Thread: Quad Advice

Hey Guys,

Recently started looking at quads for taking into the bush hunting & and fishing .

Currently driving a 4wd Hilux surf but with business & family a newer 4wd/suv is in order but this won't be taken into the bush like the old girl was.

Question is what to go for for the quad? If I could get something under 3 k that's reliable enough for a few trips into the bush a year I'd be happy as! (Most my hunting will still be done from suv reachable locations).

Love to hear some advice on size, make,reliability, etc

Cheers!

Honda 420, cant go wrong, anything bigger is too wide and heavy imo.

trx300. If you can find a clean one. The rust in the frame bad, but theres still the odd one about thats been looked after

+1 for the TRX 300 in good nick. They die really hard.

We have had a shit tonne of Kingquad 400/500 over the years and a few Hondas. Hondas have a better turning circle and are a bit more nimble, have cheaper servicing costs in general but the engines are nowhere near as reliable, our current 420 is in for a top end at the moment at 12,000kms because it's burning oil, always serviced on time etc. Hondas are like old Hilux utes, they get raved about for reliability etc but there comes a certain point in their life where that reliability depends on you throwing just as much oil as fuel at them, seem to have issues with ring wear and/or valve stem seals. Don't think I've seen a single honda 420/500 do over about 35,000ks without having the top end done at least once . We have a new Kingquad 500 and our old one has done 54,000kms and it's just been serviced and never really cost us much more than a few suspension bushes each year and it's had one drive belt.

Have a TRX300, had from new, keep them off the beach and clean when been thru cow shit, they last forever.

Trx350 would be my pick, air cooled, no power steer, full time 4x4, very stable and a torquey motor that'll get you anywhere. Should be in your budget or fractionally more. I liked mine so much I bought another one. All I've had to to is tie rod ends, CV boots and usual servicing. Both had about 300hrs of use in my ownership.

I knew you lot would be the ones to ask! So my initial thoughts were a Honda or Suzuki good to hear feedback on both. Anyone got anything to say about Yammys? Make a good outboard.. Also what is the go with the power steering? Needed or just another thing to crap out?

I to would go for one of the little Hondas , easy to use and big bonus is if you get stuck alot of the time you can get them out by yourself

When you say little Hondas? What model? Full gas and give it a push ha, who needs a winch

Originally Posted by Roadtripper

I knew you lot would be the ones to ask! So my initial thoughts were a Honda or Suzuki good to hear feedback on both. Anyone got anything to say about Yammys? Make a good outboard.. Also what is the go with the power steering? Needed or just another thing to crap out?

We have two quads on the farm.
A late model suzuki 500 power steering which after watching the neighbour trying to kill his for the last 8 years was a no brainer.
Bloody thing still going.
The putt bomb is the trx 350 that was used on thd farm for years and now my little hunting quad.
I rate it pretty highly and would be in your price band.
RS is on the right track.
I had the trx420 brand new and it was way to light in the front.
Also just bought a canam Hd8 second hand.
It's coming into its own in thd shit weather with roof and windscreen!

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I read these posts with interest as looking for a mid sized quad. Had a mint suzuki 500 quad runner 4wd to view but it’s too large. I’m wanting to put planks on my dinghy trailer to save another rego etc, but shape of trailer prevents any larger units. A tidy 300-350cc would be worth pursuing imo.

Wifey has had her TRX300 for nearly 25yrs, always used on the river and beach, gets cleaned off with fresh water and diesel sprayed on the undercarriage after being used, it's had the diffs redone a couple of times and a partial engine overhaul....basically it's a solid little workhorse.

We bought a 2nd hand Honda Foreman 400 from Hokitika last year because it was tidy, cheap enough and a good back up quad. No complaints with either machine.

look at the grizzly or kodiak. ive had a couple of hondas trx300 big red ,trx350 ,east west motor , suzuki king quad 300,400 eiger ,500 king quad and vinson and at the moment im running a 700 grizzly and a 750 king quad . for hunting imo you cant beat a vinson. all the independent rear ones ride superb over the bumps and power steering is the bomb but put a deer on the back and they drag there arse and get caught up on any little ridge in the track. the 350 grizzly is a neat mid size air cooled quad .roughly same size as the old big red honda 300. just my thoughts . quick photo of red hind on back of 700 grizzly . back has sagged under it and when i get on ( im not a small lad lol) it drags its arse