What is the smallest 4x4 out there?

[BreathlessPerformance]

I was looking for a small 4x4 for my kid and was wondering what is the smallest one out there. I saw the Polaris Hawkeye 300 but was not sure about the reliabilty.

Ernie
www.BreathlessPerformance.com

[SWAMP_DONKEY]

That is the smallest avail and a ton of features for the $$$$$$

[BreathlessPerformance]

How is the quality? I have heard some bad things about the polaris engines but what do you think?

Ernie

[MachineDog]

It's not supposed to have alot of low-end power and can bog out on uphills. Not to mention Polaris reliability. I ended up getting a Honda rancher for the reliability. The smallest good 4x4s out there are the 350s. BTW, how old is your kid, and has he had experiance riding before?

NVM, I think the polaris would be fine if you took care of it. Most quads are good enough for anyone, just like a Honda insight hybrid will get you where you need to go with a 1 liter 3-cyl. Just sometimes you may want more power than other times. I like the 15 HP I get out of my Rancher and I can double-up if I need to without power loss. Would really like a CVT and IRS on it though, but that's why Honda is reliable eh, old proven tech.

[BreathlessPerformance]

He's 9 and rides a 250 2x4. We ride out at River ranch and he has a hard time keeping up in the sand and wants a 4x4. He sat on the Hawkeye and fit fine. He was also thinking about the wolverine 450 4x4.

I am sure he can handle them, he's been riding ATVs for about 3 years and race's mini max 125cc race karts at over 65+ mph In the Mini Max Race Challange.

Ernie
www.BreathlessPerformance.com

[MachineDog]

9? He won't fit into a Wolvy. The Hawkeye is a smaller 300 though which is sized to compare with a 250. My bro turned 8 a couple months ago and we gave him my old Honda Recon. He wants bigger and I don't even feel that he's safe on the 250. I like being comfortable to stick my foot out when I'm rolling over on the side of a mud pit, lol. I just got my Rancher when I turned 13. That 250 kazuma is a sport or a utility? The sport might have smaller tires and might be the problem in the sand. My bro on his 250 has to be in some good sludge to get stuck with the Mudlites on. And also, in the sand I doubt 4 wheel drive would help much.  BTW, I doubt anything's going to keep up with that Bomb 800, my Rancher tops out around 45 unless I'm on pavement. My bros recon gets around 50, 55 on pavement. The 4wd makes it about 100 lbs heavier, and the gearing probably doesn't help much since when you hit about 40 you have to shift into 5th which is an overdrive gear meant for cruising on smooth surfaces at low RPM. So it bogs, but atleast it ain't too bad with the long-stroke. If you really want a bigger bike for your kid I'd say if you want him to keep up speed-wise in the sand get a sport 300 not a 4x4.

[Southern4x4]

ranchers are pretty good ill vouch for the hawkeye becuase my firned has one and its pretty good,another good 300 4x4 is a 300 fourtrax,i have one very reliable mines has lasted me 9 years of mud water trails ect so far,only let down is they dont make them anymore but im sure you can find one,

[qt314nfla]

Most of the small 4x4's are 350's.  The rancher, wolverine, prairie.  IMO they are all too big and powerful for a child so small.  It's not that kids can't ride them.  I've seen several kids on here that are your son's age and younger riding and jumping King Quads.  However take a look at the size of the bike and the strength of your son should the quad come over.  I own a wolverine and am a very good rider, yet I have flipped mine.  I can tell  you that I bench 135 and am not a wimpy girl and my bike would have killed a child if it landed on them.

My suggestion talk to mtg_man.  His boys have a recon w/ gators on the rear.  They get through darn near everything that the rest of us get through.  If he can't work the 2 wd then how is he going to really learn to drive.  Also, most of the stuff I hit on my wolverine I can do in 2wd w/ mud tires, experience, and finess.  Atleast w/ the recon it's small enough for him to rock it and work the bike.

[BreathlessPerformance]

His 250 is a sport. We usually ride in deep sand or deep water, either one the 2x4 cant get through. He did fit better on the hawkeye. By the way anytime he uses it he wears his helmet and chest-rib protecter from his kart.

Ernie

[Da_Mtg_Man]

QT's right, My boys ride everything that we have and are very good on them, However, If they flip it then they will be hurt  severely, Thats why we had 3 kids, If we lose one then we still have 2 more.  
In all seriousness, I just put a 2 inch lift and 25 inch mudlites on my boys Recon, They are 7 & 8 and have been riding for 4 years now.This thing goes everywhere that the big 4x4's go, It's light enough that they can rock it out of almost anything, If not then Daddy will come get them with the big dog.  

[MadMudder]

Well you guys have to take riders expirence and the terrain into factor here. If the kid is jumping and zooming around the track then I wouldn't go more than a 250. And also, adults often underestimate kids and their riding ability. I mean im about 5"6 and 14 and I can drive my dad's sportsman 500 through and over places he wont even take it and He's been riding since he was my age. So heres what I say. If your going to ride allot of mud or sand then I would actually have to vote aginst the Polaris. They make a very solid reliable quad that is very hard to break but, allot of thier models cant even get out of their own way. The dry weight without rider, gas, oil, or cargo is 500lbs. So your looking at almost 650 pounds being pushed by a 300 and even more power is robbed by the automatic transmission. I would actually tell you to stay away from the polaris. But I dont know what to tell you. For brand new atv's your kind of in a pickle. Im not gonna say to put your kid on a 400. I dont think even with expirence he could comfortablly handle a 400. But you cant really get a good powerful 4x4 until you get to the 400 range. Your best bet is to probably go with a honda rancher. Even though im not a big honda fan its probably your best bet. There light and very manuverable and they dont make explosive power so he wont screw up too fast. That or mabye a used 300 arctic cat. There very capable in the mud and the manual trans will help you get all the power you can out of it. Heres where what you will ride the most comes into play. The Arctic Cat has irs with more clerance than the rancher and i belive the differential locks so you get true 4x4 when you turn the key. So if you ride more mud than anything else than the kitty is better, but other wise go with the honda. I got one more thing to say but i got to catch my breath first.........Ok you noted that you questioned the reliability of a Polairis motor. Let me tell you this. We've put almost 1200 miles on our polaris and i think the only way it hasn't run is upside down. So if you buy a polaris the motor will be your last wory.

[MachineDog]

I don't really think the kid would even fit on a Rancher comfortably and still be able to pick it off of himself when he rolls it and it lands on top of him. Judging by what you're saying now I can say that you deffinately do NOT need to get a 4x4 for him. A recon will do just fine, especially with a pair of mudders. There's some places my bro goes on his recon that my quad can't with the lame rancher stock tires. I can drive my dad's 500 AC TBX just great doing donuts and what not. Do I feel safe that I could keep the 1000lb quad from rolling over on top of me? Heck no. It weighs almost 10 times what I weigh. Here's a real test I would give your kid when he sits on the Hawkeye, ask him how fast he could comfortably, without lifting himself off the seat, stick his foot out to the ground. If he can do that, I think he'd be safe on it. If not, it just wouldn't be safe.

[Da_Mtg_Man]

I agree with everything you're saying except for the sticking your foot out. My rule of thumb is NEVER take your foot off the floorboard (when tipping). I've taught my kids to bail if it starts tipping. You never want to put your foot down when the quad is moving because there's a 95% chance that the rear tire is going to roll over it and cause serious damage to the foot,ankle leg. A quad can be fixed but it would suck losing a leg.

[MachineDog]

Ofcourse, I only do this when in mud pits and the damn things trying to roll over on the side of a pit, or something like that.