Just put the down payment on a 2021 Defender Max HD10 Limited. New to the forum. I’m from Upper Michigan (the UP). Our buggy should be ready to be picked up mid May. My family outgrew our 2015 Polaris Ranger 900 EPS. I can’t say I’m at all sad about it. I bought it almost brand new and used it mostly for working around the house. Any time I took it on trail rides I ended up trailering it home. I will never purchase another Polaris. I broke axles, bearings, belts, the clutch, always issues. It only has 2000 miles on it. I also drive like a grandpa so it’s not from being rode hard. I am hoping that this new machine will last and have some dependability. I did have a 2014 Honda Pioneer which gave me no trouble that I purchased new but I needed seating for six so I couldn’t go that route. Any tips or things I must know or be aware of with our new buggy? Thanks in advance! Hoping I made the right choice here.
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- Thread starter Yooper
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I hope you made the right choice as well, because I just made the same choice. I just traded from a Polaris Ranger Northstar to a Defender Limited, mainly due to constant difficulty with catching and sticking transmission linkage and belt burning on the Polaris. I've owned lots of ATVs and UTVs over the last 25 years, and so far have changed to Can Am for every segment I own a machine in. I used to have Polaris Sportsmans, and changed to Can Am Renegades and Outlanders, and the Can Am's have been better. I used to have Polaris Rzr XPs and switched to Can Am Maverick X3s, and the Can Am's have been better. I used to have Polaris Rzr 900 Trail UTVs, and switched to a Can Am Maverick Trail 1000, and the Can Am is better. And now I've switched from a Polaris Ranger to a Can Am Defender. So I guess that pretty much completes the available ATV/UTV segments. So far I like the Can Am Defender more than the Polaris Ranger. Quality is just better than Polaris, all across the line up with Can Am. I can't give you any tips for the new Defender, though, because my Defender itself is just 4 days old. All I have done so far is add a street legal kit, side view and rear view mirrors, and the under seat storage containers. I plan to add additional lighting for off road use, but haven't decided what to add yet. I also plan to change from 27" Bighorn 2.0 tires to 29" Bighorn tires. I already have the tires, but haven't had the time to switch them over to the stock wheels yet.
Good luck with the new Defender, and welcome to the forum.
Good luck with the new Defender, and welcome to the forum.
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Appreciate the reply Dirt Rider. I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase another Polaris after what this one has put me through and it sounds like you have been around the Can Ams enough to know their quality. Looking forward to getting the new buggy and getting some seat time. Definitely will be adding gun racks to the middle seats!
Hkb82
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Hope you both enjoy the new rides. I’m pretty happy with it after about 2 years now. Hands down better then my old machine. Gun clamps under the middle seat were one of my first things I did also. I started a page in the build section when I started adding stuff to it. Be great to see some more builds as people do then on theirs.
I also own a 2021 HD10 Limited. Mine also was pushed out several weeks more than the first delivery date. I would suggest you go over your machine thoroughly before you leave with it. Make sure the AC is operating properly. Let it run for a few minutes to see how cool it gets. If you have access to a test thermometer that you can stick in a vent would work best. Hopefully you won't get a warning light after a few minutes on the AC screen. I'm currently going through AC issues which appear to related to a leak in the system straight out of the factory. Otherwise, I like the machine so far.
I hear that is very common issue. Was hoping it would have been resolved on the newer machines but I guess not. Probably will take them another six months to get it fixed. Did you get an extended warranty?
I did not get the extended but I intend on talking to the dealer once my AC issue is resolved for an extension of the warranty at least for the AC. So far it's been close to three months I've been dealing with this issue and not able to use the AC so basically that's three months I've lost out on it. We'll see.
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