Big Hours on a Mule

[jinman]

I work right off of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and drive around the perimeter road each day coming to work. I often see a red 3010 Kawasaki Mule with cab and bed sideboards that belongs to the airport. They use it daily to pick up litter around the airport. They do a great job, which has nothing to do with the Mule, but I want to give them credit where it's due.

Yesterday morning, it was hot and muggy already as I came into work. The driver of the Mule was sitting in the shade of our building, taking a break. I asked him how many hours he had on the Mule and he said 3,700. I have to admit being shocked. I laughed as I told him I was a rookie with only 350 hours on ours.

So it just occurred to me to raise the topic. UTVs have grown exponentially in popularity over the last few years. How many of us have real long-term experience? Is there anyone on TBN with over 1000 hours? 500 hours? I sure don't think I'll ever put 3,700 hours on my Mule.

 

[RedRocker]

I think we have 14 on the Ranger, I'll check back in a few years.

 

[darkday]

A little over 515 on the HPX and had 450 I think when I traded in my 2003 6x4 last year for the HPX.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

well the hpx has the same engine as the 3010 mule i think and i have about 530 hours on it and it's a 04. and it don't smoke at all and runs great.i bet that new 750 kawasaki sidexside will be a force to be reconded with. them kawasaki v twin engines are pretty good.

 

[Mr. Green]

I just sold a Kawasaki Mule 2510 that I bought new in 1997. It had 1600+ hours on it. I did a very thorough job of maintaining it over that period of time/use and it delivered flawless service and performance. It really was a fine machine,hauled and pulled loads that easily exceeded the ratings in the spec. sheet. The loads that machine was subjected to could very well have been considered abuse, but it came through each and every time. Properly maintained I believe it could have easily done another 1600+ hours.

FWIW I sold it for 6k and bought myself a Kubota RTV900.


Mr. G

 

[Jimbrown]

Well we just bought a1310 Trans it has about 30 hours on it. One strong machine and we can carry us and two big dogs plus still have a fullcargo bed It will go places that scare me silly.

 

[Harvey7]

A friend has a Mule with over 1200 hours, it's about ten years old, can't kill it.

Harvey

 

[Grrrr]

Well it's not a mule, but a farmer round here just turned a suzuki atv into a trailer and the atv was probably 20 years old. It was probably antique as far as atv's go. Dread to think how many miles that thing must have had on it. I think the clock stopped way back. It was pretty knackered though.

 

[jinman]

Well it's not a mule, but a farmer round here just turned a suzuki atv into a trailer and the atv was probably 20 years old.

Jake, what does he pull the "trailer" with? Do you mean he put a bed on the Suzuki, or do you really mean a trailer? I know there are expressions that mean different things in the U.K and U.S., but isn't a trailer something pulled by another vehicle?

 

[Grrrr]

Jake, what does he pull the "trailer" with? Do you mean he put a bed on the Suzuki, or do you really mean a trailer? I know there are expressions that mean different things in the U.K and U.S., but isn't a trailer something pulled by another vehicle?

Sorry. What I mean is he took the rear axle of the quad and put bed on top of it. He then put a ball coupling on the front of it and pulls it with another quad bike. The engine was knackered and so was the front axle so it was not worth doing anything else with it.

 

[jinman]

Sorry. What I mean is he took the rear axle of the quad and put bed on top of it. He then put a ball coupling on the front of it and pulls it with another quad bike. The engine was knackered and so was the front axle so it was not worth doing anything else with it.

Now I understand that you really do mean he made a trailer of it. I guess I didn't understand the term "knackered" to mean that the engine was no good. That's probably the same as if I said the engine was "hosed" in U.S. English.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

A friend has a Mule with over 1200 hours, it's about ten years old, can't kill it.

Harvey

We have a big mule with about 1600hrs on it. Other than hard cold starts, it runs great.

 

[john_bud]

2003 Mule 3010 gas. Only about 250 hours. It hauls a 5x10 trailer with supplies for the tree farm. 1.75 miles from the end of the gravel road to the close corner of the property. It has pulled well over 2000# on that trailer thru creek bottoms, mud holes, ruts and bumps up hills and down. No complaints. Worst thing ever happened was a tree that was partly shredded popped up when backing and cut the coolant hose. Made a temporary fix with plumbing elbows and the un-damaged parts of the original hose. That was in 2003. The permanent replacement hose is in the glove box, untouched since a week after the incident. Oh, the gasket on top of the fuel tank is starting to leak. Will have to fix that, don't like stray gas fumes!

jb

 

[Podunkadunk]

Now I understand that you really do mean he made a trailer of it. I guess I didn't understand the term "knackered" to mean that the engine was no good. That's probably the same as if I said the engine was "hosed" in U.S. English.

"Hosed"...as in "all hosed up". LOL. I haven't heard that in a few years. That's the Navy coming out in you.

Podunk