Gator / Mule / Ranger / RTV / UTV / golf cart... do you have one that you use around your homestead?

[Spikedriver]

Your post brought back fond memories of my 1986 S-10 Blazer that I had for a decade. I loved that old maintenance nightmare and spent some money keeping it going. I thought it performed reasonably well and never got it fully stuck.

Unfortunately, a small truck like the S-10 wouldn’t work for my application. I hand cut many miles of private trails into the wilderness that a small truck wouldn’t fit on or be able to navigate around the trees I didn’t want to cut down. Plus the additional weight would easily get stuck in the soft tundra. I cut my trails just wide enough for my ATV and my small polaris 570 Razr. These are the tools I use to bring back most of my meat, berries, chaga, and firewood that we consume throughout the year.

I had a '91 S-10 for a while. 4 banger, 2WD, 5 speed manual. No AC, no cruise, crank windows. It was reasonably decent until the roads got slick, then Katie bar the door! Back in 2010 I bought a '96 Oldsmobile Bravada. (Same thing as an S-10 Blazer.) It had low miles, and was nice to drive, but it ended up being the worst vehicle I've ever owned. Everything broke and the AWD system didn't kick in until you were already stuck. You couldn't pay me to own another S-10 based vehicle, ever.

 

[PopPopT]

Hi guys n gals,

I know this is an old thread but thought I'd ask a follow-up.

There is a local dealer that has four UTV's for sale and if the weather cooperates, I'm intending to go look at them tomorrow. I haven't made up my mind about any of them but I just wanted to actually see them in person, sit in them, maybe drive them, get a feel for what they are and are not. Looking at pictures and YouTube videos are fine but I want to see how they fit ME or even IF they fit me at all.

The four on his lot (in no particular order):

1) 2018 Cub Cadet Challenger MX 550

2) 2010 John Deere Gator XUV 625I

3) 2012 Kubota RTV 900XT

4) 2018 Massimo MSU 500

I don't necessarily have in mind to buy any of them tomorrow, but more so to gather information on what I like or don't like, perhaps see if I want to explore certain ones further or cross certain ones off the list. To be honest, the Gator and the Kubota are the ones that I'm most interested in though I do know that there are other models of both out there. These are just what this dealer has for sale now.

So the question I have for you all, are there some particular things I should be aware of before I ever go look? Things to look for? Things that maybe wouldn't be apparent with a quick look that I'd see if paying particular attention to something? If you have some specifics that would be good to look for, I'm definitely interested.

Like I mentioned earlier, it's not a toy. It's not for trail riding. It's for hauling tools, hauling feed bags, 5 gallon buckets, trash, baskets of produce, that kind of thing, around the homestead, as well as perhaps taking two ol' farts down the pig trail of a road to see the neighbors once in a while. Being able to haul 4 ol' farts might be nice but it's not necessary. (And regular cars rarely go over about 30mph on this road anyway. I have no use for speeds over about 20mph. I have no big streams to ford. I do have some small hills and a few places where center of gravity might could come into question if someone were stupid and not payin' attention.)

Anyway, if'n ya have thoughts... Thanks!

 

[Bacpacker]

I use a kubota 1100 at work daily. Pretty much same thing. I'd love to have one here at home. It would be very handy and get a lot of use.
Buddy I work with has a gator and likes it.

 

[Cascadian]

I never heard of Massimo but it looks like they started making them in Texas in 2009. You will probably recognize the one for you when you see it. They are all pretty good, just stay away from the Chinese knock off obviously.

 

[zoomzoom]

Since your requirements are for work, I'd recommend the Kubota.
I've had a RTV900 since they came out in 2004. Thing is as tough as nails. Mine is 17 years old now and has never been in the shop. Fun factor is pretty low but like you, I wanted it for work. It only does 25 MPH so it's probably the slowest out of the options you posted.

 

[PopPopT]

They are all pretty good, just stay away from the Chinese knock off obviously.

You're probably right, I probably will get a feel for what I like and don't like pretty quickly. When I go to places like Tractor Supply or similar, I see the Chinese ones on full display. Have even sat in a few of them. And they're certainly affordable, often under $10k. But I sometimes will see a Gator sitting somewhere that's not for sale but mentally comparing, they don't even seem to be in the same league. I have yet to have an up close and person with a Kubota RTV of any model. So with that said, I'm thinking more towards a higher quality used rather than a cheap knockoff type new. Just seems more sensible.

 

[PopPopT]

I've had a RTV900 since they came out in 2004. Thing is as tough as nails. Mine is 17 years old now and has never been in the shop. Fun factor is pretty low but like you, I wanted it for work.

I'm looking forward to seeing that one. "Fun factor" for me may not be flying down the road a Mach 4 with my hair on fire. And I'd worry about the grandkids trying to do that. I worry about them getting the 4-wheeler up over about 25mph out here. Just too many places to get off into a ditch or turn one over if they're rough-housin' on it. Plus, me n MawMaw, we're pretty much slow-lane types anyway. But we sure are needin' something around the place. Tractor and road trailer is too big. Wheel barrow is too clunky. Wagon is too small. So...

 

[Bacpacker]

Kubota i use tops out at about 30.....on a steep down hill. Bed will dump. Can put a hitch on it to pull a trailer.

 

[PopPopT]

Kubota i use tops out at about 30.....on a steep down hill. Bed will dump. Can put a hitch on it to pull a trailer.

All good things to me, including topping out at 30mph. How do you like the 3 cyl diesel? I only own one diesel, and that's a 7.3L in an old F350 so I'm not as familiar with them as with gas engines. I'm pretty handy, just not something I've been around. Just curious.

 

[Bacpacker]

I think it's the same engine my BX 1760 tractor has. Haven't had any issues after 10+ years. Even easy to change oil and filter on. Pretty easy on fuel too

 

[PopPopT]

I did also find a 2017 RTV 1140 not far from me, less than 300 hours on it, looks like new, they're asking $12k. A little more than I had thought I wanted to spend but I dunno, that's tempting. Trying to set something up to go have a look.

 

[Bacpacker]

The one at work is just under 1000 hours. But some there have twice that

 

[PopPopT]

I see quite a few of them out there for sale that have over 2,000 hours, occasionally pushing 3,000 hours. I get a little nervous about that many hours. And I've seen some advertised up north that are basically all rusted out and beat up, I don't care for that so much, especially the rust.

I guess ya get what ya pay for and ya pay for what ya get.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Even though I have two 2008 Gator 850D s, my vote is for the Kubotas too........

They combine diesel reliability, torque and economy with that great hydrostatic drive and Kubota quality.

Provided you can get one for the right price, the above is a pretty good combination.

 

[Cascadian]

Did you ever check out the little trucks? My property is mostly flat. I kinda like those.

 

[PopPopT]

Did you ever check out the little trucks?

I did but just couldn't quite get excited about them. Almost seemed "clunky". That's actually one reservation I have about the big RTV 1140, I'm not sure if it's a little too big for me, despite being a full 4-seater.

Anyway, hoping tomorrow will get me some "up close and personal" time with numerous of them. Will let you know what I think after that.

Thanks again, all, for the thoughts!

 

[The Lazy L]

Kawasaki 610 mule XL. XL model has larger tires and ground clearance. Narrow (2-person seat) enough to fit in the bed of a full size truck, therefore can transverse narrower trails than the Gator size UTVs.

Engine is air cooled, IMHO less things to go wrong or leak.


I added front windshield, roof,wench, snow plow and 2-way radio. I like it !

 

[PopPopT]

Kawasaki 610 mule XL.

I have a brother-in-law who has one of those. I don't think I've ever heard him say anything bad about it. He doesn't use his for anything heavy, just ridin' around, and not on rough trails, more like back roads to from and around a little cabin he has over on the Alabama river.

One thing I am paying attention to is, "narrow" and "more ground clearance", which to me means just a tad easier to roll over than something wider and lower to the ground. I've got some hills around here that are a pain to mow they're so steep. Dunno. I think I'd probably be fine with any of 'em though ground clearance is really not likely to mean much in my situation as anything over about 5" is totally adequate. If I were trail riding, that probably wouldn't be.

 

[zoomzoom]

I see quite a few of them out there for sale that have over 2,000 hours, occasionally pushing 3,000 hours. I get a little nervous about that many hours.

If properly maintained, these Kubota engines will easily run for over 5000 hours.
Hope this ok with the moderators, but here's one of the best Kubota RTV owners groups on the internet.
https://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/forums/kubota-rtv-owners-group-forum.133/

 

[PopPopT]

UPDATE!!!

Went lookin' today. Expected to like the Kubota. Expected to maybe like the John Deere. Expected to find some of the others not so great. But me and my dear wife went with an open mind.

Surprise... neither one of us liked the Kubota. It was the one I wanted to like. It was tall enough that it was not so easy to get in as we'd have liked. Once in, the seats were not comfortable and it felt like everything was in the wrong place. Granny wasn't happy. PopPop wasn't happy. It may have been a beast of a machine but it just didn't fit us.

The Massimo and a few other cheaper ones, they were never really in contention. Just seemed cheap and Granny didn't even wanna go for a ride.

So, for a positive surprise, we liked the Gator. We looked at several of them. Granny liked 'em. I liked 'em. They were comfortable to sit in and everything seemed to fit us. They rode nice. They were so much easier for us to get in and out of. I liked that the bed opens with ONE hand. I didn't like that the bed is rounded in the corners and has the wheel wells sticking up a bit, but for what I have in mind, it'll work pretty good anyway. I also liked that they've now enclosed the drive belt.

I imagine some of you will think we're foolish but we bought a Gator, a brand spankin' new one. Turned out to be a tad better deal than I had thought it would be. One thing about it, it's not 3/4 wore out and had the crap beat out of it. We get to do that ourselves. LOL!! I seriously think we're gonna get good use out of it. And Granny likes it too, which is super important.

Oh, and somethin' else I found out, it can be made street legal in TN. It'll need to have a few things added to it in order to make it legal, but it can be. I'm not sure if I will ultimately do that but it's nice to know that it can happen should I decide I want to.

So, that's that. I really do thank all of you for your posts and thoughts previously. I suspect it's the kind of decision one person couldn't really make for another anyway. But figured I'd at least let you all know the outcome.

Looking forward to having a new "tool" around the place. Yeah, it was expensive, but I really think that over time it'll earn it's keep. It'll get used. And who knows, as scarce as these things seem to be getting, maybe it'll keep it's value pretty well if we look after it. Used ones certainly seem to be bringing the $$.

 

[Bacpacker]

Congrats PopPop. I bet you'll use the hound out of it. I agree the Kubota aren't the easiest to get in and out of

 

[The Lazy L]

...I imagine some of you will think we're foolish but we bought a Gator, a brand spankin' new one. ...it can be made street legal in TN. ...

Congratulations!!!

P.S. Ain't true without pictures!

 

[PopPopT]

P.S. Ain't true without pictures!

LOL!! Might be a bit on the pictures. Soon.

 

[PopPopT]

I agree the Kubota aren't the easiest to get in and out of

It makes me glad we didn't just buy one sight-unseen. For some people, they may fit wonderfully. Just didn't fit us personally.

I kinda ran into that with buying our Subaru a while back. I wanted to like the Outback. I really like them, at least on paper. But dang it, I hit the top of my head each and every time I got in and out of them tryin' em' out. Nope. Didn't like that. Forester, though, was just fine. Not as pretty. And not the one I thought I would like. But it worked. I have a feeling that one will be with us for a while as we just don't go a travelin' like we used to.

 

[Cascadian]

When we sat in the 2009 Highlander we thought we wanted we both said oh heck no. You just know when it isn't for you.

 

[Supervisor42]

I imagine some of you will think we're foolish but we bought a Gator, a brand spankin' new one. Turned out to be a tad better deal than I had thought it would be. .

Looking forward to having a new "tool" around the place. Yeah, it was expensive, but I really think that over time it'll earn it's keep. It'll get used. And who knows, as scarce as these things seem to be getting, maybe it'll keep it's value pretty well if we look after it. Used ones certainly seem to be bringing the $$.

I've been quiet since I don't own a UTV.
You did a wise thing.
Nobody talks about where you are going to get them worked on.
Any JD dealer has to be able to work on the Gators and their reputation is at stake.
So many people realize too late that many places sell UTV's, but can do little more than change the tires on them.
If it doesn't run.....
"Oh, you have to take it to XYZ company 120 miles away to get it repaired, sorry"
Many non-JD UTV's were brought to the shop I worked out of (we didn't even sell them), because customers discovered that nobody else local would touch them.
A local friend of mine owns a Gator.
...and I know I will never have to work on it.

 

[phideaux]

If I was ever going to buy another one.
It would be a Gator. Several friends with them . They fit the bill.

I have 3 JD dealers within 30 minutes of my house.

Jim

 

[PopPopT]

It would be a Gator. Several friends with them . They fit the bill.

I have 3 JD dealers within 30 minutes of my house.

I can imagine if I were younger, I'd have gone with the Kubota. But dang it, I'm gettin' to be enough of an old fart that COMFORT is a big deal. LOL!! And that Kubota just wasn't comfortable for me.

The thing I'm kinda goin' around about here locally is whether or not it would be legal for me to run into town on it for a quick errand. Some say "maybe", some say "no". If it were just county roads to get there, I think I could do it just fine. But it's pretty much one state road to get there, and no real alternative, and the state troopers like to sit and watch. It's only 6 miles or so. But I suspect I'd just be a source of revenue for whatever they wanted to write me up for. Still talkin' to people. I do have an official "farm number" and I believe this could be considered a "farm vehicle". But a trooper isn't gonna know any of that unless I know them personally. The Sheriff, I know, pretty nice guy. The state guys are way more stand-off-ish and haven't been friendly.

The technical stuff is easy... windshield, windshield wiper, lights, brake lights, turn signals, backup lights, seat belts (already has those), DOT tires, ect. But the legal part of it seems like a can of worms, at least here in TN.

Anyway, I know it'll get used, even just here on our place.

 

[Spikedriver]

I can imagine if I were younger, I'd have gone with the Kubota. But dang it, I'm gettin' to be enough of an old fart that COMFORT is a big deal. LOL!! And that Kubota just wasn't comfortable for me.

The thing I'm kinda goin' around about here locally is whether or not it would be legal for me to run into town on it for a quick errand. Some say "maybe", some say "no". If it were just county roads to get there, I think I could do it just fine. But it's pretty much one state road to get there, and no real alternative, and the state troopers like to sit and watch. It's only 6 miles or so. But I suspect I'd just be a source of revenue for whatever they wanted to write me up for. Still talkin' to people. I do have an official "farm number" and I believe this could be considered a "farm vehicle". But a trooper isn't gonna know any of that unless I know them personally. The Sheriff, I know, pretty nice guy. The state guys are way more stand-off-ish and haven't been friendly.

The technical stuff is easy... windshield, windshield wiper, lights, brake lights, turn signals, backup lights, seat belts (already has those), DOT tires, ect. But the legal part of it seems like a can of worms, at least here in TN.

Anyway, I know it'll get used, even just here on our place.

If your state allows you to get it tagged, it's road legal. If not, it isn't. That's pretty much the whole shebang, right there..

 

[PopPopT]

If your state allows you to get it tagged, it's road legal. If not, it isn't. That's pretty much the whole shebang, right there..

The info that I've gotten so far is all over the place. I do plan on speaking to a few people over the next month or two (have to see them for other reasons anyway), one of which is the county clerk. (In this area, that's the person who issues plates / tags and vehicle registrations, that kind of thing, rather than the DMV, so I kinda think they might know a thing or two about the subject. Also might be able to chat with the local Sheriff, too, who I'm thinking would probably know a thing or two, too.)

It's not something I'm gonna get too excited about. I just wanna make sure I have all of my "i"'s dotted and my "t"'s crossed before I ever even think about a little trip over to the hardware store on the Gator. Our next door neighbor could drive that far just around his place and never leave his farm. This is farm country. It's not like it's suburbia, not even close. And the little town I'd be headed for has 1 whole traffic light and is small enough that if you blinked, you'd probably miss most of the town. Wouldn't even think of running this thing to a larger town. Anyway...