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Polaris Ranger
We purchased a new 2007 Polaris Ranger 500 to replace a
2000 Polaris Sportsmen 500 because of it's versatility in that we use this
equipment all year long. Thus far it has exceeded my expectations on the tasks
accomplished to date. We had been told to stay away from the 500 because it
would lack the necessary power to accomplish larger tasks.
Don't let anyone fool you into this way of thinking. With
better than 25 loads of green firewood (we also put stake racks on to haul
wood) it has more than enough power to do any job. If you decide to load her
up good and high, you will need to unload so much before the dump box can do
it's job.
The only problem I have encountered thus far is being able
to try out the 4-wheel drive. 99% of the time the machine is in the one
wheel drive selection and is going places we have to use the 4-wheel drive
on our four-wheelers. I did have to carry the chainsaw with me the first time on
our four wheeler trails to widen the corners because of a larger turning
radius. On the straight away...it did great.
The other issue is the need for a windshield. Here in NY,
you can't register the machine but can go where ever you please as long as
you have a slow moving sign on the back of the machine. With speeds in high
range in excess of 50 mph...you need to keep you mouth closed and have some
form of eye protection from the bugs smacking you in the face.
There are a lot of options available for this unit and can
either be purchased through your dealer or on-line such as eBay. My brother-in-law bought the 2008 at the same time and had
it equipped with the front or rear mounted winch. My hat goes off to Polaris on this one.
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An Update:
Well its been a year now and with close to
223 hours on the machine I can now say with confidence...you really can't go
wrong here on buying this machine. The thing you really need to take into
consideration before going out and buying is what are you really going to
use it for.
I wanted something that could carry at
least three hunters (carries six when using the tailgate) in the front seat,
so I wanted a bench seat. The only two that cater to this crowd last year
was Kawasaki and Polaris. I also wanted a machine that could easily haul my
ladder stands and do firewood in the off season....this machine performed
great.
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The New York Hunter
