Polaris Ranger vs. Kawasaki Mule...opinions

[dirtybay]

If you go mule, get the pro. The other mule models are rough riding

[Kong]

We have a new Pro FXT and 2 new XP1000’s and the Mule sits 95% of the time, it’s like driving a 90 year olds car around and everyone pretty much hates it. To each thr own but so many on here are Mule fans it almost seems like the cool aid trucks been by a few to many times lol. The only thing they have going for them in my opinion is the bed and honestly that’s a moot point.

[44mAG]

I will go on the other side of the majority so far. We have a 2016 Polaris Crew Cab. It has ben a great machine. We keep up with routine maintenance, and never drive in high gear. You aren't supposed to unless you are staying over 20 mph for a while. When we bought it all the dealers said that was the key to not breaking them.

[randal]

I will go on the other side of the majority so far. We have a 2016 Polaris Crew Cab. It has ben a great machine. We keep up with routine maintenance, and never drive in high gear. You aren't supposed to unless you are staying over 20 mph for a while. When we bought it all the dealers said that was the key to not breaking them.

No way I’m buying something that the key to not breaking it is keep it in low most of the time..

[Backwoods101]

No way I’m buying something that the key to not breaking it is keep it in low most of the time..

My daughters boyfriend brought his to the ranch and we had to drive around in low and switch it back and forth to high when the terrain flattened out…it was annoying as ****


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[huntmaster]

wow, after reading this I feel like a lucky son of a gun because I have put thousands of hours on 3 Rangers over the past 17yrs with very little issues. And I use mine!

[rvd]

No way I’m buying something that the key to not breaking it is keep it in low most of the time..

When driving under 20mph, I run mine in high whenever I’m going over 20 all over Texas and NM, no issues other than maintenance since 07 on 3 different rigs except for youngest son rolling my 18…

[Rubi513]

wow, after reading this I feel like a lucky son of a gun because I have put thousands of hours on 3 Rangers over the past 17yrs with very little issues. And I use mine!

I have an 09 Ranger that I use daily. Other than a few fuel pumps, it’s been a great machine.

[Kong]

I’ve never had an issue and that’s all we use is High Range on the XP’s, a lot of very weird experiences on this thread I’ve never seen or heard of. I would have to question if some of them are second hand info or total BS. We’ve had dozens of Polaris’s, Kawasaki’s and Can Am’s over the years and they’ve all been great machines as far as quality goes but some are simply built for different uses in mind and the Mule’s have the go slow and check cows market cornered

[44mAG]

No way I’m buying something that the key to not breaking it is keep it in low most of the time..

I’m just passing along what three different dealerships told us. Obviously you can drive it in high. They really told us the 20mph number. If they wouldn’t have, we would have drove it in high probably most of the time. But, once we had it we realized we literally never get over 20 mph the way we use it. So it has only been in high a handful of times when we want to mess around and go fast for a stretch. It has been great to us.


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[Farmdog]

I use mine daily and occasionally have to run it in heavy mud to feed animals. Yes Ken, same one that was in Mex. I still laugh out loud with embarrassment when I think about your steak I ate right in front of you good trip ( a man should know how to clean his own deer!) best trip of the year

[jbassnman]

Kawasaki for me. I have a 2009 4010 trans and has never been in the shop. I use it almost daily at my place and use it for hunting every year.

[bloodtrailer28]

The reason there's a lot more rangers for sale is because there's a hundred rangers sold for every mule. That also means that up until four/five years ago Kawasaki did not have a side-by-side for the off-road park enthusiasts. Many of these enthusiasts ride out their machines submerging them underwater never repaired or cleaned debris after mudding and of course Parts wear out when they're not maintained. Polaris makes a very good machine and if you maintain it and don't rag on it it will last you a very very long time.

I have a 2014 900 XP with over 8,000 miles and the only issue I've had is the fuel pump and a couple of wear parts like bushings, etc... for work around the farm and putting around I would never buy an old mule as they are worse than running a Buckboard wagon. Sure, they're a Sherman Tank of the utv world, but ride like one too. I routinely use my Ranger for work as an arborist hauling logs and debris and also putting a 800 lb sprayer in the back bed. You can't even fit this sprayer in the new Mule Pro. The newer mule Pro is nice and has a lot of similarities to the Ranger but the main disadvantage is the lack of bed space in normal configuration. I will put my Ranger' reliability up against any Kawasaki product.

Bil had a 2020 ranger 1000 3 snapped axles later along with a few other problems he's back in a mule. He doesn't off road take it through water ect. Just a ranch and lease ride. He had a mule before and regrets getting away from them.

[Huntindad]

Kawasaki for me. I have a 2009 4010 trans and has never been in the shop. I use it almost daily at my place and use it for hunting every year.

I like the trans. what size engine is the 4010?

[spread5150]

Mule. 2019 Pro here. Only thing we had to do in three years other then general maintance is change the battery once. Been great.