Quad/atv recommendations

mcflowers · 11-01-2009 10:49pm #1

Thinking about buying a 2nd hand quad for the farm, somewhere around the 400cc size i was thinking,anyone recommend any particular type and good place to buy.

irish_bob · 11-01-2009 11:04pm

mcflowers wrote: »

Thinking about buying a 2nd hand quad for the farm, somewhere around the 400cc size i was thinking,anyone recommend any particular type and good place to buy.

honda are by far the best , yamaha are ok too but personally i think their horrible to ride in comparrison to honda

marlyman · 12-01-2009 9:16am

2nd hand quad are not a good idea. they are traded in when they are wrecked or near dead. i priced up and engine overhaul kit for a suzuki 400cc and it was more expensive than the quad was worth.
Suziki is the way to go imo. my dads got a 500cc one and a 650 honda. he uses the suzuki every day. and the honda only once in a blue moon.
try joe murray in mullingar. he has good 2nd hands some times and he a straight shooter.

mcflowers · 12-01-2009 11:05am

like all 2nd hand items you run the risk of running into a bit of trouble,but i'm not willing to pay vast amounts of money for a new one,so will have to go down the 2nd hand route.

Came across quads.ie,anyone dealt with them?

moe_sizlak · 12-01-2009 12:09pm

mcflowers wrote: »

like all 2nd hand items you run the risk of running into a bit of trouble,but i'm not willing to pay vast amounts of money for a new one,so will have to go down the 2nd hand route.

Came across quads.ie,anyone dealt with them?

a new 400cc quad is only around eight grand

mcflowers · 12-01-2009 12:16pm

moe_sizlak wrote: »

a new 400cc quad is only around eight grand

Well i'd consider €8000 alot of money to spend on a run about

MrFoxman360 · 13-01-2009 6:42pm

A lot of people are going to tell you to buy a Honda, and a Honda is a pretty safe bet, but Suzuki and Yamaha are just as good, ( personally I reckon Suzuki is best of all

) and because people don't realise this they are cheaper on the secondhand market than nearly all Honda's of similar age, size and condition.

I bought a 98 Suzuki Kingquad, its a 300cc 4wd, off a Honda dealer quite cheap. The suzuki wouldn't sell amongst the Honda's and as a result I got it 1500 cheaper than the Honda equivilent, that said it needed a starter clutch, but that wasn't too bad of a job.

Go 4wd for farm work especially if pulling a trailer or the like, It'll be a heavier bike but far superior, as just the resistance of the front wheels can be enough to get you stuck. My Kingquad is a 300 but it has on many occasions put newer, bigger and more powerful bikes to shame in tough going as it has a low and super low range gearbox and a locking front diff. Power is nothing if you dont have a transmission to utlise it. A semi automatic I feel is best, ie: no clutch lever, as it makes the bike easy to use in tough or heavy going, while still giving the rider complete control of the gears.

By a second hand jap bike that has been well minded, even if it has done a lot of work, they go for ever, (well none of my suzuki's ever let me down, not once :cool:). A dealer is really the safest bet, and price shouldn't be too bad cos there is loads on the market, that said if you know you stuff there are bargins to be had in private sales

But at all costs stay away from anything made in china or the like, even the nuts and bolts used to hold them together are poor quality :eek:, I have seen that first hand, even on the best of them. A second hand, quality make would be far more reliable.

massey woman · 13-01-2009 11:09pm

The best quad ever made is the Honda 450 ES
I had one from new a great machine
Unfortunately I replaced it after 8 years with a new 500 Honda that I am not at all happy with
Flimsy plastic,heavy on petrol and as far as I am concerned poor traction

Trx · 15-01-2009 11:55am

Agree with Massey woman all the way

canon5571 · 16-01-2009 12:57am

I'm just after buying a 01' Honda Foreman 450ES 4x4. I find it a great machine. Bought it off Keys Quads in Enniskillen. Its in good order and new oversized tyres all round. Got a good deal on it. The Electronic Shift transmission is very handy as it does away with clutching. Havent really tested it in heavy ground yet, but my Dad uses the same model of quad in his everday work and it stands up to the test! Just make sure the gears shift up and down freely enough, some of them can get very sticky.
I was also looking in Clarkes of Cavan. They have a good selection of secondhand Foreman quads, but i got a better deal in the north, especially with sterling exchange rate at the min.
In a nutshell go with Honda:)
Let us know how you get on!

leg wax · 16-01-2009 12:59pm

massey woman wrote: »

The best quad ever made is the Honda 450 ES
I had one from new a great machine
Unfortunately I replaced it after 8 years with a new 500 Honda that I am not at all happy with
Flimsy plastic,heavy on petrol and as far as I am concerned poor traction

i hope thats not a 09 reg.:D:D:D

Cmar-Ireland · 20-01-2009 4:46pm

Looking to buy a quad myself. Don't know much about the pricing of them.
Would €1500 buy a decent s/hand4wd quad?

canon5571 · 21-01-2009 12:26am

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Looking to buy a quad myself. Don't know much about the pricing of them.
Would €1500 buy a decent s/hand4wd quad?

Could be buying a lot of trouble at that money. Unless your sure where a quad came out of, your aswell paying the few pound extra and getting a reliable quad that wont give you any hassle.

Cmar-Ireland · 21-01-2009 9:18am

canon5571 wrote: »

Could be buying a lot of trouble at that money. Unless your sure where a quad came out of, your aswell paying the few pound extra and getting a reliable quad that wont give you any hassle.

What do you think would be an entry price for a decent 4wd quad. I'm not really interested in the cheap Chinese stuff out there, would prefer a proper named brand.

canon5571 · 22-01-2009 12:28am

In my opinion Honda is the best quad out there. They can seem expensive enough but they are built to last. I know a guy who has a 98' honda from new and he rides the ring out and it still going strong!
Expect to pay a bit along with 2k for a decent bike, that with a bit of tlc will last a lifetime.

Twinloop98 · 16-10-2009 8:03pm

Im looking specifically for a Honda Foreman 500cc with the manual gears with low hrs, anyone know of any mint ones for sale?

vanderbadger · 17-10-2009 8:09pm

have a yamaha kodiak 450..great bike, got it absolutely swamped the other evening and she still pulled out, it automatic and very easy to drive..never owned a honda but the 450 foreman is a legend , the newer models supposed to be rubbish compared to it.

irish_bob · 17-10-2009 8:39pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

have a yamaha kodiak 450..great bike, got it absolutely swamped the other evening and she still pulled out, it automatic and very easy to drive..never owned a honda but the 450 foreman is a legend , the newer models supposed to be rubbish compared to it.

we have a honda 450 on the home farm , while a very reliable machine , an absolute pig to ride , steering is akin to a cement mixer but then again honda were never the most refined of all the quads , the 450 was often refered to as being agricultural

westwicklow · 25-10-2009 9:34am

Anyone use a diesel quad? Would be very handy for filling up with farm diesel- for off road use only of course! :rolleyes:

irish_bob · 25-10-2009 11:52am

westwicklow wrote: »

Anyone use a diesel quad? Would be very handy for filling up with farm diesel- for off road use only of course! :rolleyes:

thier are no diesel quads , they made some a number of years back but they were not a success

you can however get what they call a gator which runs on diesel , thier twice the price of a quad though , around 12k new

westwicklow · 25-10-2009 5:56pm

No diesel quads??????????????? :eek:

djmc · 25-10-2009 6:23pm

I think there are a few around but not that common
Polaras made them years ago but they were not supposed to be great

http://www.farmandplant.ie/Car_Detail.aspx?ID=2041964

http://www.dieselquads.com/1430/frames.php
As irish bob said there are jonn deere gators and kawasaki mule in diesel also
but are dearer than quads

DanFindy · 27-10-2009 7:07pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

have a yamaha kodiak 450..great bike, got it absolutely swamped the other evening and she still pulled out, it automatic and very easy to drive..never owned a honda but the 450 foreman is a legend , the newer models supposed to be rubbish compared to it.

Ive a Kodiak too and they are a brilliant bike, auto leavin er v easy to ride and it does select power and speed very well, also is 2 or 4 wd which is good for road use, honda are a good quad but as irishbob says there a pig to ride horrible steering, i think my kodiak also has a nicer riding position than my mates 450 and my bike is waaaaaaaaaaaaay better in sticky situations and me mate will freely admit to that, honda quads are like toyota cars and massey trctors they got a good me but are not necessarily any better any more !!

vanderbadger · 28-10-2009 12:53pm

DanFindy wrote: »

Ive a Kodiak too and they are a brilliant bike, auto leavin er v easy to ride and it does select power and speed very well, also is 2 or 4 wd which is good for road use, honda are a good quad but as irishbob says there a pig to ride horrible steering, i think my kodiak also has a nicer riding position than my mates 450 and my bike is waaaaaaaaaaaaay better in sticky situations and me mate will freely admit to that, honda quads are like toyota cars and massey trctors they got a good me but are not necessarily any better any more !!

like your taste there dan

how often do you service your one and do you get someone to do it for you, that tinney crowd up your way are agents for yamaha i think

irish_bob · 28-10-2009 7:52pm

DanFindy wrote: »

Ive a Kodiak too and they are a brilliant bike, auto leavin er v easy to ride and it does select power and speed very well, also is 2 or 4 wd which is good for road use, honda are a good quad but as irishbob says there a pig to ride horrible steering, i think my kodiak also has a nicer riding position than my mates 450 and my bike is waaaaaaaaaaaaay better in sticky situations and me mate will freely admit to that, honda quads are like toyota cars and massey trctors they got a good me but are not necessarily any better any more !!

honda havent been any better than yamaha this years and they say the new hondas are not as good as yamaha but honda hold thier value like no other bike , you will buy a 2nd hand yamaha or suzuki ( which is a perfectly good bike too ) much cheaper than a honda

polaris are a lovely bike to ride but they are not as reliable as the big three and thier are very few dealers in the country , kawasaki have no dealers in the republic at all

maidhc · 29-10-2009 12:40am

I know this probably a silly question.... but what does a quad do and why would someone buy one?

cartonj · 29-10-2009 5:00am

I recently bought a Polaris d-bat diesel quad a very rare machine in Ireland.
Although it is quite noisy and slow in comparison to petrol versions it is unbelievably well made and would go anywhere.
Very light on diesel too.

I'd recommend one for farm use if you can find one.

DanFindy · 29-10-2009 10:42am

maidhc wrote: »

I know this probably a silly question.... but what does a quad do and why would someone buy one?

A quad can travel wet ground and hilly mountain ground leaving a very light print, they are quick and manoeverable round the farm for bringing in stricken stock etc, can be used to spray rushes spread fertiliser muck out small yards etc, Main plus is they are very light and can work in fields tractors would make a mess of, And farmers kinda like them

DanFindy · 29-10-2009 10:44am

vanderbadger wrote: »

like your taste there dan how often do you service your one and do you get someone to do it for you, that tinney crowd up your way are agents for yamaha i think

Aye i get any bits i need through tinneys, i service it myself twice a year which is prob too often cos the bike does very little

vanderbadger · 29-10-2009 11:36am

maidhc wrote: »

I know this probably a silly question.... but what does a quad do and why would someone buy one?

well I work full time so often use it during the summer to go to the far end of the place and do herding, its a nice old trek, did a little bit of spraying and alot of licking rushes etc this year, also have a little trailer for it which is really handy, floatation tyres on it it never leaves a mark anywhere, just the other night had a calf born outside in field, popped her in trailer and back into yard with cow following after it, it hauls the bins down to the road every week also as Im a nice bit off main road and truck wont come to my place to collect, there is no job i couldnt do without it I suppose but i find it a handy old thing and the trailer especially saves putting transport box on and off for small jobs

maidhc · 29-10-2009 3:45pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

well I work full time so often use it during the summer to go to the far end of the place and do herding, its a nice old trek, did a little bit of spraying and alot of licking rushes etc this year, also have a little trailer for it which is really handy, floatation tyres on it it never leaves a mark anywhere, just the other night had a calf born outside in field, popped her in trailer and back into yard with cow following after it, it hauls the bins down to the road every week also as Im a nice bit off main road and truck wont come to my place to collect, there is no job i couldnt do without it I suppose but i find it a handy old thing and the trailer especially saves putting transport box on and off for small jobs

I get you.

We just use a tractor for those jobs, but I think we are fortunate with access and the land being quite dry.

Sisu200 · 30-10-2009 10:31am

Are Honda really that bad, I realise their is alot of plastic on them compared to their predecessor, has anyone had any mechanical problems?

I had a Kawasaki KLF 300 in 2003(what an absolute pile of junk)

I bought a new TRX250 in 2004, mighty little bike, could not fault it at all

I bought a 500 in 2005 as I got a spreader and could not work it with the 250. I think it's a great bike, have had no issues at all apart from the dog ate the seat of it while I was at work one day, is this classed a major flaw:), I just bought a new seat and shot the dog;) (please note I am been sarcastic about shooting the dog)

But in all honesty I agree the Honda have too much plastic and so on but have bullet proof mechnics, easy to service, try and get the hands on the 450 standard shift great bike,

and on the point of what are quads used for, well this is the type of weather you would be glad to have a quad, cattle get used to them and as part-time farmers it is easier to mangage the herd on a bike than getting our wellys stuck in very wet bad land

irish_bob · 30-10-2009 10:35am

Sisu200 wrote: »

Are Honda really that bad, I realise their is alot of plastic on them compared to their predecessor, has anyone had any mechanical problems?

I had a Kawasaki KLF 300 in 2003(what an absolute pile of junk)

I bought a new TRX250 in 2004, mighty little bike, could not fault it at all

I bought a 500 in 2005 as I got a spreader and could not work it with the 250. I think it's a great bike, have had no issues at all apart from the dog ate the seat of it while I was at work one day, is this classed a major flaw:), I just bought a new seat and shot the dog;)

But in all honesty I agree the Honda have too much plastic and so on but have bullet proof mechnics, easy to service, try and get the hands on the 450 standard shift great bike,

and on the point of what are quads used for, well this is the type of weather you would be glad to have a quad, cattle get used to them and as part-time farmers it is easier to mangage the herd on a bike than getting our wellys stuck in very wet bad land

honda are a great bike , the point is they are not any better than a yamaha and perhaps a suzuki but are much more expensive 2nd hand , as for the plastics , the honda are the best when it comes to the plastics , more robust , the plastics on the suzuki are like paper

ps , you shot a dog for eating a seat :eek:

Sisu200 · 30-10-2009 3:34pm

irish_bob wrote: »

honda are a great bike , the point is they are not any better than a yamaha and perhaps a suzuki but are much more expensive 2nd hand , as for the plastics , the honda are the best when it comes to the plastics , more robust , the plastics on the suzuki are like paper

ps , you shot a dog for eating a seat :eek:

I was never on a Suzuki, only the 2 wheel type,, Honda are way overpriced second hand, I wish they did not put so much plastic into them:rolleyes:, but the one gripe I have with all quads is the way they retain dirt around the suspension joints, I mean little corners start rusting where moisture starts accumalating, I bought the Kawasaki privately, it was a clean bike, or so I thought, when I got it home and had a good look at it, the suspension joints onto the chassis were painted over, they had rusted through, just something to be wary off,

PS please note the

;);););) in my previous reply, as much as I should have shot the dog, I didnt, he got a boot up the hole, he has since ate the bottom out of serveral doors and tore bales of silage, me and the dog don't get on:D:D

vanderbadger · 30-10-2009 3:37pm

in general you have to say honda make great stuff, their lawnmowers last forever compared to alot of ****e on the market

Sisu200 · 30-10-2009 3:42pm

That is true, the honda engine, in an ATV or mixer, genertor etc, is great stuff, but I dont know if anyone here has or had an MF 700 quad, diesel, they have a 3 cylinder Yanmar engine in them, I think they are built on a polaris chassis??, they are supposed to be a strong basic bike, are a bit on the heavy side though

irish_bob · 30-10-2009 7:44pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

in general you have to say honda make great stuff, their lawnmowers last forever compared to alot of ****e on the market

hate to bust your bubble but honda lawnmoweres are castlegarden with a honda badge and red colour , so too are john deere and massey , all have briggs and stratton engines which are fine but castlegarden are a cheaper type of lawnmower , wouldnt be a huge fan myself , snapper or simplicity , now those are good mowers

irish_bob · 30-10-2009 7:46pm

Sisu200 wrote: »

That is true, the honda engine, in an ATV or mixer, genertor etc, is great stuff, but I dont know if anyone here has or had an MF 700 quad, diesel, they have a 3 cylinder Yanmar engine in them, I think they are built on a polaris chassis??, they are supposed to be a strong basic bike, are a bit on the heavy side though

they dont make them anymore and you could count on one hand the number which were sold in this country

Sisu200 · 30-10-2009 8:12pm

irish_bob wrote: »

they dont make them anymore and you could count on one hand the number which were sold in this country

They were fairly pushing them at the ploughing last year, wouldnt be a fan of the auto box on these types of big quad, same as Honda TRX 400, hydrostatic I think

Username John · 03-11-2009 7:03pm

Hello all,

So - as a lot of people here, I am debating getting a quad.

Reasons are reduce time spent checking on things, and I guess there is a bit of laziness in there as well... :rolleyes:

Now, I know absolutely nothing about them... so I would appreciate any help or advice you could offer.

I wouldn't plan on doing any majorly heavy work with it, mainly for herding, spraying, pulling a small trailer...
Our land wouldn't be very wet, but it would be fairly high.

I have heard that a 250cc 2WD quad would be fine for most jobs, its when you get into pulling very heavy loads, such as a fertiliser spinner or heavy trailer that you need 4WD. Is this fair to say?

OR would I better off just going with a 300cc 4WD and be done with it...?

Finally - this crowd seem to have a lot of Quads - http://www.hourigansmotorcycles.com/Quads_%28ATV_s%29.html

Would appreciate if anyone has any info on em, what are they like to deal with, etc. I guess PM me if you can, cos not sure o company info on the open boards...

Thanks in advance...

mooverlive · 03-11-2009 8:19pm

hey there hourigan cycles are near me dont deal with them personaly but they are in buisness for close on 30 years so must b doing something right only in last number of years they moved into quads but ask any biker in munster and they know them . they have a big ad in farm and plant hope that helps

irish_bob · 03-11-2009 9:09pm

Username John wrote: »

Hello all,

So - as a lot of people here, I am debating getting a quad.

Reasons are reduce time spent checking on things, and I guess there is a bit of laziness in there as well... :rolleyes:

Now, I know absolutely nothing about them... so I would appreciate any help or advice you could offer.

I wouldn't plan on doing any majorly heavy work with it, mainly for herding, spraying, pulling a small trailer...
Our land wouldn't be very wet, but it would be fairly high.

I have heard that a 250cc 2WD quad would be fine for most jobs, its when you get into pulling very heavy loads, such as a fertiliser spinner or heavy trailer that you need 4WD. Is this fair to say?

OR would I better off just going with a 300cc 4WD and be done with it...?

Finally - this crowd seem to have a lot of Quads - http://www.hourigansmotorcycles.com/Quads_%28ATV_s%29.html

Would appreciate if anyone has any info on em, what are they like to deal with, etc. I guess PM me if you can, cos not sure o company info on the open boards...

Thanks in advance...

i know someone who bales silage on the country and sheep farms aswell , they bought a honda 250 2wd at the begining of thie year and reckon its the best machine they ever bought , they too are mostly herding and also toe a small trailer for lambs but the same trailer would bring calves etc , unless you land is very soft then a 2wd should suffice and a 250 beit a honda or an equivelent yamaha or suzuki would definatley do , small bikes are easier to run , they are also much nicer to drive , lighter steering , you can pick up a honda 250 brand new right now for around 4500 or less , you could get a quality 2nd hand in a private sale for half that , best place to look is donedeal.ie

Ashill5 · 03-11-2009 9:42pm

I bought a new Suzuki 400 this year and find it great. I have done a good bit of work with it and find it very reliable.:D Would be very carefull buying 2nd hand as you might be buying somebody's else's trouble. You could get a new Suzuki 400 for less than 6k and have your warrenty with it. Bought mine off Ken O'Neill's in Miltown, Co.Kerry and found them good to deal with.:)

vanderbadger · 04-11-2009 12:53pm

irish_bob wrote: »

hate to bust your bubble but honda lawnmoweres are castlegarden with a honda badge and red colour , so too are john deere and massey , all have briggs and stratton engines which are fine but castlegarden are a cheaper type of lawnmower , wouldnt be a huge fan myself , snapper or simplicity , now those are good mowers

checked the engine the other evening, labeled honda gcv 520 so seems like a honda engine to me

fastrac · 04-11-2009 1:13pm

mooverlive wrote: »

hey there hourigan cycles are near me dont deal with them personaly but they are in buisness for close on 30 years so must b doing something right only in last number of years they moved into quads but ask any biker in munster and they know them . they have a big ad in farm and plant hope that helps

Really good back up.Wet land all round there so lots of Quads.Seen some class jap imports there with all the add ons.Spoke to a mechanic there and Bag manure is their big problem rotting all before it especially guys with older spreaders where it ends up on the bike.You should see the state of some of the bikes guys bring in for repairs

Quad/atv recommendations

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