I'd like you to recall the early 2000s. For RideApart's younger demographics, it was a time where baggy pants, chain wallets, and frosted tips were in—for some reason, just like today—and the world revolved around the Discovery Channel.
Between Shark Week, Mythbusters, American Chopper, and Monster Garage, the world tuned into the channel's breadth of "reality" offerings. But it was the latter I'd like you to picture now, as according to a recently filed patent done up by UTV-maker Polaris, the brand's engineers paid close attention to one episode in particular.
See, one of the challenges of Monster Garage was to turn a regular old convertible Fox Body Mustang into a lawnmower. One that could, theoretically, travel your lawn at top speed and still slice and dice your grass. It didn't really work, but Polaris must've seen it as a challenge, as the brand designed a front-attaching mowing rig that'd hook up to your UTVs and speed along, cutting grass and brushy areas.
Think of all the white-tail deer trails you could cut and brush you could get rid of!
According to the patent's description, the design is of a modular front hitch system that can be used with electrically powered accessories, i.e. a brush mower. The patent states, "Embodiments of the present disclosure address many of the shortcomings of known hitch and implement systems by providing convenient, modular hitch and implement devices and systems for powersports vehicles."
The hitch system itself attaches to a Polaris Ranger UTV in the patent drawings, and connects to a three-blade mower deck, the kind you use to clear brambles, brush, and other small-to-medium-sized plants on farms and in woods. Likewise, the drawings show a pivotable system, allowing drivers to angle the mower, as well as lift it completely off the ground for easier servicing. The whole thing is controlled via a hand-held controller that looks vaguely like your standard winch controller.
Yet, while the patent itself concerns the mowing attachment, within the description, it also mentions how this attachment system and electrical connectors, could be used for other accessories, stating, "The hitch is also easily and detachably connected to various implements, such as snow blowers, plows, rotary brooms, and so on." So yeah, it could also be used for future accessories such as a UTV-controlled snow blower, which would be awesome. At least, speaking as someone who sees as much snow as I do in Utah.
As for when we'll see this attachment in dealerships, that's unknown. The patent doesn't state exactly when it'll drop, if ever, but given the fact that more and more people are using their UTVs as multi-purpose machines, thereby reducing their overall spend on multiple machines, we could see this sooner rather than later. Especially since Polaris needs all the help it can get.
