Side by Side or 4x4

[JONNY BOYYY]

never never buy a side by side that isn't a 4x4...it costs a little more but it keeps its value for years..a 2 wheel drive doesn't--------------

 

[JONNY BOYYY]

My wife and I have been looking at getting a side by side for running up and down the mountains in southeast KY. It seems the cheap ones start at about 8000 and they go up from there. The JD Gators can easily be 25000. Even used the resale seems fairly high for what it is.
My daughter was looking at a 2013 RAM 4x4 shortbed - 185000 miles. It was $6500. I took it for a test drive and it seemed fine - it needs a new heater core which I'm factoring in.

I can't really see why the side by sides are so high when a truck like this probably can about everything for just driving around the homestead - and maybe once in a while driving into town.

Why would someone get a gator/side by side if you can get a beater 4x4 truck for less money? What am I missing here?
What are you thoughts on this?

never never buy a side by side that isn't a 4x4...it costs a little more but it keeps its value for years..a 2 wheel drive doesn't....

 

[ArlyA]

We occasionally use our 6x6 to move cut wood. But more often its used to haul tools around.

 

[inchman]

My wife and I have been looking at getting a side by side for running up and down the mountains in southeast KY. It seems the cheap ones start at about 8000 and they go up from there. The JD Gators can easily be 25000. Even used the resale seems fairly high for what it is.
My daughter was looking at a 2013 RAM 4x4 shortbed - 185000 miles. It was $6500. I took it for a test drive and it seemed fine - it needs a new heater core which I'm factoring in.

I can't really see why the side by sides are so high when a truck like this probably can about everything for just driving around the homestead - and maybe once in a while driving into town.

Why would someone get a gator/side by side if you can get a beater 4x4 truck for less money? What am I missing here?
What are you thoughts on this?

Wow, I guess I am in the minority opinion here, but side by sides (or UTVs) are NOT really farm equipment. This is MY opinion and here are my reasons. They are toys. They are SUPER high priced (as you are finding out) and the parts availability is almost non-existent after about 10 years.
As you see, you can get a fully street legal truck for less. This is a truck with heat, enclosed cab, radio, wipers, maybe A/C, and a ton of other features. If you get a 'beater' it will go most places the UTV can go. I have a beater Jeep TJ and that will go any place a UTV can go. But I can also drive that down the shore, I can take it in deep snow, it can haul a lot more than most UTVs. I can also put 4 people in it!
A UTV is a 'fun' vehicle, but limited to off road use. They are not really as durable and repairable as a small 4X4. I'm not saying UTVs are worthless, but I when you think of them more as a toy than a tool, you can better compare them to a 4X4. If you are mostly using it for work, and live in places that get cold, snow, rain, etc, a 4X4 is the way to go. If you are only looking to ride around a larger property, and don't need to use it for real work in all conditions, a UTV is fine.

 

[ArlyA]

Wow, I guess I am in the minority opinion here, but side by sides (or UTVs) are NOT really farm equipment. This is MY opinion and here are my reasons. They are toys. They are SUPER high priced (as you are finding out) and the parts availability is almost non-existent after about 10 years.
As you see, you can get a fully street legal truck for less. This is a truck with heat, enclosed cab, radio, wipers, maybe A/C, and a ton of other features. If you get a 'beater' it will go most places the UTV can go. I have a beater Jeep TJ and that will go any place a UTV can go. But I can also drive that down the shore, I can take it in deep snow, it can haul a lot more than most UTVs. I can also put 4 people in it!
A UTV is a 'fun' vehicle, but limited to off road use. They are not really as durable and repairable as a small 4X4. I'm not saying UTVs are worthless, but I when you think of them more as a toy than a tool, you can better compare them to a 4X4. If you are mostly using it for work, and live in places that get cold, snow, rain, etc, a 4X4 is the way to go. If you are only looking to ride around a larger property, and don't need to use it for real work in all conditions, a UTV is fine.

I might be best if you stay in the truck or SUV ownership business.... We use our atv off-road for work, need low psi and a narrow machine.

 

[NYlumberman]

Form follows function, it seems to me the use would define the vehicle. My side by side lets me access narrow (sometimes too narrow) paths through the woods and it doesn’t rut up the ground when it’s a little soft, which is most of the year anymore.

 

[Doz]

So I my farm I have a couple tractors a 4x4 pickup truck and a gator with hyd.dump box for 90% of the jobs I grab the gator easy to get in and out doesn’t tear up things and leave a bunch of ruts gets into tight spots and is fun to drive

 

[lhfarm]

I am late to this party. My son and I have run www.farmjeep.com for 20 years. I take my 1949 CJ3a with the hydraulic 3-point shows across the midwest. People have no idea that the Jeep was used as a tractor. I tell them, in terms they can understand, that the Farm Jeep was a cross between a SXS and a CUT. For the price of a SXS you can find a beautifully restored early CJ (any model from 1946 to 1970) and equip it with a lift and PTO. And it is street legal. You can work it and take it to shows. You can off-road and drive it to church on Sunday. It is just plan fun too.

Barry

 

[Merck]

My wife and I have been looking at getting a side by side for running up and down the mountains in southeast KY. It seems the cheap ones start at about 8000 and they go up from there. The JD Gators can easily be 25000. Even used the resale seems fairly high for what it is.
My daughter was looking at a 2013 RAM 4x4 shortbed - 185000 miles. It was $6500. I took it for a test drive and it seemed fine - it needs a new heater core which I'm factoring in.

I can't really see why the side by sides are so high when a truck like this probably can about everything for just driving around the homestead - and maybe once in a while driving into town.

Why would someone get a gator/side by side if you can get a beater 4x4 truck for less money? What am I missing here?
What are you thoughts on this?

 

[Ewcmr2]

I thought about a cheaper Jeep/truck but a so happy I went UTV. Convenience and capability make the case for UTV.
A rolled over UTV is easy to flip upright, Jeep/truck/tractor means walking back to equipment shed to get recovery tool and another tractor.
My UTV has 1500lb cargo capacity, more than a CUT bucket, and much faster. Sheets of plywood don’t fit in Jeep, truck sucks in woods.
I don’t spend time in UTV so heat/air aren’t a big concern.