I've also been considering an electric buggy. I have a Polaris Crew but the wife wants something she can cruise around in and she wants it to be quiet.

I looked at both the Bad Boys and the Stealth and I'm leaning towards the Stealth. One consideration for me, that may not be a factor for you Gato, is the suspension. My place is in the hill country and it's very rocky so I have to have IFS. The Stealth is supposed to ride real smooth but I've not heard the same about the Bad Boy. In fact, I haven't heard too many good things about them but it really boils down to what you intend to use it for.

I need to look harder at the Polaris.

Let us know what you get, though.

Regards,
Scott

I'm still thinking, we have ZERO rocks but plenty of mud, the last is kind of bothering me. Relatively speaking our terrain is basically flat with some small (very small by people further west standards) hills. I don't know how any of the electrics would handle heavy clay/gumbo type mud. At the very least I think it would pull a lot of amps.

I don't know squat about any of them, the 4 person Bad Boy looks interesting. What have you heard bad about them?

The electrics I've seen demo'd will really develop some power and should do fine. My concern is running out of battery on the far side of the ranch...
I suppose I could carry a small generator and make it a hybrid.

Cliff:

I'm planning on using the electric primarily for hunting or just cruising around, I think if someone were going to use it for say, fence work on the far side of a big ranch, then they would be far better off buying a gas or diesel UTV. I had a ranch manager friend who used a diesel Gator everyday and he had to make himself check the diesel once a week so he wouldn't run out, in other words, it had a lot of range.

FWIW, and I don't really buy into these numbers until I've talked to someone who has one, and I haven't, the Polaris claims 2 hours (50 miles) and the Stealth mentions 55 miles in one of its blurbs. The Bad Boy mentions 30 to 35, which might be just a more honest evaluation of range, I don't know. I'd think that Polaris wouldn't put out a number that was not doable but that's just my thinking, not knowledge (never owned a Polaris anything). I believe the Polaris uses 12 volt batteries and the BB and Stealth use 6 volters. OTOH, my 350 Honda ATV will probably get at least 50 miles or more before needing fuel, but my butt gets pretty tired long before that point. I'm not trying to make excuses for electrics but unless someone owns or is on a really big ranch two hours of driving is a lot. OTOH, when the batteries are discharged, it takes 8 to 10 hours to recharge them. Your "hybrid" idea may not be all that bad, not sure of the efficiency tho.

I have a friend who is disabled that uses a Bad Boy and, while I haven't talked to him directly, a good friend of both of ours says he is happy with it for hunting, but does he (the diabled person) have a basis for comparison is the real question?

You know, and I'm by no means an engineer, but if you added a small gas (get home, that is not designed to really power normal usage) engine to a electric UTV so that you would have a fall back if you did run out of electric power it would be a nice feature. Probably not feasible but something to think about, like you said, a hybrid UTV.

I've heard countless comments on various internet forums citing problems with the Bad Boy but I take those for what they're worth. Personally, I've talked to 3 different people whom I know fairly well that weren't satisfied and ended up trading/selling them off and just using their gas powered. They've all claimed persistent electrical problems during wet operation and rough ride. Seems there are countless Polaris/Kawa/Arctic Cat/Yamaha/Honda/etc owners that have many positive things to say about their rigs but not so much with the electric market. Must be a reflection of units sold?

Having said that, I'm still wanting one as I believe that the intended use is what will determine usabilty/reliablity. Afterall, it's basically just a golf cart and obviously their reliabilty is totally proven. I'm fairly confident that if it's used just for cruising around fairly dry, even ground for relatively short periods of time it will be just fine. If I need something more I'll use the Polaris. I think running out of juice will be about as likely as running out of gas...won't happen much....I'm not worried about it at all.

Now, based on features, I think the Stealth might have the Bad Boy beat, especially in the suspension dept. I'd like to see the Polaris with rear-facing back seats or in a crew configuration and then it'll be a contender for me.

Again, I think it boils down to intended use/expectations----keep it dry and don't expect much utility and you'll be fine.

Regards,
Scott

Kubota with the diesel and enclosed cab (heat and AC) is the real deal for a fuel powered vehicle.

The Bad Boy Buggy is the go to option for an all electric.

Kaw Mules are bullet proof. The Polaris tends to like to go back to the shop for frequent repairs.

No experience with Yamaha or Honda, but I know Yamaha is in litigation about the high center of gravity of its vehicle and resulting roll overs.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Kaw Mules are bullet proof. The Polaris tends to like to go back to the shop for frequent repairs.

Oh, come on now! I assure you they're not bullet proof, nor are they any more reliable than a Polaris or Yamaha, for that matter!! So far, I've got over 100 trouble free hours on my Polaris.....I guess I'm just lucky (as is my buddy whose 5 yo rig gets abused daily by various ranch laborers)?!

Fact is, the major manufacturers of gas UTVs all produce a good, reliable product. Of course there are customers of all brands that have the exceptional problem, but by-and-large you can't go wrong with any of them.

Will, would you care to provide a brief explanation of how you formed these opinions?
Have you driven or seriously looked at the Stealth? Do you/have you own/owned any of the aforementioned vehicles?

Look forward to your input.

Regards,
Scott

quote:

Originally posted by Vanderhoef:
So far, I've got over 100 trouble free hours on my Polaris.....

No offense, but 100 hours is nothing for a rig used for work, ie farming. 5 year trouble free Polaris' on a farm driven by the help are much more the exception than the rule, IMO.

Polaris four wheelers ride great, but my farming friends that run them for years for work have waaaay more trouble out of Polaris than their Hondas. The #1 problem with the Rhino is that Yamaha makes it.

I bought a JD diesel Gator for my farm back in the fall. Traded some hay equipment on it so it worked for me. Very few hours so not sure how it is going to be for the long haul.

But, as always, YMMV.

quote:

Originally posted by Vanderhoef:

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Kaw Mules are bullet proof. The Polaris tends to like to go back to the shop for frequent repairs.

Oh, come on now! I assure you they're not bullet proof, nor are they any more reliable than a Polaris or Yamaha, for that matter!! So far, I've got over 100 trouble free hours on my Polaris.....I guess I'm just lucky (as is my buddy whose 5 yo rig gets abused daily by various ranch laborers)?!

Fact is, the major manufacturers of gas UTVs all produce a good, reliable product. Of course there are customers of all brands that have the exceptional problem, but by-and-large you can't go wrong with any of them.

Will, would you care to provide a brief explanation of how you formed these opinions?
Have you driven or seriously looked at the Stealth? Do you/have you own/owned any of the aforementioned vehicles?

Look forward to your input.

Regards,
Scott

Basis:

I have a client that is the head mechanic for a multi-location, multi-brand dealership. Been there for years. When I was in the market for a UTV, I called him first. I had my heart/mind set on a Browning edition Polaris. His comment, "Whatever you do, do not buy a Polaris. They live in the repair shop. Get a Kawasaki, we sell them and rarely see them again." That was closely followed by a quail hunt where the owner / guide (also my client) talked nonstop about the problems with his Polaris Ranger. In fact, when I was back during turkey season, the Ranger stayed parked and we exclusively rode in trucks b/c the Polaris was acting up again. Last example, I was in a duck camp in Western KY where two of three Rangers were broken down in camp. Again, the owners unhappy with their reliability.

As for the Kubota and Mule, I have used them extensively in Texas, Missouri, New Zealand and locally on and around the sporting clays ranges. I do not own either, but the owners I know have raved over them. The mechanic client used the word "bullet proof" in describing the Mule. He credited the realiability and longevity to the type of engine. (seems like he said it was a pushrod type or something). My purchasing decision came down to Mule or Bad Boy Buggy.

I ultimately went with the BBB. I decided that a quiet vehicle was what I needed. We have trucks and tractors and fourwheelers, so a gas UTV was largely redundant. So, I've had a Bad Boy Buggy for three years now without any problems. The stealth was a nice vehicle too, but the center of gravity was good bit high for my taste and I liked the eight batteries and the extra weight they added. I also looked at the Ruff and Tuff, but it was more of golf cart look/feel.

The electrics are impressive for moving quietly from place to place. In my experience, the claims that the range is 20 or 30 miles is outlandish. More like 10 on average, 15 if lightly loaded/light duty.

My $.02.

Currently have a Kawasaki Mule and a Kubota RTV.
Like the Mule best, even though it is now my "beater" and the Kubota (buddy talked me into one, wish I had just got another Mule) is the new toy, well, I still use the mule. Hydrastatic while GREAT in tractors, just isn't my thing in a UTV.

BTW,
My dad has a Mule now, but he bought a Polaris Ranger, did not like it and has the hired man who irrigates around our farm ground use it now.

What should a person expect to pay for a new Kaw mule?

You may also want to look at the Honda Big Red. So far I'm very pleased with mine. Its a tank, although it is wide (64") and heavy at 1500lb. Haven't stuck it yet and have crossed a few creeks and been through a few mudholes that have stuck a Ranger or 2 at the camp. The Mules don't have the capability in wet muddy conditions (unless they are lifted and have bigger wheels). The Honda does have transfer case lock, and front and rear diff locks.

I couldn't imagine doing any serious hunting in the bush of Alberta with an electric cart. They might be okay around dry, flat country... but up here, they'd last about a day or so in our muskeg and mud.

I have a Kubota RTV diesel. 4wd and lockable front and rear diffs. I have 4 Grandsons that have buried it in mud, drowned it in our pond, and turned it over several times. It has only 300 hours, but still runs like new. It rides pretty rough, but has taken me everyplace that I have tried. We have had 3 Samuaris and they are just great hunting vehicles, easy to work on and cheap.
Butch

Thanks for the info Butch. I've narrowed my search to the Kubota and Kawasaki. Will buy one late this fall.

I have a saddle type Polaris 6 X 6 and have had quite a few 4 x 4's. The 6 X 6 is rougher, does not turn all that well but it will go about anywhere as long as it can breath. Many more places than a 4X4 and mach safer going up grades.
Polaris also makes a 6X6 UTV. Might look into it! Probably not as fun as a 4X4 but perhaps more useful for hunting.