ATV for Farm Stuff - need direction from y'all

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

i lived in the UP of MI for 15 years and did a lot of fishing up in the Keweenaw Peninsula (i walked every stream or river i could get to). most fishing was stream walking, but in some years we also canoed or kayaked.

my fishing buddy and i had a trip to the BWCA all planned and were on our way when he blew out the transmission on his car. so we never made it. now i'm much further away and unlikely to make that trip, but it's a nice daydream in the middle of the summer heat to think of the northern cooler woodlands and streams. the nice thing about daydreaming is that i can forget the blackflies and mosquitoes.

Two years ago I was on another BWCA trip where it rained the entire time. Horrid winds and driving rain for 4 or 5 days with a scattering of sun in there. At our exit point we ran into a family (mom, dad & 3 kids) who were up from Colorado. The looks on the mom and kids' faces were priceless. They were so done and had an absolutely terrible time. Apparently they were cutting their trip short and were at an exit point 4 lakes north and a day ahead of when they were supposed to leave. The dad was asking folks that were being picked up to contact their outfitter and let them know where they were and to come get them.

He said they had been looking forward to this for a long while and had told his kids fish were so plentiful they would leap into their boat. I was smiling picturing the kids remembering this trip from hell 20 years later.

Point being, you aren't too far away but distance or not nobody is protected from crappy weather. Hahaha

 

[farmerjan]

We have a 4-wheeler.... had a honda Foreman that has done the job for years, bought it used and after several years of hard work the engine has finally quit. Using a friends for a few weeks until we decide what to do. We put a spray tank on the "luggage rack" and do all our spot spraying of thistles with it. Use it to go out in the field to get the cows in and check them. I personally don't know how to even drive it.... I have an older ford Ranger 4x4 little pu truck. But the 4 wheeler goes many places the ranger can't. The ATV's and UTV's are expensive and they really do different things. My son likes the atv but has expressed interest in a utv for me and I said don't spend the money. Says it would be easier for me to get in and out.... I will just drive my little truck.
Since we have tractors and such on the farm there is little reason for one to be "multiuse" like you want and need. I have a riding mower and there will be even less to mow at the house I am trying to buy as I will turn more of the useless lawn into production of garden and animals.
But we have been very satisfied with the atv overall.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

We have a 4-wheeler.... had a honda Foreman that has done the job for years, bought it used and after several years of hard work the engine has finally quit. Using a friends for a few weeks until we decide what to do. We put a spray tank on the "luggage rack" and do all our spot spraying of thistles with it. Use it to go out in the field to get the cows in and check them. I personally don't know how to even drive it.... I have an older ford Ranger 4x4 little pu truck. But the 4 wheeler goes many places the ranger can't. The ATV's and UTV's are expensive and they really do different things. My son likes the atv but has expressed interest in a utv for me and I said don't spend the money. Says it would be easier for me to get in and out.... I will just drive my little truck.
Since we have tractors and such on the farm there is little reason for one to be "multiuse" like you want and need. I have a riding mower and there will be even less to mow at the house I am trying to buy as I will turn more of the useless lawn into production of garden and animals.
But we have been very satisfied with the atv overall.

Thanks. Those UTVs are really expensive. I get the point, if you're going to really really use them and take them hunting or whatever, but after you add in all the bells and whistles it's the price of a new car :/. If you like that little truck that's great. My buddy keeps saying I should get a jeep, but I decline for multiple reasons.

After lots of discussions with folks I know and then watching some cash I was going to use for this get used for other things I've come to the realization that I need to finance the purchase. Well, if I have to get a loan for a used one I might as well just get a new one, since I see this as a once in 20 years purchase, so I'm looking at a Polaris Sportsman 850 with a few add-ons at around 11k. Not what I wanted to do, but maybe I can have it paid off in two years or so if I throw a lot of cash at it.

 

[farmerjan]

Sometimes it is what will be the best INVESTMENT. Like with you deciding that if you are going to finance, get what you want. Then if you can, pay it off early. The saving grace to that is the rates for borrowing money are so low right now, it makes some sense to use someone elses' money at the low interest rates. So I agree, if you are going to do it, and borrow, get what you want as it will be a long term investment.
As far as my little 4x4 ranger..... yeah, it suits me. Got about $1500 in it now as I had the top half of the engine redone about 4 years ago.... had it probably 8 years.... I can haul the water tank with about 150 + gallons of water on it when I need to, and go most places in the fields. Nice thing is the heater works in the winter.....4 wd works......looks like a real RED-NECK truck and I am not making any sort of payments on it.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Sometimes it is what will be the best INVESTMENT. Like with you deciding that if you are going to finance, get what you want. Then if you can, pay it off early. The saving grace to that is the rates for borrowing money are so low right now, it makes some sense to use someone elses' money at the low interest rates. So I agree, if you are going to do it, and borrow, get what you want as it will be a long term investment.
As far as my little 4x4 ranger..... yeah, it suits me. Got about $1500 in it now as I had the top half of the engine redone about 4 years ago.... had it probably 8 years.... I can haul the water tank with about 150 + gallons of water on it when I need to, and go most places in the fields. Nice thing is the heater works in the winter.....4 wd works......looks like a real RED-NECK truck and I am not making any sort of payments on it.

I really wish I didn't have to take a loan, since I'm trying to get out of some credit card debt from car repair ****, but if I don't do this I think I will regret it and I don't want to wait since product quantities are already low and with Covid it might get worst if we have to go into another lockdown and I want this for plowing in winter as well as just random work now

Having no car payment is nice. Our Outback is paid off, but that thing is about to cost us another $1000 with some repairs it's in the shop for right now

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Brought this home today. It's been 20 years since I have been on one. Wow, this is fast and powerful. Absolutely going to help me get stuff done faster

 

[wyoDreamer]

You will get so much use out of that beast!
We absolutely LOVE our Polaris ATV's. Maybe not as fast as some of the ATV's out there, but so much handier. I use mine all the time on the property. Our is a 2-Up though, and has a small dump box on the back. They do not make our model anymore... It is rated to haul 300 pounds in the dump box.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

You will get so much use out of that beast!
We absolutely LOVE our Polaris ATV's. Maybe not as fast as some of the ATV's out there, but so much handier. I use mine all the time on the property. Our is a 2-Up though, and has a small dump box on the back. They do not make our model anymore... It is rated to haul 300 pounds in the dump box.

They still make the 6x6 ones, but I think they start at 11k or 12k and though I could see that being really useful I didn't think it was right for my needs or economically smart, but I can totally see the worth.

Once I got home I realized my main trailer can't hook up right away, so I need a 1 1/4" towing drawbar with a slight (1"?), 2" ball and then a 2" coupler for my trailer. Always the small things that'll get you in the end . I'll run off to get that this afternoon, which will of course require stops to 3 or 4 stores to find it all since it won't all be in stock at a single place