It’s not a matter of if you are going to get a flat tire during one of your trail rides. It’s really just a question of when and how often. When the inevitable happens, you’ll need a spare tire, a great tire repair kit, or superhero powers to get you back rolling. We’ve found a product that’s a little of both, and it’s even stronger than steel!
We can think of no other vehicle as versatile as your ATV or Side x Side. They’re equally adept at work and play, they can conquer just about any type of terrain, and they’re ready to go in any weather! They’re also the perfect work buddy, ready to haul a heavy load, pull a trailer or tool behind, and never give up until the job is done. It’s just a matter of what tool you need.
A Tour of Protool Industries and the Woodman's Pal
Written By:
Moxie Karasek
There’s something about wrapping your digits around a machete that just makes you want to wield it through the brush like you were on a mission to discover the lost tribes of the Congo. This isn’t a hi-tech tool with a laser sighting system and an electric motor. The motor that powers this piece of equipment is the muscles in your arm that fire at your will, and in doing so, create the original hi-tech weapon.
Changing the tires on your ATV or Side x Side is a great opportunity to upgrade with a tire that better fits your needs. We use our Polaris RZR 900 for trails that range from loose sand, to rocky, former railroad grades, and for prowling around the woods.
Practically every ATV comes with some storage and a rack system. It’s an incredibly useful tool! Not all racks are created equal though and the manufacturers have to balance fender protection with load handling capability needed by the average user. Like most riders we use our ATVs for everything from hauling rocks to hunting season and a better rack system would surely help.
There are some tools that we wouldn’t think could be improved upon in many ways. Tire irons are pretty simplistic, our baseball mitt is still just leather and laces, and as long as our gas can doesn’t leak all over the back of the truck or our foot, we never think about it. The trouble is, it does nearly every time. Still, there didn’t seem to be a lot one could do to improve on a plastic jug with a hose on the top. That is until the SURECAN people took on the problem and came up with a much better solution.
Every industry has its annual conventions, trade shows, or expo. It’s a chance to network with fellow industry insiders, preview new products, check up on the competition, and generally have fun for a couple days all under the guise of “work”. Besides the show there’s the nightly debauchery with all manner of temptations and many attendees flock to the usual dens of gyrating decadence as pulsating neon signs draw them in like moths to a bug light.
If you’re going to play in the mud, you can plan on getting stuck at some point. Most of us learned this lesson as kids the first time we left our boots in a muddy field, and the same principal applies to our toys today. Unlike your stranded boots though, getting your ATV or Side x Side out of the muck is a whole lot more challenging.
The Polaris ACE marked a different direction in the development of Side x Sides. The ACE wasn’t exactly an ATV, although it did appear to be the offspring of a mating between the RZR 570 and a Sportsman ATV. It wasn’t exactly a Side x Side either; even though it has a steering wheel, roll cage, and a bucket seat. One thing we knew for sure is that we needed to spend more time on, or maybe we should say “in” it.
Moving from Michigan to Colorado was a tough decision. Being born and raised in Michigan, my family and I grew to love the outdoors, with all the lakes and forests, what’s not to like. And Michigan supplied plenty of outdoor activities to make every weekend a joy.
Once we got all our stuff packed and moved out west to the Centennial state, our weekends didn’t change much, except hiking at higher altitude, and how we were in awe of the beauty of these incredible mountains and the thousands of acres of forest that surrounded us every weekend.
