All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are now a common sight on Irish farms. What was once a machine reserved for the larger farmer has gained a strong reputation for being an extremely versatile workhorse, which is at home on any farm, not just on dairy enterprises.

ATVs are available in various brands and sizes from the entry-level 250cc machines all the way up to the monstrous 1000cc beasts for heavy-duty work. There is now an ATV to suit all farmers’ applications and budgets.

Various ATVs are available on the market such as 2wd, 4wd and even 6wd models for when the going gets tough. They can be equipped with numerous options such as tipping hoppers, hitches, winches and loading racks and as the popularity has grown, specialist companies now manufacture attachment ranges for ATVs to help increase their versatility. Just some of these attachments include sprayers, sweepers, scrapers, fertiliser spreaders and toppers.

The ATV is an essential tool on any farm and can do a lot of the smaller jobs that, traditionally, would have been done by a tractor.

We look at six ATVs from different manufacturers in relation to performance, comfort, practicality, handling, value and, most importantly, safety. Each ATV was tested over the same course and same conditions, but it should be noted that they are all different sizes.

In terms of safety, it is vital that anyone who uses an ATV is properly trained and wears all the appropriate personal protective equipment. ATVs can be an extremely versatile and useful tool on the farm, but can also lead to serious injury if not handled correctly.

Suzuki king of the quads

The latest workhorse for Irish farms - the Polaris UTE 570 HD

The Arctic Cat 500 EFI roars in Ireland

Can-Am delivers with the Outlander L Pro 570

Foreman in line with Honda's illustrious ATV history

Yamaha Kodiak snapshot

How we compared them: The six-quad shootout test

ATV safety is in your hands