Working quad: what do you recommend?

[FROSTY:Me]

My dad has got to the stage his hips are giving him a bit of shit. But he still needs to get from one end to the other of the place in Mangawhai.(its 50 acres) Sometimes hauling a small trailer I've suggested what he needs is a smaller sized lekkie start working quad. What would you guys suggest ?

[oldguy]

this would be better but they not cheap,

[cheese]

Dad has got one of the Honda ones which are nice, but the gear level is a pain in the ass.

[phill-k]

My place is quite steep in places but we have tracks around the property and I'd be lost without our Suzuki 300 kingquad, has high low & superlow its clutch-less five gears and gives you the facility to lock the diff, we tow an 8x4 trailer and I've been known to load it to the max with firewood with no problems just need to take it easy when on steep slopes.

[mfordy]

I've got a Kawasaki KLF300 with clutchless 5 speed, lockable diff 2wd. Great bike. Does everything around my block eg spraying, harrowing etc.
Great machine for flattening the takeoffs on our motox track!..

[CookMySock]

I think he'd be better off in an old landrover or similar. Somewhere to put his thermos and sandwich. Dog can ride out of the rain. Enough room in the back to not need a trailer most of the time. Can listen to the radio. Much more comfy. Theres something about idling around farms in old landrovers..

Steve

[RJM]

Really depends on budget but last year I was lucky enough to have a demo Honda TRX680 at my disposal for a weekend in a forest in Wanganui. Wow what a machine. Heaps of torque, great acceleration, full auto was incredibly smooth and had tiptronic selection which I liked for going down steep hills. Also could select 2wd/4wd at the flick of a small switch. Was a great work horse for the weekend.

[FROSTY:Me]

what year? what sorta money?

[soundbeltfarm]

I've had a few different farm quads and if it just basically a people mover get a small bike.
the older hondas seem to last forever.
i have a an auto suzi now and i would never look back to manual, ebven though i said i'd never go auto.
the yamaha auto seems to really wine until it starts moving .
even a secong hand kawasaki mule would be good for him, tray on back , seats like a car and steering wheel.
they suck for chasing stock though and if you are spreading urea they suck also.
the king quads are a good cheap bike with 4wd but they end up bloody rude with the independant rear suspension after a few tears of towing.
the thing i have found with all the bikes is keep moving the levers eg, we had a kawasaki klf and never used the diff lock= bad move it all seized up and was shit.
the klf is a good cheap bike too.
if you looking at second hand try to stay away from dairy farm bikes, the shit stuffs them.
i drilled holes in all the bushes and put grease nipples in. once a month i loosen the bolts and give couple grease pumps. do them up and they magic.
also on the suzi they have a shithouse nylon bush on the top of the steering shaft and water sits in there and pits the shaft which flogs the bush.
alot of people down here get it lathed and put a stainless sleeve on the shaft and it problem fixed.

[RJM]

what year? what sorta money?

I was on a demo so it was a 2009 approx $17k but have seen a couple of 2007's around the 10k mark on TradeMe.

[oldguy]

check these out
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-266643562.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-265271399.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-266305832.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-266999023.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-266532219.htm

I like the look of the last one.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-266607513.htm

[Shane06]

maybe a banshee

[ChurchurDan]

The Suzuki carry would be my pick. Or the subaru version, i cant remember what they are called. Those Taska's are piles of crap. The other option which a lot of farmers around here do is by a crash damaged suzuki vitara and beat the dents out.