Pioneer 700-4 doing work!

[jmoor126]

I bought this Pioneer for both fun and work, it is the best of all worlds. My biggest concern was if it could handle my trailer with round bales of hay...I worry no more, here is a 700-4 pulling a heavy (rhino lined 4x8 trailer with 2 round bales of hay around 800 pounds each). Honestly, it had trouble going up a steep hill, but I can go through another pasture to bring the hay next time. Pretty sweet little machine. Great work Honda

 

[Admin]

 

[Hondasxs]

Welcome to the community. Glad you found us.

That's awesome picture! Im sure it would be hard for any vehicle to pull it's own weight up a hill.

You seen the video of the big red pulling 6 round bales?

 

[ohanacreek]

I bought this Pioneer for both fun and work, it is the best of all worlds. My biggest concern was if it could handle my trailer with round bales of hay...I worry no more, here is a 700-4 pulling a heavy (rhino lined 4x8 trailer with 2 round bales of hay around 800 pounds each). Honestly, it had trouble going up a steep hill, but I can go through another pasture to bring the hay next time. Pretty sweet little machine. Great work Honda

Just put it in 4wd next time!

 

[jmoor126]

No I havent seen that video, I will look for it. I had my kids, wife, and I in the Pioneer, 500 pounds or so. The trailer is about 1000 pounds, and 1600-1800 in hay is around 3100-3300 pounds. Braking going down a hill was a slight issue, but the brakes could stop it. The trailer has brakes, but there is no connection for it. I wonder if we could wire up a connection kit to the Pioneer?

Once we dropped off a round bale, it handled perfectly with just 1 round bale on the trailer. We usually use our tractor for this, but had to test out the new machine...soo much easier than taking off a bush hog.

 

[ohanacreek]

Jmoore

You can there is a company ABIattatchments.com, they have a trailer w/brakes for an ATV I am sure it could be done at home on a SxS.

 

[DG Rider]

Honestly, it had trouble going up a steep hill...

Was it a power issue or traction? I would hope it has enough to spin all 4 rather than bog.

 

[jmoor126]

Honestly, it had trouble going up a steep hill...

Was it a power issue or traction? I would hope it has enough to spin all 4 rather than bog.

Traction was pretty good considering it rained a few inches two day ago and the horses have rutted up the trail a bit. It handled it, but the motor screamed the whole way. The hill is very steep, and pulling double the capacity that they stated I thought it did an excellent job of handling it. I will not pull that heavy of a load up the hill again, I will go around it through another pasture in the future.

 

[chesterl35]

I've had mine in 2 or 3 places where it bogged rather than spin all 4 but both times had 4 ppl in in so around 800 lbs. But plenty of power for the most part

 

[ohanacreek]

Roughly 2 tons plus SxS up a muddy hill with a <700cc single cylinder motor is respectable any day.

Don't think I'll EVER have it loaded that heavy. I'll use a truck or tractor if I'm pulling that much around.

 

[DG Rider]

I've had mine in 2 or 3 places where it bogged rather than spin all 4 but both times had 4 ppl in in so around 800 lbs. But plenty of power for the most part

I still think it should have been able to spin the tires. Can you elaborate on what situation you were in? Stock tire size? Was it cold out, and what weight oil do you run ( these things are sensitive to oil )? In fact...didn't you post about the tranny being slow to go in gear?

I'm just trying to get an ideal of what these things can really do as far as pulling.

500 lbs on board and the tongue weight of 2 1000 lb hay bales...i can see it maybe bogging, even though it sounds like it had more pull than traction in that situation, since the engine was "screaming".
800 lbs on board and no other factors? I would be disappointed if it still couldn't turn the stock tires over. Heck...i think my old Foreman would do that. Given your post about the delay going in gear ( which is normal if its cold out )...i wonder if maybe something might be slightly amiss.

 

[chesterl35]

Stock oil. 74 degrees. If you put 800 lbs of ppl in it and get in really thick soupy mud up to the seats it will bog. You can kind rock it between reverse and drive and it will spin them all but slowly, not through all the gears or anything. I've put over 300 miles on it with no problems what so ever. But it is a single cylinder. It does great all things considered. I love it. If you get 800 lbs of ppl in it, on pavement and get against a truck bumper and try to push, I bet everyone made will bog instead of breaking loose and spinning.

 

[chesterl35]

Oh and yes stock tires.

 

[Hondasxs]

on pavement and get against a truck bumper and try to push, I bet everyone made will bog instead of breaking loose and spinning.

I agree with this.
I seen a stock 900 rzr think he could spin them when against a wall, he could not break the tires loose.

 

[Swamper]

I've seen my little Kawi 610 4x4 mule spin all 4 with stock tires on grass in low range n diff lock pulling logs. And all it has is a 13hp 400cc. Cvt and the very low range is what makes it happen. Guess that's why it's called a Mule lol! Still one of the finest Lil work oriented machines out there for the price in my opinion. That is... if you plan to stay under 20mph. It's moms toy now since big 4P came to town.

 

[DG Rider]

DP

 

[DG Rider]

Stock oil. 74 degrees. If you put 800 lbs of ppl in it and get in really thick soupy mud up to the seats it will bog. You can kind rock it between reverse and drive and it will spin them all but slowly, not through all the gears or anything. I've put over 300 miles on it with no problems what so ever. But it is a single cylinder. It does great all things considered. I love it. If you get 800 lbs of ppl in it, on pavement and get against a truck bumper and try to push, I bet everyone made will bog instead of breaking loose and spinning.

So...it will turn them over, correct? Not just sitting there, foot to the floor, tires not moving? I wouldn't have expected it to go through the gears, but i do expect it to be able to move ( or attempt to move ) itself.

I saw you post on an oil change thread that you used stock oil and then said 10-40. I believe 10-30 is stock and recommended for most climates. The reason i ask is that this drive train is notorious for being uber sensitive to oil viscosity. Most people who complain about Big Reds and Rincons bogging ( and i know that you were NOT complaining ) have almost always switched to a thicker oil or some auto oil with the wrong additives. With this drivetrain...thinner really is better unless you live in hell ( or AZ ). I don't know that it would make a difference...but i would be interested to see if it did.

on pavement and get against a truck bumper and try to push, I bet everyone made will bog instead of breaking loose and spinning.

I agree with this.
I seen a stock 900 rzr think he could spin them when against a wall, he could not break the tires loose.

I would not expect anything to be able to do this either, but this is an extreme situation with high traction. The only place off road where this type of traction could be found is slickrock. I do not expect it to push a wall on slickrock either, but i do expect it to be able to haul its rated capacity up any incline it could find the traction to climb. Not at any real speed...but i would expect it to be able to climb it.

 

[chesterl35]

There have 2 times where it would not turn them over at all but they were times where I wouldn't expect them to turn over bc all the weight inside pushing down on the tires. 500 lbs inside and pulling 2000 lbs is more likely to spin them vs 800 lbs inside pushing down on tires and nothing being pulled. As far engine oil, there is a table in your owners manual and several different weights can be used in the pioneer. I used gn4 from honda. They recommend 10w40 and in the manual both 10w40 and 10w30 are recommended along the same temps. For most ppl they may never have theirs bog and not spin but having mine buried up to the seat 3 times already, I probably am a little harder on mine than most. In my mechanic opinion, what mine has done those very few times is normal for the situation it was in.

 

[DG Rider]

There have 2 times where it would not turn them over at all but they were times where I wouldn't expect them to turn over bc all the weight inside pushing down on the tires. 500 lbs inside and pulling 2000 lbs is more likely to spin them vs 800 lbs inside pushing down on tires and nothing being pulled. As far engine oil, there is a table in your owners manual and several different weights can be used in the pioneer. I used gn4 from honda. They recommend 10w40 and in the manual both 10w40 and 10w30 are recommended along the same temps. For most ppl they may never have theirs bog and not spin but having mine buried up to the seat 3 times already, I probably am a little harder on mine than most. In my mechanic opinion, what mine has done those very few times is normal for the situation it was in.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[ohanacreek]

Honestly, it had trouble going up a steep hill...

Was it a power issue or traction? I would hope it has enough to spin all 4 rather than bog.

I cut about 30 trees this weekend and was in a hurry so I tied it to 2- 30'+ pine trees with limbs trapped toward the bottom of the pile.
It will spin all 4 in 4Lock, decided I would add some weight and see if I could create more traction. Nope with close to 1000lbs of people in it it still spun all 4 tires.
In its defense my Tahoe in 4low was spinning all 4 when I swapped the chain over. Gave up and pulled them out 1 at a time with the Tahoe.

It will pull a 10"dia... 35' long pine tree with all the limbs left in 4wd. It really surprised me.

 

[Hondasxs]

It will pull a 10"dia... 35' long pine tree with all the limbs left in 4wd. It really surprised me.

That's a good size tree.