 Chariots of the Gods
The Monster Department, All-Terrain
Transports and Polaris’ 2009 Press Launch
Most readers probably don’t realize it, but Compact Equipment has a fairly large cryptozoology division (also known as the Monster Department). Sure, they work in the basement, usually doubling on the nightshift, and it’s mostly just watching old X-Files reruns, but it’s an underappreciated wing of the business (and that’s coming from the president).
Let me start by saying we are first and foremost a construction, landscape and rental equipment magazine, the only publication that specifically covers the versatility and productivity of small machines like skid steers and mini excavators. But in our spare time (to let off a little magazine steam), we enjoy the pseudo-studies of cryptids — those animals that don’t necessarily fall into any sort of “contemporary” zoological catalogue (like your average lake monster or Sasquatch family).
So when Polaris Industries invited us to test drive its latest all-terrain products out in the wilds of Minnesota, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to not only tell our readership about the latest ATV and UTV work vehicles on the market, but to find new wheels for our next Monster Department trip (Washington State’s Ape Canyon).
In mid-June, marketing manager Pete McNeil and I traveled to Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minn., to test drive Polaris’ new Sportsman ATVs and RANGER utility vehicles. For starters, the Sportsman 850 XP and 550 XP easily join our list of premium one-up Sportsman ATVs this year. When filming a creature as camera shy as Bigfoot, speed and all-terrain maneuverability are a must. We suggest the Sportsman 850 XP, which boasts a hair-raising, 850-cc, twin EFI engine that churns out 70 hp, going over 65 mph.
When hauling supplies and work tools to the most inaccessible jobsites, there is the 2009 Polaris Sportsman 800 6x6 Big Boss — a rare and powerful six-wheeled ATV (with independent suspension and six-wheel shaft drive). The Big Boss boasts Polaris’ Active Descent Control (a new innovative, safe and low-effort engine-braking technology), making it ideal for lugging supplies and personnel around steep work areas, as well as the copious amounts of beverage coolers that a Monster Department trip requires.
If carrying capacity is the priority of your team, then the mini trucks of the RANGER HD (heavy-duty) UTV Series will be your chariots of choice. Dubbed the “Hardest Working, Smoothest Riding” side-by-sides by Polaris, the RANGER HDs are perfect work transports for the farm and construction markets. The introduction of the BOSS Lift and Carry System even allows these HD UTVs to use attachments via a winch system, employing a bucket, grapple and snow push to spearhead jobs (like moving mulch, clearing winter driveways and lifting giant foot molds).
Read about these off-roading alternatives and more on page 32 in Jason Morgan’s story “Constructing UTVs.” Then go take a test ride yourself and your crews will easily understand the all-terrain aspects of owning a utility vehicle or ATV. Whether it’s living the farm life, running chores on a construction site or dealing with the unpredictable hairy forest giants of the Pacific Northwest, our money says wheeled chariots like the Polaris Sportsman and RANGER vehicles can handle the rigors of both extreme work and play.
Keith Gribbins
Managing Editor, El Presidente
kgribbins@benjaminmedia.com
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