The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Jimboj on May 08, 2015, 11:00:38 pm
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Any advice please on the best quad to meet our needs. We have a ménage to level and a 10 acre field to mow which is mainly flat. The only slight hill is due to flood defence. Really confused by engine size. Decided on a quad rather than a tractor due to the ménage
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Not recommending a make but I would go for a two wheel drive as they have a better turning circle than four wheel drive and you would really notice it in a manège. Plus if you are mowing/topping you do not want to be doing it when the ground is too wet so four wheel drive is not needed then either. My elderly 300cc 2wd copes with everything I have asked of it. The neighbours 450cc 4wd gets stuck regularly due to a lack of common sense.
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My 500cc chinese cheapo copy of a honda has it's issues.. so not recomending it as such (but it was cheap with bags of kit and copes with daily abuse) But that easily switches between 2 and 4 wheel drive. I only use 4-wheel through mud and uphill because yes the turning circle 4-wheel is much poorer. But if you're going to be pulling large chains or wanting to go 2-up somewhere then engine size matters.
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the honda 420 will be perfect for your needs and will run for years. if out of budget find a honda fourtrax 400 that hasn't done to heavy work, again if serviced will last for ever. You pay a slight premium for honda but they are more than worth it. (pre- 2012)
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Limited experience but for what its worth my old Yamaha Kodiak is easy to drive and can pull the trailer it arrives at a place in fairly heavily laden. 4WD has been a must for us and we would probably still be stuck somewhere without it.