ATV & SXS - UTV Product Reviews

A new set of gloves is always nice, but it’s not usually something we get overly excited about.  After all, if they fit well and keep our hands protected or warm, we’re usually “happy, happy, happy,” as the guy from Duck Dynasty would say.  Recently though, we tried a new set of gloves from Cabela’s that took hand comfort and convenience to a whole new level.

Woods Powr-Grip has been making tools for lifting and maneuvering difficult to grip pieces such as glass, stone, metal, etc. for almost 50 years.  Their gripping tools can be found working away on automotive assembly lines, installing glass panels on new skyscrapers, and even in the car repair shop pulling dents from body panels.  If you’ve got a tough surface to work with, they’ve got a tool that can get the job done.

Many off-roaders like to modify their machines or even fabricate their own parts.  There’s something very satisfying about saying “I built it myself”, and with the right tools in your shop much can be accomplished.  Whether you’re a weekend hobbyist or a professional fabricator though, sooner or later you’ll need bent tubing for your project and the right tool for making smooth, strong, consistent bends is a tubing bender.  When you need one nothing else will do.  Rogue Fabrication has your next favorite tool.  

Part of the fun in any outdoor adventure is cooking out, and it seems everything tastes better outside.  For the past few years, Yamaha has been partnering with Camp Chef to provide the cooking gear for our desert oasis and they could hardly do any better.  Camp Chef has a huge lineup of high quality outdoor cooking equipment.  Whether you’re grilling brats at a pre-game tailgate party outside the stadium, making flap jacks for the crew at the hunting cabin, or warming up a single can of soup on your climb to the summit, they’ve got the perfect tool for you.   

There are tires for sand, snow, mud, and every other type of riding condition, but when the snow gets too deep or the bog too soft, nothing can get you through a tough spot like a good set of tracks.  MATTRACKS has been building tracks for everything from tractors to ATVs since 1994 and we’ve tried their track systems on rough, rocky terrain, across a muddy swamp, up hills that would give our relatives cause to worry, and of course, on snow.

Whether riding on farm, forest, or flat out across the sweltering desert, sooner or later nearly every Side x Side owner appreciates the value of extra protection.  Northern riders are exposed to harsh winter conditions, and while the snow covered woods appears beautiful, nobody likes a biting winter wind in their face.  We needed to increase the comfort on our trusty trail and work buddy Polaris Ranger 800, and Seizmik Advanced Utility Systems had just what we were looking for.  

Next to a roof and a windshield, snow blades are one of the most popular accessories for UTVs and ATVs. It’s a natural fit actually. An ATV or Side x Side can maneuver through tight areas much easier than a jeep, a pickup, or tractor, and unless you’ve got really deep snow, they do a great job of clearing the drive or walk. If you already own an ATV or Side x Side, it’s a no-brainer to use it as a winter tool.

A snow plow is one of the most useful tools you can use with your ATV.  An ATV can maneuver into areas a tractor or truck mounted plow can’t reach, and it can make short work of a tough winter job.  Most snow plows follow a similar design, but recently American Manufacturing introduced a new trick for your old dog.  

Unless the riding area, hunting camp, and job site is right behind your house you’ll surely be hauling your ATV and Side x Side on a regular basis.  For many of us that means every time we drive it.  A trailer is the best tool for the job when it comes time to haul your machine, but regardless of the brand or size you definitely need to make sure it is securely attached to the trailer.  One of the best tools we have seen for securing your machine safely is the MIGHTY TITE load security system.  

Riding a familiar trail after the sun goes down is often a surreal experience.  Features you recognize and know during the day blend into endless shadows and the trail takes on the characteristics of an entirely new area.  Unless you’re very careful it’s even possible to become lost on a night ride, and more than once we’ve back tracked to a turn we should have made but blew by because we didn’t recognize it.  Other dangers lurk in the shadows as well and creatures large and small often share the trail, oblivious to any danger.