All purpose country buggy

[cisco]

I've 7.5 acres of country property that my wife and I are, very gradually and with much "sweat equity", converting to a reasonably landscaped family compound. The query involves intra-property transportation. We can currently walk for miles (and do), but that won't continue indefinately, and for transporting around 50 lb bags of mulch, nursery purchased trees for planting, gardening stuff and the like, I either have to use the FEL on my tractor, or the pick-up - neither of which I wish to use for the simple task of retrieving the morning newspaper down a 1000 foot driveway at 6am on a cold, dark morning.
So, what do you folks recommend for all around personal transportation on country property?
1. a glorified golf cart (larger, knobby tires; 4WD; tilt rear bed are EZ-GO options)
2. a Kubota (yup, just announced new product), Deere or Kawasaki "mule"
3. a couple of ATV's with a wagon attachment option

 

[thcri]

Option #2 looks pretty good. You and your wife could ride around together or one in your tractor and one in the ATV Mule type.

But personally I like opton #3. Now there you and your wife can ride around together but if you want to go through the mud you can, if you want to climb the large steep hill you can while you wife just kind of watches and cringes thinking your gonna get hurt.

But then option #3 would be more expensive than #2. I would go #2 in your case but make sure you get a good one. Do do a glorified golf cart. Look at the Kubota, the Mule or the Polaris makes one also. Get something tough.


murph

 

[Tractors4u]

I am not sure whether it would be classified as an "all purpose" but it definately is a "country buggy. I have seen these for the last 3 or 4 years at a local antique tractor show. They are built of oak or poplar and typically use the drive train from a Murray HST lawn tractor. Most all of the mechanical parts are store bought or mail order. I bought a set of the plans so that we can build one some day. See the attached picture.

 

[Tractors4u]

Another view

 

[Tractors4u]

Another one. This one is a light oak. This guy built and sold them. I think he said he got around $3000 for one. You'd look good fetching the paper in it!

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

We have an older EZ-Go elect golf cart with a bench seat on the back. It is very quiet. Easy to sneak up on critters.

Wifey uses it all the time to garden with. Pins a trailer to the back alot. Hauls the grand kids around alot. It has a very wide foot print and very stable. Has never tipped on the hills we go up and down.

This thing gets used alot. I have had 6 adults on it with no problem. I have hauled 10- 40lb bags of salt on the bench seat and rear deck at a time.

We also have a Polaris Sportsman 500 and a BX2200. Everything has it's place and use.

The Electric Easy-Go was my first "4-wheeler" and it is still going strong.

I would post a picture if I could just down size one.

Tom

 

[PineRidge]

If money is not an issue those John Deere Gators are pretty sweet looking. Especially the diesel ones. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

If money and a top speed of about 25 mph are not issues, then your option #2 is the only way to go, in my opinion.

 

[Slamfire]

There is an outfit in GA that sells chinese trucks it imports. They don't meet hwy safety standards, but are perfectly ok for off road use. The cost is very much in line with the various 4 wheelers on the market. You can get them up to 10,000 lbs gvwr.

 

[OkeeDon]

I really like that country buggy. Do you remember where you bought the plans? I've had city friends drop over to see the property, and they usually poop out before we get halfway around. That would be perfect for "tours". Lots of fun for parades, too.

But, for my work buggy, for hauling plants and fertilizer and tools, etc., around the property, I'm gong to take a page from the auto salvage yards I like to prowl in, and convert a car. Our land is flat and pretty well groomed, so I won't need 4WD. I have an old (1980) VW Cabriolet (convertible) I picked up somewhere, cheap, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to use that. I plan to remove the doors (the Cabrio has frame reinforcements so it won't go swaybacked without the doors), cut off the windshield, cut down the rear quarter panels and build a flat bed in the back. I'll use some larger wheels and tires to get more ground clearance. I was thinking of building a bench seat for it so both of my little helpers (my granddaughters) could ride with my wife or me.

It currently has a stick shift and gas engine, but if I find a VW diesel cheap enough I'll switch to it so I can refuel with my offroad diesel; and I'll probably switch to an automatic so I won't have to worry about clutching it. I plan to set it up so it will only use low range, neutral and reverse to keep the speed down, and I found a lower differential gear to get a little more torque.

When I'm done I'll paint it in some funky color, and may put a surrey top on it to keep out the Florida sun. It should look something like a Gator or Mule on steroids when I'm done.

If you need 4WD, it might be fun to convert one of the older Subarus; the flat engine wouldn't get in the way, much. If I did that, and cut the roof off, I'd use a roll cage type structure to add structural integrity, and mount the surrey top on the cage.

 

[OkeeDon]

Cisco, I responded in another post about using a converted car, but of the choices you posted, I'd pick the golf cart on steroids. There are some neat lift kits, knobby tires and such available for them, and used golf carts are pretty cheap.

I'd love to have a Gator or mule type, but they are just too expensive. They have way more off-road capability than I'll need. As for the ATVs. they're fun and I wouldn't mind having one, but for my work buggy I'd rather have something where I can slide into the seat rather than have to straddle it, and I'd rather it be self contained (have it's own carrying bed) than have to pull a trailer.

If you convert an electric cart, you won't have to worry about refueling it.

 

[CTyler]

I'm trying to figure this out myself. Just want something to run up the drive, 650'+, get mail, trash take out, run around the 28 acres through the woods etc...

The EZ-Go with some bigger tires and a lift would be nice and quiet. I'm wondering how the bigger tires affect performance for hills. My drive has a fair slope to it and the woods have some steep hills but they are very short. Rear wheel braking only it could get interesting in the winter.

I got looking into used Trakers, Samurai's etc.. and you get 4wd, lights, heat etc.. for about the same money as an Ez-Go. This is MUCH cheaper than a Kubota, Polaris, etc.. Still kinda like the simplicty, ease and quiet of a modified Ez-Go though.

If I really need to haul anything around I've got the tractor, truck and couple trailers. So would just be a convieniance vehicle. I'm still undecided so these threads are very welcome.

 

[Tractors4u]

For those ineterested in the plans for the buggy picture I posted, I found the guys business card in my wallet.

Horseless Carriage Replica

Jimmy Woods
PO Box 216
Coker, AL. 35452

Phone 205-339-8138

The plans were $20

 

[fishman]

I just use my lawn tractor and a pull-behind cart for that sort of thing. I thought about taking the deck off my old lawn tractor and using it for beater transportation, but ended up giving it away.

It works great for driveway and smooth ground, but the deck interferes if it gets to rugged. Then out comes the big tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

As long as speed isn't an issue (and on 7.5 acres I think it probably wouldn't be) this option should work great for you. A lawn cart trailer is only about $100.

 

[jinman]

Cisco, I like the golf cart for your described needs. I'd just say that you could spend $4000 or less on a good used golf cart or utility vehicle and see how you like it. After awhile, you will know what size vehicle is best and you can sell your used vehicle if needed. If you buy a new one, you'd take a pretty hard hit in depreciation if it didn't work out. It's a hard decision because once you get one of these things you suddenly have so many jobs you wonder how you ever got along without one.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Cisco.

Here is the Easy-Go with a Drunken Boxer wearing a straw hat.

 

[JazzDad]

Tom, I think I'm going to notify a moderator: the strangest picture to EVER appear on TBN!

(I love it!)

 

[mdbarb]

I've been considering this for awhile also. I have 9 hilly acres and often it seems the 50lb thing I need at the top is at the bottom or visa versa (funny how that always works out that way)
Anyway my neighbor recently bought a slightly used golf cart to get the groceries up from the garage to the house. The guy selling them drove it over and I took it for a spin.
I like the quiet very much and it does seem stable and kid safe. I suppose I would have to get a lift kit and knobby tires and convert the back bench to some kind of utility bed (more projects! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) Anyone know how much that costs?
One of my concerns is the STEEP driveway up to the mailbox, especially if I was carrying some weight in the back.
His unit seemed to handle if fine, but he mentioned something about the batteries - the old carts probably would struggle with the hill but his had more super duper batteries or something - I wish I took notes.
Anyway his carts were too nice and new and $- I need a beater cart with enuf power but it appears the beater carts are older and underpowered.
I'll just keep my eyes open and be ready when one falls in my lap.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Keep an eye out. Sometimes you see a cart sticking out of a barn that maybe has dead batteries or something and they don't want to put any money into it. The batteries are a bit expensive but if you take care of them they last a long time.

I replaced my batteries 2 years ago. They should last me at least 10 years. The last ones were used (from a golf course) and lasted 7 years for me.

We go up and down some pretty good hills. It will tell you when it needs charged.

Gas is fine but this is soooo quiet and smooth.

Tom