Totally lost here, I have no personal experience.  

I'm looking at a vehicle to get 4 of us around our heavy wooded 55 acres.  I built a small house out there already.   I'm using it as my vacation house right now, but I will move down there within a year.  

This has nothing to do with a tractor or larger lawn mower.   It's just a vehicle to move around the land and haul debris to the burn pile.  

I am looking at the Kawasaki Mule in diesel, mainly because then I can store fuel for the mule and for the generator.  At that price, around $15k, what other options are there?   I don't mean Polaris or Kawasaki or another brand, but what other type of vehicle is there?  Seems like $15k would get me a legit vehicle.  I just don't know.  

I don't need it to go fast, almost never go on roads, all wheel necessity.   I don't care if it's gas or diesel (plus to diesel, not a requirement).   Land in east Texas.  

If this type of vehicle is besf, that's fine too.  I just don't know.

How about an older jeep? You can get YJs for under $5k. They are generally reliable (look for 1991 and newer), and you could actually drive it to town if you needed.

Heat, windshield, top, AC is a plus too.

I had a Kawasaki mule for about three years.
Really was a great vehicle to get around the property with.
It did break down some though. Stupid stuff that was just poor design.
I never beat on it, 4 wheeling etc but things like shaft boots and clutch and over heating were expensive to fix.
If I was going to buy something like it I would get a Kubota UTV next time.
Friends of mine have them and they never break down.

I would be looking at some of the older and simpler body on frame 4x4 trucks/maybe suv stuff.

If you want 4 doors then that knocks out a fullize blazer or old bronco.

But the downsized blazer with the 4.3 v6 and 4 doors would work.

Gonna use a trailer to pull stuff?

Since you want it for off road going with proper mud tires is easy.

A buddy had an old toyota that rusted in half.  he welded it back together.  Thing was wobby at 15mph.  It was a stickshift and 4x4 adn 2 door.  Had a flatbed on the back cause the factory bed got destroyed.

At the end we just left it in 4 low. 

Not licensed or insured and never hit the pavement.

Cheaper than all the sidexsides neighbors were getting.

I bought a jeep tj 5+ years ago I guess, for about what a sidexside was going for.  TJ was in awesome shape and I drive it on the road.  But part of why I got it is it will do the trails I want to do at the speeds I want to go, slow.  It is street legal if I run out of trail.

The jeep xj cheerokee is a good option for you, but unibody and around here they are either overpriced or someone has offroaded it so bad it is all kinds of messed up.

I will give a side x side credit for being lighter so better for mud.  Suspensions usually do offroad stuff at much faster speed than road legal stuff.

Old farm trucks with a welded up rear axle and mud tires exist for a reason.  Some people will drive em to town now and then but overall I would look for something with a good drivetrain and a wrecked body that keeps the price low.  Not enough body damage to ruin things, but some is ok.

Forgot, I have been considering a lunch box locker for my 1wd ford that does not even have posi in the back axle.  Locker is 350 bucks or so and figure another 50 for fluids if doing it.  Depending on what you are after a locked up 2wd might be an option, or not.  I know I had a big crew cab chevy with no posi and while it was 4x4 it sure got stuck in the yard easy.  If I had kept it I would have put a locker in the back of it probably.  Left front open.

This is a time where I would play on craigslist and look at what has been sitting for a while.  Your biggest thing is going to be determining how low you will go.

As someone mentioned, being able to shut the doors and roll up the windows and turn on the heater/defroster is nice.

X2 they get expensive quick. I bought a 2012 jeep and put big tires and a lift kit for checking stock in the mornings. I'd look at an old Toyota or other small pickup in 4whd

I'll look into it while I'm in Arizona.  Trucks and such are more money in Texas.  The max I'm willing to spend would be the same price as a UTV.   Of course I'm looking for the same features (or lack of).  

I saw those prices and thought wow!

You can buy a lot of farm truck/Jeep/Blazer/etc. for $15K.  About everyone around home that has more than 10 acres has a side by side of some type, some of them paying over $20K for the diesel Kubotas.  I'd rather have a TJ Wrangler.

I hear you.   I'm thinking hard on it, I have a 90% chance of getting vetoed.

Kawasaki Mule for the last 10 years or so and it has been good except for the fragile CV boots. Variety of 4 wheelers  in the stable as well.

Bought a mostly original 1948 Willys Jeep a few month back and since then everything else has remained parked.  Even with some extensive refurb after purchase it was still less than half what a new Mule would cost.  It is road legal if you don't mind going sorta slow.

Neighbor who has a large hunting ranch uses Swiss Pinzgauers (sp?).

Who is your nearest dealer? You know for parts and service.  I have two JD gators , an older 4x2 and a newer 825i.  The older one just runs, its not fast but it works.  The newer 825i is like driving a truck; smooth, fast and strong.  I could not use a jeep or other vehicle for what I use these for.  My neighbor sells Kubota's, they have trouble with radiators getting clogged and overheating engines.  

4 door mini truck fits the bill.  Will easily haul 4, hydraulic dump bed, 4X4, heat, AC, road legal (not sure about in TX).  Downside is it will cost about the same.

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Unfortunately there is a reason they are expensive and they hold their value (UTVs); they are very capable and worth every penny.

The only thing I think that could be substituted (noticed I didn't say "compares") is a jeep or some other small road-worth vehicle. The disadvantages of those vehicles is weight, turning radius, width, lack of locking differentials on most, and must have plates & insurance if you plan to take them on the road.

Advantages of UTVs: tight turning radius, usually have a high/low range that gives great capability, road-legal in many states (sometimes with minimal red-tape/requirements/insurance needs), usually independent suspension.

How does that apply to using this in a wooded lot? Have you ever driven a jeep through a woods? Wooded lots (especially on varied terrain) aren't known for having flat, straight, smooth trails (if any) you will usually have to dodge & duck around trees. Try doing that in a Jeep or even a mini-truck, you'll find yourself jockeying around tight turns frequently due to the difference in turning radius. Requirements: In Indiana, UTVs count as farm equipment if you have a farm (timber is considered farming), the registration is super cheap (IIRC <$50 for 3 years), no plates & no insurance required.

As far as UTVs go I'm not an expert but I have driven some of them extensively.

Kubota: heavy, clunky, minimal ground-clearance. If you want a work-horse for heavy pulling on flat ground, the weight will help with traction and the minimal ground-clearance isn't much of an issue. Taken it into the woods and you'll want to start watching what you're doing. They're still capable, just not AS capable as others. Out of all the UTVs this is the one that will get stuck before any others; even then, my neighbor has one and he routinely fords through his muddy creek with it and seeds food-plots etc with it.

Polaris Ranger: IMHO, hands-down this is the UTV to have. My dad has one in Diesel (one of the first) and uses it HEAVILY on the farm and for his business. It's registered for road-use and he does all his surveying with it (GPS survey/mapping system). The diesel is a bit slower (tops out around 50 mph) but it makes up for it in low-end torque. I've also used these overseas, we planted about 4,000 lbs of generator, welder, air-compressor, and numerous tool-boxes on the back of custom long flat-bed models and flew around the sand-box in Chinooks. They took the abuse very well. If a Chinook wasn't available we would sling-load them out to remote FOBs. Things to break and wear out when they are abused that heavily but I was honestly surprised by what they could take when so severely overloaded.

Kawasaki Mule: I don't have much experience with later models but my cousin had a Mule before UTVs got so popular; at that time a 5-600 cc engine was "big". His has held up well but he takes care of it like its a baby.

Honda: That new large-size Honda thing looks like a gimmick to me. The 2nd-row seating folds down into the bed; I think after 1 use hauling dirt or firewood in the bed you would realize how TERRIBLE of an idea that is. I can't see how Honda didn't see the stupidity in that. I've never used one so this is just conjecture based upon my experience using others.

i don't know how i survived before without my kubota utv. It is a heated and has A/C with a hard cab, 4x4, dump bed, fantastic machine. If i was convinced they could no longer be bought, i would look at a small pickup truck. I use mine on 40 acres,,constantly. I run a power v blade on it for snow plowing,,don't forget that use! Does it snow in texas?

Everything is diesel around here if poss,,,storing gas sucks. I keep diesel above 350 gallons at all times in storage. My trucks,tractors,dozers, and generators eat it too

I don't really get your arguments?

To me the real reason people love them is the size and cost.  They are much cheaper to purchase then a new Jeep or truck.  $30k will get you the most bad ass UTV on the market (like the Can Am Maverick V3).  $30k will barely get you into a base level Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.  You cant compare new vehicles with used ones.  I.e. a 100,000 mile Wrangler Unlimited costs the same as a brand new $15k UTV.  One is new one is used.

UTVs are also smaller and lighter meaning they can fit places and go over terrain more easily then a more expensive vehicle.  A lighter vehicle may not need lockers, large tires and tons of horsepower to get over obstacles like a heavier vehicle will.  They also tend to be easier to get in and out of then a Jeep which is a benefit for farm work.

They have a niche but wont ever replace larger size off road vehicles.  A properly equipped Jeep will far exceed anything a UTV can do short of blasting through sand dunes.

Hold their value  (utv)'s
I've had 5 of them 3 with cabs and heat. And I hate to admit it but the JD gator HPX has been the best of all of them. My mule 4x4 trans will not out turn my jeep. The JD gator is set up to run propane and it's the most reliable. The Polaris will break down if you look at it wrong. They are nice in the mountains but they don't go to many more places than my jeep does. And dang sure won't go where the Yamaha Grizzly has been.

Have two Polaris Rangers, a 2010 500EFI and a 2012 800EFI and they have been awesome.  Use them to maintain a 250 acre hunting property.  Hauled tons of rock out of food plots, fertilizer, deer feed and feeders, deer stands, dead deer (live ones keep jumping out) and firewood.  We use them with a 25 gallon sprayer to spray food plots and haul gear around doing trail maintenance and hunting..  Just replaced the batteries in both of them in the last year, the 500 last fall and the 800 this spring.  The only other repair has been a damage CV boot on the 800.  They have been good work horses for us.

Did you buy them both new?

Yes.

Don't get out much huh? Just about every UTV I've ever been on at least has a rear-diff lock, some have front lockers too. Are you trying to say the opposite is true?

Definitely not the norm here in the Midwest... many states don't require insurance, and if they do it's MUCH less for a UTV. Many states also have specialized registration for UTV/ATV (which  may not even be required) that is FAR cheaper than registering a car and the process is much more simplified.

This comment was more targeted towards the overall gearing or range of speeds in those gear ranges. A jeep in high-range is made to travel at highway speeds etc (it's virtually useless for many farm/property related tasks), so you have a jeep in low-range that pretty much has to cover the entire range of speeds a UTV does with 2 ranges. Remember, the OP is looking for a vehicle to use around his property, not travelling from farm to farm checking on cattle etc. The high-way speeds benefit of a Jeep doesn't necessarily help him.

Maybe it's just because I'm in the Midwest where government tends to still respect freedom, but around here it's true. Maybe in nanny-states they won't allow you to ride them on the road.

I'm starting to feel like you are either testing my knowledge or you don't really have any knowledge. Which is it?

Independent suspension offers better centerline ground-clearance and better maneuverability on rough terrain among many other smaller advantages. Of-course one down-side is more CV joints and suspension components to wear out. After years of spraying several hundred acres with a 500 gallon pull-behind sprayer (5,000+ lbs) my dad killed a CV joint in his Ranger; that's a $300+ part to replace; he used his Ranger on that bad CV joint for another 2 years before replacing it...

Lighter vehicles absolutely MUST have relockers to compare to large vehicles when it comes to pulling heavy loads. Less weight equals less traction, which demands more tires locked to the ground for equal pulling force.

I never said that.

We may just have to agree to disagree. I just don't think you've used a good UTV in a demanding, hard-work environment... Fun & games on a UTV is an entirely different ball-game from hard-work with a UTV. I don't do the Fun & games BS so I have no experience with those but I know that most ATV manufacturers have different lines targeted to their market (Polaris RZR vs Polaris Ranger). A work-driven UTV can absolutely compete with a Jeep. They may each have their own advantages and disadvantages but to say that a Jeep exceeds a UTV is narrow-minded IMHO; there are too many variables, too many possible uses to even begin to make a comparison that one is better than the other.

Relative to buying a new on-road vehicle they absolutely hold their value. Ragged out 6 year old Rangers are still selling for over half of new cost (not new cost of a Ranger today, but the cost of that specific model when it was new); that's with busted plastic, bent metal, and severely torn seats.

I can see a fully loaded (cab, AC, heated seats) UTV not holding its value. At that point you're putting lipstick on a pig and most people just don't care for that. If you're going to do that just get a truck, jeep, etc.

Trying my best to put aside my aversion to JD... I've worked with many UTVs in environments that are so austere that the designers couldn't even imagine the environment, let along design for it. NEVER have I even seen a John Deere product in those environments and it's most definitely not because it's overkill or over-built for them. Most were Polaris MRZRs & Rangers, once in a while a Mule. They hold up really well for what they are put through. I just can't see how your Ranger would break if you look at it wrong... I've been in the seats of 20+ Rangers that have seen 5+ years of complete abuse in the sandbox and they rarely break-down. What were you doing to yours?

We are getting into a debate that has gone on forever in the four wheeling world.  I have owned and four wheeled Jeeps for over 20 years.  I also do all maintenance on them including major engine work.  Also notice I never insulted you as you are trying to do.  I never understood when someone questions your opinion why some people just automatically drop into insults as if they cant support their own opinion.

The debate has raged forever; UTV vs other vehicle

I will leave it at that since you have shown an inability to civilly debate the issue at hand.

No more insulting than your post with the wacky eyes... if you're too thin-skinned to handle that then maybe the internet isn't for you? I don't sugar-coat things and I've never been known as "tactful". I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings, can we discuss the actual merits of the various vehicle types and how they pertain to the OP's specific needs?

Your post proves what I alluded to at the end of my post. Almost everything you've said approaches the question from a 4-wheeling or recreational off-roading perspective and I don't think that's what the OP is looking for. Everything I've said has approached the question from the hard-working perspective (hauling, dragging, overloading, etc). I completely agree with some of your points, but some of your other points simply aren't founded on facts built on using a UTV for work.

As I said, I don't really have any experience with off-road vehicles for play, my experience is completely work. If I'm out of line and the OP really wants an ORV for play then I'll happily bow out. His post mentions moving 4 people around the property and hauling things like brush etc. Where are you putting brush in the back of a jeep?

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We run 10 miles a day every day. The UTV's just don't hold up and Just plain don't hold value end of story!!! If your playing they have a place there. But you are waisting money on down time with UTV's. And if your Actually using them daily creature comforts are nice. Other wise a ATV would be actually better!!! After 2000 hours you will replace drive shafts and rebuild an engine. I still have three and probably will keep two just for play!!! But if your Actually going to use one as DD or to work with there's better options. End of story from lesions learned the Hard Way! Right now the wiring harness has cracked out on the Polaris and water condensation kills it. $800.00 plus dollars for a wiring harness and the machine is two months out of warranty. Plus the Dealer had it for 4 months trying to sell it with a full cab for $6500.00 2012 Ranger 500. I think I had over $14,000.00 in it not counting new drive train. I cracked two of the plastic oil tanks. A couple of bearings they don't hold up at all to mud and water. 8 of the sway bars I break them regularly. Oh lets not forget water in the fuel ethanol literally kills it. Oh and Crank shaft speed sensors go out quite regularly and fuel air sensors are consumables. Now I have a 325 magnum four wheeler that has been ver reliable a couple of chains bushings bearings and breaks. Nothing reading major and it on it's 10'th set of tires. I wouldn't recommend a Polaris Ranger to any one!!! I got a buddy thats had really good luck with a Yamaha Rhino but then again he doesn't use it daily like I do. And parts cost just as much if not more for UTV's. And they are not sealed bearings or Bushings on the drive train.

So if you decide to go with an UTV don't expect to much and you will not be as disappointed...

I found your references to be irrelevant to the argument and it leans towards a lack of knowledge on the subject from a technical standpoint.  I.e. not understanding how automatic transmissions, lower gearing and multiplication of torque work or your IFS comments.  If you think this is about hauling, dragging overloading etc then I don't know how anyone could think a UTV is better then a truck or SUV.

Specifically the comment below:
Those three points, which are your main points, are completely irrelevant if you understand how vehicles work from a technical standpoint.  They really have nothing to do if a UTV is better for farm work or not.  That's all I am saying.

That thing looks cool! My neighbor has a Unimog and it's a hay hauling beast!

I drive my saturn sl around my deer lease and it has a trailer hitch.

SMALL haflinger ~13K$
https://www.pinzgauer.com/shpics.php?table=vehicles&idnum=167

MEDIUM Pinzgauer 20-50K$
https://expedition-imports.com/04192016E

LARGE uniMog 20-70K$
http://unimogshop.com/ads/1971-unimog-416-2/

The Japanese KEI 4WD mini trucks also look pretty interesting
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/japanese-kei-trucks-are-weird-tinyand-legal-in-the-united-states-264689

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6-10K$
http://www.grparts.net/product-p/2373.htm

I understand all of that, possibly even better than you do... but the truth comes when the rubber meets the road (or dirt) literally. I rebuild transmissions, I haul loads that most people cannot fathom. Ever cross the scales in a pickup truck weighing more than a standard-weight semi? BTDT (92,500 lbs in a 1-ton Dodge). I've also pulled 25,000 lb loads with a Polaris Ranger (flat terrain). Despite how irrelevant you think my comments are, you're just in a different world of thought on the matter and therefore cannot see the relevancy.

As I stated up-thread, I never said a UTV is BETTER than a truck, I stated that it can be very capable. No way would a UTV EVER come close to pulling a load over 80k pounds. But that 1-ton Dodge would likewise never come close to navigating the terrain a UTV does WITH a towed load, no-way. They each service a purpose, 1 is better than the other at certain things and the other is better at other things.

You're taking my comments out of their context, however, I think part of why you're doing that is because I didn't fully explain the why and how.

Want to see how taking a comment out of context can be twisted? I'll use one of yours.
This clearly demonstrates that you do not understand the principles of friction (and traction) and how vehicle weight effects them.

See what I did there? Your comment was originally only about getting over difficult terrain, and I would agree that you may not require lockers to get over terrain when factoring ONLY the vehicle. But throw in a trailer or a load that contributes nothing to traction (no added weight on drive tires) but contributes a significant drag and lockers and/or 4wd are absolutely a must. This is one large difference between off-roading for fun and off-roading for work and this factor can be easily overlooked by somebody that off-roads for fun and doesn't have experience off-roading for work.

Either way, I'm not going to continue beating this horse. You have your opinions, I have mine. We aren't going to agree so I'll bow out. Have fun off-roading, I have work to do!!!

I would agree.  And to answer your question, yes I have crossed the scales.  I used to drive a lumber truck.

Lumber truck as-in a straight truck, where the weight contributed to traction?

FWIW, I was talking about a pickup truck, weighing 92,500 lbs (over 3X rated tow capacity), all bumper-pull, none of that weight added to the traction, it was a treat to get going until we got it out on paved roads and still struggled with traction even in 4wd... not trying to discredit you driving truck. Have you ever pulled heavy loads that were bumper-pulled (no added weight on the towing vehicle)? Power, gearing, & torque don't make a difference, it's all in how much traction you can get. A 1.8L 4-banger would have got the 92,500 load going just the same as the 6.7L cummins did, the limiting factor was wheel-slip.

What about a member of the CUCV family? M1008 is the pickup, M1009 is the Blazer-based vehicle.

I have an M1009 and it is very maneuverable and versatile with the removable top.

For your budget, you could get two very nice examples and modify them to your needs.

Where do you obtain them?

So you pulled the equivalent of a D5 dozer with a utv?
Clutch would have burned the belt!  I call  BS!!!
I've seen souped up Razors burn belts and snap axles from their own power rock crawling.

If the load would have shifted the utv would have lost traction.

If utv's were as good as your claiming pickup trucks would be extinct!

This is getting entertainingly deep.

I cannot imagine DOT letting you continue with that load on a pickup.

I was thinking the same thing...we need hip waders for this thread.

Did you see up-thread where I mentioned my dad has sprayed several hundred acres with a 500 gallon sprayer with his UTV? That's when things are too wet to get in the field with the big sprayer. That sprayer, fully loaded weighs 5,000 lbs and he literally has HUNDREDS of engine hours and miles pulling that through muddy fields.

And you're questioning the ability to move a 25,000 lb wagon? It's not like the load was a chunk of concrete dragging on the ground, it was on wheels.

Burning belts and snapping axles rock crawling is an apples to oranges comparison. You even stated in your post they were souped up. If you make the weakest link stronger there is simply a different weak link. I would imagine a fair amount of wheel-hop if spinning while rock-crawling, wheel hop can create some tremendous shock loading that will absolutely snap axles. Burning belts would be entirely dependent on clutch temp; extended strenuous activity like rock crawling (lots of lot speed movement, starting/stopping, and maneuvering which involves lots of belt-slipping) would definitely heat up a belt & clutch. Short movement of an extremely heavy load is unlikely to burn a belt unless you're abusing the machine.

What do you mean if the load would have shifted? There was no weight on the UTV except for a few guys in the back and a full-seat to gain more traction.

RE: the pickup truck you would be amazed at what you can get away with in regards to DOT when it comes to farming. Legal or not, they turn a blind eye to it. In Indiana the largest plates you can put on a pickup truck without going commercial are 11,000 lb IIRC; one wagon load of grain far exceeds that weight (as a matter of fact, that 92k lb gvw was 2 large wagons of grain plus the truck). There are THOUSANDS of farmers every year towing wagons of grain to the local elevator far exceeding the plated GVWR of their pickup truck. I've never heard of a single one being cited. That being said we don't make a habit of it because that is a LOT of weight to get stopped if something goes wrong, only stating the example to demonstrate that mechanical machines/vehicles are FAR more capable than most people believe IF you know what you're doing. Put an idiot in the seat and you may see idiotic results.

You don't have to believe me, I really don't care. Some people are of the "if I didn't see it I don't believe it" mentality. I was there, I saw it, my brother has the scale-ticket at his house as a memento of the heaviest load he's ever towed with his truck.

All kinds; S10, F150, F350, F550, F750, and larger towed and non towed CDL trucks.  Your claims of load weights are interesting.  Anything can get the job done if you need it one time.  Single men pull semi trucks in strong man competitions.  But again maxing things out way beyond safety levels and into "really?" territory isnt that relevant to the arguments here.  You are throwing numbers around like they support your outlandish claims and I am really beginning to doubt your knowledge on this subject matter.

How did you get it stopped?

Talk about a super utv salesman! I thought grain carts were around 10,000. 80,000 would be around a D6N on a semi trailer with a dolly and even with air over hydraulic would be extremely nerve racking. My BS meter is going off.

I've hauled over 65,000 lbs of corn in tandem gravity wagons behind an 8000 series John Deere.  Hairy enough even with that size tractor pulling it.

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Yeah and that tractor has 4 wheel breaking system and weights twice as much as my 01 dodge 1 ton.
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Theres 8000# behind that tractor and it pushes the tractor on flat ground if your going to fast and hit the breaks to hard. And I think that tractor is just under 7000#. And my 200 gallon FMC sprayer pushes the mule Trans down hills. So how will a 1200# machine pull 5000# of water that sloshes in a tank let alone stop it? With tires that are low pressure to begin with. I have seen heavy loads pop the low pressure UTV tires off the rims when turning.

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600 bushel gravity wagons X 2 wagons X 56 lbs/dry bushel (corn is rarely dry when harvested so closer to 60-65 lbs/bushel) + weight of the truck and wagons empty... the math isn't complicated. This is the difference between *I thought* (like you "thought" they were around 10,000) and *I know* as in I've BTDT.

The wagons have 4 wheel hydraulic brakes, no need for it to be extremely nerve racking, take caution, but don't kill yourself worrying about things that don't need to be worried about.

Brakes?  It didn't get over 5 mph and the wagon had hydraulic brakes on it (see above).

Never had that "hairy" feeling in red tractors, maybe it's because you have the wrong color?

Well that explains the problem. Going too fast and hit the brakes too hard. Know the limits of the equipment you have and when circumstances dictate you push the limits, take appropriate caution, like not going too fast or hitting the brakes too hard...

The tires aren't OEM, the tongue weight of the sprayer helps keep the back end locked to the ground, and the operator wasn't going too fast or hitting the brakes too hard.


ETA, that being said, we are so outlandishly off-topic that for the sake of the OP I'm going to stop... I don't have anything to prove. I'm secure in my experiences and opinions no matter the dog-pile of naysayers. My point was to convey to the OP that when circumstances dictate it, UTVs can be pushed well beyond their design limits and be very capable machines. If you don't believe the extreme punishment they can take it doesn't take much google-fu to find it. There are plenty of youtube videos of UTVs doing things that should destroy them according to what you guys are saying and they keep on going like nothing happened.

OP, there is a lot of good info in this thread, even those that I have disagreed with have many good points. I just don't think they've taken UTVs to the extremes (not reckless abuse, but cautiously well above design limits) that I have taken them and therefore they just won't believe it until they see it for themselves. Gleen through it and make a decision based on your specific needs/use. I don't have a clue what your actual property is like so my experiences may not necessarily correlate well to your situation. Don't underestimate the value of a UTV.

Easy, a surplus humvee. Get one off of one of the auction sites.

How about a golf cart for a people mover with a small garden trailer for light weight debris?

I would find a old geo tracker, they can be had for under 3k most times in fair condition and running. Maybe invest a lil bit to fix this or that, maybe a new top. Point is you can have a 4x4 vehicle that is actually decently capable and probably less then 6k when all is said and done and is street legal with AC! Unlike the $10k+ offroad sport vehicles.

My $.02

If you want to drive through your property and make your own trails on whatever vehicle you choose, I would not go the truck/SUV route. It negates the ability to navigate through the woods and move through tight spots. Whatever ATV/side by side/other vehicle you choos, just make sure to maintain it according to manufacturer guidelines. It might potentially save you from a headache down the road. My vote for functionality's sake is a Ranger.

15k might get you into an older 4x4 Tacoma four door, but it will be high miles. Having to carry four people makes this harder because I think a Toyota pickup would be a good option, but four seaters are a little rare. With that said, I think a Ranger 4 seater would be about your best bet.