I am looking for a good utility SxS for farm use. I have run my friends cabbed Kutota (RTV-1100C) a fair amount and find it to be slow and heavy with poor ground clearance. The weight works well pulling a small trailer but, it really crawls up a hill poorly and honestly only tops out ~16MPH on the county road between fields.
The Rangers look like they have a fair amount of clearance to avoid hitting the frame crossing washouts and the weight seems to be better for wet conditions so I don't get stuck as much. My friend is all about diesel "toys" and I own two Kubota tractors but, for a utility vehicle on a farm, I think it has some real compromises. The new Kubota SxS seem to have a lot of enhancements but, they are in the low to mid $20K range.
I have been offered a brand new off the dealer lot 2025 Ranger for $12,720 and the EPS model is $1500 more.
Is the extra $1500 worth it? Looking on the Polaris website, the main things I see are the power steering and a beefier bumper that I could mount a winch to. Both seem to have the guards and plates around vulnerable parts. What else might I be overlooking in terms of differences.
Do I really need power steering? With weight in the bed over the rear axle or with a small trailer, I am assuming manual steering doesn't get much heavier. What I wonder about is steering wheel kickback going over a downed limb in the grass or crossing a washout.
Thoughts and Advice? I know this is a Ranger forum but, I'm curious about other options as well. I see a lot of love and hate for CanAm, and I wonder about Kawsaki and Yamaha thinking Honda isn't really in this market segment. Then there are a lot of options from lawn mower companies, Korean tractor brands, and other sources. I don't really want a "grey market" import that won't have a dealer in the USA in a few years so, I am only considering recognized brands outside the norm like Clubcar, Cadet mowers, and similar options against the Ranger.
TIA,
Sid
The Rangers look like they have a fair amount of clearance to avoid hitting the frame crossing washouts and the weight seems to be better for wet conditions so I don't get stuck as much. My friend is all about diesel "toys" and I own two Kubota tractors but, for a utility vehicle on a farm, I think it has some real compromises. The new Kubota SxS seem to have a lot of enhancements but, they are in the low to mid $20K range.
I have been offered a brand new off the dealer lot 2025 Ranger for $12,720 and the EPS model is $1500 more.
Is the extra $1500 worth it? Looking on the Polaris website, the main things I see are the power steering and a beefier bumper that I could mount a winch to. Both seem to have the guards and plates around vulnerable parts. What else might I be overlooking in terms of differences.
Do I really need power steering? With weight in the bed over the rear axle or with a small trailer, I am assuming manual steering doesn't get much heavier. What I wonder about is steering wheel kickback going over a downed limb in the grass or crossing a washout.
Thoughts and Advice? I know this is a Ranger forum but, I'm curious about other options as well. I see a lot of love and hate for CanAm, and I wonder about Kawsaki and Yamaha thinking Honda isn't really in this market segment. Then there are a lot of options from lawn mower companies, Korean tractor brands, and other sources. I don't really want a "grey market" import that won't have a dealer in the USA in a few years so, I am only considering recognized brands outside the norm like Clubcar, Cadet mowers, and similar options against the Ranger.
TIA,
Sid
