re: What's a good age to buy a kid a ATV?

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This. Don't be a dumbass. Your kid will either get killed or injured on one.

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Holy hyperbole. I rode a 3 wheeled death machine from the time i was about 8 and never got killed or injured

Depends on the kid. I bought my son a Polaris 110 last Christmas and he was 11. I have a Polaris 850 and he only feels comfortable riding with me. He is very reserved and pretty risk averse in everything he does. We usually go know more than 20mph on trails we know very well. He doesn't ride with other kids....not because I don't let him but because he just doesn't want to after I discussed with him why people often get hurt or killed on them. He understands that peer pressure often persuades otherwise risk averse kids like him to push the envelope when away from parental supervision.

We use our ATVs for what we intended it for and that is for a father and a son to spend quality time together having fun exploring the woods and trails around our home. He only goes where I lead him and I never put him in a compromising position whether it be traversing slopes or inclines.

Also, I have bought him a Benelli 20 gauge Montyfrelco for Christmas this year. We have been shooting Skeet/Trap for the last 6 months and have been renting guns for him. He loves it so now he will have his own. He is all into gun safety and handles the guns with extreme caution. Again, depends on the kid.

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It’s the idiots that send their 8 and 10 year olds out on their 700cc bikes that run a higher risk.

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We have kids younger than that riding full sized bikes through our neighborhood at alarming speeds. It's a miracle no one has been seriously injured yet.

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I rode a 3 wheeled death machine from the time i was about 8 and never got killed or injured

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This type of response is always comical.

That is like saying there no need to wear a seatbelt because you personally never needed one...

ATV;s for kids are real stupid. I got sick of taking care of children in the PICU because their stupid parents let them play with an ATV!!!

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Plus ATVs/dirtbikes/motocross are all trashy.

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It’s hilarious how many people promote this stereotype to try to cover for the fact that they are pussies afraid to do anything that involves risk.
I raced motocross into my 40s. The group of guys I raced with included doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, executives, etc. - some into their late 50s/early 60s and many still jumping 60-70ft. triples.

My oldest son had a 90cc at 9 and I got him a 420 at 15....taught him how to ride safely...never any injuries.. however, many $2k plus fixing the newer back before I sold it because he kept sinking it...let my younger on drive a 350 without near the experience and he nearly killed himself

Ideally when they are old enough to decide if the additional risk is something they want to accept just to have fun. The problem is young kids don't really comprehend that a fatal or life altering accident could happen to them, and teenagers think they are immortal. I probably know of half a dozen kids that were seriously injured, or killed on ATVs, could not imagine what it is like to be the parent that bought the ATV for one of those kids.

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I’m 36, and last year I almost killed myself in a full size truck, should I tell my kid he shouldn’t drive?
You can’t be afraid of life because something bad happened to you. The best you can ever do for anything in life is prepare, and deal with the consequences as they come.

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Comparing apples and grapefruits, my favorite

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I’m 36, and last year I almost killed myself in a full size truck, should I tell my kid he shouldn’t drive?

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We accept the risk of driving as an acceptable tradeoff for the positive effect it can have on our lives. Maybe the inherent risk of riding a ATV is also a acceptable trade off for the fun realized, but too many minimize the actual risk when making that decision.