Went for a nice walk/ride this weekend. Some of you may have seen some pics of my UTV / mower / snow plow before. Here are some pics and video.
Here's the main pic. It's called a UTV over here instead of an ATV because they are designed more for "Utility" and not just "All-Terrain".
This model is a Polaris Ranger XP 1000. I've added some options from the base model that include the hard doors and roof, Tilt out windshield and back windshield. The windows roll down (manual crank, I did not opt for the extra power push button windows). The cab holds three people, and there's even an extended cab that will hold six if folks like. Those are quite a bit longer and not as well suited for weaving through the trees.
This is the main "utility" part. The little bed has a lift-assist tilt mechanism, which helps make it easy to dump, even with a heavy load full of chopped firewood.
This is the engine, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I'm told this model has a 999cc engine that pushes along at 82 Horsepower, and will easily do over 50mph. It can operate in "turf saving mode, where just one rear wheel pushes the vehicle, lock in the rear two wheels with front as needed, or be in all wheel drive all the time. The box will hold 1,000 pounds, and the standard 2 inch receiver tow capacity is 2500 lbs.
There is of course, a winch on the front that can be used to pull the UTV out of tricky situations, and will also be used for raising and lowering the plow. Don't have the plow yet, still on back order, but is supposed to be coming in the next 2 weeks. Just in time as we already had our first sprinklings of snow this week and should get some accumulation before the end of the month for sure.
Here's a pic of the inside. It's pretty comfy to ride in, the suspension takes the bumps and uneven terrain pretty well, and there's even power steering, which make pulling the mower around a breeze, easily steering with one hand while the other holds a cool beverage. There is a great place under the passenger seat for storage that is designed to perfectly fit a 5 gallon bucket, in addition to space for tools under the driver seat, a glove box, lots of cup holders, and a couple other little storage areas.
So what's it like? Here's a short video of tooling around the woods just a bit. Not anywhere near full speed, but you get the idea. In addition to utility, this is great fun to take out exploring on day trips with plenty of room for gear and a friend.