What Quad to get

[n_mathews13]

I’m sure this has been hashed out on here before.
Looking for a bigger quad
For spring snow
What’s your input?

[Jingles]

Depending on where in E. WA. you are I'd definitely consider adding tracks to it if you get very much snow.

[Caseknife]

As with everything now days, if you are looking for new, get what you can and don't expect to dicker on price.
Used, expect to pay new prices.  That said, Yamaha has the best drivetrain, most durable, won't hardly ever have to replace a belt unless you put lots of miles on, as in thousands per year.  Just keep clean oil and air filters and they will last a lifetime.

[johnbmyersii]

I like the Polaris Sportsman. They're fairly big, make good power, and lots of accessories are available. Theres a few on craiglist and offerup currently

[n_mathews13]

I currently have a Yamaha 660 that I like but it gets warm easy
I’d buy used
I feel like the sportsman might be heavy for spring snow?

[johnbmyersii]

I currently have a Yamaha 660 that I like but it gets warm easy
I’d buy used
I feel like the sportsman might be heavy for spring snow?

agreed on the weight part. No matter what quad you get make sure you have a winch, recovery straps, and tire chains. Spring conditions can get you into trouble quickly

[trophyhunt]

As with everything now days, if you are looking for new, get what you can and don't expect to dicker on price.
Used, expect to pay new prices.  That said, Yamaha has the best drivetrain, most durable, won't hardly ever have to replace a belt unless you put lots of miles on, as in thousands per year.  Just keep clean oil and air filters and they will last a lifetime.

I've had my 07 Yamaha 700 for decades, love it.  Pulled my buddies Polaris back to camp 2 times while hunting in Idaho.  The Polaris is heavy like a tank and I feel the lower models are junk, that's just from past experience with my friends that screwed up and bought Polaris. lol 

[C-Money]

One reason I bought manual shift Hondas is because they had drive shafts. The belt drive Polaris and Artic cat ATVs around 05 -10 seemed to be having issues. So I went Honda, with shafts. I believe belts have come a long way now. Yamaha, I think, always had the belt drive figured out.

[jrebel]

Honda and yamaha would be my first picks but I think all the name brands make pretty nice stuff these days.  I personally would never buy one of the off brands that you find all over now days. 

I have an 03 (I think) Honda 500 and it is an absolute beast.  It does well in up to 8-10 inches of wet snow.  Beyond that....it can get sketchy. 

[bornhunter]

Honda foreman 500 all the way.

[KFhunter]

The Yamaha has a belt over wet clutch system, its bullet proof.  It's far and away the best system for snowplowing. 

[Magnum_Willys]

The best quad is a 50” side-by-side.   

[KFhunter]

I currently have a Yamaha 660 that I like but it gets warm easy
I’d buy used
I feel like the sportsman might be heavy for spring snow?

The 660 versions were prone to get their radiator plugged with grass seeds, leaves sticks and stuff.  Pull that all put and thoroughly clean the radiator.   Its also probably running a bit rich causing heat buildup in the pipe.

Newer models run cooler due to EFI, I'll never buy a carb engine again unless its a lawn mower or something

[KFhunter]

I went riding in the spring snow with like 20 other quads of various brands, my grizz walked away from them all. 

I didn't have 200 lbs of crap on the racks + a cooler of beer

The grizz was one of the lightest quads there, those 800+ twins were buried immediately

The bighorn 2.0 tires didn't trench out to china with each blip of the throttle leaving me high centered in the deep snow unlike the big mudders most had.

[h2ofowlr]

I still run my Polaris Sportsman 500 that I purchased in 2008.  Only had to replace a few batteries, but it's been a great machine.

[WACATHUNTER]

Love my Kawasaki Brute Force 750!

[Mudman]

Yamaha has 4x4 honda 3x4 open front diffs on most.  Lightweight important.  Reliable?  No on Polaris for those reasons alone imop.  Kawasaki maybe?  Suzuki?  No mudders in snow either, terrible.  Bighorn low psi works great.  Grizzly is top quad in market for long time now.  Not fastest but fast enough.

[2MANY]

Good luck.

Right now the good ones are mostly presold.

[n_mathews13]

I currently have a Yamaha 660 that I like but it gets warm easy
I’d buy used
I feel like the sportsman might be heavy for spring snow?

The 660 versions were prone to get their radiator plugged with grass seeds, leaves sticks and stuff.  Pull that all put and thoroughly clean the radiator.   Its also probably running a bit rich causing heat buildup in the pipe.

Newer models run cooler due to EFI, I'll never buy a carb engine again unless its a lawn mower or something

That was my plan this last weekend, did t get to it

[HooknoseHunter]

I’ve had a 2000 Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4 for quite a few years. It’s a 5-speed manual shift (no clutch) and will go anywhere. It plows snow with ease as well, especially in low gear. It still has the factory battery and I just replaced the factory tires last year. If I was buying a new quad it would be a Yamaha. Avoid anything with the shift buttons on the handle bars, if you are shifting with your left hand and running the throttle with your right hand, how are you holding your beer???

[Igor]

if you are shifting with your left hand and running the throttle with your right hand, how are you holding your beer???

[KFhunter]

Shifting with your left, throttle with the right = fast snowplow

I also like my brakes seperate, no single brake bs for me