Ranger Crew all the way. And if you're going to do it, do it all the way, 900!

I had a 2010 800 Crew and loved it but screwed up and traded it for a RZR XP4 900. It was way faster and better suspension but somebody was always left at camp.

I'd attack this from the skid plate side of things vs. the exhaust (it's always going to be hot). There's a lot of aftermarket skid plates out there and I'm sure a lot of them will cover the underside of the machine way better.

The Polaris Ranger diesel is your best bet, it does around 45mph top speed which like the 2nd poster mentioned isn't as fast as the gas models but it will pull/carry anything you want. And it has plenty of suspension for play time. The Kubota is a great workhorse but I don't like the hydraulic transmission and it doesn't have the suspension for a weekend of fun after the work week is over. I have no experience with the John Deere models but now you"re talking some serious $$$$$.

For the work you're describing I really like the Kawasaki Mule Trans 4x4. It can haul 2 or 4 people and when configured as a 2 seater the bed is extended and can haul whatever you can throw at it. It's not very fast (25mph) and it doesn't have the best suspension but it's tough and will last.

My dad had a 2006 until a year ago and all he ever did aside from regular maintenance was replace the drive belt on it.

It really is properly named, it is slow but will climb anything while packing a load.

Here's a link http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Produc … =15&id=753

My other choice would be a Polaris Ranger. It is way more machine as far as power and suspension go, probly around 40-50mph and enough suspension for small jumps.

But after years of work I don't know if it would hold up as well as the Mule because it has a plastic bed, it's tough, but it's still plastic while the Mule bed is steel.

Here's a link http://www.polaris.com/en-us/ranger-utv … sage-green

And either of these machines can be found used for a fraction of the cost but these machines are usually put through the ringer on a regular basis so it would be a crap shoot you'd have to make without a factory warranty.

As you can see by my avatar I just went with 4 new Walker Evans (attached to an XP4) haha.

Also if you don't need it right now you might want to wait until July/August time frame since they will release the 2014 line-up. No use kicking yourself in the back side right after you just dropped some serious $$$$$