Looking for a used 4-wheeler. Doesn't need to be fast or pretty. Just cheap and reliable. I have no clue where to start.
Shopping for acreage right now. Main use would be scouting propery/SHTF runabout in snow and ice.
Is there a proverbial "Civic/Camry" of ATV's I should be looking at?
Do you need that small of a piece of equipment? I went through this thought process and it ended up a '93 Ford Ranger fits the bill better. Sure it's not as fun and I got it for free, but...
How cheap is cheap? 4x4 required? Low range needed? You want to clutch to shift gears, auto-clutch, automatic, torque converter?
I bought a fairly-well cared for '05 Yamaha Wolverine for <$2K last summer. It's been my Goldilocks, just right blend of sport and 4x4 utility ATV.
We've got a problem child Yamaha Blaster, it's really not good for anything but eating wrist-pin and or rod bearings, and making a lot of noise. I'd stay away from the 2 strokes.
We've got a pair of newer 4x4 ~2012-13 Honda Ranchers, with the "Hondamatic," at work, they've been stone reliable, with a multitude of less knowledgeable folks riding, abusing, and neglecting them. I've been impressed.
Had an early Millennium, '00 I think, 4x4 Honda Foreman 450 ES (Electric Shift) they got a bad wrap, but I actually liked the push button shifting. If you could believe the speedometer, that thing would top out at 67 MPH. Had a ~2" lift, some gnarly tires, and a winch, there weren't many places that thing couldn't go.
Now I'm fond of the Wolverine, it's not going anywhere, but nowadays, I'd prefer a side by side, any of the utility, 4x4, 3 seaters, plucked from the Polaris, Kawasaki, Honda, or Yamaha tree would suit me just fine.
In extension to the side by side suggestion, Kei truck? Pretty cheap, most imported are 4x4, heated cab, some have AC.
How cheap is cheap? I picked up a 1994 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 for $300. Not pretty: check, not fast: check, reliable: check, cheap: check. When I got it the front driveshaft was disconnected due to a broken u joint. Easy fix. We use it for towing a yard trailer, dragging the horse arena and some general hacking around on the property. Just keeps going and going.
I'm fully aware that 4X4 trucks/suvs exist.
I'm not looking for a truck. If I was, I'd buy an AMC Eagle Wagon and stick mudders on it.
I don't want something I need to tag/title/pay insurance on. Just a beater ATV, in case that wasn't clear in the original post.
Wayslow wrote: How cheap is cheap? I picked up a 1994 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 for $300. Not pretty: check, not fast: check, reliable: check, cheap: check. When I got it the front driveshaft was disconnected due to a broken u joint. Easy fix. We use it for towing a yard trailer, dragging the horse arena and some general hacking around on the property. Just keeps going and going.
Awesome. Thanks! I guess my definition of "cheap" would be sub $1k
Hondas are generally considered the gold standard. I prefer the Yamahas with IRS, but they are going to be out of your price range.
i briefly owned an 04 Suzuki Ozark and it was pretty nice and they go for decent prices.
Honda 3 wheelers are pretty cheap as well 
Honda, find one in your price range, done.
edizzle89 wrote: i briefly owned an 04 Suzuki Ozark and it was pretty nice and they go for decent prices. Honda 3 wheelers are pretty cheap as well
The bungee cord holding the seat and fenders on is truly grassroots.
I had an old ATC110. That thing was a hoot. Had the one piece balloon tires that costed $$$$$$.
Checking CL, I'm thinking sub $1k is probably an unrealistic budget, yeah?
How about a bigger riding tractor? Very cheap and can do the same thing. If nothing elsecwatch on youtube fearless todd I think. He does off roading with garden tractors.
In reply to ckosacranoid:
Yeah, a proper garden tractor (bolt on wheels) will go pretty far, albeit at 5mph, many of them have some sort of limited slip diff setup.
I have a Suzuki and a Honda. Both are dead-nuts reliable. 4x4 is great.
I also have a Polaris Ranger. Its fantastic, but if you go the Polaris route, get a later EFI model. The 800 and up cc engines used a carb that sucks donkey balls. It runs terribly when cold. Even on a summer day you have to start it up and wait for it to get fully hot before you touch the gas or it just dies. Its a known issue, and there is no fix. Jets are fixed and drilling them out yields questionable results because there is no primary and secondary circuit. Getting it to run well at idle means it goes pig rich everywhere else. Its just a poor carb design.
In reply to Smarta$$ McPoopyPants:
In that price range you will be looking at older machines. Like mid to late '90s or so. Not that that is a bad thing. I was gifted a 1994 Yamaha Timberwolf 250 4X4 by my father. He bought it in 1994 when I was 13. I rode it, my sister rode it and my dad rode it until he bought a RZR 900 in 2015. It has never failed mechanically. Air cooled, single cylinder. Full time 4wd. Clutchless 5 speed. No hydraulic brake system; its all cables and springs. MacStrut front and monoshock swing arm rear. Electric start but I'm piecing together a recoil start system just in case. Yeah, its not fast; terminal velocity is about 30mph and that is wound to the nuts. Its basically an antique in the ATV world but it will still be running when cockroaches inherit the earth.
I just bought new brake shoes and it was a whopping $22 for all 3 drum brakes. I also bought a China carb on Amazon for $50 because I was tired of dicking with it. Some of the parts are NLA, like the front strut assembly, so keep that in mind when looking at older machines.
This thing is like the VW Beetle of the ATV world; simple, tough and honest.
I'll throw a plug in for the Polaris Scrambler. I have an ancient 400cc that is a two-stroke, and it is about as dead-nuts reliable as it gets. They may a billion of them, so parts are no problem. I have gone out with my buddies in their fancy new Razors and whatnot, and I am constantly towing them home after they break down. The later 500cc models are 4-stroke and offer more power on the same chassis.
It has an automatic (CVT?) transmission which is great for hillclimbs because you are always in the power band. It has selectable 2 or 4 wheel drive, so you can drift it or go mud bogging. Not much in rack capacity, but you see a lot with front and rear racks, plows, etc. so it really is a great mix of sport and utility. Bonus, you can spend $400 one a runner that needs some love, or $2k on a really pristine model. They made the same model for like 20 years, so they must have done something right.
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