we used mostly Yamaha's and 6 wheel gators on our construction sites over tha years and you can't imagine tha abuse they took.. tha yamahas stood up a little better but seemed like they weren't abused "quite " as bad.. gators were used more in tha "mud" pre concrete................... jmo.

If you're gonna get one, go ahead and pay for the independent 4 wheel suspension. I think all mfg's make that now. You simply cannot believe the difference it makes.

Looks great! I have that same model but an 2001.
They're hard to kill!
I also found out most drink cups fit snug right behind the headlights.

[quote=Okie Poke]Kawasaki all day. Especially if you have a dealer in town. This Mule is a 2004 and has purred like a cat for almost 20 years without any problems, whatsoever. Tune it up every 2 years and they will last forever. I'm now looking for a newer used one because wifey needs cupholders for her cold drinks. Really? Gotta make the wimmins happy...



Nice Mule, I wish Kawasaki made outboards, I would throw one on the back of a boat if they did.

There's your answer. You don't want to make a 100 mile round trip just for routine maintenance.

One thing I will warn you of if you have never owned a UTV - the accessories can cost as much as or more than the vehicle itself. When you start adding windscreens, gun racks, lights, doors, etc. it can get pretty crazy pretty quick.

At least you don't end up buying three of everything (two back ups) like you do with a boat.

What are you using it for? Big differences in machines.

Polaris all day. All I have is a Polaris dealership in town though, so I stick with them. If I need parts urgently, I can get them really quick.

Family ranch has owned probably 8 Kawasaki Mules and there have been no real issues. I run one at the deer lease. It's a great UTV, simple, reliable (slow), it gets stuff done, no frills.

We have owned Polaris, John Deere 825I, Fox Mule Pro and Can Am Defender. Of those 4 the order of preference is #1 Can Am, #2 Gator, #3 Fox Mule, and dead [censored] last Polaris.
We currently have 2 Can Am's and a Mule Pro at the ranch. Can AM in my opinion is way out in front of the other three.

I said Kawasaki based on the two, but I have heard a lot of good things about Yamaha never owned one though. We currently run Suzuki's and I wouldn't buy another Polaris POS if the were selling them for half off.

I have been shopping since I retired. Kinda depend on the job(s) you have in mind to do with your machine. For me here I want very good off capability and work around the place capabilities. After investigating since last fall my list of would haves are :

Honda Pioneer although I've been warned by at least one independent party to be wary of their car type transmissions. Its not the CVT found on everything else. Also no dealerships within 100 miles has had a Pioneer since October that I know of. I have 3 Honda 4 wheelers that have been bullet proof and 2 are over 22 the other is 17 years old and still perking.

Yamaha (Viking), Kawasaki Mule (can't find anyone to say anything bad about them), Kubota Sidekick 850, and a Can-AM.

I've been warned by several people that the Polaris were problems. One of my fishing buddies had issues with his and never even took it off road and babied it. Sold it after 4 or 5 years with less than 400 miles on it. The other guy was a foreman on electric transmission line construction/repair company. They had a fleet of side by sides and he said the Polaris were by far in the shop more than the other brands they had.

I demand dependability above everything else.

Dont count out the Kubota diesel UTV's. We run 8 of them 24/7 here at our plant with thousands of hours on them with no major issues.
But response to the OP question and having both, Polaris for power and handling and the Kawasaki for longevity.

I love sakis but, Kawasaki, Honda And Yamaha still 5years behind can am and Polaris on today’s machines,.. Fact.. the new Kawasaki and the new Honda pioneer are nice but just nowhere near on performance