Picked up a Big Boss this morning for $300 – 2400 miles on it, very good condition. Owner said it didn’t start this fall after being parked last fall (used for hauling firewood last 5 years). All body panels were off, couple different guys helped trying to get it started, etc. I was at $350 when my 9yr old and I hopped in the van this morning to make the 3 1/2 hr trip. Once we got there I was wondering my odds of getting this going – well it had spark. Check. Finally got the compression checker to thread in, about 125lbs on 3 pulls WOT. Hmm not bad. I noticed the gas shutoff was in "off" position – not much gas in tank either. Could it be? nah. I told her I’d do $300 as a gamble. "Sure, get it out of here". So on the 4×8 trailer it went, with freshly installed tires from menards that morning. We were maxing that little trailer out, but not in a rush on a beautiful fall drive.

Made it home in one piece, opened the gas tank and saw very little. Could it be? Too many people had looked at this – she even said they had it running for a little bit but it wouldn’t stay running. Hmmm. Wouldn’t stay running… it kept running through my mind. I need to pour gas and find out – 5 gallon jug empty. Damn the Wheelhorse – 2 gallon premix – under a gallon left but just enough to dump in and pray. 5 pulls full choke nothing happening. maybe I’m way off base – probably a short somewhere in here that I’ll chase for months. You know what? Grab the battery from the 87 suzuki 4×4 and see what happens. Oh ya gotta clean that carb when I get to it – dang. Bolt the battery up – kids more excited then I am. I tell him to jump off trailer not sure what’ll happen. 3-4 seconds turning over,full choke. Nothing. Hmm. Dang. 3-4 more. Was that a pop? 2 more – revs, starts moving in reverse even though showed Neutral on lights. Whoa whats going on? In the end – it’s running. It was out of gas. That was it. Gas. This has been a PSA to always check your tank before thinking you have a major issue…

Anyways I squirreled there for a while, The sprocket is broken on the middle axle – the one that connects up to the transmission. Is that a PIA to pull all apart? I’m not lost in the garage just lacking alot of tools and don’t have the largest history with repair besides carb’s and simple diagnostics.

Thanks for any help – I grew up putting 2400 miles on a 94 400 2×4 in 2 years, then rolled it one winter and we traded it in after getting it fixed back up, then I put another 1800 miles on in 2 years on a 96 Xplorer 400 that my dad still has to this day. That beast is still running like new, and does more work then alot of compact tractors lol. I’m happy to be back in Polaris land!!!