u/AngryDog69

I'm psyched!

I really hope I can keep it this beautiful for as long as possible!

It's #1015 out of 1400 made.

Next hit to my wallet will be accessories. Suggestions?

I'm psyched!

Thanks to everyone in this community that helped me in my journey to finding the bike for me!

I really hope I can keep it this beautiful for as long as possible!

Next hit to my wallet will be accessories. Suggestions?

I recently bought 47 acres of wooded land in New England and I’m looking for a used ATV that can be more of a workhorse than a weekend cruiser.

Primary uses would be trail/property work, hauling tools, pulling a small trailer, moving brush, dragging light material when needed, using a winch, and possibly plowing or trail clearing. I’m not looking to mud ride or go fast. I want something reliable, useful, and reasonably easy to maintain.

**EDIT** Given the used prices for the listings below, should I consider brand-new?

Here are the top options I’m considering based on postings for used machines on Craigslist:

1. 2020 Yamaha Kodiak 700 Special Edition - $7,500
Link: https://nh.craigslist.org/snw/d/hudson-yamaha-kodiak-700-special-edition/7931608563.html

• 52 hours / 382 miles
• Power steering
• Warn winch
• Rear storage seat
• 27-inch ITP Mud Lite tires
• Factory black alloy wheels
• High Lifter lift kit
• Seller says excellent condition, needs nothing
• No trades/offers

This seems like the most “ready to work” option. My only concern is the lift kit and whether that suggests mud use or extra CV/axle wear. (Owner replied re: lift kit: "It was mainly used for ice fishing so we added the lift kit for clearance and for the tires as they're a little bigger.")

2. 2022 Honda Rubicon - $7,000
Link: https://nh.craigslist.org/snw/d/laconia-honda-rubicon/7926797698.html

• 154 miles
• Excellent condition
• Automatic or manual shift
• Seller says they are selling because they don’t use it enough
• Sparse listing, so I still need to confirm exact trim, EPS, paperwork/title, and whether it has any accessories

This seems like the safest long-term reliability play if the paperwork is clean and it has power steering. But it may need a winch, storage, tires, etc. added.

3. 2014 Polaris Sportsman 850HO XP EPS EFI - $5,900
Link: https://nh.craigslist.org/snw/d/newbury-2014-polaris-sportsman-850ho-xp/7927430851.html

• Seller told me 279 hours / 2,170 miles
• EPS
• Winch
• Plow
• Rear chains
• Heated grips
• Upgraded LED lights
• 2-up seat with storage
• Seller says excellent condition, adult owned/ridden, plastics intact

This is probably the most work-ready machine for the money, but the hours/miles and plow setup make me wonder about belt/clutch/front diff/CV wear.

4. 2018 Arctic Cat Alterra VLX 700 - $4,950
Link: https://nh.craigslist.org/snw/d/weare-2018-arctic-cat-alterra-vlx-700/7928069497.html

• 292 miles
• EPS
• CVT
• 2WD/4WD on the fly
• Front and rear racks
• Front poly basket
• Gun/bow holders
• Tires in good shape
• Seller describes it as a workhorse

This looks like a lot of machine for the money. Concern is parts/dealer support and resale compared with Yamaha/Honda/Polaris due to the recent private equity acquisition.

5. 2019 Polaris Sportsman 570 Touring EPS - $6,000 OBO
Link: https://nh.craigslist.org/snw/d/goffstown-2019-polaris-sportsman-570/7930603387.html

• 700 miles
• 2-up Touring model
• Power steering
• Push-button 4WD
• Engine braking
• 3,000 lb winch with handlebar controls
• Practically new 6-ply tires
• Garage kept, 2-owner machine
• Seller says it needs nothing

This seems like a solid middle-ground option. Concern is whether the longer Touring chassis is annoying in tighter wooded trails.

6. 2014 Polaris Sportsman 850 H.O. from dealer - $5,999
Link: https://philbrickmotorsports.com/atvs/

• 878 miles / 163.5 hours
• Recent service: brake pads all around, high beam bulb, tie rod kit, oil change
• Dealer listing
• Need to confirm EPS, winch/accessories, belt/clutch condition, front end tightness, and overall history

This has the power, but fresh tie rods and brakes at relatively low mileage make me wonder if it was worked hard, plowed heavily, or had front-end stress.

My current thinking is:

• Kodiak 700 is probably the best “buy once and use it” option.
• Honda Rubicon might be the best long-term reliability option if it has EPS and clean paperwork.
• Newbury Sportsman 850 is tempting because it already has plow/winch/chains/storage, but the hours and plow use make me cautious.
• Arctic Cat 700 is probably the best value, but I’m unsure about parts/support long term.
• Sportsman 570 Touring is a dark horse, but maybe not ideal for tight woods.
• Philbrick 850 is probably lower priority unless it checks out really clean.

For people who use ATVs for actual property work, what would you buy and why? Anything here you’d avoid? Also, what specific inspection items would you focus on for these machines before buying?

Edited: Added this table for easy comparison.

#	ATV	Price	Use / mileage	Key features & accessories	Main upside	Main concern	Current read
1	2020 Yamaha Kodiak 700 Special Edition	$7,500	52 hrs / 382 mi	Power steering, Warn winch, rear storage seat, 27" ITP Mud Lite tires, factory black alloy wheels, High Lifter lift kit	Most “ready to work” option; low hours, good accessories, strong Yamaha reliability	Lift kit and bigger tires could mean extra CV/axle wear, though seller says it was for ice fishing clearance	Likely best overall choice if clean underneath
2	2022 Honda Rubicon	$7,000	154 mi	Automatic/manual shift; seller says excellent condition and not used enough	Safest long-term reliability/resale play; very low miles	Sparse listing. Need to confirm exact trim, EPS, paperwork/registration, and accessories	Could be #1 if it has EPS and clean paperwork
3	2014 Polaris Sportsman 850HO XP EPS EFI	$5,900	279 hrs / 2,170 mi	EPS, winch, plow, rear chains, heated grips, upgraded LED lights, 2-up seat with storage	Most work-ready setup for the money; already equipped for property/plow use	Higher hours/miles, older machine, plow use could mean belt/clutch/front diff/CV wear	Good value if mechanically tight, but inspect hard
4	2018 Arctic Cat Alterra VLX 700	$4,950	292 mi	EPS, CVT, 2WD/4WD on the fly, front/rear racks, front poly basket, gun/bow holders, good tires	A lot of machine for the money; low miles, 700-class utility ATV	Parts/dealer support and resale weaker than Yamaha/Honda/Polaris	Best value play if support risk is acceptable
5	2019 Polaris Sportsman 570 Touring EPS	$6,000 OBO	700 mi	2-up Touring model, power steering, push-button 4WD, engine braking, 3,000 lb winch, handlebar controls, nearly new 6-ply tires, garage kept	Solid middle-ground machine with the right utility features	Longer Touring chassis may be less convenient in tight wooded trails	Good dark horse, especially if price moves
6	2014 Polaris Sportsman 850 H.O. from Philbrick	$5,999	163.5 hrs / 878 mi	Recent brake pads all around, high beam bulb, tie rod kit, oil change; dealer listing	Big power, known recent service, dealer sale	Need to confirm EPS, winch/accessories, belt/clutch condition, and front-end history. Fresh tie rods/brakes at low mileage are a yellow flag	Worth a look, but lower priority than Kodiak/Honda/Newbury Polaris