Utility Vehicles (Gator, Mule, etc.)

[Firehouse]

Anybody care to throw in their opinions or experiences?

 

[Xfuzz]

I bought a Kawasaki Mule about 6 years ago.
No complaints...still runs great and takes me all
over my deer lease.

I can find where deer are crossing cover it with a camo cover and the deer sometimes get too close.
Also handy for yardwork.

This dude walked within 40 yards of where I was sitting last season.

 

[anoblefox]

nothing out there beats the yamaha rhino for ride comfort. We owned serial # 198 and thats my opinion.

 

[84CJ]

Well it all depends on what you are doing with it. Around the farm good terrain a gator will do fine but has no ground clearance. The mule is a fine UTV again not enough ground clearance for tough trail ridingand under powered a bit(except the tyrex). Polaris Rangers are very popular now and the quality has improved. I really like their new RZR and you can tell by the price that they like them too. Yammaha Rhino despite the bad publicity about roll overs they are great machines. Good ground clearance plenty of power in the 700 and the 450 will get the job done. Then we have the Arctic Prowler similar to the Rihno except very wide 60 inches I think. Great ground clearance. And if you want to be the big kid on the block they have the Prowler 1000. Which is an almost 1000cc twin cyl. Bad to the bone. The polaris RZR is great for trail riding if you stick with the 50 inch wide RZR no real cargo area and could have a little better ground clearance. You can get one with about 12 inches of ground clearance but it is 60 inches wide. Plenty of power.

My picks in order ( I trail ride)
Polaris RZR W/longarm suspension
Prowler 1000 700 is fine but hey they make a 1000
Rhino 700
Kawasaki TYREX
Polaris Ranger
MULE (Good work horse)
GATOR Seems to have about 5 inches of ground clearance best suited for the golf course or cemetary.lol

Thats just my 2 cents worth.

 

[mwtdvm]

Picked up an '06 Rhino, used, and it was chock full of add ons. I do not need a 6 CD changer and Boombox in the overhead, but the previous owner added that and skid plates, brush guards, a hard top, better lights and an extra set of doors. I just added a gun rack and a thingie over the radiator to keep out the big sticks, not that I am planning on doing much other than driving down the "roads" on the deer lease. The odometer has 460 miles on it. My limited driving with it makes me think that it is perfect for what I want it for. It is noisy..
Pics here:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/92640-new-toy-transportation.html

 

[m657]

my neighbor's brother just bought an $11K RZR....was profiling around last week on the side hill....seemed like a lotta bucks to me for an off-road critter....

Fun? They seemed to like it....both are unemployed so I guess they'll get a lot of use until the Repo Man hunts 'em down....

 

[zercool]

My former FD has a Kubota RTV for off-road stuff. Nice rig.

 

[Airedale]

I've had a 4x2 Gator since 2003.

I use it for mowing (pull behind), sporting clays, 3 gun, and waterfowl hunting on ponds that are close to the house.

It's not been a minutes of trouble.

There are more off road worthly models out there but this works for me.

Dave

 

[buckeyeshooter1]

I have 2 friends with Gators, One a diesel used easy and the owner likes it for around the yard. The other is a gas 4x4 and used hard for farm work and hunting in the hills. Many breakdown and service issues on it. The owner is not happy with it. Another friend has a Polaris side by side, used very hard on a farm and on a construction business--- never a problem and everyone who uses it likes it. If I'm buying, it will be a Polaris.

 

[Firehouse]

Anyone know about the Cub Cadet Volunteer? I found one of these pretty reasonable and it's loaded up with accessories already. I'm really leaning toward it, because of price and options. Thanks.

 

[cass]

I've had the JD XUV620i for almost two years. I use it for farm use, and on the deer lease. When I was buying, it came down to either a Polaris Ranger, Kubota 900RTV, or the John Deere. My wife chose the JD for me, because it was by far the most comfortable. It has been trouble-free, and a real workhorse. She doesn't like for me to take "her" gator to the lease, so I am getting ready to get another just for hunting. I will get the Kubota RTV900 because of the diesel engine, bench seats and strong (belt-free) transmission. The only dislike I have with the Kubota is the 1 1/2 in. receivers. I'll make-do. I have a friend that just bought the Bristers Boss - what a piece of junk. FWIW, I'd stay away from the Club Cadet.

 

[cjcutter1]

Have a mule 3010 the name says it all. Great machine

 

[feralmerril]

I went out with 5 other couples on a 50 mile trail ride last saturday. The wife and I have a 4 year old bombardier traxtor. It is 650cc and the 1st to build a legal tandom ATV at the time. It is powerfull and hasnt let us down. (Once temporary, when I got the drive belt wet).
Anyway 3 couples had the 800 RZR`s, one had a polaris 500 and the other had a Kabota Diesel of some type. The Kabota Diesal couldnt go over 20 MPH or so. Fine otherwise. The 500 tandom polaris seems good, I have been an 6 or 7 rides with that couple. The RZRs are fast, they claim they will do 55MPH. Except on good gravel roads, most our rideing on trails probley is 5 to 10 mph anyway. 2 weeks ago I went about 6 miles out of about 30 on a unbeliveable steep narrow rocky trail that I dont hardly belive I could have walked on, and that was over 10,000 to almost 11,000 feet altitude. I shouldnt have done it as my wife has a bad back to start with and has been suffering since. Sometimes if you havent rode certain areas before you put yourself in a spot where you have no option but to continue on, where had you known what is up ahead you might not have tried it! Anyway we live in the mountains in utah that is known as probley the most challanging trails anyway. All the 6 machines did well, and all of us are senior citizens.
The 800 RZRs are fine machines, but wife and I are huge. I sat in one and found it "tight". Personaly, on a regular machine if in trouble I belive I could bail off, on those side by sides you are strapped in although they have a cage, I belive it would be possible to roll them over a 1,000 feet on some trails I have been on. We havent tipped one yet, and I hope not to!
The wife and I after that long dusty ride. Honest, she really aint Aunt Jamina!

 

[m1gunner]

My neighbor has had a 6 wheel diesel gator for more than 8 years. He runs it hard and does little in mauntenance, it has never let him down.

Worked for an outfit that bought 4 new gas gators, all 4 of them were nothing but trouble. Wouldn't run right and prone to overheat in hot weather.

For me, I'd rather have an open top Jeep. Less money, easierand cheaper to get parts, more ground clearance, and can license for street driving.

 

[ridewv]

The Mule 610 can fit in the back of a full size pick-up, and more importantly, on almost any ATV trail unlike the larger UTV's. After three years there's not a rattle nor ever a problem. And it just sips gas. I find it much more useful than my ATV's which I hardly use anymore. And at around $6,500 it doesn't cost anymore than many ATV's. It'll go most places my ATV's will except for very rough areas needing maximum clearance with a short wheelbase. Not as fast though. But, for me at least, it's fine on the wooded trails and dirt roads around WV. In more open areas traveling longer distances something like a RZR, or Rhino may be better.

 

[NKJ nut]

I have a 3010 Mule and love it. My friend has a Polaris Ranger and it is good too, but honestly I like the Mule a little better. Both will go anywhere I need to go.