I am looking to buy a new sxs and can't decide between the mule fxt or the Pioneer 700-4. Any suggestions
Depends what you are wanting to do. Mule is pretty big for a trail machine, but they ride really nice, and are super quiet, but they are big.
Code54
Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
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I read your question and thought I would answer you with my opinion.
The thing you need to decide is what do you want this for? Trailing riding or working and how much of each because they are both better at different things.
I own a FXT Pro LE and a Honda Pioneer 500 –for me this is the ultimate combination, one tight trail machine and one work horse that can be trail ridden. I looked very closely at the Pioneer 700-4 and one of my close friends own one. It is a NICE machine and is a good do it all machine. It can haul 4 people, can work and can play. Does it do them all the best, nope. The Mule will easily out tow it (rated at 2000lbs, Honda at 1500), and haul more people with out breaking a sweat. (and weight in reality) The Mule has a very well proven 3 cyl. Car motor in it that has a very smooth power to it. The Honda is faster off the line and overall. The Mule is NOT a fast machine, will do 40ish but you can feel the motor is all torque, not that snappy HP that some people like. It is a belt driven machine but that system is extremely well proven and not really something to ever worry about. The Honda of course has the “auto” style transmission and you have gears that shift. Again a solid system with no major issues at all. The Honda does not have a front locker, that is one thing I wish it had, but in reality mostly not needed for what the Mule normally does. The Mule hauls 4 people BIG people with extreme ease, 6 normal adults fit fine and in a pinch you can cram a ton of kids in it if it is ride across the farm field. I have a family of 4 and often the kids each have a friend over so being able to carry 6 is a big perk for me.
The bed space on the Mule is WAY bigger than the Honda both in two (or3) person mode, and even with 6 adults on board the Mule still has some bed space unlike the Honda. The Mule is longer by about 19” and wider by 4” (Honda 114 long and 60 wide) , Mule (133 long and 64 wide). The Mule has a 16’ turn radius and the Honda about 14.8’ so fairly close there. The Mule does offer power steering however, the Honda does not. The Mule looks a lot bigger, it really is not that much bigger but looking at it – it seems huge….
Ground clearance on the Honda is 10.5” and the Mule is 10.2, again close but the Honda is also shorter so that helps it some. When you look at the underside construction the Mule is much heavier built, that is easily noted when you look at the machines weights (Honda 1396, the Mule 1898) The Mule will easily turn a larger tire if you have the urge (I run Pitbull 26’S – They run big, and I can feel no difference in power).
The pioneer has a front locker as I mentioned which is nice, the Mule has a rear unlocker which is also kind of cool. Basically you can make it one wheel drive so you can go in your yard and no tear up the grass making a turn. I personally feel both these machines should have both of these features.
The Mule has about 8.5” of wheel travel on all 4, the Honda has less up front but a bit more on the back so it is sort of a wash. As for ride, I find they both ride well and are more than acceptable. As for noise - I will say the Mule is very quiet, I can talk to both the front and rear seat passengers without any problems. I have a roof and windshield on mine and a lot of people claim that makes it worse but it is still quiet. My 500 is a good deal louder than the larger Mule. I cant recall paying much attention to the Pioneer 700 so I really cant comment.
Factory lighting on the Mule is a bit better from the factory if you get the LE – it comes with reg. lights and built in LED driving lights. It also has a much more powerful electrical system (it is a car motor so you have a alternator as well as a full size battery on board). The Mule is also premolded for installing switches in the dash for extra lights and such. A power dump bed option is also offered
The rear bed has a built in “headache rack” , steel diamond plate flooring, flat tailgate system, and a standard 2’ receiver hitch. 2” accessory rails run the length of the bed and with the mounts allow all kind of quick detach stuff (gun cases, boxes, etc)
Fuel capacity is very close – both give you appox 8 gallons with will get you a good ways without refueling.
The Honda does have some storage space but the underside of the front seat on the Mule can be set up for a lot storage (Proarmor makes a locking box and others have stuff out) – you also have a few cup holders and a glove box as well as a few spots on the dash for storing stuff.
The Honda is a better price (MSRP $11,700). Mules run from $12,999- $15,600) You seem to be able to deal a lot more on the Mules than the Honda right now and the higher price Mules does have a bunch of extra stuff (Power steering, a roof, alum rims, etc) so depending on what you want the prices gets a lot closer together than it first seems.
Warranty – Honda gives you one year cover, Mule gives you 3 years coverage.
The Honda is clearly the better machine if all you are going to mainly do is trail ride and maybe haul some bags of mulch around from time to time. If you are like me hauling LARGE loads of firewood, 2-3 deer along with 3 hunter at a time, get the Mule. It is still fun on the trail but it larger and it is NOT a hardcore 4 wheeler.
Hope that helps…
The thing you need to decide is what do you want this for? Trailing riding or working and how much of each because they are both better at different things.
I own a FXT Pro LE and a Honda Pioneer 500 –for me this is the ultimate combination, one tight trail machine and one work horse that can be trail ridden. I looked very closely at the Pioneer 700-4 and one of my close friends own one. It is a NICE machine and is a good do it all machine. It can haul 4 people, can work and can play. Does it do them all the best, nope. The Mule will easily out tow it (rated at 2000lbs, Honda at 1500), and haul more people with out breaking a sweat. (and weight in reality) The Mule has a very well proven 3 cyl. Car motor in it that has a very smooth power to it. The Honda is faster off the line and overall. The Mule is NOT a fast machine, will do 40ish but you can feel the motor is all torque, not that snappy HP that some people like. It is a belt driven machine but that system is extremely well proven and not really something to ever worry about. The Honda of course has the “auto” style transmission and you have gears that shift. Again a solid system with no major issues at all. The Honda does not have a front locker, that is one thing I wish it had, but in reality mostly not needed for what the Mule normally does. The Mule hauls 4 people BIG people with extreme ease, 6 normal adults fit fine and in a pinch you can cram a ton of kids in it if it is ride across the farm field. I have a family of 4 and often the kids each have a friend over so being able to carry 6 is a big perk for me.
The bed space on the Mule is WAY bigger than the Honda both in two (or3) person mode, and even with 6 adults on board the Mule still has some bed space unlike the Honda. The Mule is longer by about 19” and wider by 4” (Honda 114 long and 60 wide) , Mule (133 long and 64 wide). The Mule has a 16’ turn radius and the Honda about 14.8’ so fairly close there. The Mule does offer power steering however, the Honda does not. The Mule looks a lot bigger, it really is not that much bigger but looking at it – it seems huge….
Ground clearance on the Honda is 10.5” and the Mule is 10.2, again close but the Honda is also shorter so that helps it some. When you look at the underside construction the Mule is much heavier built, that is easily noted when you look at the machines weights (Honda 1396, the Mule 1898) The Mule will easily turn a larger tire if you have the urge (I run Pitbull 26’S – They run big, and I can feel no difference in power).
The pioneer has a front locker as I mentioned which is nice, the Mule has a rear unlocker which is also kind of cool. Basically you can make it one wheel drive so you can go in your yard and no tear up the grass making a turn. I personally feel both these machines should have both of these features.
The Mule has about 8.5” of wheel travel on all 4, the Honda has less up front but a bit more on the back so it is sort of a wash. As for ride, I find they both ride well and are more than acceptable. As for noise - I will say the Mule is very quiet, I can talk to both the front and rear seat passengers without any problems. I have a roof and windshield on mine and a lot of people claim that makes it worse but it is still quiet. My 500 is a good deal louder than the larger Mule. I cant recall paying much attention to the Pioneer 700 so I really cant comment.
Factory lighting on the Mule is a bit better from the factory if you get the LE – it comes with reg. lights and built in LED driving lights. It also has a much more powerful electrical system (it is a car motor so you have a alternator as well as a full size battery on board). The Mule is also premolded for installing switches in the dash for extra lights and such. A power dump bed option is also offered
The rear bed has a built in “headache rack” , steel diamond plate flooring, flat tailgate system, and a standard 2’ receiver hitch. 2” accessory rails run the length of the bed and with the mounts allow all kind of quick detach stuff (gun cases, boxes, etc)
Fuel capacity is very close – both give you appox 8 gallons with will get you a good ways without refueling.
The Honda does have some storage space but the underside of the front seat on the Mule can be set up for a lot storage (Proarmor makes a locking box and others have stuff out) – you also have a few cup holders and a glove box as well as a few spots on the dash for storing stuff.
The Honda is a better price (MSRP $11,700). Mules run from $12,999- $15,600) You seem to be able to deal a lot more on the Mules than the Honda right now and the higher price Mules does have a bunch of extra stuff (Power steering, a roof, alum rims, etc) so depending on what you want the prices gets a lot closer together than it first seems.
Warranty – Honda gives you one year cover, Mule gives you 3 years coverage.
The Honda is clearly the better machine if all you are going to mainly do is trail ride and maybe haul some bags of mulch around from time to time. If you are like me hauling LARGE loads of firewood, 2-3 deer along with 3 hunter at a time, get the Mule. It is still fun on the trail but it larger and it is NOT a hardcore 4 wheeler.
Hope that helps…
ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
Moderator
Lifetime Member
Code54 well stated, the mule has the "trans" cab but in reverse of the pioneer the seats on the mule turn into a large bed where the standard bed on the Pioneer turns into seats. It's clearly a more compact machine, with significantly less storage, aimed at a different portion of the market.
The Mule was my other consideration when I was in the market. It has a good track record of reliability.
For me it came down to the CVT and the belt, dealer after dealer said constant towing and pulling would burn it up. They pointed me to the Pioneer or a Kubota which is a bulletproof diesel tractor in disguise and I think maxs out around 25?
The Mule was my other consideration when I was in the market. It has a good track record of reliability.
For me it came down to the CVT and the belt, dealer after dealer said constant towing and pulling would burn it up. They pointed me to the Pioneer or a Kubota which is a bulletproof diesel tractor in disguise and I think maxs out around 25?
IMO.... People worry to much about belts. We've had belt machines on the farm since 95, and I can think of only 1 belt we've replaced.
ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
Moderator
Lifetime Member
My brother had a Polaris 4 wheeler and the thing went through belts like a smoker with a 3pack a day habit.
When the new Gator crew 850s came out we rented a fleet of brand new ones for a charity Dove hunt from our favorite rental vendor. By the end of the day most of them were smoking the belts. They were just carrying 4-6 people around in low gear. We were not their favorite customer anymore after that.
My wife had a Jeep Compass that had a CVT trans, Jeep replaced 3 transmissions in 3 years under warranty with her driving it about 30 mins a day on back roads to the school she teaches at, (Alabama it's flat here no hills.) She finally traded it in before the warranty lapsed.
It's not that CVTs can't be good, the mule has always in my opinion been a workhorse along with the Kubota, buddy has a Kubota on his farm that has been beaten and abused and left exposed to the elements since the day they bought it 8 years ago it's rust brown with a few orange spots. Still runs strong. If I was running a farm I would've had a Kubota Crew CVT and diesel.
I am not running a farm and was not looking for a pure workhorse. I wanted something that would work then when the work was done I could go play. The pioneer fit that perfectly for me. So it's not that the CVT can't be good It's that in my mind they have a higher likelihood of having issues. Mainly because of past experiences, which we tend to form opinions based off of experiences.
I "personally" like gears and grease. It's my opinion I would chose a auto style trans over a rubber band EVERYTIME, BUT opinions are like toilets almost everyone has one and sometimes they really stink.
When the new Gator crew 850s came out we rented a fleet of brand new ones for a charity Dove hunt from our favorite rental vendor. By the end of the day most of them were smoking the belts. They were just carrying 4-6 people around in low gear. We were not their favorite customer anymore after that.
My wife had a Jeep Compass that had a CVT trans, Jeep replaced 3 transmissions in 3 years under warranty with her driving it about 30 mins a day on back roads to the school she teaches at, (Alabama it's flat here no hills.) She finally traded it in before the warranty lapsed.
It's not that CVTs can't be good, the mule has always in my opinion been a workhorse along with the Kubota, buddy has a Kubota on his farm that has been beaten and abused and left exposed to the elements since the day they bought it 8 years ago it's rust brown with a few orange spots. Still runs strong. If I was running a farm I would've had a Kubota Crew CVT and diesel.
I am not running a farm and was not looking for a pure workhorse. I wanted something that would work then when the work was done I could go play. The pioneer fit that perfectly for me. So it's not that the CVT can't be good It's that in my mind they have a higher likelihood of having issues. Mainly because of past experiences, which we tend to form opinions based off of experiences.
I "personally" like gears and grease. It's my opinion I would chose a auto style trans over a rubber band EVERYTIME, BUT opinions are like toilets almost everyone has one and sometimes they really stink.
I test drove the Mule Pro FXT, Polaris Ranger Crew 570, and the Pioneer 700-4 over the weekend. The Pioneer is the machine for me, I believe it has a much more sporty nimble feeling compared to the other two. When you hit the pedal it moves and accelerates much better than the mule and the Polaris 570. I like the shortness of the machine allowing it maneuver through the woods much better. Side by side next to the Polaris you can see it is much better built with a heavier frame. I also prefer a transmission over a belt drive. It handles so much better than the Polaris and Mule around tight corners and turns, and feels good without power steering. I ordered one this weekend I will let you know when it arrives. Thank you for all the prior posts and opinions.
1
swsebek
Red,White And Blue Collar Soul
Lifetime Member
You made the wisest decision you possibly could.......You have to drive them to know what will make you happy.....couple miles and you know if it's for you.You won't be unhappy with her.post up some pics when it gets in.
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S
I have a pioneer 2016 700-4 with 60 miles on it. I've had it for about 5 months and it's been in the shop 2 time's already from breaking issues, sway arm bar link in the rear broke in half and wait for it....... Blown head gasket. JUNK JUNK JUNK
sharp
Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Get rid of it and move on to another brand. Good luck.
J
JTW
Guest
You'll probably be much happier with a Polaris.
Tflynn
Not a liberal
Lifetime Member
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I always laugh when someone joins the forum just to put up one post about how terrible their machine is. Hope you feel better now!
Montecresto
Montecresto el segundo
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S
Yes I have several pics of fluid leaking and sway arm bar broken. I will try and upload them tonighr
Montecresto
Montecresto el segundo
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Supporting Member
Club Contributor
I'm sorry, I can't really tell much in those pictures. What's Honda doing about this? This would be the first blown head gasket I've heard of, but nothing is perfect, I suppose a defective part can get through quality control from time to time. Being under warranty, I'd find it hard to believe you'd get any static from Honda on a failure of that nature. So what is the dealer/Honda telling you?
