First Quad bike

I am contemplating buying a quad, nothing fancy, it’s just for checking around the stock and maybe a very occasional bit of slug pelleting. I don’t think we need anything bigger than 200-250cc but all I keep finding used are 400+. Am I right in thinking that a smaller quad will do all I want and at what mileage do they become shagged? For example, close ish to us there is a Yamaha Grizzly 350, 2006, 12000kms and looks in reasonable condition, would something like that be a frustrating money pit for light work?
 
Last edited:

Agrivator

Member
Make sure that the bike is big enough, depending on your stature.

They eat petrol. Diesel bikes are cheaper on fuel but are usually scarcer and dearer to buy.

Honda bikes are very popular over here, but what do your local dealers and farmers have?

You should also make sure that whatever you buy is easy to put in reverse, and is easy to switch between 2WD ad 4WD.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
For slug pelleting 350cc minimum, Honda stopped making the 350 and released the 420 circa 2006? If your not using all the time a silver wheeled Honda 420 would be hard to beat. Mine were always good at 28,000km when swapped in at 2-3 year old, usually nothing wrong with them at all but just always replaced incase of problems, after a run of problems with the black wheeled Hondas (2014+) we moved to Yamaha’s. Engines are the problems with the Yamaha’s.

Forget the idea of diesel, their like hens teeth and I think @Nithsdale Farmer is the only one I’ve ever known to have had a diesel.
 

hoff135

Member
Location
scotland
Make sure that the bike is big enough, depending on your stature.

They eat petrol. Diesel bikes are cheaper on fuel but are usually scarcer and dearer to buy.

Honda bikes are very popular over here, but what do your local dealers and farmers have?

You should also make sure that whatever you buy is easy to put in reverse, and is easy to switch between 2WD ad 4WD.
The 250 ozark here will run all day on fumes. Cant comment on slug pelleting but for driving round fields to look at stock its ideal, plus good for doing donuts when sheep or a cow breaks off!
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I’ve done a stupid amount of pelleting, mainly with a old Honda 300 Big Red, it was useless and unsafe! I needed 6 bags on the front to keep the front end down and I flipped that bike more each year pelleting than I have with any of the bigger ones we’ve had at home! I used a Yamaha 550 in Hampshire for pelleting and it was well suited weight wise! A 400/420 would be a happy medium I would say
 

Bob c

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cotswolds
Had a honda quad a long time and it got nicked, never replaced it
but miss it
just got this , well pleased with it, easy to hop on and off it
1656243274881.png
 
For slug pelleting 350cc minimum, Honda stopped making the 350 and released the 420 circa 2006? If your not using all the time a silver wheeled Honda 420 would be hard to beat. Mine were always good at 28,000km when swapped in at 2-3 year old, usually nothing wrong with them at all but just always replaced incase of problems, after a run of problems with the black wheeled Hondas (2014+) we moved to Yamaha’s. Engines are the problems with the Yamaha’s.

Forget the idea of diesel, their like hens teeth and I think @Nithsdale Farmer is the only one I’ve ever known to have had a diesel.
Plus one for older Honda. No experience of their newer bikes but I have a 19 year old 350 and it's been really good.
 
You mainly see Chinese and Kyoto which I think are Korean for sale used here and are all around 500+cc. I have today found 2 Yamaha’s, 1 a 2005 Brun? And the 2006 Grizzly with 12k kms but not a Honda to be seen, which is in itself odd as you see more honda cars here than I used to see in the U.K. As for pelleting, I literally mean 2-3 bags here or there once every year or three. It’s not a problem we suffer from particularly. As for the Kubota, our neighbour has one as its sans permis after his previous alcoholic indescretions 🙄. He likes his and goes miles on it but they are very dear hear and don’t often crop up on agriaffaires, the Grizzly is 2300€, I am not sure I have seen a Mule/gator type machine below 10k, otherwise it would be fine.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
You mainly see Chinese and Kyoto which I think are Korean for sale used here and are all around 500+cc. I have today found 2 Yamaha’s, 1 a 2005 Brun? And the 2006 Grizzly with 12k kms but not a Honda to be seen, which is in itself odd as you see more honda cars here than I used to see in the U.K. As for pelleting, I literally mean 2-3 bags here or there once every year or three. It’s not a problem we suffer from particularly. As for the Kubota, our neighbour has one as its sans permis after his previous alcoholic indescretions 🙄. He likes his and goes miles on it but they are very dear hear and don’t often crop up on agriaffaires, the Grizzly is 2300€, I am not sure I have seen a Mule/gator type machine below 10k, otherwise it would be fine.

Those Chinese bikes are generally quite low powered for their engine size, compared to the mainstream bikes over here anyway. I wouldn’t want a small one of those.

That Grizzly sounds a good price. I don’t think you’d get anything that wasn’t about knackered for that money over here! Are there any dealers locally for parts & repairs?
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
You mainly see Chinese and Kyoto which I think are Korean for sale used here and are all around 500+cc. I have today found 2 Yamaha’s, 1 a 2005 Brun? And the 2006 Grizzly with 12k kms but not a Honda to be seen, which is in itself odd as you see more honda cars here than I used to see in the U.K. As for pelleting, I literally mean 2-3 bags here or there once every year or three. It’s not a problem we suffer from particularly. As for the Kubota, our neighbour has one as its sans permis after his previous alcoholic indescretions 🙄. He likes his and goes miles on it but they are very dear hear and don’t often crop up on agriaffaires, the Grizzly is 2300€, I am not sure I have seen a Mule/gator type machine below 10k, otherwise it would be fine.
Grizzly would be £3-4K here so get it bought!
Regards pelleting you should be fine doing that sort of acreage. The frames go on the smaller bikes especially when doing 2000+ acres of pelleting a year
 

penntor

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw devon
I have a Honda 420, 2010. Been an excellent bike and about to trade it in for another Honda 420, 18 months old, in the coming months. Just waiting for the dealer to get the new bike for where this one is coming from.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
The newest diesel you'll be able to buy is 2016, as that's when Arctic Cat withdrew them.. and it'll be shagged. They're good bikes but do wear out quicker than petrols due to extra weight as they are a lot bigger and heavier than petrols. Had my one since Jan 2015, 30,000miles on her and I still really like it but any I've seen 2nd hand I wouldn't touch...
 

MJT

Member
I’m going to go the opposite of everyone else here……if you can find an Arctic cat diesel that’s sensible money and not sh**ged then id go for it. They’re bomb proof and a full tank does a hell of a lot of miles . Never going to break any speed records on them though . Got a bit of an addiction them if I’m honest :LOL: .

A7EF7B0D-7B4D-4C8F-86C2-A4827CC1B596.jpeg
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I’m going to go the opposite of everyone else here……if you can find an Arctic cat diesel that’s sensible money and not sh**ged then id go for it. They’re bomb proof and a full tank does a hell of a lot of miles . Never going to break any speed records on them though . Got a bit of an addiction them if I’m honest :LOL: .

View attachment 1045464

That's the hard bit though!


Lovely lineup
 

Wood field

Member
Livestock Farmer
Trx500 Honda never been a problem, it’s 61 plate carburettor/ manual gears
Have a 4 grand kioti mechron eBay special to see if the buggy's would suite our steep hill farm which it did well , now we have a new Corvus buggy so the mechron is redundant and I hardly use the quad
 

Tractor cymru

Member
Livestock Farmer
Taken a chance on a cfmoto for just over 4k with 2 year warranty I just thought it would be better than buying something second hand for that amount. Time will tell if it was a wise move!
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Taken a chance on a cfmoto for just over 4k with 2 year warranty I just thought it would be better than buying something second hand for that amount. Time will tell if it was a wise move!
Saw loads out in Greece last month living next to the sea covered in fine sand that looked good and few years old
 

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