The Benefits of an ATV at the Cabin

 Photo by Vasile Valcan / Unsplash

It’s strong, it’s multipurpose, it’s fast and it’s fun! I love using my ATV to maintain my property on the lake. My baby has a 500cc EFI 4-stroke engine with an automatic transmission and pushbutton 4WD.

An ATV has so many more affordable and useful implements, accessories and options than a lawnmower. Some accessories I use most often include: 3,000-pound electric winch, quick-disconnect plow, utility holders (for shovels, rakes, etc.), tool storage compartment, additional LED lights for night-time work projects, full size receiver and a 2-inch ball for towing.

If you really need a mower to cut several acres, you can have a mower deck attachment to go along with an ATV; and in the winter, a quick-attach plow makes short work of clearing snow off of any size driveway or ice rink.

Speaking of driveways, if you have to grade your gravel drive, haul and replace pavers, or pretty much anything else driveway maintenance related, an ATV is significantly more useful.

If you are talking cabin property maintenance, most likely you are not sculpting your lawn to be better than the 9th hole at Augusta. But even if you are, simply using a set of turf tires on your ATV allows you to use your ATV anywhere on even the nicest fairways. You can do things like gardening, repairing break walls, pulling out boat lifts and docks, underground sprinkler work, building patios and decks, replacing sod and more. Yes, I have used my ATV and a little pull-behind cart for all of this and many more chores around numerous cottages, cabins, lake homes and hunting retreats.

Have a small driveway or even a long one that is narrow with lots of turns? I know how difficult it is to back a boat trailer or snowmobile trailer down these … but hook it up to a decent sized ATV or side-by-side and you instantly have more maneuverability.

Yes, a lawn tractor is great for mowing the lawn, and if you have a snowblower attachment, it can clear snow. But it simply is not as versatile, or as hearty, as an ATV.

See also Managing Lake Weeds at Your Cabin