mule 3010/4010, vs gator, vs ranger

[Michelle K linnane]

I went to a pheasant preserve the other day and they had 6 mules crew cab
, 2 gators, a ranger. So of course I asked the obvious question which one he liked the best and he answered mule, I went home and looked at the prices and decide maybe I might like the mule better also. I have a 6 wheel gator which is fine, for yard work or to load the back end as it is low (no ground clearence). I have used my neighbors ranger and find it much more confortable then the gator. But when you look at MSRP you can purchase diesel mule crew cab for what you pay for a ranger gas crew cab. I was really shocked and not only that but the seat folds down in the mule to give you a bigger cargo area.
does anyone on the web forum have a mule, they seem like a very nice machine?

thank you
michelle
Dog Boarding, Hunting Preserve, Labrador, Aqua Therapy, Upstate New York

 

[JonR]

We've put about 100 hours on ours so far with no trouble, steers a little hard but other than that no complaints

 

[bigdeer2000]

the 4000 series mule i saw had power steering. nice upgrade from the 3010

 

[john_bud]

I have the older mule 3010 4x4 gas. No trouble with it except for traction. Solved that with larger more aggressive tires. My issue was mud and deep ruts.

jb

 

[weldingisfun]

We have the 3010, Trans4x4, gas. After nearly 500 hours no complaints at all. We work it everyday hauling cargo, tools, firewood, people all it does is keep on running. Oh yeh, we also taught three of the six grandkids to drive on it.

 

[gc2310]

We have a 610 4x4 that works well. No problems at all . It's a little underpowered for heavy hauling so I would suggest diesel for a working machine.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

I recently upgraded from the mule 3010 trans to the mule 4010 trans. My main reasoning was to get the fuel injection and power steering on the 4010. These are huge upgrades. The 3010 is a cold blooded monster, and my wife had a bear of a time getting it to idle for her. The 4010 fires right up and there is no manual choke to screw around with. The power steering really lightens up the steering at slow speeds.

I do wish the thing had more power. Don't get me wrong, this thing has taken everything I've thrown at it, but more is always better.

 

[john_bud]

I

. The 3010 is a cold blooded monster,


.

VERY true!!

jb

 

[weldingisfun]

Wisconsin cold is different than Texas cold. Our 3010 has no problems with Texas cold.

 

[jinman]

The 3010 is a cold blooded monster, and my wife had a bear of a time getting it to idle for her. The 4010 fires right up and there is no manual choke to screw around with. The power steering really lightens up the steering at slow speeds.

It took us about two months to figure out that the 3010 had to be fully choked by pulling the knob all the way out as far as it will go and hold it there while cranking the engine. We find that it fires almost immediately when we do that. However, both our Mule and the neighbor's always have had a problem idling even when warm. I finally looked at my service manual (ordered online) and made a slight adjustment to idle speed. It has made the Mule idle like a dream. You have to be careful that you don't get the speed so high that the gears grind when you move the shift lever, but if you get it just right, it makes a lot of difference.

I'd love to have fuel injection and automatic choke, but I just can't see trading in a paid-for 3010 Mule that does everything we want it to do. Heck, it has enough scratches on it now that we don't even worry over every little scratch in the bed.