground) with no issues. For heavier I use my 36 HP 4x4 tractor with 3 pt. hitch log arch. I think when used with some "common sense" a 500 or + 4x4 ATV can do well logging. If you use a log arch, be very careful pulling down hills so the log doesn't over take the ATV and never pull sidehills.
Years ago, at a Game of Logging demo, the instructor had a similar sized ATV with log arch. That arch had a sloped center rail that the log chain slid up to lift the leading end in the log arch. He said the advantage of that design is that if a log starts pushing the log, it slides down the sloped rail and then drags on the ground, offering a degree of braking to help hold the arch back. That rail sloped upward from front to rear about 30-35 degrees. When he hooked the log, laying on the ground, he just connected the log chain as short as he could. Then he just drove forward, the chain slid up the slope and lifted the front end as he drove away.
One thing you want to keep in mind is stumps, trees and boulders. When towing the logs, if you catch any of these, the ATV (or tractor) will stop immediately, possibly flipping or damaging the tow vehicle.

[Machinist67]

As your description of a log arch, I found these models for sale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs09WG8xhrE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrihoJHZyeM

[maple flats]

The arch he had was sort of a blend of both designs. The grab hook slid up a round pipe similar to the Norwood unit, but it was braced more like the Log-o-sol unit. I have no idea who made it, but it looked to be a commercial unit rather than homemade. The GOL instructor who had it was Bill Lindloff.

[Shawn]

Have used my Can-Am 650 with tracks in winter to skid out logs, when I cannot do so with my tractor, works well and does the work

[500592]

I don't know abou the rest of you guys but we've tried the logging with an atv before and it was to hard on the equipment granted a log arch probably would have worked better but my father has since bought a skid steer with a brush bucket and that works great for getting firewood and doesn't tear up the ground.

[GeneralStark]

What do you guys know about the Honda Fourtrax? It is supposedly one of the most durable and reliable ATVs ever made. I have done some research and they sound like an excellent tool for the job. I am having a hard time justifying the cost of a newer machine considering I will only use an ATV a few weeks out of the year all told.

I could potentially score one of these and a new logging arch for about half the cost of a new machine. Most of the other used machines I have found are beat up, but this one seems solid.

[BreezyHill]

Got a neighbor that will sell you his cheap. Been to the shop 3 times for same issue. Now it just collects dust. Same issue again...motor not strong enough. Once under warranty, then they needed $$$ to fix it for another few months of riding.

[unc23win]

I have 2 Honda's and I use them both regularly and make them work hard pulling and hauling and have had no problems. Mine are both standard transmission and I think that makes them maintenance free. One is a 2010 Rancher 420 4x4 and the other is 94 Fourtrax I also had a 125 when I was 9 that was maintenance free as well until I traded it. Most people that have problems have trouble with the automatic shifting atvs.

[GeneralStark]

I have 2 Honda's and I use them both regularly and make them work hard pulling and hauling and have had no problems. Mine are both standard transmission and I think that makes them maintenance free. One is a 2010 Rancher 420 4x4 and the other is 94 Fourtrax I also had a 125 when I was 9 that was maintenance free as well until I traded it. Most people that have problems have trouble with the automatic shifting atvs.

Jared,

Is the 94 Fourtrax a 300? The one I am considering is a little older, but looks solid. I have heard it is best to avoid the "hondamatic", but everything I see about these older fourtrax is that they are bomproof and easy to work on. Do you pull loads with your Fourtrax?

[unc23win]

Jared,

Is the 94 Fourtrax a 300? The one I am considering is a little older, but looks solid. I have heard it is best to avoid the "hondamatic", but everything I see about these older fourtrax is that they are bomproof and easy to work on. Do you pull loads with your Fourtrax?

Yes it is I have the 2x4 but its solid a friend of mine had the 4x4 same thing solid. If I had the money and saw one I would by another. Another friend of mine has one maybe between 94 and 2000 and I said boy they last don't they and he said you know what I never have even changed the oil. I saw a 2000ish 4x4 the other day a yard sale for $2100. The non hondamatics are bomb proof. Also my neighbor has a winch on his he locks the parking break and can pull things that way might work for stubborn logs to get them so you can get the arch under them. As far as I'm concerned you can't beat the reliability of manual transmission and electrical system of a Honda.

[NhShaun]

Had an 86 honda fortrax and that thing was bulletproof!! No suspension was also a treat. Really has no relevance because they have changed so much since then. But i will contest to the Polaris sportsman, those are great machines. You shouldn't need anything more than a 500 if you are logging with an arch. Good with your search.

[n8hutch]

Honda Fortrax 300, is A great machine, they are A little smaller than the newer Hondas but they sure are bullet proof, If you do buy it one be sure to put regular old 10w-40 engine Oil in it, these Hondas are not designed to have synthetic oil, it ruins the clutches, neither are the Honda matics, one thing people don't realize is on A Honda Rubicon with the Honda fluid drive transmission is that your engine oil and transmission oil are one in the same so if you don't keep up with oil changes you will have a better chance of a failure, I have not seen many fail that were maintained properly.Only thing you may want to consider is Parts availability, its Been 15 years or so since they made that model, things like carbeurators and exhaust can be hard to come buy and are known to wear out, nothing lasts forever, not even Arctic Cats.

[unc23win]

I had to replace the starter relay on my 94 and I also replaced the seat after I got sick of it being wet. I found this place to have lots of parts and they have an excellent online OEM parts search. Not everything is available, but a lot. They also ship fast. http://www.heartlandhonda.com

[Super Sapper]

I had a 1989 2 X 4 and all I ever had to do was change oil and sparkplugs (had a habit of going through them) I got rid of it in 2006 and got a Rubicon. The Rubicon has been good but I have had to replace the ECM and now the starter needs to be rebuilt. My dad had a 1986 250 and all that went wrong was the starter. He now has a 2002? Rubicon and works it hard without problems. The nephew has it now and uses it when his polaris is in the shop (which is frequent) My brother and newhews all have polaris and like them but I couldn't deal with all the repairs. They do ride a lot nicer than mine when they run.

[wiam]

I find that interesting Super. When I bought my fourtrax in 07 a friend of mine had a cousin that works as a Polaris tech. The cousin has a Honda because" he wants to ride when he is not fixing other machines"

[Super Sapper]

I rode on my brothers newer machine and it rode pretty nice. Honda isn't known for it's ride but is a great workhorse. Most people that I know that have Polaris like them because of the ride but admit they do have mechanical problems.

[sg5054]

I bought a new Suzuki 750 2 years ago with a plow and winch. 0 down, 0 interest, 150 a month. Great deal. Very pleased with it. Plows the driveway with ease, well it did have trouble with a major blizzard the first year. It only made it about 30ft out into 3-4ft bank of snow before getting bogged down.... Thankfully I had decided to keep the snow blower. After a pass with that it handled it with ease. I use the winch to pull the trees down when I'm logging by myself.