Posted: 8/1/2011 3:36:31 PM EDT
| Can anyone recommend a good ATV (four wheeler) for use in LE work? It would be used for on road hauling and some dirt road and trail work. |
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In stead of an ATV, I would recommend a side by side also known as UTV. These are more stable, can legally ride 2 adults and have a capacity to haul cargo without 42 bungee cords holding it on the ATV racks.
An ATV is good for one person that needs transportation. When you add additional people or cargo the UTV shines like a chrome wheel and is much more stable and safer. We have both at work and the UTV's are much more versitile for work. IMHO Paul |
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We have 3 Polaris 500s and a 700. The 700 is used for hauling our rescue trailer and has an extra pop-up seat. We use them for SAR and Forest Patrol in the Pole Mountian and Vedauwoo area for the Forest Service. Good power, manueverability, winch, and visibility. We have small LED wig wags on the front and back bumpers.
ATVs have their place, can quickly get into and out of tight areas. The side by sides are great too, but are larger and can't always get into places an ATV can. |
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yea, if your going to be on pavement alot I would go with the Polaris wheelers too. they have the turf mode in addition to 2x4 and 4x4. makes it a limited slip rear end giving you
alot more maneuverability on road and wont tear up people lawn if you have to make a tight turn either. one of the two up models would be nice just for the extra space for cargo or another passenger. |
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Must not have read The Shift Briefing sticky at the top of the page.
Well, you'll have additional reading in the form of a warning that's inbound. Tango7 |
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link?
anyway we do not have any but omg have I asked. I can not tell you how much it would help on the southside. I think I remember that UGA police bought something like 70 atvs for game day. I have seen them in action and they are quick to come out of no where. I will try to look up what they got. |
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<Brainless, not worthy of a GD TBL/JBT  comment removed - Tango7 > Go back to GD...
We have 2 polaris 700's we bought from a local dealer for $1 each I believe. Used mostly for patrol during events and off-road SAR (which around here is mostly just body recovery). |
| County has Honda Foremans (I think) with thumbshifters, we have auto transmission Arctic Cat 500s with 2-up seats. Both seem to be OK for the task at hand. I can see that there would be places where a UTV would be very advantageous but a lot of our area is too dense cover to be practical. The added width make it a non starter off the major trails. |
| If you want a regular ATV, I would go with a Honda Foreman or comparable model. They hold up very well, and haul quite a bit. If you are looking for a side by side ATV, I would hands down go with a Polaris Ranger for LE work, but be warned that you better set aside an adequate budget for maintenance and replacement parts. |
| I've been using Suzuki KingQuad 450 for 3 years, mostly in an on-pavement role - The only mods we've made are swapping out the off road tires for hybrid on/off roads, and to make it street legal we put on turn signals, windshield, horn. Got a locking trunk attached to it, and it's perfect for putting one person into some tight spots. Forget about putting a second person on it at all. I get about 20-25 mpg, based on really rough estimate. Would have to pull some records to determine exact mileage. For lights we used all LEDs for low power draw, and I think the perfect siren/airhorn for it is Whelen's WSSC series. It's a one piece unit - amp & speaker all in one, and you just need a couple switches for siren/horn. I've got the one with the PA option also - it's come in handy. |
| We had a fleet of 7 Gators (6x4) with the gas engines, 1000# winches and some had medical inserts. They worked very well from hauling stuff and personnel however we were able to borrow a Polaris with a small bed on the back and I was amazed at what it did and how quick it could go. |
Our FD has an Argo 8-wheel amphibious rig. Even though we've had it for a few years many of the guys are scared to run it because it "skid" steers so it hasn;t been one of the go-to things... although it did prove its worth when we used it to get a MEG guy out of a field where he'd twisted a leg busting a grow setup. 
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<Brainless, not worthy of a GD TBL/JBT comment removed - Tango7 > Go back to GD...
He won't be seen in here for a while. 
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Our FD has an Argo 8-wheel amphibious rig. Even though we've had it for a few years many of the guys are scared to run it because it "skid" steers so it hasn;t been one of the go-to things... although it did prove its worth when we used it to get a MEG guy out of a field where he'd twisted a leg busting a grow setup.
Why'd you need that to get him out. I thought those MEG guys were able to walk on water... 
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Dutchman- That's a dept owned one, not a MABAS one is it, unless they changed the contract a whole lot? Yes Dept owned.... I'll get a pic of ours up......I'm at that Station today !! Edit: Here it is: 
We mostly use it for special details (football standby & such) We also have a river in town with a bike path on both sides & it can get into places where you cant go with a full sized veh. |
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Here's my nephew trying mine on for size. http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc351/photo233/4bf86a60.jpg I may have seen you out a time or two.... I see that 4 wheeler out all the time when I'm in N-ville. |
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We have a bicycle team. They are mountain bikes, but the hauling potential is somewhat limited.
Some good stuff in here. I used to be a bike cop..... There are MANY limitations to that type of enforcement. Me too, the Dept was looking at a pair of Polaris Razrs when I left. All of a sudden officers wanted to go to bike school. |
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We have a bicycle team. They are mountain bikes, but the hauling potential is somewhat limited.
Some good stuff in here. I used to be a bike cop..... There are MANY limitations to that type of enforcement. Me too, the Dept was looking at a pair of Polaris Razrs when I left. All of a sudden officers wanted to go to bike school. When I got there, I should have told them " I didn't mean the pedal kind" I did get to wear shorts on duty, so it does have its advantages... |
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For PSD work we have used old toyota pickups that have been chopped off at the back of the rear axles. A flatbed was added. This gives you a full body, wipers and a door, heater and a/c as well as 4 x4 capability. We add a flat bed with sides that can drop and a couple ugly pipe bumpers and roll cage.
Time invested including paint job... Weekend Advantage? Street legal, maneuverable, and can handle freeway speeds unless you go crazy with the huge tires. Just a suggestion. They can be a lot cheaper and more durable than the quads.... |
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For PSD work we have used old toyota pickups that have been chopped off at the back of the rear axles. A flatbed was added. This gives you a full body, wipers and a door, heater and a/c as well as 4 x4 capability. We add a flat bed with sides that can drop and a couple ugly pipe bumpers and roll cage. Time invested including paint job... Weekend Advantage? Street legal, maneuverable, and can handle freeway speeds unless you go crazy with the huge tires. Just a suggestion. They can be a lot cheaper and more durable than the quads.... so can alot of wheelers. my AC 650V2 will top out at 80mph. |