Want to trade in my 21 Can Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR on a more utility oriented vehicle.
Looking at a Defender Limited or Ranger Northland.  Both have full cabs with HVAC.
Want one for ice fishing, snow plowing and some light off roading and logging.
Which of the two vehicles has better reliability, quality construction and will hold up longest?

Anyone know what the common issues are with these machines?

You stuck on those two brands?  Never had either, but my Yamaha has been solid.  3500 miles, just tires and maintenance.

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Really want the full cab with AC and heat.  I am not aware of any other manufacturer that comes with those features.

I believe you are right.  Polaris gets smack talked, but they are one of the biggest brands out there.  I have yet to see one broken down on the trail, and I run a lot of trails.

Had a 2010  Polaris 500 SxS for 10years.

No complaints

Does the Ranger eat belts like the Razers do?

I take back what I said about not seeing Polaris broke down.  We did run into a couple guys on a ranger, wrenching on it .   They had just finished changing a belt.    Didn’t really talk to them after they said they didn’t need any help, so it could’ve been years old.

You would hope they could fix that if they are chronic belt eaters.
Yamaha must know something, 10 year belt warranty, but it’s just a 850.  Razors are probably double the horsepower.

The big difference is in the Polaris' drive system, the belt is loose at idle and then slips a little when engaging.  Most/all (not certain) of the other brands use a wet clutch and a tight belt.  Personally, I like the Polaris belt drive system but the catch is, you need to replace the belt occasionally and you must use the right range based on your speed.  Personally, I recommend replacing the belt every 1000 miles.  It's probably excessive but I have never had a belt break on the trail.  I still carry a spare on the trail but have never needed it.  When I change the belt, I keep it as a broken in spare.

I have a 2018 Defender 1,000.  LOVE IT.  

Use to own a Polaris Ranger 500 and two of the smaller Mule's.  This is my favorite.  

Defender has great ground clearance, nice factory tires, power steering and has plenty of low end power.

All UTVs other then Honda use a CVT type clutch ( just like Polaris) . Don't even know what a " Wet Clutch " is ..Problem with Polaris system is they use a square puck in the secondary instead of round . Those eventually wear a groove in the secondary and it's toast . Swapping to round pucks is $25 and 30 minutes of your time .. People saying stay away from Polaris because they " Blow belts " probably dont understand when to use Low gear and when to use High gear ( I've seen way more smoked x3 belts then RZR belts )  .. As to OP a buddy has an HD10 Defender and another has the Northstar Ranger . Both are nice machines. I prefer the Can Am more then the Polaris.  But it's more of a fit and finish thing . I chose a Polaris General Xp4  with a heater and upper doors.  
Have you seen the new Polaris Expeditions

I have seen the new Expeditions and like what they offer.  Polaris priced it outside of my range though.

Mahindra Roxel is your only other option. I would definitely look into it with gear driven drive train and a real alternator. Only problem is it’s a diesel in cold weather it might gell. I think I would look at the Can Am over the Polaris. We just replaced the clutch in my wife’s 1000. I will admit it has out lasted previous Ranger clutch’s. And the last belt lasted longer than expected. But we did get one belt that didn’t make two months. Polaris warrantied it. Both of my buddy’s have switched to Can Am and they are happy but neither use them like my wife. Good luck!

Most ATVs and UTVs I know of use a wet clutch. Specifically a wet centrifugal clutch. It’s called a wet clutch because it runs inside the engine in the motor oil.  It’s similar in a way to how a typical motorcycle clutch works. Most, if not all, motorcycle clutches are wet clutches they are just manually activated. Most UTVs and ATVs use a wet clutch even if they use a CVT belt drive. The CVT isn’t necessarily a clutch but it is how the system “shifts”. The Polaris system doesn’t use a wet clutch. It uses the belt as the clutch AND the “shifting” system. That means, the belt slips a little every time it engages. Most other systems use a wet clutch system so in those systems the belts stay tight and the slippage as it engages is inside the engine in the wet clutch.

Wet clutches have some advantages and disadvantages. Advantages are they typically engage smoothly (thanks to the slippage in the oil). They also have long belt life.  Disadvantages are the engines MUST have wet clutch compatible oils and if/when the clutch fails, you have to take the engine apart to replace the clutch.

I don’t have any experience with the Can Am units so don’t know for sure but a quick google search seems to indicate they use a wet clutch system.

I have a small 150 Arctic Cat ATV that uses both a tight belt and a dry external clutch but that drive system is kind of rare in ATVs. Plus, it’s a kid size ATV.

I personally like the Polaris drive system. I really like CVT systems because as long as you are using the correct gear range (low vs high) they are always in the right “gear” ratio for the driving conditions. Also….not all Polaris secondaries use a square “roller”. According to Hunterworks, it affects the 2016-2019 RZR models and a few others too.

https://www.hunterworks.com/2016_hd_roller_article

The Polaris Xpedition looks neat but too pricey for me.

I have a 2 seater RZR but would like to get a 4 seater eventually. I would like to stay with Polaris but really do like what you get for the money with the Yamaha RMax. The Kawasaki Teryx also has some nice features for a very attractive price.

Have a general with add on heater for my wooded property. Does trails/snow removal/light forestry duty

Have a ranger for the farm. Does rock picking/spraying/all things farm related.

Friends farm has new defender line star edition. Haven’t seen it in person yet but looks like little keep.

New Polaris xpedition just came out too. Depending on cargo capacity might be worth a look

Xpedition had same capacity as a General. 600 lbs in the bed 2k trailer .
I built a XP 4 seat Xpedition just for giggles to see what it would cost to jump from my 22 XP4 Ride Command to a real cab with AC . Almost 50k . And that didn't account for any tuning , clutching,  shocks or accessories like lights etc.. Going to keep the General for awhile

I have had owned Can-am and Kawasaki Mule in the last 10 years. I have worked with Rangers in our hunt club. The Mule is hands down the best for work. For Fun the can-am is good. For racing get a Honda.

Only if the guy driving the RZR is the same guy driving the ranger.

RZR's do not eat belts, driving incorrectly or modding the machine incorrectly does

What manufacturer of Higher performance machines uses a wet clutch?
I regularly service Polaris machines with well over 4000 miles on original belt.

I run a shop where we sell used UTVs, repair all powersports, and I tear apart machines and sell them online.

The Ranger and Defender are comparable.
Can-Am has less clutch problems than the 2018+ rangers.
Both are great machines and really its best to drive both before deciding. I personally think Polaris is more comfortable. But can am build quality is way better.
But we do work on far less Can-Am machines than polaris.
Defenders kinda suck to service, Polaris are simple.

Polaris machines with 4000 miles on a belt must be driven by granny!!  I believe you but if you are working the machine hard, I doubt a belt in a Polaris will last 4k.  I think my rule of every 1k is excessive.  But, I go out to ride and don't want to work on my machine trail side.  I don't ride intentionally hard but I also don't avoid rough trails.  So, when it comes to maintenance, I do more than the manufacturer requires.  Even though I carry tools on the trail, I have only used them to fix other people's rides.  Mine gets regularly inspected and I replace parts as soon as (or sometimes even before) I detect measurable wear.  That way, I can ride vs repair.  I prefer to replace/repair things at home in my shop vs trail side.  

I'm not sure how you define "higher performance".  I believe most of, if not all, Yamaha and Kawasaki machines use a wet clutch.  The Mule might be dry clutch but I'm not certain.  I believe both the Honda Talon and the Pioneer use a wet clutch.  A lot of the cheaper Chinese machines use wet clutches.  I did some research and it looks like most of the Can Am units use dry clutches (I don't have much experience with Can Am machines).  

The various machines on the market use various drive mechanisms so if unsure, you need to find out what your particular machine uses.  In my opinion, if you have a wet clutch you can run your CVT belt much longer than if the belt is part of the clutch mechanism.  Replacing the belt early is just insurance against failure.

High performance machine, machines that are made to work hard and ride hard. Honda dont count as they do not run a CVT, plus the Talons are having transmission problems. Yamaha does on the Rmax but I see a lot of transmission problems, yeah the belt lasts forever but the wet clutch dont LOL.
The YXZ is a totally different animal with no CVT system.
Kawasaki KRX uses CVT with a wet clutch as do most other kawasaki machines, the mule dont count as its an oversized lawn mower.
Arctic Cat Wildcats are a Dry CVT system as are all Can-Am machines and Polaris.
We could take a look at the big HP machines, race machines, big tire mud machines, and so on but You will find almost all of them are Can-Am and Polaris and Yamaha YXZ
So Dry belt system with no wet clutch is more of a reliable transmission and if treated correctly a belt can last a long time.

Lets break down what causes a belt failure, Heat and slippage. 1 cause is not proper ventilation for application. This is why the big dogs in the southwest run with no clutch cover.
Slippage is cause from incorrect use of the machine, going slow in high, hitting mud in high, climbing in high, pulling in high, and so on. Slippage burns a belt and causes unbalance and heat.

Now on to your comment, about old grannies, none of my customers are old grannies LOL. We have farmers, hunters, racers, weekend warriors, trail riders, climbers, mudders, and a few road riding old people.
I do not change a belt unless it has to be changes. I have filled my clutch cover with muddy water ( Didnt realize inside cover seal was missing) and still drove my machine out of a pond that was waist deep. Belt was fine.
Filled clutch cover up 2 more times to find leak and to make sure everything was sealed after fixing. My cover is not glued on so I am fairly confident in my clutch. This is on a Ranger crew 1000 with 30's, tune, and clutch kit.
I beat my machine, tread water, mud, hill climb, rock crawl and so on. I am not worried the least bit because I know how to treat a belt. Do I carry a spare yes, do I intend to use it, NO.

We service lots of machines and I have seen a lot of people have a lot of issues and usually I can get out of them what they did wrong.

We did have one machine a 2014 RZR XP 4 seat the would blow a belt in 30 miles, Changed clutch cover on it to the 2016 style with better cooling and didnt blow a belt in the last 3000 miles we rented it.

Polaris eating belts is a old story and total BS.

I realize Honda machines don’t have belts but you asked which machines have a wet clutch and Honda does.

I think we pretty much agree for the most part. I’m a fan of the dry clutch belts like Polaris. But there is no question that they are harder on belts than a wet clutch with a tight belt. Again, I know my maintenance schedule is excessive but I also have never blown a belt. I know a fair number of people who have blown Polaris belts. First culprit is always using the wrong range. I have seen a few misaligned belts fail really quickly but any machine with a misaligned belt will have the same problem. But the dry clutch systems are more prone to it. Proper inspection and periodic replacement when working on the belts will prevent that. Also, blowing out the accumulated dust and dirt from inside the belt assembly occasionally will do a lot to prolong the belt life. I clean the belt assembly at least twice per year whether I’m replacing the belt or not. I have seen quite a few belts on Polaris machines fail at the 1.5k to 2k range. And I’ve seen some last longer. That’s what made me settle on the 1k for a belt swap. I feel confident I’m replacing far before it is prone to fail. Aside from misaligned belts (which is its own problem), I’ve never seen a belt fail with less than 1.5k.

I carry a spare belt as well. Actually carry two on my trips to CO since I didn’t want to chance losing a great riding opportunity for the limited time I was there to have to find a belt to buy. I also didn’t need either of them but I also started the trip with a new (but broken in) belt.

I actually prefer the Polaris type drive system. I’d rather replace a belt occasionally than to have to replace a wet clutch. Belts are easy to replace and wet clutches aren’t. The belt wear is a lot of the criticism Polaris gets but personally, I prefer it. Every system has positives and negatives but in my opinion, the few negatives of a dry clutch/slipping belt system are overcome by the benefits.

I think your comment about the RMax having transmission issues is interesting. I’ve looked at the machines but have never owned one. I like a lot of the features of the machine. My biggest reservation is the wet clutch system.

Ran a 2014 ranger 570 efi hard for 7 years. Annually maintained. No problems.

I’m starting to wonder if the eating belts is poor quality control. Belt before last didn’t last two months yet the next belt lasted over a year on the Ranger 1000. And this after market belt from side by side on my ranger 500 has almost two years on it. There for a while I couldn’t buy a belt from Polaris that would last a year. Gates belts for the tractors are starting to do the same thing come apart in no time. And don’t get me started on their fuel lines. I used to think Gates was top quality. But not now. I think someone on here once stated that Gates makes Polaris belts. But on the other hand Yamaha belts have a ten year warranty. The worst catastrophic belt failure I ever seen was on my Kawasaki mule. It frayed and got all in the clutch. The second one was on a CanAm and it frayed also but was still drivable to the house for tools.

I really find this skeptical. Everyone I know that’s running Polaris down here isn’t getting that kind of performance. I think the best I have heard is right around 2200 miles. You sure these machines aren’t maintained regularly with belt changes? Another question. Could those machines be running in a really moderate climate? Heat is what kills belts down here.

Interesting comment about the Gates belts. I’ve had good luck with them…at least so far. I run the Gates C12 belts.

Hunterworks advertises their belt as being a top quality belt. I haven’t used one but might give one a try. I don’t know who makes them for Hunterworks now. Pretty sure they used to be made by Gates but they say they aren’t any more. So I don’t know.

If you have a machine eating belts, check the alignment. Even a small amount out will eat belts quickly. Proper alignment for a CVT system is critical.

I agree heat is likely a big factor in belt life. The poster you are quoting appears to be in WI which is certainly a lot cooler than OK! I think most people know heat will kill a belt quickly. I don’t ride sand dunes but people I know who do all say belts don’t last. The combo of high rpms, hard work, and excess heat smokes belts quickly. Dune riding is brutal on belts.

My buddy’s last two Gates on his General didn’t last no time. I barely got two years out of my last replacement belt on my tractor. Yeah I have a good mechanic that checks my alignment once a year. And he’s been really impressed with this Side by side belt. I think it’s the mud runner. They have three options if I remember right. A clutch weight that is out of spec will eat belt’s too. We had one weight on the primary that was out of spec that drove us absolutely insane. As I stated above sometimes Polaris quality control is poor. But just like the last belt that only lasted two months they replaced it free of charge. We finally had to send that primary clutch in to them and they found the problem. But we run our buggies every day on the farm and they get as many miles as some people’s daily drivers.

Same here the people riding sand only expect about 500 miles.

I am in northern WI so heat isnt that much of a factor besides it takes a clutch system not long to get hot even in the winter.

I personally only recommend Polaris Belts.
We have used and abused all of them and I have not had any last as long as OEM.

There are a lot of factors with the system that can cause premature failure. Weight pins worn, weights worn, rollers worn, clutch bearing worn, secondary buttons worn, helix worn, clutch alignment, engine/trans alignment, clutch ducts not clean, and so on.
Idle is a big killer to the primary bearing as it in not greased much and is a plastic cage. This and alignment you will normally notice as it will creep and be hard to shift.

I had one of the so called top belts on the market on my machine and I burnt it within 10 miles. I put a polaris on and I have gotten it soaked and beat the crap out of it and its still perfect.