P500 Shopping for information

[Swampdog]

Hello, new guy here browsing the hondasxs forums to help me decide if I should buy a P500 or else a Honda Foreman ATV. I'm an old guy just shy of 70, an avid deer hunter, looking to replace my 2001 Yamaha Grizzly 600 (my avatar). The area I hunt is in north Florida, timber company land, pine plantations and swamps.
The pine trees are grown for pulpwood so they are planted very close together, like 4-5 feet apart. I am looking at the P500 due to it's 50" width so it would be easier to navigate between the trees than larger UTV's. Any advice from people who have experience operating their P500's in similar off-road terrain would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SILVER_ALERT]

Hello, new guy here browsing the hondasxs forums to help me decide if I should buy a P500 or else a Honda Foreman ATV. I'm an old guy just shy of 70, an avid deer hunter, looking to replace my 2001 Yamaha Grizzly 600 (my avatar). The area I hunt is in north Florida, timber company land, pine plantations and swamps.
The pine trees are grown for pulpwood so they are planted very close together, like 4-5 feet apart. I am looking at the P500 due to it's 50" width so it would be easier to navigate between the trees than larger UTV's. Any advice from people who have experience operating their P500's in similar off-road terrain would be greatly appreciated.

Howdy from Oklahoma Swampdog, and welcome to the forum. I wish I was still 70. I'm not older than dirt, but I can remember when fire came along and that was a big thing.

My wife's family has a pine tree farm in Southern Arkansas and we go down and ride occasionally. I usually take the P500, if we are going to stay on the logging roads, and firebreaks. If that is not the case, I would take my Honda Rancher, and or my Honda Recons. I think the Foreman is only a couple of inches less in width than the P500, but weaseling through the trees is much easier with the short wheelbase of the 4 wheelers.

With the P500, consider that you can outfit it with roof, windshield, and other creature comforts, along with hauling a lot more gear, beer, and room for any hot chicks you might pickup along the way.

 

[Swampdog]

Thank you, @SILVER_ALERT , that's exactly the information I was looking for... as well as the "hot chicks I pick up along the way." 👍

 

[oldfortyfive]

We're not kids anymore. That roll cage adds a lot of value.

 

[1border4manu]

We spend a lot of time riding the pine forests and swamp land of Florida in P500. Welcome to the club.

 

[SpaceTroll]

Welcome to the club. 90% of my riding is in my hunting clubs. East Texas is full of pine plantations with some nasty mud thrown in. I don't hunt the mud holes but sometimes you can't get around them. I would suggest a locker for that reason. My 500 is set up for hunting in what I'm sure is a similar landscape to where you are. It works great. I go where most of the other guys can't and have hauled out hogs in excess of 400 lbs with no problem.

 

[DaddyDubbs]

Welcome from Alabama, I'd vote for the P5, as previously mentioned, windshield and roof are quite nice features.

 

[Lburou]

FWIW, the leg lift over the saddles on my Yamaha four wheeler & Honda three wheeler became painful enough that the side by side looked good to me. We have a narrow golf cart garage, so the P500 was the best choice for us size wise.

The issues I have with the P500, (given our individual use), are: 1) No dump bed, 2) No option for one wheel drive, 3) The hard shifting, 4) The roof is set so far aft it doesn't protect much from sun or rain. We do miss the winch, storage and street lights of our last side by side. But, it fits the garage better than our former side by side, not to mention we like an actual transmission and the paddle shift makes us feel like race car drivers. HTH

 

[Mudder]

Welcome from NW Georgia. Half the fun of a P500 is the many mods.

 

[HiFive]

hello from central fl. p-5 in 4wheel takes on the sugar sand and wins, comfortable ride for two,lots of extras to customize the way you like it.

 

[Swampdog]

I am officially a Honda Pioneer 500 owner.

Thank you everyone for sharing your information with me.

 

[alloutdoors]

I have owned numerous ATV's and side by sides and in my opinion, the overall manipulating a machine through technical woods, etc., is easier on the ATV vs. side by side. However, if you are looking to enjoy work (not climbing on/off a machine, somewhere to easily store things, etc.), the P500 become a dream machine. Likewise, taking someone along on the SXS is nicer as well...