Work UTV ... narrow down some choices please

[Code54]

I did not know that... there is a manual lever for locking the rear differential.

May want to double check but I believe the lock lever you are referring to is for the front Diff. The rear is always "locked" on the Teryx.

 

[jcummins]

May want to double check but I believe the lock lever you are referring to is for the front Diff. The rear is always "locked" on the Teryx.

That is correct. It is one reason of several that I traded for the gator. The Teyrx I had on a small ranch in Texas....and I seldom used 4wd...it was that good in 2wd. Had ITP mud lites, and I NEVER had it stuck. BUT it tore the crap out of the ground. The gator with Bighorns, which are wore out btw, I'll go into 4wd far more frequently. I've had the gator stuck once...in 18 inches of snow. Being older, the go fast is not me now...diesel gator is just fine, although on occasions with company wish I had that rear seat.

 

[ultrarunner]

Didn't know that the front diff can lock... I had not even considered the Teryx so I didn't read up about them.

Absolutely no landscaped areas on the farm... just dirt roads and paths and pasture... some quite steep.

I'm guessing the salesman was all that familiar with the Teryx... he sells mostly Kubota and a few Mules...

 

[TheGoose]

I have taken it up some very steep terrain (riverbank) and it performed great even in high gear. I was scared I would have to stop on the slope and shift into low but it kept pulling. Max speed is 25 mph but honestly once you get going that fast you don't want to go any faster and most of the time the ground is too bumpy to be able to comfortably go that fast. Machine was about $10.4K and I added a very nice top for $11.2 drive out.

Very interested in how it performs and if you have steep up and down terrain to navigate.

The Mule is still a contender for me... kind of put the UTV on hold with so many other things going on.

They must be good because I have come across some used on job sites and security with a couple of thousand hours.

Congratulations!

 

[Green Power]

Teryx is for going fast, Mule is for getting stuff done. There really isn't much to compare to each other.

The teryx is for getting stuff done in a timely manner, and in a little more comfort. You are right a teryx is better in nearly every angle.

 

[Green Power]

I have taken it up some very steep terrain (riverbank) and it performed great even in high gear. I was scared I would have to stop on the slope and shift into low but it kept pulling. Max speed is 25 mph but honestly once you get going that fast you don't want to go any faster and most of the time the ground is too bumpy to be able to comfortably go that fast. Machine was about $10.4K and I added a very nice top for $11.2 drive out.

The faster utvs typicallly have a more comfy suspension than the old school mules, like the 4010s..

 

[Green Power]

I did not know that... there is a manual lever for locking the rear differential.

Really no yard as the property is farm Christmas Trees and Pasture.

The Teryx seemed to be very powerful... I have no need or desire for speed... just can't get my head around 12 to 18k with taxes and fees... never paid that much for my cars except for one.

Tested the Mule 610 yesterday and I think for buying new it would come up a little short all around.

If the Teryx is still available, i would get it. i think you would be much happier with it than a mule... It sounds like it is better suited to your uses than a mule would ever be.

 

[TheGoose]

Yeah, I've been on a few rangers. They are definitely faster and smoother but my impression is that they also have more problems.

The faster utvs typicallly have a more comfy suspension than the old school mules, like the 4010s..

 

[mkr7734]

You should like the Gator. We have the small compact Gator CX. It will be 11 years old this year and has 1,800+ hours on it, Does what we need and has never needed anything but a set of tires.

 

[ultrarunner]

My neighbor loves his Gator CX... uses it all the time and has 1500 hours on it.

Tried it on my property and the lack of 4 wheel braking was a problem as I was sliding down my gravel drive down to the creek...

 

[mkr7734]

My neighbor loves his Gator CX... uses it all the time and has 1500 hours on it.

Tried it on my property and the lack of 4 wheel braking was a problem as I was sliding down my gravel drive down to the creek...

Your drive must be steep. I did opt for the locking Dif and oil filter, I have slid down some mud trails but never the driveway. Would think if I can't stop the Gator would have one heck of a time with our car and truck.......

 

[ultrarunner]

The drive is steep out back... the gator has little trouble going up... guess it is the center of gravity shift to the rear.

Going down is different in that the center of gravity shifts to the front... so the rear tires kind of skid...

Now, if there is weight like two people in back if makes the brakes work much better.

He loves that Gator for work and play...

Only issues have been flat tires...

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I'm just bumping this thread back to the top for two reasons. First, I wonder if Ultrarunner bought a UTV yet. Secondly, I'm starting the process of researching a UTV purchase and found a lot of good information in this thread.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thanks for asking... yee did...

Picked up a used one owner Kubota RTV900 with 430 hours... guy used it around his property... had to go about 300 miles roundtrip to get it.

So far so good... did order the hand throttle kit which should help with it's only shortcoming...

We have some very steep hills and from factory the only way to get the throttle up is to step on the pedal which with hydro can take away power.

So the hand throttle is supposed to let you increase engine speed irrespective of pedal position... the way my Kubota tractors work with a hand throttle.

Been on the road this week and Oregon and Washington dealers have great inventories on the lot... both Kubota and Deere and even Cabelas has their version.

Wish it would be the same in the SF Bay Area... who wants to order one new from a catalog sight unseen?

 

[sdef]

Due to TBN and other Internet posts, I narrowed my choices down to a Polaris Ranger and a Kawasaki Mule Pro-FX EPS LE. After driving both I bought a Polaris Ranger 900XP EPS mainly for the performance. Awesome. However, if my usage was more work related and I did not have all of the trees I have to maneuver around, the Mule would be a better choice as the Polaris is primarily plastic where the Mule had a lot of metal, more cab and bed space and is designed as a working vehicle. Not to mention a far better warranty of three years vs. the Polaris' six months. For me, put the Polaris running gear in a Kawasaki Mule and I would have the perfect vehicle.

 

[Hermio]

I have had my Intimidator Crew for 1.5 years now. Very heavy duty machine, but with enough suspension travel that it can go at a decent speed over rough ground. Though its top speed of 33 mph is slow for those who want a sports model, we would never approach such a speed in the woods anyway. Intimidator does have a new model that can reach 60 mph. My only complaint so far is that it is almost impossible to service the transmissions and front axle oil changes without a lift. So, I drive it up to a mechanic shop that has one.

 

[Redneck in training]

We have Kawa Mule with three cylinder engine. It is new with approaching only 20 hours ready for first oil change. We like it a lot. It has selectable all wheel drive, locking differentials, power steering and winch. It is not the fastest thing though. It looks like it is governed just above 30 mph. Otherwise it can climb pretty steep slopes even without locked differentials. But here is the problem. We bought our place to keep us mean and lean in retirement but now we drive to places where we used to walk to like veggie garden, to mail box, to back 40ty, to the shed, to mulberry tree etc.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^Exactly...

I was discussing this with my brother as we were walking all over his hilly 65 acres... when heavy items needed to be moved we used the L3800.

Now everything goes by Kubota RTV900.

I is very handy and convenient and does add to productivity... but the walking has fallen off a lot... and walking with the wheelbarrow is now just about a thing of the past.

 

[s219]

When I am doing long term projects, like when I put an addition on my barn, the RTV became my mobile workshop. Holds a bunch of tools, and the rear gate flips down to make a good mini workbench. Great for fetching materials and ferrying them around. Has cut down on a lot of manual "go-fer" work, when I used to do laps around the property between house, workshop, scrap pile, etc. Now I can zip around and save a lot of time and wear on my boots. I normally like to get as much exercise as I can, but when doing projects, the constant laps back and forth take a lot of time, so I am happy to have the RTV for that. On other days when I am not trying to get work done, I spend more time walking around.

 

[Hermio]

We have Kawa Mule with three cylinder engine. It is new with approaching only 20 hours ready for first oil change. We like it a lot. It has selectable all wheel drive, locking differentials, power steering and winch. It is not the fastest thing though. It looks like it is governed just above 30 mph. Otherwise it can climb pretty steep slopes even without locked differentials. But here is the problem. We bought our place to keep us mean and lean in retirement but now we drive to places where we used to walk to like veggie garden, to mail box, to back 40ty, to the shed, to mulberry tree etc.

Well, even if you can't do the lean part, you can still be mean! :laughing: