Trail and Farm Tested – The John Deere Gator 825 XUV
When most people think of John Deere, it has little to do with off-road vehicles and everything to do with American agriculture. There’s more than one side to a field, however, and the company that began with old John Deere’s simple steel plow, pounded into shape from a broken saw blade, has turned into one of the world’s most recognizable brands, with products that touch on nearly every type of outdoor activity whether it’s work ... Read more
Ride Tested – Big Red Strikes Back
Storage on a working machine is mandatory! Although the tough, rear dump box can haul anything from hay bales to cinder blocks, lack of any sealed storage is a serious concern and the competitors are well ahead here. The Big Red does have a small, open, dash mounted storage box, but the door is an almost inconceivable $89 option! We also feel on a machine designed for any type of work an instrument package should ... Read more
Buyer’s Guide – Snow Plows
Extreme Metal Products EMP only recently entered the Snow plow building business, but they’re off to a great start! They begin by using tough, American made steel and build the entire plow and hardware at their Cleveland, Ohio plant. At ¼” thick, the mounting structure and frame they use is almost twice as thick as many other plows. Another great feature is a unique mounting bracket that allows the blade to pivot on any axis. ... Read more
Manufacturing Milestone – Gator Farm
Few companies have build 500,000 of any product, but recently John Deere reached a milestone when the 500,000th Gator Utility Vehicle rolled off the end of the Horicon, Wisconsin line. No UTV is more closely associated with American agriculture than the John Deere Gator, and wherever we go there are Gators doing just about every job on the farm. They’ve become a modern day pack mule, extra hand, cattle herding Border collie, draft horse, and ... Read more
Best Work and Recreation Class Side-x-Side – The 2011 Polaris Ranger XP 800
Early Side x Sides were built strictly for utility use, with all the handling characteristics of a tractor. That caught the attention of Polaris which quietly went into action. With an engineering staff loaded full of Northern Minnesota hunters, it’s no wonder the Rangers are at home in the woods; they should practically be issued a hunting license. Imagine your best dog, best shotgun, best pickup, and best hunting camp all rolled into one, and ... Read more
Best Heavy Duty Side-x-Side – The 2011 Arctic Cat Prowler HDX 700
When one of the design parameters is that the vehicle must be able to carry a round bale almost as big as the vehicle itself, you know it’s going to be one tough, hard working UTV. Arctic Cat’s new Prowler HDX 700 can carry the bale, 3 passengers, and with a dump box seemingly half as big as a football field, practically the whole barn! We spent several days and 400 miles picking our way ... Read more
Best Open Class Utility ATV – The 2011 Polaris Sportsman XP 850
When it was introduced 2 years ago, the Polaris Sportsman XP 850 set a new standard for big bore utility ATVs that has yet to be matched. In our experience logging over a thousand odd trail miles, reliability has been perfect, and it has never let us down. The engine runs smooth, quiet, and crisp thanks to electronic fuel injection. We’re especially happy to report maintenance tasks are a breeze due to a spin off ... Read more
Best 500cc Class Utility ATV – The 2011 Polaris Sportsman XP 550
Polaris engineers came up with a simple solution for riders who love the XP 850’s excellent features, but may feel intimidated with an 850cc engine – offer the same features and chassis with a 550cc engine! As a smaller brother to the XP 850, the Sportsman XP 550 shares an almost identical chassis but with a liquid cooled, single cylinder, EFI equipped engine mated to a carefree, CVT transmission. The engine runs crisp and smooth, ... Read more
ARCTIC CAT 700 HDX UTV Tested – The Cowboys
Whenever we test any all-new ATV or UTV we usually don’t stray too far from the truck on our first day. After all, we don’t know exactly what to expect from the new model, and we might need to make adjustments or even repairs. Not this time however. Our initial ride on Arctic Cats 700 HDX, and 700 XTX wouldn’t be a casual ride through familiar woods, farm, or trail, but a go-for-broke, no turning ... Read more
2010 Kawasaki Mule 610 4×4 XC
After more than 20 years of service, the Mule name has come to define a whole category of hardworking utility vehicles. For 2010, there’s an entirely new take on this beast of burden: The Mule 610 4×4 XC appears to have been crossbred with Kawasaki’s Teryx RUV. Aggressive 26 inch Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 radial tires mounted on 12-inch wheels give it newfound off-road ability—and a slew of upgrades designed to complement its suddenly more aggressive ... Read more
2010 Husqvarna HUV4414G XP
As UTV manufacturers continue the process of refining and evolving their product lines, the mid-size segment of this market especially keeps getting better and better. Among the major players in the 4×4 mid-size segments are the Mule 610, the Ranger 400, the Club Car XRT950 and the new 2010 Husqvarna HUV4414G XP. Husky’s entry is the poster child for the philosophy of “less is more”, but it offers all the goodies that mainstream UTV owners ... Read more
