Barebones Mule or your Suggestions

[firefighter9208]

I'm all done messing with the Mule for now. I don't have anything else that I want to do to it. Might buy a spot light, and maybe a radio, or boom box so I can have tunes when down at Lake Marabou. No rush on either of those things.

The rear screen came out real nice. As you can see in the pictures, it looks factory. You would have to look real close to see my welds, which are just fair. The grinder and paint really help a lot in hiding my lack of welding skills.

What I find interesting is how much I like the lower screen compared to the picures of the full sized screen. I think it's better like this. Of course, I don't have much of a choice and wouldn't have cut it if I didn't have to, but now that it's done, I'm happy with it and glad to have done it.

Thanks again to everyone for your advice and insight. I'm a happy camper and once again, I owe that to your suggestions.

Eddie

Eddie,

Your top and screen look nice. I do like the shorter screen myself. I see that you have the same seat cover that I have :laughing: . I've asked for a set of covers from Santa. We'll see if she was listening. That seat can get real hot setting out in the sun :drool: .

Chris

 

[jinman]

Nice work Eddie!:thumbsup: The only thing missing is one of these attached to the screen just above the bed so it can be easily seen from behind. You can see ours in the attached photo.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

I don't need or want 4wheel drive. I have no reason or desire to go off roding. I don't want to pull anything or work it. I just want to be able to put around my place, and for my Mom to be able to use it to get the mail and maybe drive around on the roads too. She never goes down to the lake, and she will be 70 in a couple of months, so I realy want something that she can drive around easily. Which is why being low to the ground is a big plus.

Thank you,
Eddie[/QUOTE]

We bought a 2004 Polaris Ranger TM which had sat in a warehouse for four years unsold. It's taller than a golf cart, but my elderly mother has learned to climb up onto the seat. She likes the soft ride a lot better than the treatment her arthritic joints received from the EZ-Go.

With 400 hours on it now it has definitely become a member of the family and gets exceptionally varied use on our 114 acres. We have hauled topsoil to places the tractors couldn't go, gathered sap for sugar-making in winter, ice fished, hauled the local Liberal candidate around in parades, given tours of the property with as many as nine people aboard, shuttled trailers, sprayed around 20 acres of walnut seedlings, and used it as a local mobility vehicle. Everyone who drives it gives it rave reviews in this context.

I have posted series of reviews of the Ranger TM on my blog. You can access them at Walnut Diary

 

[EddieWalker]

Update on the Mule. It's just been one of the best things I ever bought. From doing chores, to having fun, it never dissapoints. Being able to seat 4 adults comfortably has been a big plus, but so is being able to put so much into the large sized dump bed and to haul it around.

I'm still thinking about a windshield. There have been a few days that were pretty darn cold, but I really like not having anything in front of me, so it's stil a tossup.

One of my initial thoughts was that I didnt need or want four wheel drive. With winter, and heavy rains and snow, I realize how wrong I was in that idea. If I didn't have four wheel drive, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere. With fourwheel drive and the rear differential locked, I've been able to go anywhere, and through anything. Water has come in over the floorboard and I never slowed down. I can go slow and easy, or off road it and have fun splashing around in the mud. With snow, it just goes over the snow and keeps on going!!!!!

Eddie

 

[jinman]

Eddie, I agree with your evaluation 100%. I'm so glad you got 4wd. I was really worried you were going to get a 2wd golf cart when you started looking. I know this Mule is so much more expensive, but it's also so much more useful. Our Mule is like our best buddy. We use it constantly and love it. Our battery in the Mule is 7 years old. Last week in the cold, I went out and pulled the choke and hit the starter. It fired off like the middle of summer. I admit that in the cold, I could hear the tappets rattle in the engine until it warmed up, but that Mule has performed far beyond anything I ever expected. How does your Mule start in cold weather? Aren't the new ones like yours fuel injected?

EDIT: I vote for the windshield, but ours is molded Lexan and distorts pretty badly. If you get the flat kind like Essex sells, you should be able to see through it with no problem. However, you do have to keep it clean and wipe the dew and/or frost off it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim,

It was your comments and common sense advice that convinced me that I needed to buy 4wheel drive. It's hard to imagine winter condition at the end of summer. I never tried drving around in it before because it's just a red clay, gooey mess!!!! The Mule just keeps on going. I can get anywhere on my land, in any weather conditions. It's just an awesome machine.

Mine is fuel injected. At 20 degrees, I just turn the key and it fires right up. Idles perfectly and is ready to go. The power steering is another feature that I really appreciate.

The windshiled would have to allow me to access the front storage compartment. They make them, and there are several differnt styles to choose from. Prices seem to be in the $500 to $600 range. A lot of the price is how it attaches and the method opening it to get to the storage area. So far, it's just an idea that I'm unsure about.

Something that I didn't realize is that it's a great date vehicle. I've invited friends over for dinner, and then we take the Mule out for a drive and park it at Lake Marabou to watch the sun set. It's a VERY NICE way to spend time with a pretty girl!!!!!!

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[KentT]

Eddie,

Do they have the folding windshields for that Mule model that will still allow you to get to your storage compartment?

For Rhinos and Teryx's, for example, you can get Lexan windshields that fold down so that the top half of the windshield is open for summer riding. That lets plenty of fresh air in for ventilation, especially with the open sides/doors... but, should you get caught out in the rain, or for winter riding, you can fold the top 1/2 back up quickly to block out the weather.

I don't know if you can get them for your Mule or not...

 

[buckle97]

Glad to see you are still enjoying your Mule, Eddie. These UTV's are really incredible!
We opted for no roof or windshield when we purchased our RTV. There was no price incentive to get it then so we will wait until summer and see how hot the seats get and then decide if we need a top or windshield.

 

[beppington]

I agree with all that, Eddie ('cept I got no snow) ... Love the 4x4. Nothing has stopped me yet :thumbsup:

Chicks, young & old, do dig these Mules for some reason!! I guess they recognize FUN just about like we do ... well close anyway :laughing:

I installed a stereo system (with a 10" sub!) in mine ... Playin' dance tunes only helps with the fun! (thus my need for a car battery in place of the little OEM battery)

I have a half-windshield on mine (lower half, blocks some wind). I also am not sure if I want an entire windshield because I know it'll get dirty, be hard to see thru & I won't want to spend time keeping it clean.

I envy your fuel injection. I have to pull the manual choke pretty much every time. No big deal, but ...

 

[EddieWalker]

That windshield style is one that I've looked at, but the bottom part folds forward so you can access the storage compartmet in the hood. The other is a one piece unit that goes forward with a hinge of some type at the top. The one piece windshield is a hundred bucks more then the middle folding one. Both seem to do the job, but I'm thinking of just waiting until I see them in person somewhere in the future.

I love the roof. In the summer, it is it's own shade, and nice to sit under it on a hot day. The other day, was down at my lake to take pics of the sunset and it started to rain. I noticed it was raining because the water went from being smooth as glass, to having rain drops hitting it. I didn't get any on me and I was able to take picture while it was raining!!!!!

I've thought about adding a rack to the roof for more storage and to mount off road lights facing in all four directions. I don't need it, but still think about doing it.

Thanks,
Eddie