ok been using an atv for 17+ yrs to make food plots
YES they can do the work, and yes they DO sell things for JUST being used behind an ATV
BUT to be honest the amount of money you will spend to BUY a GOOD atv sized disc, and a spreader and (a sprayer, much needed tool in food plot)
then a drag behind mower with its own motor
you could have bought a nice older used tractor, and all the above implements and still have more money in your pocket, will OUT work the atv 10-20 times over and NOT kill it on you!
examples here of numbers
a 48 ft gas powered mower is about 1200 bucks,
a 48 inch brush hog, run off a tractors PTO< is about 500 bucks and ONLY running off the tractors gas, NOT two motors to maintain!
a disc, a atv sized disc worth it weight is about 800+1000 bucks, (yes they sell cheaper and there JUNK)
a 8 ft disc drag type for a tractor is about 500 bucks and will cover 3 times as much ground in one pass
sprayers of 40 gallon, are about the same price, no a mute here!
a decent ATV, will be a 4x4 with a low range and a heavy atv to boot, that will handle running SLOW and working its a$$ off and NOT over heating
you say you paid $1400.00(odds are you can sell it for more than this if its in GOOD shape)
a decent older tractor like a IH, model H< a Ford 8N, or the likes can be had for about 1000-1500 bucks
atv weights in at about 600 lbs, tractors like this will be at about 3500 lbs
the atv will be about useless with a box blade behind it, due to LACK of weight and there for traction
a tractor this size, will again, be just fine with a 5 ft box blade behind it!
ATV Box blade, like a DR made one, is about 800+ bucks
a Tractor made one will be about 400 in 5 ft
examples I am giving are honest prices
in the past 12 months I sold 2 tractors, one for 1500 (model H in MINT condition)and a 50 hp one for 3500, that was also low hrs and in above average condition
I also sold two 8 ft disc one full rebuilt for 500 bucks and a one that was used and working but could have used a little TLC for 300 bucks
I sold a 6 ft box blade, for 250 bucks
and I sold a 7 ft sickle mower for 500, and a 5 ft brush hog for 500 bucks
the best advice I can give you on doing food plots is this, BUY a tractor before an ATV
the amount of seat time on an ATV even IF you bought the RIGHT atv implements, will be about 10 hrs to ever one hour on a tractor,
the model H I sold was like 24 hp or so, NOT huge by any means, but the OLD tractors like them had WEIGHT
a NEW made 25 hp tractor will weight about HALF what these old ones did and will cost 5 times more
the old International Model H's and Ford 8n's
are such LONG time proven tractors with a zillion parts still out there, and about as simple to work on as possible IF ever needed
and again Tractor implement are a fraction of the costs as ATV made implement, they COUNT on hunters being suckers, and MOST are
I used to plant about 16+ acres of food plots a yr between 3-5 property's ever YR and started doing food plots in the late 80's, I was one of whitetail Institutes first tester in PA
SO< I been at this a LONG time
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