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4 UTV Upgrades Every Hobby Farmer and Homesteader Needs

By Kavan Wright | Behind The Wheel on December 19, 2022
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Your UTV is the perfect mobile toolbox and people transporter for your hobby farm or homestead. It’s great at everything that your tractor can’t do. It’ll get you to the back of your property with a bed full of fenceposts and shovels in no time. Doing the same job with a tractor is a pain when you have to load a bucket and slowly wind your way around fragile plots.

So what can you do to make your UTV an even better tool?

Today, we’re looking at some awesome products that make every day easier on your burgeoning homestead or hobby farm.

Table of Contents

  1. Cargo Racks
    • Hood Racks
    • Bed Extender
  2. Doors, Roofs, and Windshields
    • Windshields
    • Roofs
    • Doors
  3. Snow Plow
  4. Black Ops Winch and Winch Mount

1. Cargo Racks

Since your UTV is the best place to throw whatever tools or feed you need around your property, it’s only natural to give it even more cargo room. With the right racks, you’ll be able to fit every last tool, bag of feed, and load of fertilizer so that you can get your work done fast. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

Hood Racks

A good hood rack puts the utility back in Utility Task Vehicle. That’s because the hood rack is the most easily accessible storage you can get from the driver’s seat. With racks that can hold up to 500 pounds, you can add a huge amount of cargo in a space that doesn’t get much use otherwise.

A hood rack gives you quick access to tools in an otherwise wasted space. Photo by SuperATV

Bed Extender

Get more of a great thing by installing a bed extender. They’re designed to work with your tailgate down, so you get those precious extra inches and a frame to keep your haul from spilling out the back.

Some designs can be flipped to work as a bed divider instead, so you can keep your tools separate from the load of manure you’re hauling.

Get more use out of your bed with a bed extender. It uses your tailgate to give you about a foot of extra bed space. Photo by SuperATV

2. Windshields, Roofs, and Doors

Tending to your farm is a year-round job. You can’t take the day off just because it’s too cold or rainy. Work has to get done, but you don’t have to be miserable doing it.

That’s where cab enclosure components come in.

From windshields to roofs and doors, getting the right accessories will make your UTV the ultimate tool for getting around.

So what do you need?

Windshields

A good set of windshields is your first line of defense from the elements. For the front, we always recommend something versatile like:

  • Flip windshields
  • Vented glass windshields
  • Power flip windshields

When your windshield gives you control of your airflow, you can leave it on all year round for warmth in the winter and a breeze in the summer.

If you want the cream of the crop, you want our MaxDrive Power Flip Windshield. It lets you flip your windshield with the push of a button, and the powerful actuators hold it in any position regardless of how bumpy the ride gets.

Make sure you pair your front windshield with a rear windshield too!

But let’s talk about polycarbonate and glass. Which one’s right for you? Let’s make it as simple as possible.

Polycarbonate:

  • 250 times stronger than glass
  • Scratch-resistant, but can still scratch under extreme conditions
  • Lighter than glass

Glass:

  • Not as strong as polycarbonate or acrylic
  • Almost impossible to scratch
  • Heavier than polycarbonate

Typically, you’ll also get a wider variety of windshield styles with polycarbonate. Poly windshields have the strength to flip and have smaller frames for a wider view. But nothing comes close to the scratch resistance of glass, not even hard-coated polycarbonate.

Adding doors, windshields, and a roof give you the a perfectly comfortable cab for a better day’s work. Photo by SuperATV

Roofs

Get a roof! A roof protects you from sun and rain to make.

We have aluminum roofs, polycarbonate roofs, and molded plastic roofs, and they each have their strengths and weaknesses.

  • Aluminum roofs give you excellent protection from the sun and any branches that might try to whack you on the head. They’re the best if you get too hot on your homestead.
  • Polycarbonate roofs are incredibly strong and let in some light. They’re dark tinted, so they keep out a lot of heat and UV rays, but they don’t darken your cab. Honestly, once you try a polycarbonate roof, you won’t want to go back to anything else. They give you excellent protection while still giving you an open-cab feel.
  • Molded plastic roofs are the most traditional option. When you think of a UTV roof, this is probably what you think of. The black molded plastic looks great and helps keep you warm in cold weather. 
A roof can make the difference between riding in comfort and freezing your fingers off. Whether you go with a tinted roof that let’s in more light, an aluminum roof, or a plastic roof, you’ll get protection you can count on. Photo by SuperATV

Doors

The final piece of the cab puzzle is the doors. You want a good set of doors to keep mud out and help keep heat in. There are a couple different door styles that might suit your fancy.

Aluminum half doors protect you from whatever branches and mud you might have to roll through.

But our recommendation for a long day at work is full polycarbonate or soft cab doors. Like our flip windshields, they give you the most versatility.

They let you seal your cab up tight to keep the elements out. But they also have windows or vents you can open for airflow.

Plus, with our polycarbonate convertible doors and Primal Soft Cab Doors, you can remove the top half to get the summertime ride you love.

Primal soft doors seal out the elements while giving you a robust and durable soft door. You can open the window or easily remove the full door when an open cab is what you need. Photo by SuperATV

3. Snow Plow

There is one job that your side-by-side could take from your tractor: plowing snow.

When the drive is covered in snow on a winter morning, you might be tempted to head straight for the ol’ tractor to clear it.

But if you have a Plow Pro Snow Plow Mount installed on your UTV, you can slap your Plow Pro blade on in seconds and get plowing. You’ll have the job done in no time thanks to the nimbleness of the machine and the comfort of your cab.

This is one job where you can let the tractor have a break.

Plow Pro snow plow on a Polaris General
Plowing with a nimble UTV is faster, easier, and more versatile than using a tractor. It makes short work of a big winter mess. Photo by SuperATV

4. Black Ops Winch and Winch Mount

You need a winch on your UTV. Why?

Because every farm has that boggy area, and you really don’t want to get stuck. That last thing you want to do is hoof it back to the tractor to yank yourself out of the mud.

Instead, make sure you can get yourself out of any situation with a winch.

SuperATV’s Black Ops Winches are water resistant, rugged, and easy to use. You get wired and wireless remotes, so you can winch in whatever way is most convenient for you.

Installing them is easy too. We have winch mounts for most side-by-sides so your Black Ops Winch can mount securely.

Basically, every UTV needs a winch, and your hobby farm machine is no exception.

The Ultimate Toolbox

If you got your side-by-side and expected it to replace the rest of that heavy equipment on your property, you’re probably disappointed. But if you use your UTV to its strengths, and enhance it with some extra gear, you’ll find that there’s nothing that can replace it.

When your tractor’s too big but your back is too small, your upgraded side-by-side is the perfect tool for the job—and that’s most jobs.

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