new member with question on 1100

T

tlk

Member
Hi - newbie - I have been an owner of 3 Polaris Ranger 6x6 machines and use them for hunting in south texas. The current one I own has 200 hours and I have had to pay for over $5000 in repairs (warranty ran out after 6 months) - they use to be reliable machines but I am tired of this one and think the quality has gone downhill - plus Polaris as a company could care less.

So, I went and drove the Kubota 1100 RTV with the grand cab - very impressive. I am wanting to get feedback from folks who have had one and how the perform, hold up, etc. Does Kubota stand behind their products? Thanks for the imput
 
tlk

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, damn! 200 hours and $5000 in repairs?!?! Did you drive it over a cliff at 199 hours then limp it home to reach 200?

I don't have an 1100 but can say the RTV's in general are really tough machines. Mine is almost 9 years old and I don't believe it has ever been in the shop. If it was, it was in the first couple months for warranty touch-up things but nothing out of pocket.

We have several members here with thousands of hours on their machines but I'll let them speak-up with their thoughts.
 
Ive had mine since 05 and only had to replace rear U joints on it.Plowing wears them fast.I do normal fluid changes to keep wear down.
I have had no problems starting it in temps from 100 down to minus 30 here.
Wore out 1 set of tires so far.Im a little over 5000 hours on mine to date.
Oh and replaced the front drive shaft 1 time tore up the u joints.
 
I have had my 900 since 2006. I have used it for farm chores and not recreation. My next door neighbor had 3 other brands in that time and last year went and got a 900. Much like you have experienced he had very costly repairs to fairly new machines.I have used mine very hard when wood cutting on some fairly steep hillsides. I have used it to rake hay pulling a ground driven rake also.
 
thanks guys - I use mine for hunting - ranch I hunt is pretty flat so I am running up and down dirt roads mostly -

is the cab totally dust proof on the 1100 ? any problems with the rubber boots tearing underneath? also how are they in mud? Occasionally have to run through low spots etc. thanks again
 
They are heavy, and not a lot of ground clearance, so mud is not their best situation,,but the 4x4 does work! I go thru my creek,,but will drive around really deep mud,,so someone else will probly chime in. I used to own a 6x6,,,it was almost unstoppable in mud. The kubota would not hang with it there, but I would never trade back.

I went thru snow this year that I left drag marks in the middle from dragging the frame thru it, with no problems.

Every day I own it,, I like it more. The cab is great! I have a 2 year old grandson without the use of his legs. With the cab,,he gets to go with me and do stuff. It keeps him warm,, where without that heat he would have to stay inside because of a trach in his throat. It gets excellent fuel usage marks with me,,since when my grandson is with me,,it never shuts off because he needs heat all the time. I am running my hours up letting it idle all the time,,but i don't care. He likes to watch me split wood. In my situation,,it is worth owning just for him to go with me. Let the meter run!

I pulled a 29 inch x 12ft log out of the woods this weekend,,up a muddy hill to get out of the woods. Spun a couple times then jerked it right out! :drive2:

I think it would be an exceptional hunting vehicle. A place to warm up is invaluable some times. I am looking for gun racks to put above the headrest right now for my squirrel rifle.

The only thing I wish for like most of us,,,is more speed.

If you winch it,,,get a larger winch then they try to sell you. My dealer wanted me to buy the 2500 lb winch they sell there. A 2500 lb machine in the mud weighs a LOT more then 2500 lbs when mud is sucking on the wheels. I put a 5000lb on mine. I hope to never use it.

I like the flat fuel cans they sell now. I may add one to mine,,but don't really need it as I an never far from fuel. You may want one depending on the "ranch" you are hunting.
 
the lift changes the front end and the way the wheels sit,,,some worse then others. This is info I got on this site,,,not experience. Search the lift kit and i bet you find some of the discussions
 
Ok another question - can the underbelly of the 1100 handle driving over brush? Not rocky country but we do drive through some low brush at times -
 
New 1100's come with "stick stoppers" or guards on the cv joints, from the factory. I have put 20 or so of my 35 hours on mine in the woods that has just been logged,,,branches everywhere. I have been waiting to pierce something, but so far,,,,,,,,

We used the 1100 to drag my hydrostatic massey tractor out of the woods yesterday after a branch ripped the rubber hose in half on the hyd return line. All I could do was watch while about $75 worth of oil hit the ground.

I thought about putting some armour under there to help out. I am planning on putting it up on the lift soon to check it out and make plans. There are some guards under there.
 
tlk,
Welcome to the forum.
As I tell EVERYONE. GET A HIGH RISE INTAKE ~~~~~ PERIOD !!!!

The so called "oem stick stoppers" that come on the RTV's. THROW 'EM
AWAY .....
Get in touch with member "peanut"

I hunt with our RTV. Best machine on planet earth. Don't worry about running over brush. I have not had a problem running in the swamps down
here. But may I suggest, clean out the radiator regular, wash it out properly and you will have NO troubles.

Remove your spark arrestor, for it will give you problems in the future.

Put slime in your tires.

Service your machine PROPERLY.... It will last you a lifetime.


.......... two guns
 

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thanks for the info - very helpful - so no problems with clearance? We have some spots on our ranch with dips in the senderos - not super severe but enough that I am concerned the front end could bury in the dirt -

any other advice on the 1100 you suggest related to hunting?
 
hey two guns/peanut/anybody,,,what is the difference in the stock "stick stoppers" and peanuts product? Bigger? Faster? Drink less alcohol? Better lookin at night?
 
razerface said:
hey two guns/peanut/anybody,,,what is the difference in the stock "stick stoppers" and peanuts product? Bigger? Faster? Drink less alcohol? Better lookin at night?
Click to expand...

Like bordercollie stated. The OEM are plastic. Peanuts are not only steel,
they are strong. You don't have to worry about a stob, stick, or something
of that nature jousting and ripping your boots off. With the OEM's, a good stick would just go threw, break, and ripp 'em off.

Think of it like this. IT'S INSURANCE. Not worth a damn, until you need it !!!!
I own the FIRST set of stick stoppers ever produced by member Peanut.
They have NEVER let me down. And one of the best investment ever made
on our RTV.
 

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I also have a set of Peanuts stick stoppers. The only time i ever had a problem it was from a stick knocking the fan belt off. Got a new one at NAPA and back in business. The new ones have a little better guards under them but that depends on what you drive through. If I was still using mine a lot for wood i would have made a better guard for there.
 
tlk:

Welcome to the Forum. After several years of research I pulled the trigger on a 2012 RTV1100. (Can I still say "I pulled the trigger?") Hell, I'm NOT politically correct so I'll say it anyway. The best information I found on the RTV series came from this Forum. Take the time and look back through the threads and see what the shortfalls and advantages a RTV offers. The machine is not perfect and the Kubota Corp. will take alot of your money up front and for replacement parts/fluids. Having said that, for my purposes, the RTV1100 was the best machine out there. The 1100 cab is tight and the air and heater work very well. Its not a fast machine... others have tried to 'up' the mph but the tranny/engine/body combo was built for low and slow. 27 mph is about top speed. If I had to do it over, would I buy another RTV1100? You bettcha.

Keifer
 
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