Hello... New to this forum. We live in NW Indiana and I have a 12 year old with a birthday coming up in a month. Our land is a fairly flat 90 acres with wooded trails, a few small hills, and open fields available. The kiddo's need something to ride around on this summer but I'm torn as to which way to go. I've seen the Hammerhead 150's and 250's but the nearest dealer is an hour away and I don't own a truck to transport it there and back for repairs. The local shop 2 miles away only deals in Kandi buggies and used quads. I stopped in to look around and he's got a 2004 Polaris Trailblazer 250 that also looks interested for around the same price as a 150cc Kandi buggy. So... I'm not the most mechanically inclined although the basics in engine maintenance I'm capable of. My questions to you folks...

1. Is it true that with all the Chinese made buggies you'll be working on them just as much as you ride them?

2. Is Kandi a comparable brand to Hammerhead?

3. Is a 250cc buggy too much for a soon to be 13 year old boy that will also want to be riding around with his friends (2 seats is reason I'm leaning buggy).

4. If you had to make a choice between a quad or buggy strictly for reliability sake which would you choose?

I'd appreciate some input folks. I imagine a lot of you that have big toy collections own both quads and buggy's...

1. Some are quite reliable, some are problematic.
2. Hammerhead is one of the more reliable, respected ones - with a good parts supply. Don't know much about Kandi.
3. A 250 would probably be fine for a 13yr old.
4. For reliability, it depends on where it was built. The Japan built quads are fairly reliable, as are the Polaris. If you get a Chinese built quad, it would probably have the same issues as a Chinese built buggy.

1. Is it true that with all the Chinese made buggies you'll be working on them just as much as you ride them?
answer: Some buggy's are very reliable and require little work. Some are not so reliable and are a real headache.


2. Is Kandi a comparable brand to Hammerhead?
answer: Hammerhead has been compared to several buggy's but never a Kandi. I honesty do know of anyone on here that has one. Not saying it is no good, but I wouldn't buy one. Hammerhead is in the top of the lineup.


3. Is a 250cc buggy too much for a soon to be 13 year old boy that will also want to be riding around with his friends (2 seats is reason I'm leaning buggy).
answer: I would say that a 150 is best for a 13year old but a 250 would probably be ok for him.


4. If you had to make a choice between a quad or buggy strictly for reliability sake which would you choose?
answer: That's a hard one, I have passed many a quads on the trails and have stopped and helped several also. But a good name quad will be reliable. A good name buggy will also be reliable. I chose the buggy simply due to the safety aspect. Much safer for two to ride in a buggy on trails than two to ride on a quad in the trails. To truthfully answer your question....a name brand quad is probably better.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the site. Feel comfort if you choose a buggy, you will get more than enough help from this site to help with ANY, and I mean ANY problems you many have. You can get ant parts you may need also. Look at the trusted dealers link and most will ship a buggy to your door step. help with assembly, and be a friend for life!

A lot depends on what your child is like... Is he relatively responsible? or a bit reckless? If he has a clue about safety and self preservation than either would work. Now take my girlfriends boy for instance, I'd wanna know he had as much steel around him as possible as things like trees and other immobile things don't really worry him much. lol. Sometimes I swear that boy drives like he's playin a video game and can just whap something and start the game over again no matter what you tell him. If you're gonna let him out solo on the "back 40" I'd wanna know he was as safe as possible. E.R. co-pays can be a lot more expensive than buggy parts...

well having an 11 and 13 year old...

1st having a friend over means no quad, no one wants to be 2nd rider on a quad and you need to get the parents permission for them to ride a quad as well, no parent ever objected to the buggy.

Buggies are made for 2 people...

250 - the engine is much more reliable then the air cooled 150

250 - is not that much faster then a 150, you dont need to put the mods on it, just leave it stock, but the frames are heavier and better built

If you want to limit top speed put a different sprocket on the back.

They will not be as reliable as a japanese quad, but they are simple to work on as because of sites like this and the fact the motors are widely used....

Finally and this was a big choice for me...

The boys did not like quads, they like the buggy, BUT they have motorcycles!

But they like driving the buggy because it is fun to power slide etc.

As far as the kandi, check the motor and see what type of 150 it is, the other issue is the frame if parts are not common then it will just take a while if they break. Plus dont forget even the best polaris's break....

Dgoner, I got rid of my quads for buggies because I feel they are much safer. No they are not as reliable as a good quad but parts are much cheaper and like as been said on here two can ride safely on these as aposed to a quad. My 10 year old granddaughter drives the 150 and has a ball. With her and her 6 year old sister buckled up with helmets I feel so much better then them on a quad.

Oh as for buggies, I would go with the Hammerhead you will be happy with it.

Being the owner of both a Hammerhead and a Kandi, I can say this ... they are both China junk. That being said, I don't think the quality of one is really any better than the other. The styling is different but many of the parts, including the engine, are virtually the same. The only thing that would make the Hammerhead better than the Kandi is the Owner's Manual, and the fact that Hammerhead has a support system behind it. That is, parts are easier to get. The place where I got my Kandi said that they could get any part for it. To date, I haven't had to test the validity of that statement. The Hammerhead is smaller, therefore more nimble, but I'd have to say that the quality is similar.

I think the safety aspect can't be overemphasized. I went to buggies after several local people I knew lost children in ATV accidents. I dont' have to worry about that with the buggies.

For the 1,009,876 time, buy a Joyner, they are miles ahead of any of the others. Even used you wish you had if you dont. They are simply better built than any of the others.

Yep buy a Joyner. Another thing if people spend the same on the buggies as they do on quads the reliability issue shrinks. Compare a $6000 quad to a $6000 buggy.

Greg

I stand corrected. There are Kandi owners here, my bad.
Vagen, I'm sorry your HH is china junk, Mine is is not. i am very happy with mine

I like my HH as well, not saying that Kandi's are bad just thought he might have better luck getting parts for the HH easier.

Bam41, don't get me wrong, I like my HH too. I was merely trying to say that they both come from China and are of equal quality. The difference is the HH has better support after the fact, but they do share many of the same parts.

I never have heard of the Kandi buggy. Glad to hear there is another that is equal to the top dogs. Thats good for the sport.

Thanks for the advice guys. I've located a used 2007 HH 250SS. The seller is asking $ 2500 for it and I offered $ 2000. After placing the offer I received an email back informing me the unit (CFMoto) only worked in low. What could that possibly be to fix and is $ 2000 for a stock HH 250SS with issue's overpaying?

Way to much in my opinion.

He is right, from all my searching that seems like overpaying, especially if it has any sort of issues.

way too much for a non working buggy, 1500 is what 250's are going for and those are working.

that is the shift fork bent or the paul is stuck in the low shift fork. I just rebuild a hh 250 tranny and its complicated to get all the parts in the right place. I charged $400.00 in labor plus the 200.00 in parts to get this one fixed