4-Wheeler vs. Side by Side

This seems to be a hot question, I know of at least two threads on here with the same question. I prefer a Side by Side, they can be street legal, are safer, and easy to carry equipment and other people.

Scott Ellis, post: 422781, member: 7154 wrote: This seems to be a hot question, I know of at least two threads on here with the same question. I prefer a Side by Side, they can be street legal, are safer, and easy to carry equipment and other people.

What did you have to do to make yours street legal?

Anyone in North Carolina done this?

I used a lot of side by sides in the desert on large dirt projects, there ability to carry a lot of equipment
was paramount. In my opinion the John Deere (diesel) and the Polaris side by sides were the best, they
would go anywhere and I do mean tested anywhere without getting stuck. the Kubota side by side
and the Kawasaki mule side by side I was not a fan of, they both had low center heights and was always
getting stuck. just my 0.02 cents.

It really depends on what you do, each work well, my 4 wheeler is licensed, so I can drive it on the road. Sometimes I would like a side by side, but you need a trailer and they (mule) can really get stuck in the snow:(

Have you seen the new http://www.polaris.com/en-us/atv-quad/sportsman-6x6-big-boss-570-eps-sage-green
I thought about getting one of these.

John Giles, post: 422789, member: 57 wrote: Have you seen the new http://www.polaris.com/en-us/atv-quad/sportsman-6x6-big-boss-570-eps-sage-green
I thought about getting one of these.

That looks interesting, may need to do a little research on that one.

https://surveyorconnect.com/community/threads/side-by-side-atv-questions.329766/

The off road transport system is a personal choice.

There is size, purpose, use and transporting to and from jobsite factors that make each person's choice differ in many ways.

I can assure you that not having either is a disadvantage.

I have a 2wd Honda Rancher with racks on back and front that hold boxes and it gets from the end of the road to where ever I need to go along with most every tool, food and water I will need for the day.

A big plus is that if I have forgotten something, a ride back to the truck will fix that.

I've had a couple thousand hours on both. Utv is the way to go for surveying, not much fun to drive, I do miss an atv for the sheer fun. Driven gas JD gators and they lack power and durability. Have a polaris ranger and I can't say enough good things. 540hrs 2k miles and hardly been worked on.

I reviewed the Feb thread and I believe there are a couple of other things to consider when making your choice (these issues may have been discussed in an even earlier thread, if so, they merit repeating). If you are running in difficult terrain, the ATV allows you to stand up. This gives you two advantages - 1. Better visibility of the obstacles; 2. Better absorption of bumps (bend those knees instead of just taking it in the seat of the pants).

I must admit that there are many times when it would be nice to have a cab - this day wasn't one of them. And there are days when it would be nice to have a bed.

Regardless of which way you go, be sure to charge enough so that those machines are well maintained and ready to go. There are a lot of costs associated with ATV/SBS setups - purchase cost, maintenance, repairs, special tools, storage, spare parts, insurance, customization, getting unstuck, training, and the time to have someone coordinate all of that. And of course the trailer you need to haul it to the job site (w/trailer maintenance, insurance, registration, etc.)Despite your best efforts, unless you are just using them on gentle terrain; you WILL break them - axles, A-arms, rims, frames, transmissions, grip heaters, windshields, steering rods, mufflers, foot rests, all of it - but you can minimize the number of times it happens in the field by changing fluids on/ahead of schedule, and inspecting the machines daily.

Broken while hauling supplies/gear to set class A/B SS drive rods.

Preventative maintenance is critical - you don't want to be unable to work because your machine doesn't work. Be sure to charge enough to pay for the crew time when they are getting unstuck - we never charge the client for crew time when we are down. We charge enough on the daily rate so that we can pay for the parts, repairs, downtime, when the inevitable mechanical or operator failure occurs. $250/day is not unreasonable and may be low. When the terrain/project is such that the ATV/SBS is warranted, the client will easily save more than $500 in crew time each day (that's 2 ATVs) unless your crew rate is very low.

I challenge you to find someone who will customize an ATV/SBS to your specs, keep it in good running order, provide it and a trailer at your office when you want it, and keep it available exclusively for you whenever you need it for $300 per day.

Run them in pairs - when they do break - you need to be able to tow the dead one back - when you can't tow the dead one back, you need to be able to ride back for parts and tools - they always break miles from the truck. When they get stuck - you may need the second one to get the first one out.

The more I think about it, the more I think horses may be the way to go.

The question to me boils down to where most of your work is performed. I would prefer a side by side but have gone with the smallest, lightest weight ATV I could find. Being able to actually drive in the woods where there are no trails and fit between the trees is paramount. Light enough to lift over logs and out of mud holes. Did just that Saturday carrying heavy tools to set corners that would have been out of the question walking and impossible to get to with a side by side.

I had both when I owned my solo firm. I still have the ATV, but sold the side by side. It was am American Sportworks Bulldog 700 4x4. I put it through some tests, and it NEVER got stuck, but I did use a lot of common sense. I was the owner, and paying for it, so I did not abuse it. That particular model rode pretty rough, but the price was right when I bought it, and it paid for itself on the first large construction job I had. Having a bed was pretty nice, and it would haul me and my buddy easily.

In the woods, I always used my Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4. It isn't the lightest, but is has rarely let me down. It is a 2002 model, maybe a 2003, and it has been indispensable. It was the backbone of my field equipment as far as transportation, and I could not have operated my solo firm in a rural area without it. My model has the on demand 4x4, so that is pretty nice. It finally needs some new brakes after 15 years, so it needs a little TLC, but starts right up every time I need it too, unless it's time for a new spark plug, or the battery has died. I would not hesitate to buy another Yamaha.

In the end, it depends on what your job requirements are. I purchased the side by side because I did a huge construction job where an ATV was not allowed, and I wasn't going to take my truck onsite. It was too rough, and too congested. The UTV was the answer in my opinion.

I would recommend this...Mule SX 4X4 XC

Adam, post: 422786, member: 8900 wrote: What did you have to do to make yours street legal?

Anyone in North Carolina done this?

Ours is not street legal, but I believe all you need is brake lights, turn lights, headlights and some mirrors. seatbelts. I have seen kits to make Side by Sides street legal.

Tractors are "street legal", if they have that triangle on the back.
I have a red tractor, with a "slow moving vehicle" trangle on the back.
It's 4 ft wide. 4 wheel drive.
800cc. And, it can go 65 mph.
I have a flashing led light on it.
It has over 5500 land survey miles on it...

James Vianna, post: 422836, member: 120 wrote: The question to me boils down to where most of your work is performed. I would prefer a side by side but have gone with the smallest, lightest weight ATV I could find. Being able to actually drive in the woods where there are no trails and fit between the trees is paramount. Light enough to lift over logs and out of mud holes. Did just that Saturday carrying heavy tools to set corners that would have been out of the question walking and impossible to get to with a side by side.

James has this 100%, just look at your workload. If you are in the open country, or mostly construction surveying, then a UTV is acceptable, so find one you can get on-off easily. If you are intending on crawling through the woods, or a lot of hills/mountains then a ATV is by far the best choice. Go with a small one, and preferably with independant suspension and winch. Metal racks are a must.

We have one of the Polaris Big Boss 6x6. They turn like a whale! The two real axles pushing fights the front wheels making the turn. But it will sure power through lots of stuff, and carrys a lots of stuff in the bed. It will climb a hill so steep the carberator can't keep fuel going to the motor. (it is a late 90's model). We used to have a polaris ranger, but we always had trouble with the radiator getting stopped up with grass seed, and it caused overheating issues, daily between may and september. The other issue with a side by side was it was just sometimes too wide to go where we needed. And it always took a trailer to get it to the field. An ATV I can carry in the back of the truck, and it fits in more places. (yeah, ya'll all know my prefrence is a horse, but that wasn't asked)

My recommendation is buy a good, small, lightweight, cheap one.
Something in the 250 cc to 500cc range.
Try it out. Figure it out. If you LIKE it, then get a big one. Either side by side, or regular. But, the little one can be a backup, and a great not too expensive one to get your feet wet on. (Literally) cause, if it's 2wd, you will have wet feet!
N

The biggest problem that I have with our side X side, (Kawasaki Mule 4 seater) is that it's just too big get into tight areas if need be. Also; it's tough to transport from office to job site because of the size of the trailer that is needed. It's quite scary how some guys get behind the wheel of a truck and trailer and have virtually no experience doing so.

On the plus side, it is safe for your employees, and you can carry everything needed. Re-sale is much better on a side x side then an ATV as well if you decide that it's not for you. Like [USER=7070]@StLSurveyor[/USER] posted, that looks like the perfect size that would fit all your land surveying needs.