Need input and real life trial reviews on UTV/RTV

[General Lee]

I'm looking at purchasing an UTV or RTV. I looked at John Deere's 825i, that is all they had on the lot. I liked it, yet know nothing about the new Chinese motor (Cherri) that is in it. Dealer didn't know and took them 30 minutes to find who made the motor. They said this year is the first year for the motor.

Also looked at Kubota RTV's. They only had a couple 1100 and one RTV500 in stock. I wanted to see the 900 but they had none. I'm already turned off at the diesel motor. Its the noise. Love me a diesel but this machine will be used a lot for hunting. Loud diesel coming through the woods....not sure I want that.

Now.....I really liked the RTV500's size. I still want to be nimble through the woods and the size of the 500 really appealed to me, but the power, and capacity size of the cargo box and payloads don't compare to others. How capable is this machine?

Another concern of mine is the ability to conquer rough terrain with these RTV/UTV's? I will be dealing with steep hills, crossing streams, over logs etc. How will these handle these obstacles and how is the stability on hills?

I'm also considering John Deere's 625i but haven't checked one out yet. Anyone have any of these models that could provide some real life input with these machines?

 

[smstonypoint]

My experience is limited to the RTV 900 that I own. However, I did look at the RTV 500 and several Kawasaki and Polaris UTVs before making my purchase.


I bought my UTV for farm work and so I wanted the power of a diesel. If you are going to be using the UTV just for hunting, trail rides, etc., the diesel may be overkill.

Regarding its noise, I have come upon some deer (out of hunting season) that seemed to be interested in this strange orange creature and didn't bolt immediately. I have read on TBN that adding a canopy and windshield seem to make the RTV 900 noisier for the operator. I don't have either one (yet), so I can't comment.

Regarding rough terrain, I believe the RTV 900 has a lower center-of-gravity and lower ground clearance than some of its competitors. I haven't had any problems on rough terrain, but what I consider "rough" may seem "tame" to others.

My only regret about my RTV 900 is that I didn't buy one earlier.

I'm sure that the UTVs from JD, Kawasaki, Polaris, etc. are quality machines. I was happy with the Kubota and, equally important to me, the Kubota dealer. The folks at the Kawasaki and Polaris dealerships were "power sports" guys and the folks at the Kubota dealership were farm boys.

Steve

 

[General Lee]

Thank you for the reply. Actually this vehicle will be used for more work than play. Besides the hunting, I will haul wood with it and use it for other chores. My days of speeding around on an ATV are over. I don't need to run 40-50 mph. I could definitely find chores where the diesel would be a plus but I'm also trying to stay in a certain price range. I was told Kubota's RTV1100 is the same size as the 900 without the cab. Thats pretty large considering I will be heading off the trails at times and need to get into tight spots in the woods. There is pluses and minuses between all the manufactures. Right now I've only looked at John Deere and Kubota. Of course Kubota has the 0% finacing

 

[EThogfarmer]

I also purchased my RTV 1140 because of the Kubota diesel engine. I use it inspect some 600 acres of timber and it's not unusual for me to have to wait for deer to get out of my way on the logging roads I go down. I have no complaints about the RTV, it does everything I ask it to. The ability to go from one to two rows of seating is a big plus for me.

 

[jcmseven]

The engine in the 825i is a high quality engine. It will run well and last a long time. John Deere stands behind its product and you would not have trouble. They tested the fool out of this UTV and delayed its release date at least once to make sure it exceeded their expectations. It has much more power than the Kubota 900 or 1100. If this is not a primary issue, Kubota makes and heavy duty and reliable work UTV. One can ride it on trails but this is not its intent. Polaris makes a nice UTV; I just sold one I had and I did like it, just not as much as the Gator 825. A lot of what you choose depends on your tasks. If you are totally working the vehicle, a diesel and certainly the Kubota, would be high on my list. If you are mainly wanting that hunting vehicle, the Ranger is a great choice and still likely the best overall trail work-type (non sport) UTV. The Gator to me (reason why I have one) is the best choice for those who don't know what they are going to primarily use the machine doing. It works as well as the Kubota, is nearly as good off road as the Ranger, has more power than either, has a true automotive style engine, good styling, lots of options, and good dealer and company support and warranty. Thus, it meets or exceeds the competition in many areas without being deficient in any area. One concern is that it does not have a power steering option right now from the factory, which I wish it did. This is one reason I have a Unisteer kit on order, the Gator is heavy enough to need power assisted steering.

John M

 

[smstonypoint]

Thank you for the reply. Actually this vehicle will be used for more work than play. Besides the hunting, I will haul wood with it and use it for other chores. My days of speeding around on an ATV are over. I don't need to run 40-50 mph. I could definitely find chores where the diesel would be a plus but I'm also trying to stay in a certain price range. I was told Kubota's RTV1100 is the same size as the 900 without the cab. Thats pretty large considering I will be heading off the trails at times and need to get into tight spots in the woods. There is pluses and minuses between all the manufactures. Right now I've only looked at John Deere and Kubota. Of course Kubota has the 0% finacing

I'm not sure that I am reading your statement correctly, but the 1100 has the cab, and is slightly taller, wider, and longer than the 900. If you are going to being doing much hauling, the hydraulic dump on the Worksite 900 would be a blessing.

Good luck in your search.

Steve

 

[General Lee]

I'm not sure that I am reading your statement correctly, but the 1100 has the cab, and is slightly taller, wider, and longer than the 900. If you are going to being doing much hauling, the hydraulic dump on the Worksite 900 would be a blessing.

Good luck in your search.

Steve

You are correct. I meant the 900 without the cab as the 1100 has, is similar in size. Dealer kind of showed me the approximate size of the 900 compared to the 1100 since he didn't have a 900 in stock. It is smaller but not a whole lot.

 

[smstonypoint]

Dealer kind of showed me the approximate size of the 900 compared to the 1100 since he didn't have a 900 in stock. It is smaller but not a whole lot.

I happened to have my Kubota RTV brochure on my desk. Here are the dimensions in inches.

RTV 900 (Worksite): 119.3 (L), 59.8 (W), 79.1 (H)
RTV 1100: 129.1 (L), 66.9 (W), 81.5 (H)

The 1100 is slightly bigger in size, but a lot bigger in price.

Steve

 

[DIXIEDOG]

Now.....I really liked the RTV500's size. I still want to be nimble through the woods and the size of the 500 really appealed to me, but the power, and capacity size of the cargo box and payloads don't compare to others. How capable is this machine?

I own a RTV 500 and it does far more than I anticipated, it's a work horse for sure. I use it to move my fiberglass bass rig around which is well over capacity at 2500+ lbs but the little 500 seems to love it, I wouldn't want to get going 20 mph and try to stop quick but in low range it's got plenty of grunt to haul it. I've used a brush grubber with it to pull some 2" diameter stumps out of the ground, it worked like a charm. I've used it along with my DR Power Grader to grade the driveway and once again it didn't disappoint. My RTV 500 also serves double duty as a hunting machine, I've used it quite a bit for trail riding and other than the rough ride when going fast I can't ask for more. It fits into areas other UTV can't even come close and it goes over some pretty rough terrain. If you were in soupy mud you would definitely want the winch but for regular trails it's more than adequate.:thumbsup:

 

[General Lee]

I own a RTV 500 and it does far more than I anticipated, it's a work horse for sure. I use it to move my fiberglass bass rig around which is well over capacity at 2500+ lbs but the little 500 seems to love it, I wouldn't want to get going 20 mph and try to stop quick but in low range it's got plenty of grunt to haul it. I've used a brush grubber with it to pull some 2" diameter stumps out of the ground, it worked like a charm. I've used it along with my DR Power Grader to grade the driveway and once again it didn't disappoint. My RTV 500 also serves double duty as a hunting machine, I've used it quite a bit for trail riding and other than the rough ride when going fast I can't ask for more. It fits into areas other UTV can't even come close and it goes over some pretty rough terrain. If you were in soupy mud you would definitely want the winch but for regular trails it's more than adequate.:thumbsup:

How you feel the stability is on hill sides and cantilever positions, if you've ever had it in those situations?