How To Put Your ATV to Work

We Americans love our ATVs! We buy hundreds of thousands of them every year and, given their versatility, that popularity comes as no surprise. For many of us, an ATV is primarily a recreational purchase. Whether it’s for off-roading, dirt racing, or transportation to hard-to-reach spots for hunting, fishing, or camping, an ATV opens lots of new horizons for adventure!

But a major bonus feature of ATVs is that all the attributes that make them so much fun—power, traction, go-anywhere suspension, and speed—also make them great for getting all sorts of work done. Even if your primary reasons for owning an ATV are recreational, it’s always good to consider some practical applications, if only to justify the purchase to someone in your household who may see it as a mere indulgence!

Below are some examples of things you can do with an ATV or UTV that is equipped with the proper accessories.

Winching

An ATV equipped with a winch can easily pull itself or another vehicle out of a bad spot.

You might want to equip your ATV with a winch to be ready for any type of recovery or moving task. With their big, low-pressure tires and rugged drive trains, ATVs have the traction and power you need to get the most out of a winch.

Trailering

An ATV with a utility trailer is a versatile combination.

An ATV or UTV equipped with a utility trailer can handle hundreds—even thousands—of pounds of materials, equipment, or tools. The exact payload will depend on both the ATV (towing capacity is a standard specification) and the trailer. Harvesting firewood, transporting brush and bramble, or hauling building materials and tools to a remote location are all tasks that an ATV/Trailer combo is perfect for.

Lawn and Rough-Cut Mowing

Pairing an ATV with a rough-cut mower is a natural fit.

Whether you need a lawn mower or a field and brush mower, your ATV can pilot you through the job with ease. Or, if you have long fence lines that you need to keep neat (especially electric fences which can get shorted out by long wet grass growing up around its posts), consider a tow-behind trimmer mower. It will save you a lot of time compared to a handheld weed whacker or even a walk-behind trimmer.

Trimming a fence line with a tow-behind string trimmer.

Driveway Maintenance

Hitch up to a driveway grader for an easy way to fix potholes and washboard.

Many people have traditionally depended on a tractor with a grader blade or box blade (sometimes called a “box scraper”) for driveway and parking area maintenance (whether they own a tractor or hire the work out). With an ATV, there is another way to get the job done. A power grader, towed by your ATV or lawn tractor, can smooth out washboard and fill in potholes. These implements (some models are “powered” by an actuator that lets you change grading depth on the fly) gouge up driveway material and redistribute it to the low spots. The result is that you can usually refresh your driveway without the cost and hassle of trucking in new material.

Gardens and Food Plots

For large gardens or food plots go with a tow-behind tiller for ease of use.

Many other traditional tractor attachments have also been scaled down for use with an ATV. Using a tow-behind tiller is often the easiest way to prepare gardens or food plots for planting. Unlike their walk-behind counterparts—which can be a real challenge to hold onto as they jounce around in compacted soil—these machines tow easily behind your ATV and till thoroughly and deeply without wearing you out. Harrow and cultivator attachments can also be used to break up clods of soil or surface crusts. And when it comes to seeding/fertilizing or applying liquid insecticides, spreaders and sprayers designed for ATVs are easy to use and refill.

More to Come!

As more ATV accessories become available, you can look for them here (or sign up for product updates). Meanwhile, enjoy your ATV whether it’s at work or play!

Last Updated: 7/15/2022