New member here

[Willy M]

I've had an American Sportworks Trail master sxs for a couple years now and I'm too beat up from it's lack of suspension that I bought a Polaris Ranger and love it.

[Travis]

What kind of polaris do you have?

[Willy M]

Polaris Ranger 500 sxs with dump box. Great for hauling chainsaw, guns etc. I put one of those rubber atv gun mounts on the dash and the butt of the rifle sits on the floor, works great. The fold down windshield works well. Made an aluminum roof with 1/8" plate and a rear window of Lexan I cut and then used self tapping screws.  Goes 45mph!

[Willy M]

[Travis]

I have an ol' Mule 550. IT  goes  A WHOPPING 25 MPH!!!!  Currently rebuilding the engine on it.... I put a  gun rack on the back of mine: Kind of like this one. But mine are stacked vertical.

[Willy M]

dealer told me if the seat belt is not hooked up they will not go full speed. Can you post a pic of your gun rack on it? The U rubber mount I used was attached to the dash for quick access. The split folding windshield can be used to steady a rifle with the top half folded down.

25mph is plenty fast off road!

[Travis]

Thats cool about the seat belts! I get you pic in a minute! What kind of hunting do you do?

 

[Travis]

Here ya' go!

[Travis]

Here is one of how i attached it... Just a phillips head bolt big enough to go through the cage. i1 nut and 2 washers. I believe they are 1/4 ". cant remember. I carry a 20g  shotgun, and .22.

[Willy M]

Those racks look like they give you quick access to your rifles.

I've gone to a .17 HMR from a .22, no need to adjust  elevation for longer ranges and it shoots minute of squirrel.

I hunt deer, moose, turkey, geese. Virtually no grouse since fishers cleaned them out so a friend and trapper gets those.

[Travis]

I Hunt Deer,Dove, Squirrel, Fox, Coyote. Killed a 7 point buck last year. My first kill, gut shot em a little bit tho

I do get quick access the only thing i don't like is when is carry my shotgun in the case (fabric) i have to strap it in w/ a bungee cord cause the hooks don't hold it good....

 

 

Edited May 14, 2017 by KawieMan550

[Travis]

 i Put them red reflectors  on the Mule for added safety. You never know. I also put a Bicycle headlight where the mirror used to go, ( dang tree limbs)!  I used gorilla glue to attach it. BUT i want to put it on a swivel so i can move it around during the night while im driving. Oh, what CC is your engine?

[Willy M]

Great you got a good deer. Gut shot or not you got him and he didn't die hidden away. I find a deer stand the best, and a bag of cracked corn.

I'd like to get some coyote but they are very wary here, only hear them well after dark howling. Only one evening they came out before dark, got two with a .223 Winchester Model 70.

My Polaris has a 500cc engine, a single cylinder and liquid cooled.  My older Sportworks became difficult to find parts and can't get a front gas shock for the strut. I'll have to match one up, they most all have a 1 1/2" tube diameter but any shop here won't try to match them. Seems a 7 year old is obsolete in the world of Chinese made utv's. I'm told it's Chinese and only assembled in the US. Soon as I find a shock i'm selling it to help pay for the Polaris. It's tough as nails but so is the ride comfort. 

[Willy M]

I'm looking to make mud shields for the Polaris, the UHMW plastic is far too expensive.  I was told rink board (stops pucks) could work but comes in white color.

I'm sure 50 gal plastic drums can work if you can flatten out the plastic. Could also be used for skid plates under a UTV. Too bad no one sells templates for skid plates, don't want to flip mine over to measure.

[Travis]

Give this website a try if you ever need any parts. They are in Muskegon Michigan. That's where i got all my parts for my 550 Engine rebuild.

http://www.polarispartshouse.com/

Its run by a place called Babbitts online. Family owned business.

[Willy M]

Thanks i'll give them a try.

[Travis]

"I find a deer stand the best, and a bag of cracked corn. "

I shot mine from about 25' foot off the ground. about 30 yrds away. I saw him come through an opening, my heart started  BA BUMP BA BUMP BA BUMP BA

My brother had been putting out bags of whole corn in a feeder. got him around 5:00 5:30. PM

[Travis]

Got him with my Late Great- Grandfathers .308

[Willy M]

Always nice to use a rifle that's been in the family, seems to give a hunt more meaning.

[Willy M]

Pics taken this winter/spring from living room, turkeys about 85 yards out. Roof is 1/8" aluminum and rear window is Lexan, easy to cut and shape/edge with a 4" grinder with sanding disc.

[Willy M]

Just to add, with some of the remaining Lexan I made windows for the small cutouts directly below the roof and secured them with ShoeGoo.

No sense in having a windshield and roof and still have cold air blowing in on your face.

I'm trying to reproduce something like what they have here: https://www.utv-mudbusters.com/ranger-1/31zrwdbggw5jwtl4m7eolxpwz5a349

 

They look simple enough that a cutter and heat gun is all you need

[Travis]

Or you could buy factory made enclosures for the cheap price of $800

[Willy M]

Yes at $800 I'll take five or six accessories to start.  They have A/C for larger cc engines, heated steering wheel, you name it they've thought of it and had it made.

A fully accessorized UTV would cost double or more than the UTV itself!!

When did we stop using an old P/U truck with no doors or box? Or that old Pontiac sedan less its doors to run down the fields? They cost little to nothing and were built tougher and easier/simpler to repair.

[Willy M]

Seems the companies leave these UTVs unfinished, I call lack of mud guards, roof etc. missing parts. I'm sure their answer is it lowers the price of the UTV, yea just like selling a truck without a roof or wheel wells.

Seems the price of a new UTV equals a small new car, heck just take off some parts from a new car, sell the parts and you have what's left as a cheaper UTV but with stereo, wipers, turn signals, horn etc. Just jack up the suspension and paint it camo!

 

Am I crazy or is this true?

[Travis]

that is VERY true. BUT the place place for small parts like oil filter,fuel pump, and filter etc... is Amazon. I was looking for a new fuel pump for my 550. KPS wanted like $45. Amazon, $24.73!

I'm trying to remember,  I *think* the most expensive Kawasaki i've ever seen is the new Teryx SxS. i they are like $13,000. Can you believe that!  I can buy a used Truck for that. Or for less.

If i ever buy another UTV i WILL NOT go over the price of $7,000.

Here is the new teryx

[Willy M]

Not going over $7000 like I did previously to the Polaris you get UTVs without much dealer support after they are 6-7 years old. Made in China parts they stop making and is no cross reference to similar parts. Stick with a company that supports their products.

[Travis]

Thats why i like Kawasaki, keep making parts for about 20 years after release of the model....!

[vaughn]

On 5/13/2017 at 5:54 PM, Willy M said:

Seems a 7 year old is obsolete in the world of Chinese made utv's. I'm told it's Chinese and only assembled in the US.

 The American Sportworks is made in the U.S.A. except the engines that are sourced out. And I hope my 7 year old buggy is not obsolete. I can't afford anything newer.

[Travis]

Thats why i like Kawasaki, keep making parts for about 20 years after release of the model....!

 

[Willy M]

3 hours ago, vaughn said:

 The American Sportworks is made in the U.S.A. except the engines that are sourced out. And I hope my 7 year old buggy is not obsolete. I can't afford anything newer.

Landmaster it's now called told me they no longer have the left front strut assy. They do not sell the gas shock separately Im told because it comes from a foreign country as an assy. The shock was stamped Venezuela.   Yours and mine are obsolete. What I don't like since I'm in Canada is the added expense of UPS shipping, no Canadian dealer with parts, in fact any listed dealer in Canada I think are not selling these at all and don't have any parts. The one listed and I contacted had to order from the US and pay UPS.  Love my Polaris Ranger, does it ever ride smooth after knowing how the Sportworks rode.