Quad Advise
 

Hi guys. I've had 4 CB's now but never a China quad and I have some questions for the experts here.

Mrs. 2LZ and I acquired a house on about 3 acres a couple years ago. Both the house needed a lot of help and the land had been neglected for literally decades, if not longer. Half the property is flat, half is hill that rolls off behind the house...some fairly steep but my little tractor with lug tires can still navigate it.

When we're out cutting and clearing, we pull one cart with the little tractor (haul stuff to the burn pile) and I'd like to get a ranch-type quad to tow our second cart and run drinks etc..up and down the hill. I've been looking on CR for a used Japanese 4X4 quad but man....they want a MINT for 12 year old stuff that's been left out in the weather for a decade....I started thinking China quad as I've had good luck with my CB's and I have the proper sense of humor and mechanical ability to handle any issues.

Now that you know the scenario, here's my questions:

1- I've been looking at that 150cc ranch quad that's so popular that's sold under many names. It's got the GY6 motor and CV belt trans like a scooter. Do you think the GY6 motor is durable enough and would it have enough power to pull a cart up a hill full of branches and small limbs?...and be able to survive? I don't know much about the GY6 durability.

2- Should I go to the Hondanoid pushrod motor 200 or 230cc unit with a manual clutch instead?

3- Last I was around here, anything larger than a 250 and/or water-cooled was to be avoided like the plague. (Doc's Pitster Pro 400cc experience comes to mind). There are many new, larger displacement 4X4 quads available on the market now that are liquid cooled and far less expensive than their Japanese counterparts, though expensive for a CB. Anyone have one?...and if so, are they any good and worth the extra cost?

4- Should I just hold out looking for that stellar used Japanese ranch quad deal on CR?

I'm really fearing that a 4X2 quad MAY NOT do the trick on my hill towing the cart....any opinions on that?

Thanks for all of your input in advance! :-)

You'd likely be happy either way, but a vertical single (like the trusty CG200 / 230 pushrod) is more easily customized to suit your needs. Sprockets for the engine are easy to find (and cheap), so you could literally gear it right down for towing. Also, clutches, pistons, cylinders, etc are all cheap as chips on Taobao. I currently have a CG200.

Our first quad was a GY6, and we still have it. Back when Son of Weldangrind was in the sixth grade, he was on the Jr. drag racing team at school. We went on a road trip for the weekend and used the GY6 to pull dragsters (replete with driver) from the shutdown area. That was with me driving and Son of Weldangrind on the back. Tough quad, indeed.

The benefit to the CG200 / 230 is the simplicity. Where you are familiar with the "one down, four up" form factor, the CG quads have reverse where first normally is, thereby making second gear the new first. As indicated, you can gear to suit. The GY6 has either no reverse (which sucks), reverse in the rear axle (which is heavy and complicated) or reverse at the output shaft. I have no experience with reverse at the output shaft, but Kato does, IIRC. There are far fewer sprocket options for the GY6.

In case you weren't aware, the GY6 is a scooter engine, and there is a sprocket mounted where the rear scooter wheel would normally be.

I think that a water cooled CG would be fine, and you can poke them out to 300cc if you wish. Again, parts are cheap as chips. I'd stay away from 4x4.

I am not sure how the GY6 will do on a hill with a cart behind. The CVT can be tuned for torque and you can gear it down. I believe that I would rather have a pushrod engine atv for cart pulling.

4x4? Not sure if it is needed. You will likely have a live axle.

Thanks for the input guys! I've been eyeballing that Tao Tao 300 also but I wasn't to sure about the liquid cooling.... Probably end up with the good ol' pushrod 250 (230?) and squelch all worries about the unknown....then bust out the welder for a hitch setup.

Some of the larger ATVs have a yamaha copy engine in them.

I wouldn't be worried about a liquid cooled CG300. They're used in Asia in three-wheeled trucks, and I suspect there are thousands of them.

Parts are really cheap on Taobao. This is $33.58 US: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...id=26436512698

That CG300 is a 270http://www.yinxiangmotor.cn/%E4%BA%A.../28/CG300.aspx
One of those "truck" http://bbs.360che.com/viewthread.php...uthorid=152560 in wholesale market.

Still, a 72mm bore is significant.

Wow! Those are dirt cheap! :-)
Nice to know that the CG 300 is a viable option. The 200cc pushrod in my X-moto is surprisingly torquey and goes like heck, but the extra power of the 300 may be nice.

Still thinking possible 4X4 though. Our ground on the hill is so silty from decades of natural composting and neglect, the lug tires on my little tractor will start digging straight down and bury itself if the load in the cart is too heavy. That said, as we work it, it is getting much better on the well-trodden pathes.

Like Kato says, a 2WD quad with a CG motor is likely to have a live axle. Between that, gearing and low tire pressure, I bet it would climb whatever you point it at.

My ford garden tractor has turfs on it. It tends to keep pulling until the front wheels come off the ground. I drag large logs with it. Pulls all the trailers. Even the 16' tandem axle trailer. It just does it slowly. It also tips the scales at about 600lbs without any attachments.

With the Atv is would keep the loads light. Are you talking about a yard cart? little 3x4 foot trailer? That is about all I would pull with a 200cc atv.

Exactly. My little tractor is the Husqvarna LS series that heavier duty than the normal lot found at Lowes. These have to be bought at a real saw and equipment shop, at least out here. It's got the 24 hp Kawasaki, posi rear diff (great for moto-mowing, bad for beautiful lawns), a welded, fabricated mower deck, etc...and I bought it with the 1000 lb capacity garden-size cart. The cart wasn't cheap but in this case, "you get what you pay for".
I have another cart the same size, but lighter duty that I got for free (love free!)....and that's what I want to tow behind the quad, plus put milk crates, etc...on the quad racks for hauling tools, drinks and such.

Sounds to me like from what you guys are saying, I may want to look more closely at the 300cc for maximizing my hauling/dragging ability.....and Kato, you are so right. "SLOW" is the main thing when pulling. If I can keep a crawl speed, generally I don't have any big issues. Just let the lug tires do their thing. Once I try to push it and break loose, it's over.
I need to figure out how to load pics so I can show you guys how easy it is to bury my little tractor on my dirt.

Doug (my dealer) has Tao Tao CG 300's in stock. I may need to swing by there one of these days and nose around. The Mrs. is more interested than I...and as you know, that's 90% of the "new toy" battle! LOL!

Do you have any interest in laying a base on your well-trodden paths? Maybe a little crusher dust or some pea gravel might be a benefit.

I was thinking that you should stop by your dealer. He seems to stand behind what he sells.

The 200cc would probably work. Most likely would need a tire upgrade. 200-300lbs would be about all I would want to tote. Gearing it down alot would make a big difference. Might only have a 20mph top speed.

Driveway gravel (road bed) is on the master must-do list. Just a matter of working our way that far down it.
Thanks for the input folks. I'll go by the dealer this week and see what he suggests. He's actually told me, "No, you don't want that" instead of trying to pound out an immediate sale. Must check with him on hitch options also.