Kubota RTV-XG850, Anyone?

[texnhawk]

Please share the pros and cons!
I have a 23 year old Kawasaki Mule 2510. I am looking for a better ride, (more suspension).
I am considering Kawasaki Mule Pro FX series FX or FXR I don't need tow rows of seats, and Can Am Defender HD8


Will it seat three across?

Can you also provide some measurements?

How high from the ground to the open tailgate? My Mule is 29" I am guess more suspension means higher?

How wide is the seating (side to side) for all seats? My Mule is 42" We SQUEEZE in three at times

How much foot room front to rear to set your right foot ?( I am size 13)
Do the front inner fenders cause foot room problems? Real bad in my Mule. Also it's gas pedal is to the right of the vehicle center line, hard to operate with three aboard.


Thanks!

No worries, I wasn't going to measure anyway. Short answers
- youtube video of stoney ridge farmer tests drives one. He's 6'5" and says plenty of room
-its not a 3 seater which was a requirement of mine. It fits 3 in bench seat very easily. Seatbelt in middle can be moved down and out of way.
- very solid build. Large roll tube frame, easy access engine, comes with front solid deer guard with wench mount ready, good storage for lots of tools, flip down windshield straps down so doesnt vibrate and can see over split, VERY easy access panels to everything. I put on front and rear LEDs no problem.
-100 hrs and it's great for work. Throw 300-500 lbs of corn in back and bed stays level, 2" receiver on back which matches all my truck parts.
- pulled 6' drag behind for my new tank (pond for those outside of texas) on side inclines I would never drive with tractor.
- power steering adjusts for your speed. Thought this was a marketing gimmick but is a Great feature. Going slow turns with pinkie. Going 40 down a dirt uneven driveway power steering hardens and sidekick feels very stable.
- jump at low speeds is a problem but I'm getting used to it. Wife or kids get in and they are not. It's not a deal killer but NEEDs to be addressed but according to post above is getting fixed.
- last was price, I really wanted a new deere XUV835. 3 seater awesome utv. But prices with roof, front guard and other equals, mine was about $4k cheaper with 4 yrs zero down and 2 year warranty. I bought extra 2 years for cheap. Polaris good unit but used to or still does have a 90 day warranty for my quads. Not happy with that level.

 

[texnhawk]

Discussed my issues with my dealer (jerking on take off and the fuel pedal issue). He just got back from Grapevine, Texas and posed both of my concerns to Kubota.

First, he told me the 'jerk'; I experience will subside as the drive gets broken in. I'll buy than in as much as we have under 50 milers on it presently.

The fuel pedal issue will be addressed under warranty. Kubota is in process of making a fuel pedal re-design and will become available. I imagine that the actuator rod will be lengthened and possibly curved a bit to place the pedal in a better position.

I suspect that when the redesigned pedal becomes available, I'll get one and will replace this one in my own shop and give him the old one for credit. How it usually works with me. I remember way back when, I had a leaking saddle tank on my M9 and Kubota replaced it but I did it here and gave my dealer the leaker back.

5030 thanks for the update from your dealer! That's great news. I was frustrated that I couldn't get anyone from kubota to acknowledge the issue. Also didn't have the time to hunt down other than email customer service. Let me know if your dealer responds. Not sure mine will be proactive.

 

[texnhawk]

One thing I did do right away and that was fix the rattling tailgate. I took 2 lengths of fuel hose and slipped them over the tailgate latches so now when I close the tailgate, the latches sit down in the hooks and keep the tailgate just far enough away from the bed that it don't rattle. Rattle was driving me nuts.

I didn't notice it until you posted. Fixed mine as well after your recommendation.

 

[texnhawk]

Please share the pros and cons!
I have a 23 year old Kawasaki Mule 2510. I am looking for a better ride, (more suspension).
I am considering Kawasaki Mule Pro FX series FX or FXR I don't need tow rows of seats, and Can Am Defender HD8


Will it seat three across?

Can you also provide some measurements?

How high from the ground to the open tailgate? My Mule is 29" I am guess more suspension means higher?

How wide is the seating (side to side) for all seats? My Mule is 42" We SQUEEZE in three at times

How much foot room front to rear to set your right foot ?( I am size 13)
Do the front inner fenders cause foot room problems? Real bad in my Mule. Also it's gas pedal is to the right of the vehicle center line, hard to operate with three aboard.


Thanks!

Zebra5, forgot that this video sealed it for me. I've read comparisons, talked to neighbors etc. This could have been rigged but I do believe this test. Again take for what is worth, put out by kubota.

Kubota Sidekick Competitive Comparison - YouTube

 

[5030]

I keep 'farkling' up my wife's. Just added the front and rear mudflaps. The rears are necessary to keep the mud from coating everything out back and added side mirrors too. Got them at Cabelas on points. Ours tops out at 42 indicated. I think it will go faster but it has an ignition cut at 42. Someone will come out with a bypass, I'm sure.

 

[man00]

You might want to check the tailgate to make sure it doesn't pull/push open after using the fuel hose..I used black electrical tape with about four wraps seems to work fine.

 

[5030]

You might want to check the tailgate to make sure it doesn't pull/push open after using the fuel hose..I used black electrical tape with about four wraps seems to work fine.

Hasn't yet. Kind of unpleasantly surprised Kubota didn't put rubber bumpers on the vertical sides so the tailgate would contact them and not rattle.

 

[mxg342]

I picked mine up Saturday from the local dealer. I'm liking this thing so far!

 

[5030]

Used the 5000 pound winch I put on my wife's yesterday to winch some logs out of the garden (had a couple trees cut down that were dying fro ash borer). Two trunks in the garden and I didn't want to drive in there to extract them with a tractor so I put the tractor sideways behind the Sidekick, secured the Sidekick to the tractor and used the winch to pull them out to dry ground. Worked quite well. The 5000 pound HF winch has plenty of grunt even on the second wrap. Good investment for $200 bucks total and my time installing it.

 

[mxg342]

Has anyone come up with an aftermarket plow setup for these things? I cannot seem to find one and I'm not paying $2300 for a Kubota snowplow.