Bought my first ATV

Broke EF

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I am kind of recreating this thread since it was lost during the upgrade. I am going to post the original first post, and then a link to the old thread.


Broke EF said:
I already posted this in my looking for an ATV thread, but fuck it :)

Saturday I stopped over by my local Yamaha dealer to check out the Kodiak's. They happened to have a brand new 2019 Armor Grey Kodiak 700 EPS for a good price.

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I did also check out a 2020 non EPS model

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I really liked the push button 4WD, and the Diff Lock was also a big plus. The digital display is very nice too, but I could probably live without it. Knowing that I will be plowing, and I also have some bushes I want to rip out I think the diff lock will be a big help. So I went with the EPS with a plow setup, which I had them deliver the same day. Someone bought the last winch earlier in the day, so I will grab that this week.

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Checking out its off road capabilities

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The plow stuff minus the winch
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Parked next to my (now) tiny mower!
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Even makes my bike look small!
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But I am still able to get EVERYTHING in the garage somehow! Don't mine my wife's car, I was putting in new headlights and OEM fog lights for her.
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This thing RIPS! I have pretty limited experience on ATV's and mostly from years ago. Last one I rode was a smaller one (maybe 400?) and it had no brakes so I was going pretty easy. This thing though, HOLY SHIT!!! I can get over 30 in my damn yard! I took it into my neighbors property which is rough but not exactly challenging, but still got though any of it with no issues.

Thanks to the guys here for the help. I think I will be glad to have the power steering when I am plowing. I also don't think I will have ANY issue no matter how much snow we get this year :) I am hoping this weekend I can see if it can pull out the bushes in my back yard. Check back for updates!


Sean


HERE is the link to the old thread.


Now that its here I can update with new shenanigans and mods :D
 

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icecreamassassin said:
Woodstock? Congrats man, should be a blast!

broke ef said:
Yep! Pretty good experience even though I spent more than I wanted to. They were nice, and knew their product well. And he brought it out to my house same day!

panda said:
Nice Yamaha. It will last forever but shit man hope you do more with it than plow your driveway.
.

brok ef said:
I will for sure. I have been whipping it around the neighborhood, tearing up my grass, and riding on the neighbors land some already. In spring I want to get a trailer and set up the wife's SUV with a hitch so we can bring it places.

It's still new, so I am like a kid on Christmas just wanting to ride it constantly. It worked out great Sunday when my niece wanted to just keep going. Had a nice built in excuse to be on it for hours
biggrin.gif


Sean

deezuz said:
Even though my 700 is in a raptor, I love it. Good pick

crooks said:
You picked the right color

broke ef said:
I can't imagine how much faster it can be. This seems to be just about perfect for me since it wont just wheelie with my fat ass on it. I am not a fan of wheelies
smile.gif


Sean

zxmustang said:
Make sure you take it out to Rocky Glen in Rockford before the end of the season. That place is a blast for ATV and moto.

https://www.rockyglenohv.com

broke ef said:
Not sure I will make it there this year, but I will keep it in mind for next season. I don't have any gear yet, or a way to get the ATV anywhere.

Sean

spivitz said:
Awesome Man, Congratulations!

broke ef said:
So what should be the first mods?! I want better lighting, but not really a light bar. Wondering if I should do LED or HID's. What other mods are good to do? What should I stay away from? I shouldn't do anything to it, but I am not sure I will be able to help myself!

beerorgasoline said:
Congrats man! The EPS is such a nice luxury to have to do tight maneuvers you're gonna love it.

broke ef said:
Didn't take too long, but its no longer "NEW" anymore
smile.gif
My buddy came by with his sons yesterday and we were all riding it for hours. He decided to try some top speed runs, came in a bit to hot and did a slow roll while trying to turn it around. He was fine, and it just slowly rolled onto its side. Some pics of the damage

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It also knocked some of the plastic covers loose, but I just popped those back in. I wasn't really upset, just glad nobody got hurt. He felt terrible, and I think he bought me new plastics and/or the OEM flares even though I said not to. I was more upset about forgetting to take the new clevis receiver out of the hitch. At some point in the day the clevis worked it way loose and fell off. Hopefully its in my yard somewhere, and if so I REALLY hope I see it before I run it over with the mower!

Besides that lil mishap, we have been enjoying the shit out of it so far! Puts huge smiles on everyone's faces every time. I even got my mother in law to take it around. She was pretty sketchy the first time out, but I have enough grass where you cant really get into trouble going straight. Once she did one lap she was hooked! Ended up riding around for a while and now I think she wants to get her own
biggrin.gif
The wife is getting more comfortable on it as well which is good to see. Maybe we will end up with a second one next year
biggrin.gif


Sean

yaj yak said:
these things rip really well. my neighbor has one and it's pretty quick. nice buy
 
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Broke EF

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I guess we can start with the roll from a while back. My buddy was doing some high speed runs across my yard and came in a little too hot :D He did a nice slow roll onto its side, no injury just a bruised ego. I told him its no big deal and not to worry about it since he only slightly damaged the plastics. He ended up buying me the OEM over fenders as an "I'm sorry". Here are some pics of the damage, and holding up the new over fenders which I haven't installed yet.

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I am not really sure if I want to install them or not. I do think they look cool, but with the factory wheels and tires, they look super narrow with the overs. At the same time I really don't have any urge (yet) to change them out so who knows.

Sometime after this I got around to installing the winch and the plow. That was pretty uneventful other than having to remove the winch to reinstall it on the plow mount. Everything is a separate part number, with its own packaging, hardware, instructions, etc. So I didn't really think about how it all mounts (never owned an ATV, or worked on one) otherwise it would have been pretty quick/easy. Oh well, only added a little bit of time to the whole deal.

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I even got it dirty! Also you can see a bit of how much I am fucking up my yard with this thing :D
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Only other real development was I added the Snow Plow Strap...
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It was nice because it goes on and off a lot quicker than the standard cable. It also lifted the plow higher which I could see being handy. Unfortunately it broke lifting the plow for the second time. All of the stitching let go and let the strap go right through the aluminum piece that attaches it to the plow. Looking on the ole internet I can see that its somewhat common. It also seems like it would work better if it attached 90 degrees from how it does so it wasn't putting all the strain on one corner. Anyway I got a different cable on the way. Its more or less just a short synthetic rope that I will route though the pulley (not shown) and attach similar to the steel cable. I also have the OEM Yamaha grip warmers on order. I am ready to deal with some snow!!! At least I think I am, and I hope it works as well as I think it will.
 

Broke EF

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I am currently debating between buying a new snowblower or putting a plow on my ATV. ATV seems like more fun.
I cant really comment just yet, but I had this debate in my head for a while. When we moved I was was thinking of doing a rider mower with a plow, and a good snow blower for heavier stuff. I ended up going with a zero turn mower just because of how much faster it can cut (literally twice the speed). As we were settling in, an ATV made more and more sense to do things around the yard. I started by looking at cheap used ones, then I asked on here about ATV's and you see where that got me.

Others here (and on other places around the internet) have said that once they got an ATV with a plow they have never used their snow blowers. Makes me think I should be OK with just the plow? For me I can do a lot more with the ATV so it made sense. Turns out its also a fucking blast to ride around! Now I just need a second one, or maybe a side by side.....
 
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CMNTMXR57

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Do you not run in to the same problem I did with a plow on my tractor? In heavier, wet snow, the weight of the snow on the blade quickly eclipses that of the machine pushing it and it becomes difficult to move. Albeit you do have 4 wheel traction vs. my two, but still...
 

Broke EF

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Do you not run in to the same problem I did with a plow on my tractor? In heavier, wet snow, the weight of the snow on the blade quickly eclipses that of the machine pushing it and it becomes difficult to move. Albeit you do have 4 wheel traction vs. my two, but still...
Ill have to let you know. So far what I have seen is that it isn't an issue even with smaller ATV's. I think I should have the power to deal with it being a 700. Traction is the kicker like you said. Mine has locking diffs so I can get all the traction available. I did ask about the tires when I bought it and they said I should no issues with the stock ones. Like I said earlier I kinda what to do wheels/tires, but I also don't want to spend money on the ATV when there is a car to build :D

Sean
 

CMNTMXR57

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Yea, it wasn't really a power issue even with the tractor. It was a traction and weight issue.

For lighter snows, or drier snows, I had very little issue. But when it got deeper or heavier/wet. I spent more time getting the damn thing unstuck than productive plowing because I had to resort to taking a running start and ramming it in 6th gear to move the pile, which then led me to actually flying over the snow and getting stuck. :D I had chains, extra weight, my fat ass on it and still...
 

Broke EF

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Well like I said, when I was looking at getting a tractor I was planning on that with a plow and also a snow blower. I saw a lot of people with the same issues you are describing. Having to hang weight, chains, etc. and still not dealing with heavy snow very well. People on here (I cant remember who) and others I have read about online have said that they haven't had any snow they couldn't easily deal with on the ATV. I even asked about a snow blower for heavier stuff and whoever it was on here said that once he got the ATV with the plow he hasn't touched his snow blower. I have 0 idea how well it will or wont work though. I have never tried to plow with one before. I guess Ill find out :) Hopefully it works better than that. And if it doesn't, at least I still have a pretty sweet ATV :D

Sean
 

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I cant really comment just yet, but I had this debate in my head for a while. When we moved I was was thinking of doing a rider mower with a plow, and a good snow blower for heavier stuff. I ended up going with a zero turn mower just because of how much faster it can cut (literally twice the speed). As we were settling in, an ATV made more and more sense to do things around the yard. I started by looking at cheap used ones, then I asked on here about ATV's and you see where that got me.

Others here (and on other places around the internet) have said that once they got an ATV with a plow they have never used their snow blowers. Makes me think I should be OK with just the plow? For me I can do a lot more with the ATV so it made sense. Turns out its also a fucking blast to ride around! Now I just need a second one, or maybe a side by side.....
Yeah having one always leads to a second. I've been through that a couple times. I always wanted a sport quad so I bought one when I was in college and had to buy a second to bring other people along. I got out of the sport for a few years then bought an old Honda 4x4 which lead me to buying my Rubicon so I have 2 now. The Rubicon is so nice I want to upgrade the Foreman but I also have been thinking of a SxS.

The Foreman has been surprisingly useful at my Dad's place on chain as far as moving trailers and clearing brush.

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I want one of these sooooo bad for snow plowing my driveway. But its not that big of a driveway and my neighbors would be like WTF, lol.
You know deep down they will just wish they had one too.
 
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Broke EF

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The very first thing my sister said when she saw it was "Where is the other one? You cant just have 1 ATV." I figure I should at least pay this one off before I get another. Probably should also have some place to keep a second before I get another too. Did I tell you guys I am building a shed in the spring :)

Here is a pic of it doing some work. We were trimming down some bushes that we are going to rip out. I did also try to pull them with the ATV, but got nowhere with that plan.
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I have used it a decent amount to do shit around the yard. Probably more than I thought I would, and have already had a few situations where some implements would have been used if I had them. Like a trailer, sprayer, etc.

I also have permission to ride it in the lot across the street which is pretty decent. Here are some pics of that from a couple different times.
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When it was a bit dryer back there
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Its nothing too crazy but there is some stuff to climb over, some mud, and some ruts to deal with. I found out that the guy who lived in my house before me had some monster 1000 on 29's and he made some ruts the owners couldn't get through. They hadn't mowed that lot for over 2 years I guess so while there are some really deep ruts, I have been able to get though all of it so far.

I have only had it a short time, but it is fun as fuck and has come in handy more than I thought already. For sure was a good call to pick one up so far! I am also glad you animals talked me into a new one :)


Sean
 

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I am currently debating between buying a new snowblower or putting a plow on my ATV. ATV seems like more fun.

ATV is way more fun. Go plow, then flip 2wd on and go do donuts & drift around in the street.

Do you not run in to the same problem I did with a plow on my tractor? In heavier, wet snow, the weight of the snow on the blade quickly eclipses that of the machine pushing it and it becomes difficult to move. Albeit you do have 4 wheel traction vs. my two, but still...

ATV plowing /= mower plowing. The weight, balance, HP and gearing are all advantage ATV with this. 4WD, low range, send it.

Well like I said, when I was looking at getting a tractor I was planning on that with a plow and also a snow blower. I saw a lot of people with the same issues you are describing. Having to hang weight, chains, etc. and still not dealing with heavy snow very well. People on here (I cant remember who) and others I have read about online have said that they haven't had any snow they couldn't easily deal with on the ATV. I even asked about a snow blower for heavier stuff and whoever it was on here said that once he got the ATV with the plow he hasn't touched his snow blower. I have 0 idea how well it will or wont work though. I have never tried to plow with one before. I guess Ill find out :) Hopefully it works better than that. And if it doesn't, at least I still have a pretty sweet ATV :D

Sean


That's me. Toro PowerShift 924 (which is a pretty badass blower) in my shed. Hasn't had gas in it since the Polaris came home, literally no need. I will add, I have a longer, asphalt drive though with no breaks in it, so plowing is stupid easy. Nothing to get hung up on at all.
 
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CMNTMXR57

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I get the traction and gearing, however, snow is snow when it's on the business end of the mouldboard.

You figure that my tractor weighs in around 500 pounds. Add me on it at 250'ish, add in the bagger attachment that I carry 4 cinder blocks in, at around 30 pounds each, and then the added weight of the plow itself... You're in the 850 - 900 pound range. That's comparable to an ATV. I know my Polaris Scrambler back in the day was just shy of 500 pounds, so factor in a more work related ATV weighs more.

Regardless, I don't use it anymore as I have a Western plow on my 'Burb, so... But even it had issues pushing that really heavy, wet slop we had at the begining of the seaso last year. IT was sooo heavy, and then it was raining on top of it, so the remaining film of slop left on the ground was slippery and I couldn't get shit for traction.
 

BeerOrGasoline

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I was moreso getting at weight distribution, not total weight. 40+ hp + gearing + tires + 4wd and an ATV will outwork a lawn tractor in snow all day.

I picked up the Polaris January of 2018, and have had 0 issues with snowfall since. More time will tell, but I'm not concerned and am ready to sell the snowblower.
 

Broke EF

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I will in a few weeks. Lol. It's not very high at all but high enough to raise it straight and go blast through the trails with several inches on the ground.
Are you using the winch? I am kind of assuming you are, and its attaching directly to the plow mount. I got this yesterday, and I am debating how to actually set it up.

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I think I am going to run it though the pulley like you would the steel cable. I could connect it directly to the plow mount though, which would look nicer. Like always, I am over thinking something simple :D


Sean
 

Broke EF

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So synthetic cable works better for plowing?
The idea is that its less wear and tear on everything. Also I guess its a built in failure point rather than destroying the winch? The way the steel cable was meant to be used left some to be desired, and it didn't lift very high before the hook was into the pulley on the mount. The strap I had that broke did way better, but broke before I even used it. Hopefully this one is kind of the best of both worlds? If not Ill put the steel cable back on and fuck it.

Sean
 
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